Celebrating Creative, Respectful and Rigorous Education Since 1973

ENGLISH

 

BRITISH LITERATURE VI: “The Horror, The Horror”     

Cary Honig

We have just spent two trimesters watching the Victorians trying to hold their world together by repressing everything in the face of mounting industrialism, materialism, urbanization and doubt that there is a religious (or any) meaning of life.  At the turn of the last century, it all came apart, and the new, shattered world view that emerged is called Modernism.  This sense of the inadequacy of previous explanations and modes of expression is reflected in the reconfigured bodies of Picasso’s paintings, in the atonal music of Stravinsky and in the two revolutions Russia cooked up in 1917 as much as in James Joyce’s chapter of prose composed entirely of newspaper headlines in Ulysses.  With Joyce, the Modernists looked in the mirror and could barely recognize “the shattered visage of gibbosity” that stared back.  We will begin our assessment of this viewpoint by reading perhaps the greatest of all Modernist works (despite its having been written 300 years early), Shakespeare’s King Lear, while reading Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, a tale of colonialism, racism and Modernist despair.   The class will then focus on close readings of Joyce’s Dubliners, a brilliant collection of short stories that tell the story of Ireland, and more generally western civilization, around 1904.  We will read Modernist poetry by Yeats, Hardy, the war poets, Stevie Smith and even T.S. Eliot (although he was born in St. Louis, much to his chagrin) and search for connections between the literature and social, intellectual and artistic trends of this period.   Be prepared to write regular essays that are intellectually challenging and full of evidence and to take notes in class.  Every student will teach at least one poem and one soliloquy to the class.   Punctuality of students and assignments and willingness to voice opinions and ask questions will be vital to learning and earning credit.  See me evaluation week to get a head start on the reading.  Nil sine magno vita labore dedit mortalibus, or, as Lear says, “Nothing will come of nothing.”                (English or History elective credit)

 

AMERICAN LITERATURE                                                            

Siobhan Cute

This trimester we will read works by Latino authors.  Our main text will be The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz.  Diaz, a Dominican American, writes a fictional narrative alongside a concise and colorful history of the Dominican Republic.  The reader learns about the dictatorship of Trujillo and about the forces, physical and supernatural, at work in one of the many complicated relationships between the United States and a Latin American neighbor nation.  We will use the text as a model and as inspiration for investigating both the stories and the histories of other Latin American and Caribbean countries and cultures.  Other authors/countries may include Edwidge Danticat (Haiti), Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Columbia), and Carlos Fuentes (Mexico).

 

EXAMINING BELIEF III: The Search For The Historical Jesus

Cary Honig

This yearlong course will utilize writings and methodologies from the fields of anthropology, psychology, history, art, literature, theology and comparative religion to explore various ideas about religious experience.  Students will be introduced to the basic stories, characters and themes of western religion that are crucial to understanding western history, literature and art.  This trimester will be devoted to applying historical analysis, particularly redaction criticism, to the New Testament and related texts in a search for a consistent vision of the historical Jesus, his context and how Christianity evolved.  We will focus on comparing the four canonical gospels with some that didn’t make the cut and with more controversial evidence like the Pseudo-Clementine texts and historians’ reconstructions of the hypothetical sayings source Q.  Each student will write a research paper applying what we have learned to a major figure of his/her choice in the growth of Christianity.  Knowledge of the gospels is crucial to understanding in the areas of western literature, ethics and art as well in religion, so you don’t have to be religious to benefit.  There will be step-by-step instruction about note cards, parenthetical notes and bibliographies.  Students will be expected to use the periodicals they can access through the school’s subscriptions to JSTOR and The Reader’s Guide in doing their research.  There will be regular reading assignments on which students will have to take notes for homework. Regular attendance, timely completion of work, careful note-taking and willingness to complete work outside of school will be vital to earn credit and tk enter the Kingdom of Heaven.  It is essential that everyone taking this class be prepared to both respect and question all religious viewpoints.               (English or History elective credit)

 

