Syllabus for English 560, Spring ‘07 (Updated 6.11.07)
Extraordinary Music, Lyrically Speaking (and Singing):
The Poetry of Popular Song and the Musicality of Contemporary American Poetry
Note: Reading that isn’t in our class texts, The Norton Anthology of Contemporary Poetry and Reading Lyrics, will be available to you either on our class website (http://english.dc-marion.ohio-state.edu/lishan/), or as a handout. If you miss a class, I’ll expect you be responsible for keeping up (hint: like, e-mail me and ask for the assignment: Lishan.1@osu.edu).
Tu: Introductions and first steppings out.
Reading for next class:
i. Do a little strolling through our class anthologies: From our Norton Anthology, pick out a poem you dig that musically swings, and from Reading Lyrics pick out a lyric you dig that verbally swings (define “musically,” “swings,” and “dig,” any sweet way you like)
-- be prepared to share your choices with the class on Thursday.
ii. LeRoy, JT. from “Introduction: Better Than Anything I Could Say,” Da Capo Best Music Writing, 2005, pp. xvi-xviii.
iii. Sanneh, Kelefa. “The Rap Against Rockism.” Da Capo Best Music Writing, 2005, pp. 129-134.
Th: Playlist: What’s the music, where’s the music?
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Reading, writing, and whatnots for next week (Week two of the quarter):
Writing – Due Thursday, April 5 – Assay #1: Write an Assay/Essay /Amusing[ing]/
Explore-Oration/ Expectation/Analysis[ter] and Brother of the Sweet Word about a time
in your past with music and/or poetry: That is, write about a song, poem, album, book of poetry,
or an experience with either music and/or poetry that has played nothing less than a humongous role in your life (I mean really big -- see subtle visual aid above).
Reading to ground us in Assay… #1 (To be read for Tuesday’s class):
i. Thomas, Dylan. “Poetic Manifesto.” Norton Anthology, pp. 1061-1066.
ii. Hummer. T.R. “The Mechanical Muse (A Poet Discusses His Inspiration).
Da Capo Best Music Writing, 2004, pp. 129-132.
iii. Marcus, Greil. “Stories of a Bad Song.” Da Capo Best Music Writing, 2006, pp. 1-8.
iv. Dylan, Bob. Lyrics to "Masters of War" (from: bobdylan.com).
v. Marcus, Greil. ‘Like A Rolling Stone” (#1 of MOJO’s “The 100 Greatest Dylan Songs),
Sept. 2005 Issue, pp. 82-83.
vi. Dylan, Bob. Lyrics to "Like a Rolling Stone" (from: bobdylan.com).
vii. Bellamy, Matt. “Last Night A Record Changed My Life,” Sept. 2006 Issue of MOJO, p. 34.
(And, if you'd like to hear some snippets from Mule Variations, the CD that Bellamy is
talking about, you can check out this link from Amazon.com -- just scroll down until you
find the "music sampler" from the album <http://www.amazon.com/Mule-Variations-Tom-Waits/dp/B00000IGGA/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-3523205-5792168?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1175108177&sr=1-1>
viii. Waits, Tom. Lyrics to three songs from Mule Variations: "Big in Japan"
and "Low Side Of The Road," and "What's He Building" and "Black Market Baby."
ix. Some poems by T.R. Hummer (see the following links):
(http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/16919), “After”;
(http://www.blackbird.vcu.edu/v2n2/poetry/hummer_tr/dancers_print.htm),
“For Dancers Only: Suite for Jimmie Lunceford, 1902-1947.”
Week #2 (April 3, 5)/ Sashaying and Assaying Around
Tu: Playlist: On playing attention and getting personal.
Th: Our day to be sunny and share Assay… #1.
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Reading, writing, and whatnots for next week (Week three of the quarter):
Writing – Due Thursday, April 12 – Assay… #2: Write an Assay/Essay/ Amusing[ing]/ Explore-Oration/ Expectation/Analysis[ter] and Brother of the Sweet Word in which you introduce us to a really great lyric from Reading Lyrics and to a really great poem from the Norton Anthology of Contemporary Poetry. Feel free to combine your discussions, and to compare and contrast, to nip and tuck, to Tom and Jerry, or in any way to play off, reflect, or refract your chosen poem with your chosen lyric.
