Today we watched a film about freestyling. Students were then asked to write a 3-paragraph essay about the film using paraphrase, direct quotes (if possible). We are practicing signal phrases.
Themes or ideas generated from the discussion were: The cypher is not just for lyricists, it's a way to find yourself.
Community--
Spirituality
hip hop culture
Connection between genres: spoken word, dance, music...
African culture & tradition
Ancient or old practices
from the board
1. Bay Area Cypher: A Freestyle Documentary by Idris Hassan
2. Dev. thesis sentences--signal phrases
3. 3 paragraphs
signal phrase
More notes from the board on assignment
Practice paraphrasing and direct citation
Each paragraph should be minimally 5 sentences --send your essay to the printer and post it on the blog
Homework
Homework, continue working on essays, reading Total Chaos, reading your novel and developing an outline for your paper. I want to see an outline for your novel in two weeks, November 10.
The Spoken World
I will see some of you at the Berkeley Rep on Monday, Nov. 2, for the Marc Bamuthi Joseph event at 7 PM. I reserved 10 tickets at $7. If you wanted to go and have decided late you can still attend. Call me and I might be able to add a few extra names to the group reservation.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Notes from the board and homework
1. Frewrite related to film short: "Procrastination." Freestyle a response to the video. It is cautionary and intentional.
2. The Spoken Word Revolution selections:
"Regie Gibson" pp. 133-138
"Taylor Mali" pp. 174-177
"Beau Sia" pp. 178-183
"Patricia Smith" pp. 184-193
"Roger Bonair-Sgard" pp. 194-197
3. Essays Comments
4. Homework, Next presentations, Announcements
Homework is to chose a poet from our textbook and reflect on the poet's style, themes, lines you like (and why), the writer's poetic devices like form, rhyme skeem--internal, end rhythms. Write a 250 word, minimally response to the author's work.
You should have minimally 3 poems to compare and contrast. Sherman Alexie is another poet whose work is phenomenal, you might want to compare his response to Howl by Allen Ginsberg to that of Beau Sia's response and his poem, Howl. I'd suggest that you read Ginsberg's poem also if you choose to read either or both of these poets.
2. The Spoken Word Revolution selections:
"Regie Gibson" pp. 133-138
"Taylor Mali" pp. 174-177
"Beau Sia" pp. 178-183
"Patricia Smith" pp. 184-193
"Roger Bonair-Sgard" pp. 194-197
3. Essays Comments
4. Homework, Next presentations, Announcements
Homework is to chose a poet from our textbook and reflect on the poet's style, themes, lines you like (and why), the writer's poetic devices like form, rhyme skeem--internal, end rhythms. Write a 250 word, minimally response to the author's work.
You should have minimally 3 poems to compare and contrast. Sherman Alexie is another poet whose work is phenomenal, you might want to compare his response to Howl by Allen Ginsberg to that of Beau Sia's response and his poem, Howl. I'd suggest that you read Ginsberg's poem also if you choose to read either or both of these poets.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Precious: The Film
I have access to free passes to the film, "Precious," this Thursday, October 29, at the Metreon (4th at Mission Street) in San Francisco.
Please indicate in your response: how many tickets and leave your email address. I have posted a description of the film.
Liquid Soul Media will be conducting an advance screening of the highly anticipated film “Precious” Starring Mo’Nique, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey, Sherri Shepherd, Lenny Kravitz and Gabourey Sidibe in Houston on Thursday, October 29th at 7:00PM at the AMC Metreon.
Lee Daniels’ PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL ‘PUSH’ BY SAPPHIRE is a vibrant, honest and resoundingly hopeful film about the human capacity to grow and overcome.
Set in Harlem in 1987, it is the story of Claireece “Precious” Jones (Gabourey Sidibe), a sixteen-year-old African-American girl born into a life no one would want. She’s pregnant for the second time by her absent father; at home, she must wait hand and foot on her mother (Mo’Nique), a poisonously angry woman who abuses her emotionally and physically. School is a place of chaos, and Precious has reached the ninth grade with good marks and an awful secret: she can neither read nor write.
Precious may sometimes be down, but she is never out. Beneath her impassive expression is a watchful, curious young woman with an inchoate but unshakeable sense that other possibilities exist for her. Threatened with expulsion, Precious is offered the chance to transfer to an alternative school, Each One/Teach One.
Precious doesn’t know the meaning of “alternative,” but her instincts tell her this is the chance she has been waiting for. In the literacy workshop taught by the patient yet firm Ms. Rain (Paula Patton), Precious begins a journey that will lead her from darkness, pain and powerlessness to light, love and self-determination.
I have access to free passes to the film, "Precious," this Thursday, October 29, at the Metreon (4th at Mission Street) in San Francisco.
Please indicate in your response: how many tickets and leave your email address. I have posted a description of the film.
Liquid Soul Media will be conducting an advance screening of the highly anticipated film “Precious” Starring Mo’Nique, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey, Sherri Shepherd, Lenny Kravitz and Gabourey Sidibe in Houston on Thursday, October 29th at 7:00PM at the AMC Metreon.
Lee Daniels’ PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL ‘PUSH’ BY SAPPHIRE is a vibrant, honest and resoundingly hopeful film about the human capacity to grow and overcome.
Set in Harlem in 1987, it is the story of Claireece “Precious” Jones (Gabourey Sidibe), a sixteen-year-old African-American girl born into a life no one would want. She’s pregnant for the second time by her absent father; at home, she must wait hand and foot on her mother (Mo’Nique), a poisonously angry woman who abuses her emotionally and physically. School is a place of chaos, and Precious has reached the ninth grade with good marks and an awful secret: she can neither read nor write.
Precious may sometimes be down, but she is never out. Beneath her impassive expression is a watchful, curious young woman with an inchoate but unshakeable sense that other possibilities exist for her. Threatened with expulsion, Precious is offered the chance to transfer to an alternative school, Each One/Teach One.
Precious doesn’t know the meaning of “alternative,” but her instincts tell her this is the chance she has been waiting for. In the literacy workshop taught by the patient yet firm Ms. Rain (Paula Patton), Precious begins a journey that will lead her from darkness, pain and powerlessness to light, love and self-determination.
Marc Bamuthi Joseph @ Berkeley Rep Monday, Nov. 2
I have spoken to Speak Out, the organization hosting Marc Bamuthi Joseph: The Spoken World, next week, Nov. 2, 2009, 8 PM (doors 7 PM). Tickets for students are $7 and I would like to reserve seats. Let me know tomorrow, Oct. 27, if you would like to go and how many tickets.
You can post your name and how many tickets here as well. We can meet together at 7 PM at the venue and sit together. I live in East Oakland and if anyone wants to carpool let me know. BART stops up the street from the theatre. We could meet at Lake Merritt BART and catch a Richmond train together. I am open to both scenarios. BART means I don't have to look for parking which is hard to find.
You can post your name and how many tickets here as well. We can meet together at 7 PM at the venue and sit together. I live in East Oakland and if anyone wants to carpool let me know. BART stops up the street from the theatre. We could meet at Lake Merritt BART and catch a Richmond train together. I am open to both scenarios. BART means I don't have to look for parking which is hard to find.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Cyber-Response to Brave New Voice Writing Workshop
Share what occurred for you this workshop? What is free now that you have written? How does writing save lives?
Lauren Whitehead
Brave Voices in English 1B
Much thanks to Lauren Whitehead, Program Director of Youth Development at Youth Speaks, who took the class through a writing workshop. Lauren will have a performance piece at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco in December.
