What to do for Tuesday, September 7th:

 

  1. Angela’s Ashes: 
    1. Read chapters 1-4.
    2. While reading, mark in your book any passages that you LOVE.
    3. In your journal (or anyplace else), do this writing:

                                                               i.      After each chapter, free-write or free-draw for 5-10 minutes. When you are finished with the whole 4 chapters, free-write for another 10 minutes. In these free writes, don’t summarize the plot; rather, write about your emotional response to the writing.

                                                             ii.      Find one simile in each chapter. Write it down.

                                                            iii.      Find one spot in each chapter where the writing is especially clear, vivid, full of senses, full of details. In other words, find a spot where the writing is so good and specific that you could paint the scene. Copy it down. Then briefly write about what makes this scene work for you.

                                                           iv.      Pay close attention to how McCourt creates character. In your journal, write down one character (a major or minor character) who is very clear and vivid to you. Write down some of the details that are used to create this character. Then free-write for 5 minutes on your response to this character.

 

  1. Other casual writing:
    1. Character: Very very very closely observe two people. You can do this in secret or out in the open. For each of the two, write down your observations in these four categories:

                                                               i.      What does the person look like (including clothes)?

                                                             ii.      What actions, behaviors, gestures does the person do?

                                                            iii.      What things does the person say—especially distinctive things?

                                                           iv.      What things does the person possess—especially those unique things that say something about the person.