CREATIVE WRITING III: Poetry Extravaganza                            

Lucy McKenna

This trimester, students will have the opportunity to study poetry in greater depth and with the help of visiting poets. The class will participate in a variety of poetry activities supported by the Providence Athenaeum.  The Athenaeum is a private library located on Benefit Street.  Every year, the library awards the Philbrick Prize for Poetry; this year The Athenaeum has invited School One students to participate in a celebration of poetry that culminates with the awarding of the Philbrick and an evening poetry reading.   Before prize night the class will visit the Athenaeum for a tour of the building and collections.  They will meet Marge Piercy, who is a really famous poet and is this year’s Philbrick Prize guest judge.   In class, students will read a lot of Marge Piercy’s work and use it as a spring board from which to create their own poems. After prize night students will participate in a workshop with a visiting poet.  Students enrolled in Poetry Extravaganza should expect to complete many drafts of poems both in class and out.  They must participate in all Athenaeum sponsored events to earn credit. This course is available for English credit only for students who have passed the entire Humanities competency exam before the trimester begins.  Other students may take the class for elective credit.

 

WAR LITERATURE: Vietnam                                                      

Lucy McKenna

This trimester, we will read literature written about or set during the conflict in Vietnam.  So far this year, the literature we have read has been from the perspective of soldiers fighting in war.  This trimester, our literature will present the perspectives of journalists and civilians: people who are affected by war but not necessarily taking part in combat. We will read Michael Herr’s Dispatches (1977), an account of the Vietnam War written by an Esquire magazine reporter.  Simultaneously, we will read Le Ly Hayslip’s When Heaven and Earth Changed Places, a Vietnamese woman’s account of the war in her homeland.  We will also study poetry about the conflict from Yusef Komunyakaa’s Dien Cai Dau. Students will complete reading questions, write and revise four essays and complete grammar sheets weekly.

 

SHORT FICTION

Alejandro Lopez III                                                                            

The next trimester of Short Fiction continues with the theme of “Evil in Literature” as we build further upon our experience of interpreting older works in literature along with the literary theory that is associated with this topic.  For the “longer” work of the class, we will look at Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.  The theoretical component of the course will come from the introduction of Bataille’s Literature and Evil and Edward Said’s Orientalism.  Some of the other works that the class may look at this trimester include Christabel by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, excerpts from Paradise Lost by John Milton, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

 

NEWSPAPER ONE                                                                        

Lucy McKenna

Have you ever wondered if you have what it takes to cover a beat for one of the big dailies?  In this yearlong class, you will learn the ins and outs of reporting and the realities of producing the news.  We will produce Newspaper One on a bi-monthly schedule.  During each two week news-cycle, staff reporters will conduct a staff meeting to determine the content of the upcoming issue; gather information through interviews and research; write one of the following types of stories: a hard news story, a feature story, a movie/music/book/restaurant review or a profile of a community member; copy edit each other’s work; and complete the paper layout – all before deadline!  Our stories will be about or relate directly to the School One community.  The news team will examine media issues as they arise; we'll establish our newsroom code of ethics and regularly examine our responsibilities as reporters. Advanced students can assume more responsibility by acting as assistant editors.  In addition to producing Newspaper One, you should be prepared to read several newspaper articles each week.  Just as in a working newsroom, reporters who turn in three stories past deadline cannot earn credit.

 

SHORT STORIES                                                                          

Lucy McKenna

In this yearlong course, we will explore the lives and experiences of people in some favorite short stories.  This trimester, we will read work by Junot Diaz and Reginald McKnight, among others. We will learn how authors are able to create these little worlds by analyzing the essential elements of the stories.  Please be prepared to complete story sheets and essay format sheets.  We will write and revise three essays and complete a final in-class essay.  Students will complete the grammar sheet weekly and participate in the grammar game. 

 

CURRENT AFFAIRS                                                                        

Siobhan Cute                                                    

What’s a filibuster, and why is it undermining the Democratic majority in the Senate?  What can be done to create jobs for the huge number of unemployed people?   Will Lady Gaga ever wear pants?   How do you research items for school or just because you are interested?  You have a unique opportunity to learn about the latest controversies and issues in the news while improving your English skills. This is a great chance for those of you concerned about the essay, business letter, reading, spelling, dictionary, U.S. history and punctuation sections of the competency exam. Students will work on improving reading comprehension, expanding their vocabulary and refining the writing process. They will also practice grammar through School One’s weekly grammar sheets. Careful, consistent work and good attendance will lead to progress in English skills. This class is by invitation only.