Much thanks to Lauren Whitehead, Program Director of Youth Development at Youth Speaks, who took the class through a writing workshop. Lauren will have a performance piece at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco in December.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Poetry
For Thursday's class, October 22, read pages 62-78 from The Spoken Word Revolution. You can read on if you like. Listen to the CD tracks 14-16 also. The author is looking at performance poetry. How to the poetry reflect the period discussed? Are their thematic differences or formal ones? Do you have any personal preferences?
What do you like about the poetry you've read so far? How does this poetry expand your taste buds? Are there any poets you've been inspired to seek out?
Respond to the questions.
What do you like about the poetry you've read so far? How does this poetry expand your taste buds? Are there any poets you've been inspired to seek out?
Respond to the questions.
Total Chaos
These readings were assigned almost 20 days ago, and no one has responded.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Total Chaos Assignments Posts
Post your summaries to the essays assigned here. For each essay have a separate post: Minimally three paragraphs with three citations and a works cited page.
On Pure Movement (59), From Dope Spot to Broadway (78), On Lit Hop (92), The City in Public (149), Black Talk and Hot Sex (178), Native Tongues (278), Inventos (255), Toward a Hip Hop Aesthetics (349) and perhaps others.
We have already read three essays and their corresponding introductions: Cape Flats Alchemy (262), Got Next (33), A Brand New Feminism (233), plus an essay on Graffiti Arts and Hyper-masculinity
I wanted to add a few more readings for the next week: (October 20-26) read the essays: Found in Translation: The Emergence of Hip Hop Theatre by Eisa Davis (70), as I mentioned in an earlier post she is in the film, Passing Strange. Also read another essay not assigned. You can read a scholarly article from one of the many books in COA library or from a scholarly publication on-line from the database or a database. I would suggest you read an article which ties into your essay topic(s).
Post the essay responses here. Again this is a rehearsal on signal phrases, transitions, citations: direct and paraphrase and MLA for works cited. Each response needs to be minimally three paragraphs--show them. Students should also be responding to each other. I am not seeing enough responses.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Total Chaos Assignments Posts
Post your summaries to the essays assigned here. For each essay have a separate post: Minimally three paragraphs with three citations and a works cited page.
On Pure Movement (59), From Dope Spot to Broadway (78), On Lit Hop (92), The City in Public (149), Black Talk and Hot Sex (178), Native Tongues (278), Inventos (255), Toward a Hip Hop Aesthetics (349) and perhaps others.
We have already read three essays and their corresponding introductions: Cape Flats Alchemy (262), Got Next (33), A Brand New Feminism (233), plus an essay on Graffiti Arts and Hyper-masculinity
I wanted to add a few more readings for the next week: (October 20-26) read the essays: Found in Translation: The Emergence of Hip Hop Theatre by Eisa Davis (70), as I mentioned in an earlier post she is in the film, Passing Strange. Also read another essay not assigned. You can read a scholarly article from one of the many books in COA library or from a scholarly publication on-line from the database or a database. I would suggest you read an article which ties into your essay topic(s).
Post the essay responses here. Again this is a rehearsal on signal phrases, transitions, citations: direct and paraphrase and MLA for works cited. Each response needs to be minimally three paragraphs--show them. Students should also be responding to each other. I am not seeing enough responses.
Checking In
I was happy to see Itzel yesterday at my office hour. We reviewed her second essay, on Graffiti, which was much better than her first and she gave me a revised copy of her essay, Women in Hip Hop. Itzel is a great student; she turns in her work on time, she schedules appointments with Writing Tutors to help her with her essays and then she called (rather texted) me to see if I was on campus and met with me. She is on her way to an A in the class.
On all her presentations, she has gotten an A. She prepares visuals to augment her discussion and illustrate her key points. The way you earn an A in this class is by demonstrating growth in your writing, research and documentation. At this level, you are scholars, scholars synthesize material to develop new or innovative interpretations or ideas on familiar topics. Scholar seek to challenge the norms, and with hip hop as a theme, there are many directions you can take your arguments. We are looking at hip hop culture which has a lot to recommend it, but then again, it has its detractors.
I hope you like the theme this semester, but at this point, whether you like the theme or not, you are here and I hope there is something that grabs your attention and motivates you to complete the tasks.
Itzel, I hope you don't mind my using you as an example, but I don't have many other students, sadly to talk about regarding their writing process. In Itzel's first paper she didn't use enough scholarly sources, so for her second essay she made certain she used scholarly articles, one I gave everyone. What I hope she learned yesterday at my office hours was how to check her sources, to read her paper aloud in its final revision stage, to pay attention to details when siting sources and doing MLA, to use signal phrases and transitions and to check the logical progression of one idea to the next.
Another great writer whose papers I have read is Eugene, who also presented last Thursday. He arrived late the week before and couldn't present his essay on Graffiti and Advertising. I spoke about Eugene already in earlier posts. These two students met with me, Eugene caught me late one evening, I think it was about 5 or 6 PM and we spoke about poetry and hip hop. He ran some ideas by me before he wrote his paper on Graffiti.
Each essay has shown improvement, which means when I look at his body of work at the end of the semester, we can measure his development. Ilene is another student whose revision was a marked improvement over her first draft. She wasn't able to present her paper, Women in Hip Hop...she was sick I think that day. But she got her assignment in and then met with me in my office to review it. We also spoke about the paper in its planning stages.
Jose ran by my office yesterday also and asked about the hip hop dance paper. I told him it was due last week. I don't hold the dates in my mind but a successful student is organized and plans. Don't let the dates slip up on you. Bring your essays to class for the peer reviews. Keep up with the reading. We will be writing an essay in class next week, if my memory serves me correctly on Poetry and Hip Hop.
This English 1B class is set up like a lab, that is, students take responsibility for their work, everyone is not doing the same thing at the same time, which means assignments come in when they are due, which varies. Other assignments, like the cyber-essays are for everyone and are due when stated. Only two students did last week's assignment from Total Chaos. Assignments aren't due when students feel like getting them in, they are due when assigned.
If you are behind we need to have a conversation. I have let many of you have extensions, this does not mean that my answer will be yes, each time you ask. Many students have not turned in any work, not one essay. Does this mean that the essays you are writing haven't been assigned or does this mean that you are procrastinating?
Remember, we meet in A-205 on Thursdays, and this Thursday, October 22, we have a guest. Come on time.
On all her presentations, she has gotten an A. She prepares visuals to augment her discussion and illustrate her key points. The way you earn an A in this class is by demonstrating growth in your writing, research and documentation. At this level, you are scholars, scholars synthesize material to develop new or innovative interpretations or ideas on familiar topics. Scholar seek to challenge the norms, and with hip hop as a theme, there are many directions you can take your arguments. We are looking at hip hop culture which has a lot to recommend it, but then again, it has its detractors.
I hope you like the theme this semester, but at this point, whether you like the theme or not, you are here and I hope there is something that grabs your attention and motivates you to complete the tasks.
Itzel, I hope you don't mind my using you as an example, but I don't have many other students, sadly to talk about regarding their writing process. In Itzel's first paper she didn't use enough scholarly sources, so for her second essay she made certain she used scholarly articles, one I gave everyone. What I hope she learned yesterday at my office hours was how to check her sources, to read her paper aloud in its final revision stage, to pay attention to details when siting sources and doing MLA, to use signal phrases and transitions and to check the logical progression of one idea to the next.
Another great writer whose papers I have read is Eugene, who also presented last Thursday. He arrived late the week before and couldn't present his essay on Graffiti and Advertising. I spoke about Eugene already in earlier posts. These two students met with me, Eugene caught me late one evening, I think it was about 5 or 6 PM and we spoke about poetry and hip hop. He ran some ideas by me before he wrote his paper on Graffiti.
Each essay has shown improvement, which means when I look at his body of work at the end of the semester, we can measure his development. Ilene is another student whose revision was a marked improvement over her first draft. She wasn't able to present her paper, Women in Hip Hop...she was sick I think that day. But she got her assignment in and then met with me in my office to review it. We also spoke about the paper in its planning stages.
