tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6543330341390707771.post3313152494728143688..comments2023-11-23T09:51:07.448-05:00Comments on A Literary Odyssey: American Author Search.Alliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18420476898132383974noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6543330341390707771.post-52780348061275959962014-02-05T18:52:00.353-05:002014-02-05T18:52:00.353-05:00As far as more modern literary writers, I would hi...As far as more modern literary writers, I would highly recommend Danzy Senna for this project. Her writing is very focused on characters who are coming of age as multiracial people in America and she does write both novels and short stories. Her novel Caucasia is excellent and, from what I recall, appropriate reading for 10th graders. As far as short stories, there are a few that might work well from her collection called You Are Free: Triptych and You Are Free strike me as the most likely candidates.Karahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16466927945054922099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6543330341390707771.post-68087554179074482172014-02-05T15:20:56.767-05:002014-02-05T15:20:56.767-05:00Ray Bradbury has several short stories, but I don&...Ray Bradbury has several short stories, but I don't know if he would fall into modern, depending on what your parameters were!Library Educatedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11441826320547182219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6543330341390707771.post-16015522213690541092014-02-02T10:22:07.099-05:002014-02-02T10:22:07.099-05:00I was going to suggest the same idea as KindredLik...I was going to suggest the same idea as KindredLikeMe: produce a list of authors and social issues and let the kids decide. You're receiving so many excellent suggestions. Here's a few from me: Sherman Alexie, Margaret Atwood, Sandra Cisneros, Audre Lorde, Eula Biss, and Edwidge Danticat. Have you ever thought about going through past volumes of The Best American Essays or Best American Science Writing? I hope you let us know how the projects go.Vasillyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08463689838763126048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6543330341390707771.post-5127134599202712112014-02-01T13:51:23.447-05:002014-02-01T13:51:23.447-05:00Three suggestions:
1. August Wilson's "P...Three suggestions:<br /><br />1. August Wilson's "Pittsburgh Cycle" of plays on the African American experience in the 20th century.<br />2. "Clybourne Park," Bruce Norris's 2010 Pulitzer Prize sequel to "Raisin in the Sun."<br />3. Tony Kushner's "Caroline, or Change," a play about the author's childhood in civil rights era Louisiana, is dramatic and non-controversial.<br />Hope these suggestions are helpful..<br /><br /><br /><br />is dramatic and non-controversial [his more celebrated "Angels in America" is probably not suitable for your juniors].<br />Hope these M.https://www.blogger.com/profile/11986367136179755609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6543330341390707771.post-91593375895139292252014-01-31T18:16:20.773-05:002014-01-31T18:16:20.773-05:00This looks like an excellent assignment. Sandra Ci...This looks like an excellent assignment. Sandra Cisneros, Benjamin Alire Saenz, Sherman Alexie . . . they all talk about race and hard social issues. Another plus is that they all have (amazing) novels for teens as well as amazing writing for "adults." And one of my biggest things is making book lists relating to specific issues. So if you want other suggestions based on specific issues, let me know.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6543330341390707771.post-71446402946175335312014-01-31T12:54:11.263-05:002014-01-31T12:54:11.263-05:00(A lot of them have essays and some of them have s...(A lot of them have essays and some of them have short stories, but I'm not sure they all have short work... some of them may just be novelists). Roof Beam Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06792884580084363046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6543330341390707771.post-78628591292430326942014-01-31T12:53:07.336-05:002014-01-31T12:53:07.336-05:00Kurt Vonnegut, Don DeLillo, Jonathan Franzen, Toni...Kurt Vonnegut, Don DeLillo, Jonathan Franzen, Toni Morrison, Philip Roth, John Updike, Michael Chabon, Donna Tartt, Paul Auster, David Foster Wallace, Audre LordeRoof Beam Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06792884580084363046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6543330341390707771.post-58440181656888324742014-01-31T09:55:25.835-05:002014-01-31T09:55:25.835-05:00I don't read a lot of short stories, so it'...I don't read a lot of short stories, so it's entirely possible none of these authors will work for you: Tenessee Williams, probably because I loved reading him at school. Not modern, but more modern than Twain. I've heard good things about Phillip Roth, if you want current. When I did contemporary american lit at university it was Auster, DeLilo, Smiley and Silko but the only one of those I liked was 1000 Acres by Smiley. <br /><br />Oh - I liked Toni Morrison too. Did a whole module on her.<br /><br />Is there any reason you couldn't compile a list of authors & issues which go together and then let the students choose which pairing to go for? So you could tell them Twain & Slavery, Morrison & Poverty or whatever. It would mean you might get some students doing the same work/author/issue, I don't know if that would be a problem. <br /><br />As for creative things... Maybe an 'interview' with their author where they have to write the questions and the answers - using quotations from the text? A fake letter to a publishing house from the author explaining why they should publish the work? What a fan letter or hate letter to the author would look like? <br /><br />(If all of that is completely useless, then... uhm... Neil Gaiman writes short stories?) Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17788626802776719414noreply@blogger.com