Reading to ground us in Assay… #2 (To be read for Tuesday’s class):
i. Christgau, Robert. “Let’s call the whole thing Pop: George Gershwin.”
Grown Up All Wrong, pp. 22-26.
ii. Gottlieb, Robert and Robert Kimball. “Introduction.” Reading Lyrics, pp. xxiii-xxvi.
iii. Liner Notes on Cole Porter, by John Carlin, from Red, Hot, and Blue (Chrysalis, 1990)
iv. Assay/ Essay Amusing[ing]s/ Explore-Orations/ Expectations/ Analysis[ters] and Brothers
of the Sweet Words by some past fellow voyagers in English 560 :
a. Once upon a time… possibly last week…”
(And, to go with this essay, in our Norton Anthology, please read the following
poems by Lucille Clifton: "homage to my hips," p. 660; "poem to my uterus,"
p. 662; and "to my last period," p. 663).
b. “The Musical as Mirror into Reality, and Frank O’Hara: The Musical"
(And, to go with this essay, in our Norton Anthology, please read the following
poems by Frank O'Hara: "The Day Lady Died," p. 365; "A True Account of
Talking to the Sun at Fire Island," pp. 367-369; and "Why I Am Not a Painter,"
p. 369.
And in our Reading Lyrics anthology, please read "It's De-Lovely,"
pp. 110-111; "Let's Do It, Let's Fall in Love," pp. 113-115; "Let's
Not Talk About Love," pp. 115-117 -- lyrics by Cole Porter; Ol'
Man River," pp. 237-238; "My Favorite Things," p. 237 -- lyric by
Oscar Hammerstein II; "Another Hundred People," pp. 587-588;
"Send in the Clowns," p. 596; "I'm Still Here," pp. 593-594; "In
Buddy's Eyes," p. 594; and "Losing My Mind," p. 595 -- lyrics by
Stephen Sondheim).
c. "Now it's time to say goodbye..."
d. “Aesthetics Statement”
(And, to go with this essay, please read the following poems by Gary Snyder:
"Four Poem for Robin <http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15435>;
"somewhere i have never travelled,gladly beyond"
<http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15401>,
by e.e. cummings;
"What lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why
(Sonnet XLIII)
<http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15420>,
by Edna
St. Vincent Millay; and "The Fall of Troy"
<http://www.lyricsdir.com/tom-waits-the-fall-of-troy-lyrics.html>,
lyric by Tom Waits.
Tu: Playlist: MainLINING and deLINEATION (Why? Because it’s
deLOVELY and deLIGHTFUL! :-).
Th: Our day to be sunny and share Assay… #2.
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Reading, writing, and whatnots for next week (Week four of the quarter):
Writing – Due Thursday, April 19 – Assay #3:“Hey, We Can Use Mr. Todd’s Barn! Let’s Put On a Show!” Okay, now, you’re going to be split up into groups to plan out a musical show (more a rough sketch, really. The purpose is to help give you a dramatic context for the show tune lyric that you will write). That is, write an Assay/ Essay/Amusing[ing]/ Explore-Oration/ Expectation/Analysis[ter] and Brother of the Sweet Word that is a song lyric for a musical or movie, and then reflect on what you’ve done. Note: The reflection part of your assay…3 doesn’t have to be as long as a typical assay…. That is, it can be 1-3 pages, instead of the normal 2-4 pages.