Jose ran by my office yesterday also and asked about the hip hop dance paper. I told him it was due last week. I don't hold the dates in my mind but a successful student is organized and plans. Don't let the dates slip up on you. Bring your essays to class for the peer reviews. Keep up with the reading. We will be writing an essay in class next week, if my memory serves me correctly on Poetry and Hip Hop.
This English 1B class is set up like a lab, that is, students take responsibility for their work, everyone is not doing the same thing at the same time, which means assignments come in when they are due, which varies. Other assignments, like the cyber-essays are for everyone and are due when stated. Only two students did last week's assignment from Total Chaos. Assignments aren't due when students feel like getting them in, they are due when assigned.
If you are behind we need to have a conversation. I have let many of you have extensions, this does not mean that my answer will be yes, each time you ask. Many students have not turned in any work, not one essay. Does this mean that the essays you are writing haven't been assigned or does this mean that you are procrastinating?
Remember, we meet in A-205 on Thursdays, and this Thursday, October 22, we have a guest. Come on time.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, Robert Hillary King, author of From the Bottom of the Heap: The Story of Black Panther Robert Hillary King will present to students in a few of my classes: English 201, 8-8:50 AM, L-202E, English 1A, 11-11:50 AM, B-205, and English 201, A-200, 1-2:50 PM (we'll show a short film about King in this class). You are welcome to join us at any or all the presentations. He knows Afeni Shakur and is active in the Prison Abolition Movement, particularly re: the Angola 3. He will speak about literary, and also share his experiences in the Black Panther Party which he joined behind bars at Angola State Prison where he served 31 years, 29 in solitary confinement.
He is visiting from Austin, Texas, for the Black Panther Party Book Fair, Saturday, October 24, and other events next week.
He is visiting from Austin, Texas, for the Black Panther Party Book Fair, Saturday, October 24, and other events next week.
Thursday, October 15
Today we had a few students trickle in. First there was one and then two and then five (?). I heard that some of you thought I wasn't present because one of the doors to the A-building was locked (?) We meet in A-205 on Thursdays. There are two doors, the one by the elevator is unlocked, students/staff press the disabled person's lever to enter.
Eugene presented two essays: Graf Writing and B-Boying or Hip Hop Dance. Students were to respond to his presentations at the link where we responded last week. What I liked about his Graf Writing presentation was how Eugene chose an artist who doesn't see himself as hip hop but applied those principles to his work. I also liked his references to advertising and how advertising art is nothing more than socially sanctioned graffiti which often is not even what one would call beautiful.
Eugene's hip hop dance presentation was a survey of the genre looking back at its origins. He showed us clips of how the dance has moved from Crazy Legs (the artist he profiled) to international crews from Korea (I think) and another country.
There is no class Tuesday, October 20. Thursday, October 22, we meet again in A-205. We will have a guest.
The freewrite was to respond to a poem from our textbook and post it at the same link you used before. Homework is to respond to another essay from Total Chaos and post the essay response at the same link as before.
Your essays for the next presentations are due October 22. You will present the following week, I think we said, October 29. Correct me Erica, Jermaine, Eugene or others present, if I am not remembering correctly.
The event: Women of the Black Panther Party and Beyond was great. There was a photo of a young Afeni holding Tupac as a baby after she was acquitted after the Panther 21 Trials.
Students only have a week to revise essays, unless other arrangements were made. Some students have not turned in any essays yet. Thursday, October 22, give me your semester plan, which should include a written summary of all the cyber-assignments completed, all the essays you plan to submit and if already submitted, the grades, plus what event you have attended or plan to attend and what work of fiction you are reading. I'd like a summary of the book, plus themes which make it a hip hop novel.
This Narrative should be no less than two-typed pages. Please bring your grammar-style books to class meetings.
Eugene presented two essays: Graf Writing and B-Boying or Hip Hop Dance. Students were to respond to his presentations at the link where we responded last week. What I liked about his Graf Writing presentation was how Eugene chose an artist who doesn't see himself as hip hop but applied those principles to his work. I also liked his references to advertising and how advertising art is nothing more than socially sanctioned graffiti which often is not even what one would call beautiful.
Eugene's hip hop dance presentation was a survey of the genre looking back at its origins. He showed us clips of how the dance has moved from Crazy Legs (the artist he profiled) to international crews from Korea (I think) and another country.
There is no class Tuesday, October 20. Thursday, October 22, we meet again in A-205. We will have a guest.
The freewrite was to respond to a poem from our textbook and post it at the same link you used before. Homework is to respond to another essay from Total Chaos and post the essay response at the same link as before.
Your essays for the next presentations are due October 22. You will present the following week, I think we said, October 29. Correct me Erica, Jermaine, Eugene or others present, if I am not remembering correctly.
The event: Women of the Black Panther Party and Beyond was great. There was a photo of a young Afeni holding Tupac as a baby after she was acquitted after the Panther 21 Trials.
Students only have a week to revise essays, unless other arrangements were made. Some students have not turned in any essays yet. Thursday, October 22, give me your semester plan, which should include a written summary of all the cyber-assignments completed, all the essays you plan to submit and if already submitted, the grades, plus what event you have attended or plan to attend and what work of fiction you are reading. I'd like a summary of the book, plus themes which make it a hip hop novel.
This Narrative should be no less than two-typed pages. Please bring your grammar-style books to class meetings.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Total Chaos
Post your essay response to an essay of choice from Total Chaos. Remember, it cannot be one of those essays assigned. My suggestion was to read an essay which can help you with a paper.
Today in class we watched Brave New Voices after reading aloud two poems from the poetry textbook. We read three poems. Post your responses here. Students were asked to respond to one of the three.
A second response is also requested for the Brave New Voices. Talk about the National poetry writing program which releases or frees these young voices, and why this is important to the youth served. Why is it--a youth who write, also important to American society? How is art healing? How is art revolutionary? Why is art, specifically poetry important?
Homework was to chose an essay not assigned in Total Chaos to respond to in the usual 250 work minimally response. Post it here and bring me a copy, you can print it in A-205 (where we meet on Thursdays).
If you have a presentation, arrive on time. If you'd like to make up your presentation come on time. I am only allowing one hour or less for presentations and comments. So far, we have 3 presentations, two on hip hop dance, and one make up. If this is your second presentation, we should see growth. The comments I made on the first were to be taken into consideration for this presentation, unless your first presentation was perfect (smile).
The essays, some of them need a lot of editing. Please get a peer review from a teacher or tutor in the Writing Center before turning your work in. If you essay needs revision, make certain you include the narrative essay on top explaining what changed between the two drafts. If anyone needs guidance on revision bring in Hacker and I can show you where it is. I also have handouts.
Check the syllabus for the narrative guidelines, Ilene did a great job on hers. Ask her to see it.
As mentioned today, I will be moderating a panel on Women in the Black Panther Party at the Oakland Main Library on Thursday, October 15, 5 PM. We start with a film and there is a art exhibit there as well.
If people are behind on posts catch up. I will allow you to continue to post up to the end of this month. After October 31, if you have not caught up, you will get a zero for that assignment.
These posts count as essays, so don't post sloppy work, or unedited work, or work that is not reviewed for spacing or formatting. It should be polished. I hope you are enjoying your novels and at the beginning of November prepare to share your book with the class. I would also like an outline to accompany the oral presentation. The essays will be due later.
You have 1 week to get your essays back to me with corrections. Each person can revise the essay once. I would hope the second time the essay will get a passing grade, if not then you will have to revise it again. You cannot make the same mistakes paper after paper.
