Emily Dickinson Redux

THIS STUDY HAS NO ENDING

by Mr. Munson, in deep respect to the queen of verse

This Study has no Ending

The Grade has not been earned—

Ephemeral, as Essays—

But tangible, as Learned—

It calls and it cajoles—

Answers—don’t show—

And with conversation, scattered

Insights, still flow—

To conclude it, troubles teachers—

To comprehend, students say

Requires hidden Genius

And Creative Word, play—

Attention wanes—and ceases, and redoubles—

Chimps, are losing sleep—

Grab hold of any Meaning—

And beg the Ape for A’s—

Much Pressure, from the Parents—

Who cannot know the Pain—

Conclusions will never satisfy

What minds cannot explain—

Keeping Women in Mind

“Darkness.We hear the sound of a woman moaning as she regains consciousness. As she opens her eyes, there is bright, afternoon garden sunlight. Throughout the play, we will hear what she hears; see what she sees. A subjective viewpoint therefore and one that may at times be somewhat less than accurate.”

And with this stage direction, Alan Ayckbourn begins his play Woman in Mind. All of Ayckbourn's plays are a challenge to stage but deeply rewarding with their decidedly British sense of farce. In Woman in Mind, Ayckbourn sets out to detail Susan's descent into madness in a very clever and funny way. Mental illness is never something to laugh about, but with Ayckbourn writing it, the play becomes a bittersweet journey of discovery for the characters and the audience as well.

Ayckbourn once observed about the production: "I think the women in the audience stop laughing long before the men. I don't stand there gleefully watching but there does seem a quite concerted rush to the Ladies at the end. There's a line in Woman in Mind, `When I think what we could have done with our lives if we hadn't decided to talk abouteverything first,' and there is a universal groan of recognition from the audience - especially from women and children."

Let's see how IB students react as you will be called upon to do some production work on scenery, costumes, or lighting and sound for this play. You will also be designing a new playbill. You may not use the design for the current show in London (see picture above) or any of the past designs used.
For further information, you try wikipedia (not too much there), or a review of the show, or, better yet, Alan Ayckbourn's website where he details so much about the play (click around this one for help on your project). If it helps, I have also included a link to the way a woman's mind works. Enjoy!

Franz Kafka airport

The Onion, a satirical newspaper has taken the definition of kafkaesque to a new impersonal level with a very clever news report on how the Franz Kafka International Airport in Prague has been named the "Most Dehumanizing Airport" in the world. Very funny, check it out, and be sure to read the clever embedded jokes in the background as well. Click below:
Onion report on Franz Kafka International Airport.

Taking the "Streetcar"

As we look at the play A Streetcar Named Desire, we will be exploring the controversial nature of this play as well as its playwright. Tennessee Williams brought a new kind of theater to the stage that played as much on illusion as it did on stark reality. Perhaps it is the best play to follow the study of Ibsen since Williams takes the taboo subjects that Ibsen tackled and exposes the vulnerable underbelly of society. Taking a Streetcar Named Desire is never a comfortable ride, and it has come under much criticism in the year's since its stage debut. One thing is certain though: in Blanche Dubois and Stanley Kowalski, Williams created some of literature's most intriguing characters. Let's see what your take is. You will be asked to comment on the play as you did for Doll's House. This time I will leave the topic up to you. To many, the play is shocking. Recent critics comment on Williams negative portrayal of men (sometimes claiming it is a homosexual's view of heterosexual relationships), others find his female characters even more demeaning. Personally, I find it all just good theater -- not pleasant by any means, but definitely engaging. Let's mix it up in our online discussion. Please post your comments between April 1 and April 17 for discussion grade.

Getting Bugged by Kafka

As we study Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis in IB English A1 year 1, we need to figure out this often misunderstood author and his work. In order to do that, I ask that you work in your home group on your research findings by calling up one of these articles on Kafka and becoming an expert on it. We will be working in the computer lab on this, so you will not be allowed to print the articles out, you must gather your information while we are in class March 10/11 and you will debrief your group on your findings back in class March 14/15. At that point, you will turn in a short article synopsis (no more than 1 1/2 pages double-spaced typed) and we shall begin unraveling the story of Gregor Samsa's transformation. The following are the article you may consider and some other curiousities I found on the web about all things Metamorphosis:
* Kafka's connection to Judaism
* Kafka's connection to the literary world
* Kafka's connection to Berlin
* Kafka's personal connection to Metamorphosis
* Kafka's negative connection to his father
* Kafka's connection to Milena Jesenska

And here are some interesting things to browse:
* The Metamorphosis and David Bowie's "Changes"
* A modern dance production of The Metamorphosis
* A very strange (but cool) retelling of The Metamorphosis as if Gregor is a robot who suddenly wakes to find he is now human (or a pressurized bag of jelly)
* Slides of Kafka quotes set to classical music
I was also asked to include a link to the video of Nabokov on Kafka for you as well:
Here is Part 1 and here is Part 2

Keeping it Real With Ibsen

Emma Goldman in her book The Social Significance of Modern Drama has this to say about the impact of Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House:

"When Nora closes behind her the door of her doll's house, she opens wide the gate of life for woman, and proclaims the revolutionary message that only perfect freedom and communion make a true bond between man and woman, meeting in the open, without lies, without shame, free from the bondage of duty."