Reading to ground us in Assay #3 (To be read for Tuesday’s class):
i. Sondheim, Stephen. “Introduction.” Lyrics, by Oscar Hammerstein II, pp. xiii-xv.
ii. Hammerstein, Oscar. “Notes on Lyrics.” Lyrics, by Oscar Hammerstein II, pp. 3-48.
iii. (http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/print.php?what=article&id=5284): A little piece about songwriting from the web site, Ultimate-Guitar.com. I picked it because, as chaz man writes in the posted comments just below the article, “Most articles about lyrics suck, but you did a good job here.” Good old chaz man.
iv. Jimmy Webb – from his book, Tunesmith: Inside the Art of Songwriting (1999).
v. Stephen Sondheim – from an extended interview, in the book Sondheim on Music, (Minor Details and Major Decisions), by Mark Eden Horowitz (2003).
vi. Selected lyrics from our Reading Lyrics:
I'm going to ask each of you to e-mail me, by 5:00 on Friday afternoon,
the name and page number of one lyric from Reading Lyrics, and that will be our RL
reading for this weekend. Friday night, I'll post your choices here, on our dear,
evolving syllabus, Okay? Okay! So, choose away, my lyrical little songbirds. :-) sl
1. "One for My Baby (And One More for the Road)," p. 442, by Johnny Mercer (Justin)
2. "Gee, Officer Krupke," pp. 590-592, by Stephen Sondheim (Stanton)
3. "Little Tin Box" pg. 566, by Sheldon Harnick (Mike)
4. "Whatever Lola Wants (Lola Gets)," by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, p. 551 (Beth)
5. "Caberet," by Fred Ebb, p. 610 (Josh)
6. "T'ain't No Sin to Dance Around in Your Bones," by Edgar Leslie, p. 51 (Kelly)
7. "One," by Edward Kleban, p. 642 (Barbie)
8. "The Lady is a Tramp," by Lorenz Hart, p. 205 (Kristin)
9. "Matchmaker," by Sheldon Harnick, p. 567 (Katie)
10. "If I Were a Rich Man," by Sheldon Harnick, p. 565-566 (Mindy)
11. "(I'm So) Weary of It All," by Noel Coward, pp. 332-333 (Jessica)
12. "My Coloring Book," by Fred Ebb, pp. 611-612 (Anthony)
13. "Class," by Fred Ebb, pp. 610-611 (Katie)
14. "Love and Marriage,"
Sammy Cahn, p. 478 (Stephanie).
Tu: Playlist: Musicalling
out to one another in Mr. Todd’s barn
(or teaching you the Sonheimlich maneuver).
Th: Our day to be sunny and share Assay… #3.
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Reading, writing, and whatnots for next week (Week five of the quarter):
Writing – Due Thursday, April 26 – Assay… #4: Traveling through the Dylan[d]: Write an Assay/Essay/Amusing[ing]/ Explore-Oration/ Expectation/ Analysis[ter] and Brother of the Sweet Word in which you close read/hear one of the songs on “Love and Theft.” Feel free to combine your discussion, or to compare and contrast, to nip and tuck, to Tom and Jerry, or in any way to play off, reflect, or refract your chosen Dylan song from “Love and Theft” with what was (and no doubt still is) one of your favorite songs or poems written by a male from before the quarter began (that is, before I made you buy Dylan’s CD).
Reading and listening to ground us in Assay #4 (To be read and listened to for Tuesday’s class):
i. Hilburn, Robert. “Rock’s Enigmatic Poet Opens a Long-Private Door,” Da Capo
Best Music Writing, 2005, pp. 51-63.
ii. Sutcliffe, Phil. “The Comeback Kid,” MOJO, Sept. 2006, pp. 66-75.
iii. Bob’s Sheffield’s Sept. 27, 1991 review of “’Love and Theft’” that appeared
in Rolling Stone:
(<http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/bobdylan/albums/album/235544/review/6067312/love_and_theft>) .
iv. NPR interview with Bob Dylan, Oct. 12, 2004
(<http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4080202>).
v. On “Lonesome
Day Blues” (#89), by Ian McNabb, p. 58; “Po’ Boy”
(#79), by ?, p. 60; “Mississippi” (#9), by John Harris,
p.80 (From
MOJO’s
“The 100 Greatest Dylan Songs, Sept. 2005 Issue).
vi. Dylan, Bob. "Love and Theft” (CD). Columbia, 2001).
vii. Lyrics to "Love and Theft" (from Bob Dylan Lyrics, 1962-2001,
Simon & Schuster, 2004).
viii. From Chronicles, Volume One, by Bob Dylan (Simon & Schuster, 2004).
ix. Mainlining "Love and Theft" (English 560 mainline selections, April 24, 2007)
x. Optional (a nice snapshot of Dylan’s work through 1968) –
Willis, Ellen. “Dylan.” Beginning to See the Light
(Sex, Hope, and
Rock-And-Roll), pp. 3-25.