Many students don't seem to remember: SV Agr., confused words, wrong words, pronoun antecedent agreement, parallel structure, consistent point of view, VT agreement or how to conjugate verbs. I mentioned at the beginning of the class that I wanted to have a grammar boot camp. The offer is still there. You have to come to Study Hour on Thursdays to start or make arrangements in advance. Students whom I had last semester in English 1A, your papers should have none of the mistakes listed above in your final drafts (the ones I see). Please read your essays aloud before posting and before submitting. I don't have time to be your editor.
These are scholarly essays. Use the library database and/or Total Chaos or any one of the many essays I have given you. If you want to break form and write a magazine type piece for one of the essays, I am okay with this.
Remember, October 22, come to class on time. We have a guest. The essay on Poetry will be written in class Tuesday, October 27.
I hope everyone stays well and dry.
If ever I offend any of you it is not my intention. I get frustrated when students come to class unprepared, and see time as a commodity with infinite parameter when our time together is measurable and as such should not be wasted.
I value your time and effort to get to class and be prepared. I take your commitment to show up in the rain, when ill or when you'd rather be anywhere but here. I also respect the fact that you chose the College of Alameda and even if you do not like me or the class are committed to complete it. I appreciate your professionalism and seriousness. I just wish everyone had such high standards for their eduction and this class.
I see us as a writing family and as challenge the fourth wall...actually break it. So there is no space between the audience and the stage. In my classrooms to the extend you allow, we are each a part of the narrative unfolding in the classroom. In fact, we write it together. The final production is only as good as the sum of all its parts--you.
A second response is also requested for the Brave New Voices. Talk about the National poetry writing program which releases or frees these young voices, and why this is important to the youth served. Why is it--a youth who write, also important to American society? How is art healing? How is art revolutionary? Why is art, specifically poetry important?
Homework was to chose an essay not assigned in Total Chaos to respond to in the usual 250 work minimally response. Post it here and bring me a copy, you can print it in A-205 (where we meet on Thursdays).
If you have a presentation, arrive on time. If you'd like to make up your presentation come on time. I am only allowing one hour or less for presentations and comments. So far, we have 3 presentations, two on hip hop dance, and one make up. If this is your second presentation, we should see growth. The comments I made on the first were to be taken into consideration for this presentation, unless your first presentation was perfect (smile).
The essays, some of them need a lot of editing. Please get a peer review from a teacher or tutor in the Writing Center before turning your work in. If you essay needs revision, make certain you include the narrative essay on top explaining what changed between the two drafts. If anyone needs guidance on revision bring in Hacker and I can show you where it is. I also have handouts.
Check the syllabus for the narrative guidelines, Ilene did a great job on hers. Ask her to see it.
As mentioned today, I will be moderating a panel on Women in the Black Panther Party at the Oakland Main Library on Thursday, October 15, 5 PM. We start with a film and there is a art exhibit there as well.
If people are behind on posts catch up. I will allow you to continue to post up to the end of this month. After October 31, if you have not caught up, you will get a zero for that assignment.
These posts count as essays, so don't post sloppy work, or unedited work, or work that is not reviewed for spacing or formatting. It should be polished. I hope you are enjoying your novels and at the beginning of November prepare to share your book with the class. I would also like an outline to accompany the oral presentation. The essays will be due later.
You have 1 week to get your essays back to me with corrections. Each person can revise the essay once. I would hope the second time the essay will get a passing grade, if not then you will have to revise it again. You cannot make the same mistakes paper after paper.
Many students don't seem to remember: SV Agr., confused words, wrong words, pronoun antecedent agreement, parallel structure, consistent point of view, VT agreement or how to conjugate verbs. I mentioned at the beginning of the class that I wanted to have a grammar boot camp. The offer is still there. You have to come to Study Hour on Thursdays to start or make arrangements in advance. Students whom I had last semester in English 1A, your papers should have none of the mistakes listed above in your final drafts (the ones I see). Please read your essays aloud before posting and before submitting. I don't have time to be your editor.
These are scholarly essays. Use the library database and/or Total Chaos or any one of the many essays I have given you. If you want to break form and write a magazine type piece for one of the essays, I am okay with this.
Remember, October 22, come to class on time. We have a guest. The essay on Poetry will be written in class Tuesday, October 27.
I hope everyone stays well and dry.
If ever I offend any of you it is not my intention. I get frustrated when students come to class unprepared, and see time as a commodity with infinite parameter when our time together is measurable and as such should not be wasted.
I value your time and effort to get to class and be prepared. I take your commitment to show up in the rain, when ill or when you'd rather be anywhere but here. I also respect the fact that you chose the College of Alameda and even if you do not like me or the class are committed to complete it. I appreciate your professionalism and seriousness. I just wish everyone had such high standards for their eduction and this class.
I see us as a writing family and as challenge the fourth wall...actually break it. So there is no space between the audience and the stage. In my classrooms to the extend you allow, we are each a part of the narrative unfolding in the classroom. In fact, we write it together. The final production is only as good as the sum of all its parts--you.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
The Spoken Word Revolution Cyber Assignment
Today we read from the Prologue "Chicago--for Howlin Wolf" by Qunicy Troupe (14-15), "Hip Hop Poetry" by Jerry Quickley (38-42), Saul Williams (55-60). We spoke of the Beat Poets and how politics gives rise to a new aesthetics, but not really. It's just "new" to those who hold onto the status quo, those who shape policy or those content to let the boat float and not tip it over.
Hip Hop Culture not only tipped the boat over, it drowned the captain. I was reading another essay in Total Chaos, and what I suggest again is that to increase your knowledge base, especially on those topics you plan to write about, read other articles and chapters in Chaos. The chapter, "Found in Translation: the Emergence of Hip-Hop Theatre" by Eisa Davis (70-91) was excellent. Besides a great discussion on the topic what is hip hop theatre, she explained or defined the genre--theatre and hip hop and how the collision or union of the two was often not embraced by the cultural gatekeepers. This is an excellent essay and a great model for your papers on the various genres.
I hadn't noticed her essay before and because I am familar with her work and she is currently one of the stars in the film, (which just opened), "Passing Strange," her words have currency. I also know her mother and have met her aunt on a number of occasions, Angela Davis.
Finish reading the Quickley essay and post a response. Also comment and respond to Saul Williams's essay. Also respond to the poetry we listened to today and to others in the chapters (2-3).
Look at my responses to student's work to gage how I'd like you to respond in the future, I'd like the comments to be substantive and to expand the discourse. You are graded on these responses, and I found out that if you have a gmail account your html is accepted in the comments (smile).
Hip Hop Culture not only tipped the boat over, it drowned the captain. I was reading another essay in Total Chaos, and what I suggest again is that to increase your knowledge base, especially on those topics you plan to write about, read other articles and chapters in Chaos. The chapter, "Found in Translation: the Emergence of Hip-Hop Theatre" by Eisa Davis (70-91) was excellent. Besides a great discussion on the topic what is hip hop theatre, she explained or defined the genre--theatre and hip hop and how the collision or union of the two was often not embraced by the cultural gatekeepers. This is an excellent essay and a great model for your papers on the various genres.
I hadn't noticed her essay before and because I am familar with her work and she is currently one of the stars in the film, (which just opened), "Passing Strange," her words have currency. I also know her mother and have met her aunt on a number of occasions, Angela Davis.
Finish reading the Quickley essay and post a response. Also comment and respond to Saul Williams's essay. Also respond to the poetry we listened to today and to others in the chapters (2-3).
Look at my responses to student's work to gage how I'd like you to respond in the future, I'd like the comments to be substantive and to expand the discourse. You are graded on these responses, and I found out that if you have a gmail account your html is accepted in the comments (smile).
Responses to Student Presentations
Give the name of student, topic, and list minimally three aspects of their presentation you liked or were impressed with, plus paraphrase their thesis or key argument.
