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.