Week #5 (April 24, 26
Tu: Playlist: Horsing around with Bobby.
Th: Our day to be sunny and share Assay… #4.
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Reading, writing, and whatnots for next week (Week six of the quarter):
Writing – Due Thursday, May 3 – Assay… #5: Wandering through the blue night’s misty chill – on Joni Mitchell ‘s Blue: Write an Assay/Essay/ Amusing[ing]/ Explore-Oration/ Expectation/Analysis[ter] and Brother of the Sweet Word in which you close read/hear/ one of the songs on Blue. Feel free to combine your discussion, or to compare and contrast, to nip and tuck, to Tom and Jerry, or in any way to play off, reflect, or refract your chosen Joni Mitchell song from Blue with what was (and no doubt still is) one of your favorite songs or poems written by a female from before the quarter began (that is, before I made you buy Mitchell’s CD).
Reading and listening to ground us in Assay #5 (To be read and listened to for Tuesday’s class):
i. See Robert Christgau’s thumbnail review of Blue: (http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=Joni+Mitchell)
ii. Valentine, Penny. “The Seeker: Joni Mitchell. 40 Years of Classic Rock Journalism, The Sound and the Fury, A Rock’s Backpages Reader, pp. 57-70.
iii. Willis, Ellen. “Janis Joplin.” Beginning to See the Light, Sex Hope, and Rock-And-Roll, pp. 61-67
iv. A review of Blue from a cat who calls himself Y.Misdaq aka Yoshi, dated 22 Nov 2003: (http://www.nefisa.co.uk/reviews_Blue.htm)
v. Or check this little biography on Joni Mitchell (http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:v2jv7i5jg7xr~T1) and this review of Blue (http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:xe6ibkr96akq) on allmusic.com.
vi. More on Joni Mitchell's life and art (from a Salon.com article from April 3, 2000)
vii. Lishan and Hermsen. from Later "In The Early World"
viii. Mitchell, Joni. Blue (CD). Warner Brothers (1971)
ix. Mainlining Blue (English 560 mainline selections, May 3, 2007)
Tu: Playlist: Bluesing around with Joni.
Th: Our day to be sunny and share Assay… #5.
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Reading, writing, and whatnots for next week (Week seven of the quarter):
Writing – Due Thursday, May 10 – Assay… #6: Blues and sonnets and syllabics, oh my! (as well as pantoums, ghazals, and…:-): Writing the blues and a traditionally formal poem; that is, write an Assay/Essay/Amusing[ing]/ Explore-Oration/ Expectation/Analysis[ter] and Brother of the Sweet Word that is a song lyric, and then write a traditionally formal poem. If you’d like a more specific suggestion for a lyric, write a blues or a ballad lyric; however, I want to stress -- those are merely suggestions. You can write a song lyric in any form you like. If you want a more specific suggestion for a traditionally formal poem, try writing a sonnet, a poem in syllabics, a ghazal, a poem in Anglo-Saxon verse, or a pantoum -- and then, of course, as you did with your assay/essays when you wrote your lyrics for your respective musicals, reflect on what you’ve done. Note: The reflection part of your assay…6 doesn’t have to be as long as a typical assay…. That is, it can be 1-3 pages, instead of the normal 2-4 pages.