Presenter, responding in a self-reflection on the process--writing to oral presentation. Share your process and what you learned.
This is a recap of the assignment posted last week re: Women in Hip Hop.
Presenter, responding in a self-reflection on the process--writing to oral presentation. Share your process and what you learned.
This is a recap of the assignment posted last week re: Women in Hip Hop.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Responses
No one posted a response to the presentations last week. Only one person posted a response to Ladies First, no one posted a response to Me, Myself and I. We are going to start going to A-205 on Thursdays so you can post your work. We will meet there Thursday, October 8, 2009 at 9 AM. Students will make presentations there as well.
More Activities: Poetry, Dance, Critical Theory
Some of the information is repeated, but it's late and I'm tired.
The Can Film Festival: "Don't Sweat the Technique: The Can Film Festival" Graffiti Film Festival (with Graffiti Panel moderated by Jeff Chang)
3rd Annual Estria Invitational Graffiti Battle, Jeff Chang, Film Festival, 1:AM Gallery
Thursday, October 8, 2009, 6:00pm - 9:30pm at the 1:AM Gallery, 1000 Howard Street,in San Francisco, CA. Free event, limited seating
For information: estria@estriabattle.com
Hosted by Jeff Chang, author of 'Can't Stop Won't Stop'
Panel discussion with: Kevin Epps, Dr. Susie Lundy, Erin Yoshi, Estria
Featured Films: Style Wars and Bomb It!
6:00PM- Bomb It
7:30PM- Panel discussion
8:00PM- Style Wars
EVENT: PART IV Finals: Oakland, Saturday October 10
We are looking for the best of the best writers who can rock both letters and concepts. The winner of each battle will be flown to Oakland to compete in the finals!
Women are highly encouraged to submit their work. Holler with pictures or links to your work to submissions@estria.net.
Also Featuring:
• Free outdoor performances
• Bamboo Architecture
• Green Living Workshops
• Skateboard Demonstration presented by Hood Games
Samurai Graphix & The Living Word Project Presents:
3rd Annual Estria Invitational Graffiti Battle
A part of the Living Word Festival
Curated by Marc Bamuthi Joseph
About the Living Word Festival
The Living Word Festival is an annual community gathering of artists, educators, presenters and performers focusing on literary performance and literacy education. Founded by Youth Speaks and the Living Word Project, under the direction of Marc Bamuthi Joseph, the Living Word Festival is committed to exploring new modes of literary performance, and to engaging and supporting artists who are breaking the boundaries of hip-hop theater and spoken word theater. www.lifeisliving.org
About Estria
Estria began spray painting in Hawai'i in 1984 and has since painted hundreds of murals. As an influential leader of San Francisco's "Golden Age" of graffiti (1980s), he pioneered painting techniques of characters and scenes. He is one of the originators of the stencil tip, used by graffiti writers to create thin airbrush-like lines. Estria co-founded Visual Element, the EastSide Arts Alliance´s free mural workshop that develops youth into the voice of the people. www.estria.com
3rd Annual Estria Invitational Graffiti Battle
The USA's 1st Nationwide Graffiti Battle!
Life Is Living Festival, Saturday, October 10, 2009, 11:00am - 5:00pm, de Fremery Park, 1651 Adeline St., Oakland, CA, mike@estriabattle.com
The Graffiti Series 2009 Calendar of Events
September 10-October 10
"Don't Sweat the Technique: Ode to the Spray Can" art show
1:AM Gallery, San Francisco
1000 Howard St, SF, CA 94127
Featuring 26 artists of the Estria Invitationals
-------------------------------------------
Friday, October 9, 7:00-10:30PM
Pecha Kucha Night Oakland
"Don't Sweat the Technique: Graffiti for Social Change" Slide Show
Eastside Arts Cultural Center, Oakland
2277 International Blvd. Oakland, CA 94606
$5 cover, limited seating
All ages welcome. Beer and wine bar open to over 21.
10 presenters, 20 slides each, 20 seconds per slide
Confirmed presenters (out of 10 slots):
1. Jim Prigoff, co-author of Spraycan Art, Walls of Heritage Walls of Pride, and Graffiti New York
2. Brett Cook Dizney, nationally renown community artist
3. Marc Bamuthi Joseph & Bethanie Hines, presenting Life Is Living
4. Spie TDK
5. Nancy Hernandez, San Francisco community activist
6. John "Prime" Hina, founder of 808urban.org
7. Steve Grody, author of Graffiti LA
8. Erin Yoshioka, of Trust Your Struggle Collective
9. Estria
-------------------------------------------
Saturday, October 10, 11:00AM-5:00PM
at the Life Is Living Festival
Curated by Marc Bamuthi Joseph
3rd Annual Estria Invitational Graffiti Battle featuring 24 contestants!!
Mighty 4 Break Battle, hosted by Paulskeee
Pharaoh Monch performing live
Black Book Battles by Visual Element
Stencil T-shirt workshop by Nancy Hernandez
FREE Family Event
deFremery Park (Little Bobby Hutton)
1651 Adeline Street, Oakland, CA 94607
-------------------------------------------
Saturday, October 10, 10:00PM-1:00AM
After Party at Farmer Brown
45 Mason St. (at Market St.), SF, CA 94102
-------------------------------------------
Saturday, October 31, 11:00AM-5:00PM
"Don't Sweat the Technique: Kicks & Cans" Custom Painted Shoe Auction
Estria Invitational x Shoebiz x Adidas
Shoebiz SF
1422 Haight St., SF, CA 94117
Auctioning 20 pairs of Adidas shell toes and Stan Smiths, custom painted by artists of the Estria Invitationals
All of the following events are at La Pena Cultural Center in Berkeley, 3105 Shattuck (near Ashby BART)
Poetry Slam
poets from around the globe
Thursday, October 08, 2009 & Friday, October 09, 2009
$15 gen. - 7pm
Join seventy-two of the world's top performance poets representing slam venues from around the globe as they converge at La Peña and electrify audiences with their talents. Plus a fantastic array of free day events. ANYONE can participate! There will also be rree daytime events and open mics in the café from 10am to 5pm. For more information click here.
* www.berkeleypoetryslam.com
* www.myspace.com/oaklandslam
* www.myspace.com/thecityslam
* www.myspace.com/calpoetryslam
* www.youthspeaks.org
* www.myspace.com/poetryforthepeople
* www.poetryflash.org
* www.epicarts.org
* www.myspace.org/sanjoseslam
* www.myspace.com/3rdeyecollective
* www.myspace.com/touretteswithoutregrets
* www.chicopoetryslam.com
* www.myspace.com/mahoganyurbanpoetryseries
October 11
ENDdependence!
headRush, Paul Flores, Cesar A. Cruz & more
Honoring Indigenous Raza Day.
$3 HS students, $5 college, $10 adults, $15 incl. free book
6pm
October 11
Community Dialogue
Mind Power Collective Sunday Salon: Critical Hip Hop Pedagogy
Using Hip Hop as a vehicle for social justice.
FREE
3-5pm
Cypher
The Rebirth
Monday October 12, 2009
FREE - 9-11pm
Every Monday join us for an open and inclusive environment for dancers of all levels to cypher, build community, & improvise with live musicians. We got an open freestyle practice sessions for street dancers of all styles including, House, B-boying/B-girling, Hip-Hop Proper, Popping, Waaking, Locking, and dances of the African Diaspora. Two resident DJ's will spin mostly deep soulful house & hip-hop. Each week there will be guest local MC's, vocalists, or percussionists. Click here for more information about a writing workshop for Hip Hop emcees with Rico Pabón.
