In Animals in Literature, Ancient and Modern, we will explore the roles that animals and animal symbolism play in literature across time and across culture, reaching back into classic folk traditions and extending into the modern literary imagination.* You will read and respond to a range of enduring literary texts from a range of literary genres, such as fables, fairy tales, poetry, fiction, and graphic novels. Through the process of exploring the place of animals in literature, you will also explore and present your own unique ideas and creativity through written expressions, interpretive performances, and formal presentations. For the major written assignments, we will follow the steps of the writing process—prewriting, drafting, revision, and editing. Throughout the semester, we will also sharpen your command of grammar, usage, and mechanics and expand your literary and everyday vocabulary.

* To establish some continuity between the work you did last semester and what we have planned for this semester, I will look for ways, as often as possible, to foster connections to the readings, themes, and concepts you have already studied. Please do not hesitate to call attention to any connections yourselves during our classes or in your work for this semester.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Audio Version of The Metamorphosis

Hey there,
For those of you who might be interested, I found a audio version of Franz Kafka's "The Metamorphosis" online. I love audio books. You all should check it out. Here are the links:
Hey, I just discovered that the famous cartoonist, R. Crumb, illustrated a biography about Franz Kafka. Here's one of his drawings...

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Samuel Bak's Holocaust Paintings

Samuel Bak is a surrealist painter who is renowned for his representations of Jewish experience during and after World War II. His paintings are heavy with symbolism, and piecing together all of the symbols into a single interpretation can be like piecing together a puzzle. If you want to learn more about him, check out the website: Wikipedia/Samuel Bak