Reading to ground us in Assay #6 (To be read for Tuesday’s class):
i. Marcus, Greil. “Robert Johnson, 1938.” Mystery Train, Images of America
in Rock ‘N’ Roll Music, pp. 19-35.
ii. Robert Johnson Lyrics (from "The Robert Johnson Notebooks," a site created by Courtney Danforth and Adriana Rissetto in 1997, and housed at the University of Virginia)
iii. On Ballad and Blues stanzas (From "The Music in Poetry," found in the Smithsonian
Global Sound archive). Note: You'll have to scroll down just a bit, past "Ballads in
Poetry," to find the section, "Blues in Poetry." Also, I heartily suggest that you check
out the audio links (especially the the "extended play" links, for both ballads and blues,
which includes a description of the blues by the poet, Langston Hughes, and a great
performance of "Good Morning Blues," sung by the great blues singer, Leadbelly.
iv. "Slow Down for Poetry," a short essay by Mark Strand (from New York Times Book
Review, 9-15-91)
v. A sampling of Ghazals (Handout online -- selections, and then some, from Ravishing Disunities, Real Ghazals in English, Ed. Agha Shahid Ali (Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Presss, 2000)
vi. A sampling of some how to's for some other forms, from The Practice of Poetry, Writing
Exercises from Poets Who Teach. Eds. Robin Behn & Chase Twitchell (New York:
Harper Colllins, 1992)
vii. A successful pantoum, by Mark Strand
viii. Another successful pantoum, by Tammy Blair
ix. Some sonnet possibilities, by yours truly
x. Some examples of the
Anglo-Saxon style of
poetry
("The Seafarer," translated by Ezra Pound, and "Junk," by Richard
Wilbur)
xi. Selected poems from our Norton Anthology:
I'm going to ask each of you to e-mail me, by noon on Friday afternoon,
the name and page number of one "traditionally formal poem" (as defined by you)
from our Norton Anthology, and that will constitute part of our reading for this weekend.
I'll post your choices here on Friday afternoon, on our dear, evolving syllabus. :-) sl
1. "Colonization in Reverse," by Louise Bennett, pp.173-174 (Anthony)
2. "Fourth Dream Song," by John Berryman, p. 94 (Stanton)
3. "April Inventory," by W.D. Snodgrass, p. 281-283 (Katie)
4. "The Armadillo," by Elizabeth Bishop, p. 31-32 (Tammy)
5. "A song in the Front Yard," by Gwendolyn Books, pp. 141-142 (Barbie)
6. "Privilege of Being," by Robert Hass, pp. 787-788 (Kelly)
7. "Aunt Jennifer's Tigers," by Andrienne Rich, p. 459 (Beth)
xii. (Optional) Lyrics to "Jesus St. Tell Me" -- which some of you requested I put online
Week #7: (May 8, 10)
Tu: Playlist: I’m warm for
your form, man (Playing with the blues and
other sweet forms).
Th: Our day to be sunny and share Assay… #6.
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Reading, writing, and whatnots for next week (Week eight of the quarter):
Writing – Due Thursday, May 17 – Assay… #7: Breaking a line. Write an open field/ free verse poem of at least 14 lines, and then, of course, reflect on what you’ve done. Note: The reflection part of your assay…7 doesn’t have to be as long as a typical assay…. That is, it can be 1-3 pages, instead of the normal 2-4 pages.
Reading to ground us in Assay #7(To be read for Tuesday’s class):
i. Charles Olson. “Projective Verse” (1950). Norton Anthology, pp. 1053-1061.
ii. Denise Levertov. “Some Notes on Organic Form” (1965). Norton Anthology,
pp. 1081-1086.
iii. “Charles Bernstein. “Semblance” (1980). Norton Anthology, pp. 1111-
1115.
iv. Selected poems from our Norton Anthology:
I'm going to ask each of you to e-mail me, by 5:00 on Friday afternoon,
the name and page number of one "open field/ free verse" poem (as defined by you)
from our Norton Anthology, and that will constitute part of our reading for this weekend.