The Can Film Festival: "Don't Sweat the Technique: The Can Film Festival" Graffiti Film Festival (with Graffiti Panel moderated by Jeff Chang)
3rd Annual Estria Invitational Graffiti Battle, Jeff Chang, Film Festival, 1:AM Gallery
Thursday, October 8, 2009, 6:00pm - 9:30pm at the 1:AM Gallery, 1000 Howard Street,in San Francisco, CA. Free event, limited seating
For information: estria@estriabattle.com
Hosted by Jeff Chang, author of 'Can't Stop Won't Stop'
Panel discussion with: Kevin Epps, Dr. Susie Lundy, Erin Yoshi, Estria
Featured Films: Style Wars and Bomb It!
6:00PM- Bomb It
7:30PM- Panel discussion
8:00PM- Style Wars
EVENT: PART IV Finals: Oakland, Saturday October 10
We are looking for the best of the best writers who can rock both letters and concepts. The winner of each battle will be flown to Oakland to compete in the finals!
Women are highly encouraged to submit their work. Holler with pictures or links to your work to submissions@estria.net.
Also Featuring:
• Free outdoor performances
• Bamboo Architecture
• Green Living Workshops
• Skateboard Demonstration presented by Hood Games
Samurai Graphix & The Living Word Project Presents:
3rd Annual Estria Invitational Graffiti Battle
A part of the Living Word Festival
Curated by Marc Bamuthi Joseph
About the Living Word Festival
The Living Word Festival is an annual community gathering of artists, educators, presenters and performers focusing on literary performance and literacy education. Founded by Youth Speaks and the Living Word Project, under the direction of Marc Bamuthi Joseph, the Living Word Festival is committed to exploring new modes of literary performance, and to engaging and supporting artists who are breaking the boundaries of hip-hop theater and spoken word theater. www.lifeisliving.org
About Estria
Estria began spray painting in Hawai'i in 1984 and has since painted hundreds of murals. As an influential leader of San Francisco's "Golden Age" of graffiti (1980s), he pioneered painting techniques of characters and scenes. He is one of the originators of the stencil tip, used by graffiti writers to create thin airbrush-like lines. Estria co-founded Visual Element, the EastSide Arts Alliance´s free mural workshop that develops youth into the voice of the people. www.estria.com
3rd Annual Estria Invitational Graffiti Battle
The USA's 1st Nationwide Graffiti Battle!
Life Is Living Festival, Saturday, October 10, 2009, 11:00am - 5:00pm, de Fremery Park, 1651 Adeline St., Oakland, CA, mike@estriabattle.com
The Graffiti Series 2009 Calendar of Events
September 10-October 10
"Don't Sweat the Technique: Ode to the Spray Can" art show
1:AM Gallery, San Francisco
1000 Howard St, SF, CA 94127
Featuring 26 artists of the Estria Invitationals
-------------------------------------------
Friday, October 9, 7:00-10:30PM
Pecha Kucha Night Oakland
"Don't Sweat the Technique: Graffiti for Social Change" Slide Show
Eastside Arts Cultural Center, Oakland
2277 International Blvd. Oakland, CA 94606
$5 cover, limited seating
All ages welcome. Beer and wine bar open to over 21.
10 presenters, 20 slides each, 20 seconds per slide
Confirmed presenters (out of 10 slots):
1. Jim Prigoff, co-author of Spraycan Art, Walls of Heritage Walls of Pride, and Graffiti New York
2. Brett Cook Dizney, nationally renown community artist
3. Marc Bamuthi Joseph & Bethanie Hines, presenting Life Is Living
4. Spie TDK
5. Nancy Hernandez, San Francisco community activist
6. John "Prime" Hina, founder of 808urban.org
7. Steve Grody, author of Graffiti LA
8. Erin Yoshioka, of Trust Your Struggle Collective
9. Estria
-------------------------------------------
Saturday, October 10, 11:00AM-5:00PM
at the Life Is Living Festival
Curated by Marc Bamuthi Joseph
3rd Annual Estria Invitational Graffiti Battle featuring 24 contestants!!
Mighty 4 Break Battle, hosted by Paulskeee
Pharaoh Monch performing live
Black Book Battles by Visual Element
Stencil T-shirt workshop by Nancy Hernandez
FREE Family Event
deFremery Park (Little Bobby Hutton)
1651 Adeline Street, Oakland, CA 94607
-------------------------------------------
Saturday, October 10, 10:00PM-1:00AM
After Party at Farmer Brown
45 Mason St. (at Market St.), SF, CA 94102
-------------------------------------------
Saturday, October 31, 11:00AM-5:00PM
"Don't Sweat the Technique: Kicks & Cans" Custom Painted Shoe Auction
Estria Invitational x Shoebiz x Adidas
Shoebiz SF
1422 Haight St., SF, CA 94117
Auctioning 20 pairs of Adidas shell toes and Stan Smiths, custom painted by artists of the Estria Invitationals
All of the following events are at La Pena Cultural Center in Berkeley, 3105 Shattuck (near Ashby BART)
Poetry Slam
poets from around the globe
Thursday, October 08, 2009 & Friday, October 09, 2009
$15 gen. - 7pm
Join seventy-two of the world's top performance poets representing slam venues from around the globe as they converge at La Peña and electrify audiences with their talents. Plus a fantastic array of free day events. ANYONE can participate! There will also be rree daytime events and open mics in the café from 10am to 5pm. For more information click here.
* www.berkeleypoetryslam.com
* www.myspace.com/oaklandslam
* www.myspace.com/thecityslam
* www.myspace.com/calpoetryslam
* www.youthspeaks.org
* www.myspace.com/poetryforthepeople
* www.poetryflash.org
* www.epicarts.org
* www.myspace.org/sanjoseslam
* www.myspace.com/3rdeyecollective
* www.myspace.com/touretteswithoutregrets
* www.chicopoetryslam.com
* www.myspace.com/mahoganyurbanpoetryseries
October 11
ENDdependence!
headRush, Paul Flores, Cesar A. Cruz & more
Honoring Indigenous Raza Day.
$3 HS students, $5 college, $10 adults, $15 incl. free book
6pm
October 11
Community Dialogue
Mind Power Collective Sunday Salon: Critical Hip Hop Pedagogy
Using Hip Hop as a vehicle for social justice.
FREE
3-5pm
Cypher
The Rebirth
Monday October 12, 2009
FREE - 9-11pm
Every Monday join us for an open and inclusive environment for dancers of all levels to cypher, build community, & improvise with live musicians. We got an open freestyle practice sessions for street dancers of all styles including, House, B-boying/B-girling, Hip-Hop Proper, Popping, Waaking, Locking, and dances of the African Diaspora. Two resident DJ's will spin mostly deep soulful house & hip-hop. Each week there will be guest local MC's, vocalists, or percussionists. Click here for more information about a writing workshop for Hip Hop emcees with Rico Pabón.
Graffiti Events
The Graffiti Series 2009 Calendar of Events
September 10-October 10
"Don't Sweat the Technique: Ode to the Spray Can" art show
1:AM Gallery, San Francisco
1000 Howard St, SF, CA 94127
Featuring 26 artists of the Estria Invitationals
-------------------------------------------
Thursday, October 8, 6:00-9:30PM
"Don't Sweat the Technique: The Can Film Festival" Graffiti Film Festival
1:AM Gallery, San Francisco
1000 Howard St, SF, CA 94127
Free event, limited seating
Hosted by Jeff Chang, author of 'Can't Stop Won't Stop'
Panel discussion with: Kevin Epps, Dr. Susie Lundy, Erin Yoshi, Estria
Featured Films: Style Wars and Bomb It!
-------------------------------------------
Friday, October 9, 7:00-10:30PM
Pecha Kucha Night Oakland
"Don't Sweat the Technique: Graffiti for Social Change" Slide Show
Eastside Arts Cultural Center, Oakland
2277 International Blvd. Oakland, CA 94606
$5 cover, limited seating
All ages welcome. Beer and wine bar open to over 21.
