I wish all my classes were like this...
So if I haven't said so before, I *love* my popular culture course- I don't know how much use it will be in getting a job, but I'm enjoying the class so I don't care and I'm glad I took it. This week we discussed the "graphic novel"medium including a discussion on the readings, an article in our course book and Blankets. Not a bad work- not the greatest art or story, but I've seen much worse, and I could relate to the "questioning my faith"plot. One of those "you love it or you don't" stories. Last week was the infamous Watchmen- a story I don't care for although the inner comic-geek feels like I should be all over it. I keep forgetting to email Rachael and tell her we've covered it in class, as she raved about it and introduced me to the book back in Korea.In addition, I'm starting to get ideas for the major assignment- a 15+ paper based on a text (movie, comic, book, game, whatever), with the concept of writing as the expert with few outside sources (save the primary text itself). So instead of writing in the usual academic style, that is to write about what everyone else has said on a topic and include your own ideas, to write down your own ideas and provide evidence from the text. Sort of like what some of you may have done as an "Essay" for a particular fandom (Katie, I think I recall you did one on the Disney "Duckverse", correct?). Basically the kind of thing I'd love to write, save usually I can't spare the time or effort. Now though, as its required for a course... I have some ideas, for example I'm considering a look at feminist roles in TaleSpin or Peach vs Zelda. If I come up with something I think some of you might be interested in, I may post excerpts up in the future.... after the paper has been passed in & graded so there's no question of my own academic credibility of course.
Also this week our group gave our in-class presentation for our "storytelling" session, and next week we go out and do it in front of the kiddies. Not bad, but I don't know if we had the same energy some of the other groups had. I also shot myself in the foot by saying the word "promise" in The Tiger, the Man and the Jackel, but not really touching on the moral issue when the tiger broke the promise. *Gack* well, "promise" wasn't part of the story: it was implied in the language when the tiger was begging for a favor and as we're told for (most) stories to focus on events rather than language, it wasn't something I was thinking about at the time. On the good side, the story I did tell from memory for rhythm's sake, The Owl and the Pussy Cat, went without a hitch, so hopefully I recovered points with that. Although I'm not convinced I want to do children's services I do enjoy tales- reading them, hearing them and telling them. Our professor made the point to remind us that storytelling isn't just a part of children's services however, so there may be hope I can find a place for this in my future yet. Now if I could just find some stories for grade two when we do our second presentation in April.
"Family Day" Holiday tomorrow- an Ontario holiday, as I've never had it back in NS, but a day off is a day off. Working bit by bit- I haven't got a lot done this weekend, but few things are due and everything coming up is at its "editing" stage, which works for me. I may get up and get a jump on a ton of stuff tomorrow, or I may snuggle in without a 9:00 am class to wake me. ;-)
Also this week our group gave our in-class presentation for our "storytelling" session, and next week we go out and do it in front of the kiddies. Not bad, but I don't know if we had the same energy some of the other groups had. I also shot myself in the foot by saying the word "promise" in The Tiger, the Man and the Jackel, but not really touching on the moral issue when the tiger broke the promise. *Gack* well, "promise" wasn't part of the story: it was implied in the language when the tiger was begging for a favor and as we're told for (most) stories to focus on events rather than language, it wasn't something I was thinking about at the time. On the good side, the story I did tell from memory for rhythm's sake, The Owl and the Pussy Cat, went without a hitch, so hopefully I recovered points with that. Although I'm not convinced I want to do children's services I do enjoy tales- reading them, hearing them and telling them. Our professor made the point to remind us that storytelling isn't just a part of children's services however, so there may be hope I can find a place for this in my future yet. Now if I could just find some stories for grade two when we do our second presentation in April.
"Family Day" Holiday tomorrow- an Ontario holiday, as I've never had it back in NS, but a day off is a day off. Working bit by bit- I haven't got a lot done this weekend, but few things are due and everything coming up is at its "editing" stage, which works for me. I may get up and get a jump on a ton of stuff tomorrow, or I may snuggle in without a 9:00 am class to wake me. ;-)