I'll post your choices here on our dear, evolving syllabus, so choose well, my sweet
poets. :-) sl
1. "Ghost," by Cathy Song, pp. 1023-1025 (Josh)
2. From "The Death Baby," by Anne Sexton, pp. 436-437 (Mike)
3. "In Response to a Rumor That the Oldest Whorehouse in Wheeling, West Virginia,
Has Been Condemned," by James Wright, p. 420 (Anthony)
4. "How Things Work, " by Gary Soto, p 973 (Tom)
5. "Homage to Paul Cezanne," by Charles Wright, pp. 644-647 (Stanton)
6. "The Wheelchair Butterfly," and "Poem," by James Tate, pp. 839-840
and pp. 842-843 (Kelly)
7. "Grandmothers," by Adrienne Rich, pp. 479-481 (Jessica)
8. From "The Lives of Toll Takers" and "Have Pen, Will Travel," by Charles
Bernstein, pp. 911-914 and pp. 914-915 (Stephanie)
9. "Deathwatch," by Michael. S. Harper, pp. 700-701 (Mindy)
10. "A Wall," by Charles Simic, pp. 707-708 (Katie)
11. A selection of poems by Karmin (With thanks to Josh for sending them along)
Week #8: (May 15, 17)
Tu: Playlist: Playing the open field and freeing the verse
Th: Our day to be sunny and share Assay... #7.
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Reading, writing, and whatnots for next week (Week nine of the quarter):
Writing – Due Thursday, May 24 – Assay… #8: Picking and grooving – that is, you pick, we groove.
Basically, for this assay/ essay..., you have three choices:
Choice #1: Lester Banging around and hippity-hopping with the “21st Century Elvis”
(among others): Do an Assay/Essay/Amusing[ing]/ Explore-Oration/ Expectation/
Analysis[ter] and Brother of the Sweet Word in which you respond to hip-hop
and rap and/or spoken word poetry. Feel free to use Lester Bangs as your word muse.
Choice #2 for Assay... #8: Hippity-hopping over the line. Write a hip-hop lyric or a
spoken word poem. Note: Include a reflection part of your assay/ essay…8.
For example, you might want to answer the following questions: Compared to
your other creative writing assignments in this class, how was this one different?
How was it the same? Was the process of composition similar? Different? How?
Choice #3 for Assay... #8: "Where were you when _____ died." Elvis Presley, Kurt Cobain,
John Lennon, Tupac Shakur, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, and, Townes Van Zandt,
Janis Joplin: They are just some of the many musicians and songwriters who died when
they were at or near the heights of cultural power. Many still remember where they were
and what they were doing when they heard the news that one or more of these icons of our
culture had passed away. Pick one (not necessarily from the list above) and, using Lester
Bangs as your model and inspiration, tell us, "Where Were You When ___ Died."
Reading to ground us in choices 1, 2 and 3 of Assay... #8:
i. Bangs, Lester. “Where Were You When Elvis Died.” Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung, the Work of a Legendary Critic: Rock ‘N’ Roll as Literature and Literature as Rock ‘N’ Roll,” pp. 212-217.
ii. David Pulizzi’s piece about coming across the works of Lester Bangs in his article, “Big Bangs Theory”: (http://www.jimdero.com/Bangs/Bangs%20Pitts.htm).
iii. Kristin Keplar. "Invocation" (On the passing of Kurt Cobain and Freddie Mercury), May 24, 2007.
iv. Kent, Nick. “Eminem’s Rage in a Cage.” The Dark Stuff: Selected Writings on Rock Music.” pp. 372-379.
v. Christgau, Robert. “Looking for the Perfect Public Enemy.” Grown Up All Wrong, pp. 268-274.
vi. Lyrics to “Stan”
vii. Live perfomance of "Stan," by Eminem and Elton John at the 2001 Grammy Awards
viii. Lyrics to “Welcome to the Terrrordome”:
ix. Hip-hop: Definitions and more, from answers.com, the Columbia Encylopedia, and Wikipedia
x. "A Brief Guide to Slam Poetry, " from the Poets.org, the website of
The Academy of American Poets.
xi. Some examples Spoken Word Poetry, poetry "slammed-up" from Podslam.org,
"The Revolution of the Word" website (Check out the site, I mean, feel free
to roam around; however, in particular, check out Katie Wirsing, "Frank Sinatra
Was a God," the 2007 "'Taster's Choice'Audience" winner in the poetry slam
nationals in Austin, Texas; Ken Arkind, "I-Up," the 2007 "Juried Award" winner
of the "Real Life Surrealism" category; Shannelle Gabriel, "Braggadocious,"
the 2007 "All-Star Slam-Off Bout B" winner; and Bianca Mikahn, "Last Love
Letter," the 2007 "'Taster's Choice 'Audience" winner in the "Real Life Surrealism"
category.
