Today students shared reflections on Grace Paley's body of work. All of the poetry and stories were outstanding. Many students had similar selections like Alex and Nick, Angela and Jacqueline. The two women spoke of loving the eroticism in a poem about an older woman (smile).

Tia's poem elucidated a lot of conversation as we tried to figure out who was speaking--we looked at motives and regret in light of a tragic character's suicide. It was interesting how often one's ability to empathize with a character might be constrained by one's inability to see their dilemma. The conversation was wonderful as well. I found Nick's comments quite moving and insightful. I liked his personal reasons for choosing the work he did and connecting the poem he shared with the themes from the prose poem.

We then read Act 1, Scene 1. With nontraditional casting, the reading was fun.

Students then shifted back to Paley and read and commented on each other's essays and gave them a grade. Some students had to take the essay home and revise it, others turned them into me.

Homework is to read the chapter on writing about plays in Writing about Literature.