10 presenters, 20 slides each, 20 seconds per slide
Confirmed presenters (out of 10 slots):
1. Jim Prigoff, co-author of Spraycan Art, Walls of Heritage Walls of Pride, and Graffiti New York
2. Brett Cook Dizney, nationally renown community artist
3. Marc Bamuthi Joseph & Bethanie Hines, presenting Life Is Living
4. Spie TDK
5. Nancy Hernandez, San Francisco community activist
6. John "Prime" Hina, founder of 808urban.org
7. Steve Grody, author of Graffiti LA
8. Erin Yoshioka, of Trust Your Struggle Collective
9. Estria
-------------------------------------------
Saturday, October 10, 11:00AM-5:00PM
at the Life Is Living Festival
Curated by Marc Bamuthi Joseph
3rd Annual Estria Invitational Graffiti Battle featuring 24 contestants!!
Mighty 4 Break Battle, hosted by Paulskeee
Pharaoh Monch performing live
Black Book Battles by Visual Element
Stencil T-shirt workshop by Nancy Hernandez
FREE Family Event
deFremery Park (Little Bobby Hutton)
1651 Adeline Street, Oakland, CA 94607
-------------------------------------------
Saturday, October 10, 10:00PM-1:00AM
After Party at Farmer Brown
45 Mason St. (at Market St.), SF, CA 94102
-------------------------------------------
Saturday, October 31, 11:00AM-5:00PM
"Don't Sweat the Technique: Kicks & Cans" Custom Painted Shoe Auction
Estria Invitational x Shoebiz x Adidas
Shoebiz SF
1422 Haight St., SF, CA 94117
Auctioning 20 pairs of Adidas shell toes and Stan Smiths, custom painted by artists of the Estria Invitationals
September 10-October 10
"Don't Sweat the Technique: Ode to the Spray Can" art show
1:AM Gallery, San Francisco
1000 Howard St, SF, CA 94127
Featuring 26 artists of the Estria Invitationals
-------------------------------------------
Thursday, October 8, 6:00-9:30PM
"Don't Sweat the Technique: The Can Film Festival" Graffiti Film Festival
1:AM Gallery, San Francisco
1000 Howard St, SF, CA 94127
Free event, limited seating
Hosted by Jeff Chang, author of 'Can't Stop Won't Stop'
Panel discussion with: Kevin Epps, Dr. Susie Lundy, Erin Yoshi, Estria
Featured Films: Style Wars and Bomb It!
-------------------------------------------
Friday, October 9, 7:00-10:30PM
Pecha Kucha Night Oakland
"Don't Sweat the Technique: Graffiti for Social Change" Slide Show
Eastside Arts Cultural Center, Oakland
2277 International Blvd. Oakland, CA 94606
$5 cover, limited seating
All ages welcome. Beer and wine bar open to over 21.
10 presenters, 20 slides each, 20 seconds per slide
Confirmed presenters (out of 10 slots):
1. Jim Prigoff, co-author of Spraycan Art, Walls of Heritage Walls of Pride, and Graffiti New York
2. Brett Cook Dizney, nationally renown community artist
3. Marc Bamuthi Joseph & Bethanie Hines, presenting Life Is Living
4. Spie TDK
5. Nancy Hernandez, San Francisco community activist
6. John "Prime" Hina, founder of 808urban.org
7. Steve Grody, author of Graffiti LA
8. Erin Yoshioka, of Trust Your Struggle Collective
9. Estria
-------------------------------------------
Saturday, October 10, 11:00AM-5:00PM
at the Life Is Living Festival
Curated by Marc Bamuthi Joseph
3rd Annual Estria Invitational Graffiti Battle featuring 24 contestants!!
Mighty 4 Break Battle, hosted by Paulskeee
Pharaoh Monch performing live
Black Book Battles by Visual Element
Stencil T-shirt workshop by Nancy Hernandez
FREE Family Event
deFremery Park (Little Bobby Hutton)
1651 Adeline Street, Oakland, CA 94607
-------------------------------------------
Saturday, October 10, 10:00PM-1:00AM
After Party at Farmer Brown
45 Mason St. (at Market St.), SF, CA 94102
-------------------------------------------
Saturday, October 31, 11:00AM-5:00PM
"Don't Sweat the Technique: Kicks & Cans" Custom Painted Shoe Auction
Estria Invitational x Shoebiz x Adidas
Shoebiz SF
1422 Haight St., SF, CA 94117
Auctioning 20 pairs of Adidas shell toes and Stan Smiths, custom painted by artists of the Estria Invitationals
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Me, Myself and I
Students were instructed to write a three paragraph response to Felicia Pride's narrative from The Message: "Me, Myself and I." Some students gave me their responses, others needed more time and can post them here with a works cited section of the short essay.
Bring your books: The Spoken Word Revolution to class on Thursday, October 8. We will spend the first part of the class reading and discussing poetry, followed by the three students who will present their essays on "writers" or "graffiti artists." Each essay needs to be about four pages, excluding the works cited. I am finding the essays I have read so far, with one exception, Ilene's, to be lacking in depth and scholarship.
Only one student brought his essay to class for a peer review, so I gave him feedback. The essays are due the day of the presentation; if you come late and miss the presentation, we can try to squeeze you in on another day, but the moment might not come back around. The paper is still due with the planning sheets the day stated on the assignment sheet unless other arrangements have been made in advance.
Unfortunately, you are not graded solely on the presentations, rather on the writing as well. Some of you are not demonstrating your ability to do research and use the information gleaned to support and prove the thesis. All papers need to use minimally three sources, one needs to be from the databases or library resources. Idf your computer won't allow you to format your paper correctly, go to the writing center and get help. Student papers which do not have proper MLA will not get passing grades. I am interested in content and this is the most important part of the writing process, but the form has to be correct too.
All revisions need to be completed with a narrative stating what you did to the essays in question--step-by-step revision process or rewriting. These essays need to be in within the week and if you think you might need extra help, then get back to me by the next class meeting.
You will only get from this class what you put into it. I was surprised that no one who is presenting on graffitti watch Style Wars, a classic.
Since we are writing about art description is certainly one of the writing modes students should consider using. Many students do not know proper MLA formatting for an essay. I stated at the beginning of the class and it is in the syllabus, if you need help come to my office hours or make an appointment with me. Also, students need to bring a grammar style book to class (Diana Hacker Rules for Writers is recommended and it is in the bookstore.)
For homework in The Spoken Word Revolution (2004), read: the Introduction (10-11; 32-33), Hip Hop Poetry (38-41, 55-59). You can skim the poetry between the sections if you like.
Oh, I gave students a copy of another Dyson essay from Know What I Mean, Track 3 looks at the language of the genre, specifically its poets and the place language has in black culture. It ties in well to the reading from The Spoken Word Revolution which also looks at the oral tradition.
Bring your books: The Spoken Word Revolution to class on Thursday, October 8. We will spend the first part of the class reading and discussing poetry, followed by the three students who will present their essays on "writers" or "graffiti artists." Each essay needs to be about four pages, excluding the works cited. I am finding the essays I have read so far, with one exception, Ilene's, to be lacking in depth and scholarship.
Only one student brought his essay to class for a peer review, so I gave him feedback. The essays are due the day of the presentation; if you come late and miss the presentation, we can try to squeeze you in on another day, but the moment might not come back around. The paper is still due with the planning sheets the day stated on the assignment sheet unless other arrangements have been made in advance.