-- Don't forget to also click on the "Read the Poem" link at the top of the page
for each poet, so you can read the spoken words, too. :-)
xii. Bloodletting," by Saul Williams, perhaps the best known spoken-word poet today.
xiii. Text to "Bloodletting," by Saul Williams
xiv. Johnson, Jessica A. “Demeaning women is rap's worst offense.” Editorial in
Columbus Dispatch, March 24, 2007.
xv. Cose, Ellis. "What Will We Learn?" Editorial in Newsweek, April 23, 2007 issue
xvi. (Optional) Bangs, Lester. “Screwing the System with Dick Clark.”
”Psychotic Reactions
and Carburetor Dung, the Work of a Legendary
Critic: Rock ‘N’ Roll as Literature and Literature as Rock ‘N’
Roll,” pp. 135-139.
Week #9: (May 22, 24)
Tu: Playlist: Banging the hips and rapping the hops (or, tuning up the spoken words
on the wheels of your hip-hopcycles)
Th: Our day to be sunny and share Assay... #8.
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Reading, writing, and whatnots for next week (Week ten and finals week of the quarter):
Writing – Due Tuesday of finals Week, June 5 – Assay… #9: What's Your Synthesize?
Or, putting it all together (dedicated to Mr. Weggerman, wherever he may be): An Aesthetic
Supporting Statement and other purdy words. Okay, now that we’ve done all this writing,
reading, and listening to all of this stuff, what do you make of it? What have you learned along
the way in this class? Well, those are some pretty general questions, so let me be a little more
specific. Try to answer the following questions:
1. For you, what makes a great poem? Similarly, for you, what makes a great experience
with a song lyric (or song, I guess, since it’s often hard, as we’ll see, to divorce the experience
of one from the other)?
2. Out of all that we’ve read and listened to during the course of our voyaging together
this quarter, what have you discovered that you truly, really, absolutely, hand-crossed-
over-your-blessed-heart love? Why, do you think (and feel) that’s so?
In the coming up with an answer to these questions, I suspect that you’ll make some
good progress at coming up with a powerful aesthetic supporting statement for yourself
(and you can wear it however you like). Note: As you formulate your response to these
questions, for your evidence, try to make some references (let’s say at least 5) to some
of the reading and listening we’ve been doing this quarter.
Finally, evaluate yourself – your writing your participation in the course. As you look
over all of your assay/essay/ amusing[ings]/ explore-orations/ expectations/ analysis[ter]s
and brothers of the sweet words, as well as all the other work that you’ve done this quarter,
ask yourself the following question: If you were me (I know, horrid thought), what grade
would you give yourself (that is, you as you, not you as me)?
These final assays… are due on Tuesday, June 5. I’m hoping that we’ll be able to have
a little pot-luck party, as we share these final pieces of writing with one another.
Week #10: (May 29, 31)
Tu: Playlist: Sunny and Share spillover: If past classes are any indication, we won't
have a chance for everyone in the class to be sunny and share each Thursday,
so I want to give you a chance to be sunny and share any special assay/ essay...
that you've written that you haven't had a chance to share yet. Doing this will
also give us an opportunity to step back into the quarter, as we review what
we've done and where we've been during our journey on the good steam engine
# 560. If we have time, we'll also start playing with Thursday's playlist, as well.
Th: Try this on for synthesize: So, what have we learned and where have we
been, this quarter?
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Writing, and whatnots for next week (Finals Week):
Writing – Due Thursday, June 7 – Assay… # 9:
Finals Week: (June 5)
Tu: Our final day to be sunny and share, in this case, Assay… # 9.
What a long, strange trip it will be, hopefully, so, before we even get started with our playing, let me say, thanks.