June 17th, 2013

6/17/13

In Class:
Welcome!

 Journal--  Compile a list of your identity roles and characteristics, beginning each sentence with "I am..." (e.g., - I am a son,  - I am a musician,  - I am nerdy.)

          Introduction to Sherman Alexie:

Sherman Alexie is a contemporary American Indian author. He writes poetry, short fiction, novels, slam poetry, stand-up comedy, young adult literature, screenplays, and memoirs, among other things.
                                  Above all, he is a storyteller.
                 Alexie on telling genuine stories -- 14:15 - 16:03
- Born on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Washington state. 
-­ Family life/childhood:
      *Struggled with health issues: hydrocephalus and complications
      *Father was an alcoholic and would often disappear for days on end 
      *Grew up “on the rez” in poverty
      *Transferred to an all-­white high school off the reservation; frequent encounters with racism and bullying— from the white students and from his old rez friends.
-­ Shortly before graduating from Washington State University, Alexie published his first collection of stories and poems.
-­ Arguably the strongest voice in American Indian literature, speaking to themes and experiences that he considers essential to a) being Indian, and b) being human: 
*poverty         *ethnicity/culture          *identity          *despair          *violence          *substance abuse
 
Time's 10 Questions with Sherman Alexie.

Reviewed course syllabus (see separate post), grading structure, and class expectations.

Exit Ticket: Complete this sentence-- "If I do one thing to succeed this block, it will be..."

Homework:
Read and annotate "The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me," a literacy narrative by Alexie.