Readings for next week

Hey all:


Just a reminder that we will read and talk about The Pillowman next week and then move onto questions about stories created by and about graffiti.

Please see the External links page for the readings. The first reading will be an op-ed piece in the New York Times by Errol Morris who wrote (in my opinion) a fascinating analysis of a smile by Lynndie England who was part of the proceedings that happened in Abu Graib. In my opinion, The Pillowman raises many questions about the legality and the usefulness/uselessness of torture. Like everything else, it is a puzzle with no solution--we, the reader, need to figure out if the torture is (ever) justified. In the Morris piece, he does a wonderful reading of a smile and tries to understand if England is actually happy torturing these prisoners or if we cannot even trust our eyes in the photo. Please read/print it out and we will discuss it on Wednesday.

This will be our transition into our analysis of the story of graffiti. In the 21st century, writing is entering the virtual in leaps and bounds and technology is changing the way we write and read literature. But next week, we are going to analyze one of the oldest forms of writing known to mankind--graffiti. But this (illegal) practice has also been updated and the way we read graffiti is no longer just on the walls of our neighborhoods but virtually as well. So, for next week, I would like you to read an article that I am writing for an online journal entitled, “Bombing” Brooklyn: Graffiti, Language and Gentrification." It is a rough piece and still needs a lot of work but I think it is an introduction to graffiti (at least NYC graffiti) and also hits this idea about how graffiti is currently being transformed and used in ways that is very different from the way that it was intended. Please print this out and we will begin our conversations about this piece but hopefully we will get more into your ideas about writing and technology in the classroom.

I am flying tomorrow to Chicago for a conference and I will not be back until Monday. I will probably not have much access to the computer so I will not be updating my blog. But please continue to write and think through the meaning(s) of The Pillowman. Next week, I will also send you some graffiti clips that I want you to watch as well, so please keep looking at my blog for updates.

Good luck and take care!