Unfortunately, you are not graded solely on the presentations, rather on the writing as well. Some of you are not demonstrating your ability to do research and use the information gleaned to support and prove the thesis. All papers need to use minimally three sources, one needs to be from the databases or library resources. Idf your computer won't allow you to format your paper correctly, go to the writing center and get help. Student papers which do not have proper MLA will not get passing grades. I am interested in content and this is the most important part of the writing process, but the form has to be correct too.
All revisions need to be completed with a narrative stating what you did to the essays in question--step-by-step revision process or rewriting. These essays need to be in within the week and if you think you might need extra help, then get back to me by the next class meeting.
You will only get from this class what you put into it. I was surprised that no one who is presenting on graffitti watch Style Wars, a classic.
Since we are writing about art description is certainly one of the writing modes students should consider using. Many students do not know proper MLA formatting for an essay. I stated at the beginning of the class and it is in the syllabus, if you need help come to my office hours or make an appointment with me. Also, students need to bring a grammar style book to class (Diana Hacker Rules for Writers is recommended and it is in the bookstore.)
For homework in The Spoken Word Revolution (2004), read: the Introduction (10-11; 32-33), Hip Hop Poetry (38-41, 55-59). You can skim the poetry between the sections if you like.
Oh, I gave students a copy of another Dyson essay from Know What I Mean, Track 3 looks at the language of the genre, specifically its poets and the place language has in black culture. It ties in well to the reading from The Spoken Word Revolution which also looks at the oral tradition.
Style Wars
Today in class we watched about an hour of the film, "Style Wars." Take a moment to anaylze the structure of the film--write a treatment which is a narrative plan for a film. Style Wars is a great work depicting the rise of the movement called hip hop culture and the "writers" or grafitti artists. The director puts "writers" in the context of the movement. Style Wars is a template for academic research and writing. Both sides of the argument are presented, even though, at this point some of the evidence is outdated. It is here that films like Piece by Piece augment the documents and expand it regionally, as Style Wars looks at graffiti in New York.
Post you comments and response to my query here.
Post you comments and response to my query here.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Total Chaos Assignments Posts
Post your summaries to the essays assigned here. For each essay have a separate post: Minimally three paragraphs with three citations and a works cited page.
On Pure Movement (59), From Dope Spot to Broadway (78), On Lit Hop (92), The City in Public (149), Black Talk and Hot Sex (178), Native Tongues (278), Inventos (255), Toward a Hip Hop Aesthetics (349) and perhaps others.
We have already read three essays and their corresponding introductions: Cape Flats Alchemy (262), Got Next (33), A Brand New Feminism (233), plus an essay on Graffiti Arts and Hyper-masculinity
On Pure Movement (59), From Dope Spot to Broadway (78), On Lit Hop (92), The City in Public (149), Black Talk and Hot Sex (178), Native Tongues (278), Inventos (255), Toward a Hip Hop Aesthetics (349) and perhaps others.
We have already read three essays and their corresponding introductions: Cape Flats Alchemy (262), Got Next (33), A Brand New Feminism (233), plus an essay on Graffiti Arts and Hyper-masculinity
Presentations and Cyber-Post Responses
Today the presentations were generally great with props to Tatiana, Erica, Itzel for their preparation. Dexter's presentation was also good, as was Forrest's on American culture.
Students who presented write a self-reflection on the process from essay to presentation (250 words) minimum.
What separated the excellent work from satisfactory was the three women students' attention to the assignment specifications: bring in visuals, music, lyrics and become an expert on your topic. misogyny was the thesis in many of the presentations, along with women's tacit participation in their objectification and exploitation for a variety of reasons. We looked at the intersection between objectification and pornography. We also looked at how American norms around a women's sexuality and her ability to celebrate her sexuality was not some present in all cultures, but with cyber communication and globalization this window is closing and the mores merging in both negative and positive ways.
A friend of mine, Rhodessa Jones, Artistic Director, Medea Project, Theatre for Incarcerated Women, said when she was in South Africa, the kids called her a "bitch and a ho," not out of disrespect, but because they learned to speak English from hip hop videos and they though woman equals ho and bitch, that this is what the words mean. She straightened them out (smile).
I appreciated and enjoyed Erica's call to action. She along with Itzel and Tatiana and Dexter left their audience with a choice, while admitting that success and fame sometimes means going along with a program one did not produce or audition for.
The women surveyed were one's most students knew and I can certainly say that many of you are experts, but as budding scholars, you do not have a published body of work yet, so you have to look to other published work of scholars who support your arguments.
Keep this in mind. Hip Hop didn't jump out of a vacuum, it is an art which is a part of American culture, specifically rooted in African Diaspora culture so dig deeply to find historic evidence to support your claims.
If you are talking about money and American culture and this materialism evident in popular culture, or body adornment and how it is showing up in the younger generations...look at trends and periods in American history like the the radical '60s which was a look that had several soundtracks.
I read the essays and many do not use scholarly sources from a library database, not one, also the MLA is not correct on many papers and others are too short. I will return them to you with comments and Dexter I will email yours back to you with comments. If you want comments sooner than Tuesday, October 6, Erica, Itzel and Tatiana, send me your work.
Students escaped without handouts I'd had for you. Darn it! I will give you the articles on Tuesday. I'd like you to read the other essays I listed from Total Chaos in the assignment post (I also gave students handouts) for this coming week which includes today. I will post links for responses.
We are scholars so even if the language in the work we are studying is full of cliches and profanity and other non-standard language, when we critique the work--one paper and in oral discussion, we use Standard English.
Please post your comments here. Be constructive and use examples from the presentations.
Students who presented write a self-reflection on the process from essay to presentation (250 words) minimum.
What separated the excellent work from satisfactory was the three women students' attention to the assignment specifications: bring in visuals, music, lyrics and become an expert on your topic. misogyny was the thesis in many of the presentations, along with women's tacit participation in their objectification and exploitation for a variety of reasons. We looked at the intersection between objectification and pornography. We also looked at how American norms around a women's sexuality and her ability to celebrate her sexuality was not some present in all cultures, but with cyber communication and globalization this window is closing and the mores merging in both negative and positive ways.
A friend of mine, Rhodessa Jones, Artistic Director, Medea Project, Theatre for Incarcerated Women, said when she was in South Africa, the kids called her a "bitch and a ho," not out of disrespect, but because they learned to speak English from hip hop videos and they though woman equals ho and bitch, that this is what the words mean. She straightened them out (smile).
I appreciated and enjoyed Erica's call to action. She along with Itzel and Tatiana and Dexter left their audience with a choice, while admitting that success and fame sometimes means going along with a program one did not produce or audition for.
The women surveyed were one's most students knew and I can certainly say that many of you are experts, but as budding scholars, you do not have a published body of work yet, so you have to look to other published work of scholars who support your arguments.
Keep this in mind. Hip Hop didn't jump out of a vacuum, it is an art which is a part of American culture, specifically rooted in African Diaspora culture so dig deeply to find historic evidence to support your claims.
If you are talking about money and American culture and this materialism evident in popular culture, or body adornment and how it is showing up in the younger generations...look at trends and periods in American history like the the radical '60s which was a look that had several soundtracks.
I read the essays and many do not use scholarly sources from a library database, not one, also the MLA is not correct on many papers and others are too short. I will return them to you with comments and Dexter I will email yours back to you with comments. If you want comments sooner than Tuesday, October 6, Erica, Itzel and Tatiana, send me your work.
Students escaped without handouts I'd had for you. Darn it! I will give you the articles on Tuesday. I'd like you to read the other essays I listed from Total Chaos in the assignment post (I also gave students handouts) for this coming week which includes today. I will post links for responses.
We are scholars so even if the language in the work we are studying is full of cliches and profanity and other non-standard language, when we critique the work--one paper and in oral discussion, we use Standard English.
Please post your comments here. Be constructive and use examples from the presentations.
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