As we come to the end of this play in IB A1 Year Two, we need to consider the implications it has on our lives today as well. One of the best questions you can ask yourself in preparation for the mock exams in a few weeks as well as the IB exams in May is what is the enduring power of this play that continues to make it get produced year after year somewhere in the world. What for you makes this work last? Please respond to this with your own views by clicking the comments button below. Post your response by March 15 for us to consider as we enter mock exams. Check back and respond to your classmates.

To read the article this quote came from, click here.

Research Findings for Naguib Mahfouz

IB English A1 Juniors:

As you begin your World Literature Unit, you will be reading the following articles on Egyptian author Naguib Mahfouz. Please wait until you are assigned the articles in class, then return to this site to open the link containing the article that you are assigned as a Field Expert. You will need to take notes on the article and bring it to class to report back to your Museum Home Group on the assigned date. You are only required to read the article you are assigned as the other articles will be presented by other members of your Home Group in class.

* Article 1 -- Naguib Mahfouz: Medal for Literature

* Article 2 -- Naguib Mahfouz and the Cruelty of Memory

* Article 3 -- A Nobel for the Arab Nation

* Article 4 -- Obituary: Naguib Mahfouz

Atwood and You

"Unlike those authors who peter out after a burst of early brilliance, Margaret Atwood’s creative powers show no sign of diminishing. She is a unique talent. Astonishingly versatile and prolific, she has exquisite timing, a formidable narrative gift and a lyricism enlivened by a natural deadpan wit."

-- Garan Holcombe, 2008

There is much to appreciate in Atwood's poetry, which makes her a prime candidate for our Detailed Study unit. Although we are limited in the time we will be discussing her in class, her poetry will stay with you long after you think you are done with the poetic encounter. This Contemporary Writers' website will help you gain a bit more insight into her life and her works. Her personal website is a treasure trove of all things Atwood for those who wish to go beyond the text for their own pleasure.

John Donne was good about showing us the infinite, Robert Frost we could count on for the natural, but Margaret Atwood may cause us to dig deeper and discover not what is outside of ourselves, but what is inside. It may not always be comfortable, but it sure is thought-provoking. I leave you with her words:

You Fit Into Me

You fit into me
like a hook into an eye

a fish hook
an open eye

America's Favorite Poet - Robert Frost

As America prepares to inaugurate a new president this month, it is good to remember some of our poetic history as well. In the 1960's, before his death, Robert Frost became the first poet to create and recite an inaugural poem when he wrote for John F. Kennedy's inauguration. He is pictured above sitting to the right of Jackie Kennedy. This year, at Barack Obama's inauguration, poet Elizabeth Alexander will follow in this grand tradition Frost established and read her work. Born in 1962, Ms. Alexander would have been one year old when Frost died. Because of the legacy Frost left us, poetry lives on and continues to thrive in each generation and transfer of power that has followed.

Robert Frost is one of the most honored poets America has ever produced, and from the presentations we have heard in class, he was also one of the most complex. He was a man who was often misunderstood and his works have multiple meanings, yet he stands as a great writer with a singular voice who is worthy of study by all serious scholars of literature. Although his works appear to be deceptively simple, further study often reveals layers of meaning and craftmanship that can make any IB oral commentary a work of art as well. You will be finding these layers the more you study, and hopefully, you will discover some truth that will resonate for you as well. To help you, I offer a few links below. The true IB students will find some great helps in these sites that will aid you as you prepare for your Individual Oral Commentaries.

Friends of Robert Frost -- This website features a wealth of information for you. There are others, but this one will be a great starting place. Here you will find a project that has produced a rare breed of apple to commemorate Frost's love for apple trees which inspired "After Apple Picking" and "Goodby and Keep Cold." For those of you who have trouble locating his themes and literary devices, one portion of the website is designed to help students studying Frost.

If you search deep enough, you will even be able to hear recordings of Frost reading his poetry to you. Although we cannot bring this great writer back to life, it is my hope he will still speak to some of us very personally in this study.