1. To those of you who expressed interest in the Sophie's Choice book club (are you all reading?), I have to admit that I haven't started the book yet. The truth is, all of my books are in storage right now and so I finally went over to Barnes and Noble tonight and bought a new copy of the book. I have it now and I'm starting it before I go to bed tonight, I'm excited. (Seriously, though, is everyone else reading it???) (I've heard from a few of you who are, but I just wanted to cattleprod the others of you who said you wanted to but haven't started yet: let's all start reading!)
2. I cannot get over how great Dexter is. If you're not watching Dexter, then you can't really start now--there are only two episodes left and so much has happened that you'd be missing out on all of the gut-wrenching intricacies--so you should wait until it comes out on DVD, or until Showtime reruns the series. Last week I blogged about how great Michael C. Hall is, but now I want to say how much I love Jennifer Carpenter as Dexter's sister Deb. She is so freaking great.
3. Speaking of Jennifers I Love, I miss Jennifer Grey's nose.
4. I'm teaching a couple of beginning playwriting workshops at my alma mater high school this week. My old drama teacher is thrilled to have me teaching her current crop of kids. It should be fun. I've taught a few playwriting workshops before, but its been a while and I want to do some new exercises with these kids, so if any writers out there have any writing suggestion exercises, I'd appreciate it.
5. Speaking of my alma mater, I never wrote about my 10-year Reunion. It was totally surreal, but I had a good time. If anyone's had a sex change, they didn't come to the reunion--hopefully they'll come to the 20, because every 20th reunion is supposed to have at least one person who's been through a sex change, otherwise it isn't really a 20th reunion, right? I don't really have anything juicy to report back about my reunion, other than the fact that I'm glad I spent an hour before the reunion going over pictures in my year book (basically taking a refresher course so I'd be able to match faces to names and vice versa) because it definitely helped.
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8 comments:
I would like to read Sophie's Choice with you, but I only have 2 weeks of school left including finals, so I have NO time to even breathe!
As for Dexter, until you wrote about it, I had never even heard of it. Wonder if it is available On Demand like most of their series?
I didn't go to any of my high school reunions. #20 was last year, but I just had no enthusiasm to go see people that tortured me 20 years ago.
Am I supposed to be cattle prodded if I never agreed to read Sophie's Choice in the first place? Please clarify.
Writing exercise:
Have your kids write about going to their 10 and 20 year high school reunion.
Make them write it from the perspective of someone who they aren't... like someone who they don't know, or the one person who had a sex change or something.
I know that's not really what you're talking about, but it would be fun to do now. Maybe not so much when you're still in high school.
I am on page 500. But I haven't been stopping at regular intervals to discuss on the site. I read a bunch over thanksgiving - and that was a no internet zone.
xo
lindsay
oops. will pick it up this week! xoxo
have everyone write down titles and/or first lines on pieces of paper. then have each student take a piece of paper and write that scene.
Do the one where you make them write down how much they will owe Sallie Mae in comparison to how much money they will make as a working playwright, it's loads of laughs.
I miss her nose, too. :(
I finished chapter 4 over the weekend, but haven't had a chance to comment on it yet. It was a bit of a slog...lots of exposition!
Using evocative music can be a lot of fun, and kids seem to like it. I collect a handful of really varied tracks -- hip-hop to classical, etc. -- and tell them to freewrite for a few minutes each, making them stop and switch, etc. Can be time-consuming, but I've had fun with it. A good lesson in establishing mood, drawing on inspiration, etc.
I have more exercises; I'll try to email when I get a chance.
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