Eng. IV - Memoir Personal Checklist

Memoir - Developing a Theme

Your memoir is an exploration of an event. Your job is not only to recreate the experience for the reader. You should also be telling the story for a purpose. You should be trying to retell this story as a way to offer insight into the human condition as you have it figured out. This theme could be simple (I may have broken a window in that mudball fight in 3rd grade, but, in retrospect, it was just innocent childhood fun) to more sophisticated (In "Sink or Swim," the narrator cold swim helps her become aware of her own mortality. In "The Chase," Annie Dillard explores the delight of just throwing your self at something without any thought to your own safety.

Anyway...try to convey a life lesson. There are two types of themes:

• Explicit Theme - Near the end of the memoir, you come out and directly state the lesson you have learned from the experience.
• Implicit Theme - You never quite say it clearly, but the action in the story implies, or hints at, deeper meaning

It is more difficult to pull off an implicit theme. See what you can do.

Memoir - "I Don't Know How to Start"

For those of you who are having trouble developing a beginning to your memoir, try one of these four tried and true methods:

1. Start off with a vivid description of the setting (the physical place, not the year, etc.). This can establish a backdrop for the reader, show off your descriptive skill/writing chops, set the mood, or even foreshadow the action (dark & stormy night cliched horror beginning).
2. Start off with you or another character doing something. This gets the reader right into the action.
3. Start off with dialogue. Beginning with conversation makes you get right into the action, reveals info about yourself & other characters/people integral to your memoir.
4. A description of an interesting character. Descriptions of characters who have interesting qualities are another way to hook the reader.

Important: The lead is very important. You want to grab the reader's attention right away and let them know that good writing will follow. Don't bog down the reader by giving all sorts of unnecessary information. Avoid giving details about the year or your age. Avoid introducing oodles of characters (don't ever introduce a character who you will not develop somewhat. You may have to leave people out or combine characters. In a memoir this short, keep it simple). Avoid getting into thematic elements.

AP Lit - One Shot Film Rubric

Here is the rubric I will be using to evaluate your one shot poetry to film.

Donald Murray - Memoir Writing Advice

Donald Murray was a longtime writer for the Boston Globe who passed away last week. He was a master at the craft of memoir. Here is some advice he had for budding memoirists.

AP Lit - One Shot Film Storyboard

I forgot this storyboard today, but I wanted to upload it because it's so darn cute. Use it if you'd like.

From the Dust We Shall Rise

We experienced a temporary server block because of our association with Blogger, but Erie One Boces was kind enough to remove that block.

English IV: Memoir Lesson - Formatting Dialogue

Folks, when you are ready to write your memoir, and you come to a point where dialogue is necessary, look this sheet over. It's a few lines of dialogue that is diagrammed. Read over my notes. Make sure your dialogue is formatted correctly AND sounds authentic. Click to enlarge

Scholarship Opportunities

Hey folks...guidance always sends up scholarship postings, and they are posted in my room. I'll start to post some up here also:

• New York Water Environment Association - Open to students who are looking to enroll in an environmentally related program at a four year college...available to high school seniors in good standing. Deadline 1/19
• Canisius College Studio Art Scholarship - Must be going to attend Canisius and minor in Studio Art...see www.canisius.edu/finearts for more details. Deadline 1/26
• Dexter Byrd Jr. Memorial Scholarship - Dexter was a 2002 graduate of our high school. In his memory is a scholarship for minority students who have displayed "academic ability and social awareness" and who will be attending a college, university, or trade school. Deadline 1/31
• Eugene Hanaka Scholarship - Have a B+ average in 10th & 11th grade and involved in extracurricular activities AND a resident of Riverside/Black Rock or a child of a former resident? This is open to you . Deadline 2/1
• Junior League of Buffalo - Female, outstanding volunteer service & academic performance, well rounded high school experience....go to www.jlbuffalo.org for more info. Deadline 2/2/7
• Erie Community College Foundation Scholarships - Going to ECC? Lots of money available...see guidance for details. Deadline 2/9/7
• Velma Cobb Scholarship - Open to Erie County high school senior females with averages of 90 or higher. Deadline 2/10
• Robert Byrd - Overall average 95 or higher and at least 1875 on your SAT's. Deadline 3/1
• American Legion Auxiliary Scholarship - Open to descendents of veterans of American wars. Judged on financial need, character, Americanism(?), leadership, and scholarship. Deadline 3/1/7
• Dorothea Deitz Memorial Scholarship - Are you a woman who plans on being a physical education teacher? contact Pat Marvin at pmarvin@holland.wnyric.org. Deadline 3/1
  

Eng. IV & AP Lit: Buffalo News Essay Contest

Hey folks...the Buffalo News is having an essay contest. Here's the flier. If anyone is interested, I would be willing to offer extra credit for students interested in composing and submitting an essay. See me if interested. Here's the flier.

Eng IV - Nancie Atwell's Memoir Advice

Nancie Atwell is a rockin teacher from Maine (but originally from Western New York...she's a Buff State grad). She's like the Barry Bonds of English teachers...well...without the steroid allegations and general unfriendliness. Okay, overall, bad simile. Here's some of the advice she gives her 8th grade students, who do some fine writing up there in New England.


Qualities of Memoirs

• The voice is first person singular: I, not we, one, or you.
• The memoirist is the main character, the someone for readers to be with in the story.
• The writer's thoughts and feelings, reactions, and reflections are revealed.
• There's enough context - background information - to understand the events of the story.
• A reader can envision (see) the story.
• A reader can imagine the setting - where and when the event is taking place.
• A reader can imagine the relationships among the characters.
• The dialogue sounds like these people talking, both what they say and how they say it: "Boy, you're gonna be sorry," versus, "You will be sorry."
• There isn't unnecessary information. The writer leaves out what the reader doesn't need to know.
• The lead (introduction) invites the reader into the world of the memory.
• The conclusion is deliberate: it represents a writer's decision about how to leave his or her readers.
• The writer is telling the truth.
• The writer tells details that fit with the memory and the theme.
• The memoir sounds and feels like literature, not reporting.
• A reader learns something about LIFE by reading about a life.
• There is a reason for the memoir. A discovery of some significance in the memory.
• Use similes and metaphors! Use vivid verbs and descriptive adjectives!

- From In the Middle

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Eng IV - Memoir Unit - Materials - Reading Requirements

Here are the materials given out in class that relate to my expectations for your work.

Memoir Assignment Sheet - This is actually the memoir contest sheet, which becomes the de facto assignment sheet for the writing portion of the assignment. Your memoir is due Monday, February 5th (one extra week due to Regents).
Reading Requirements Sheet - Choose the grade you want to earn. Then, fulfill the requirements.
Here's the checklist. Remember, only fill out information in the box of the grade you want to earn.

Here are a few things that will help with your responses.

Story Notes Chart - After reading the story, fill out the Story Notes worksheet. Summarize, respond, jot down a quote, a description, and a new word.

Response ?'s - Having trouble generating a response? Use one of the questions on this sheet for guidelines.

Storyboard Samples - One of your response options is to storyboard a scene or memoir. Here are some possible storyboards you can use.

Eng IV - Video Quilt Filming Day

Today we created the patches of our quilt. If you didn't bring a picture today, bring one Monday and we'll film it during one of my free periods. Here are some pictures from the action:

AP Lit: Homework for Tuesday

I would like you to read chapter 16, "Imagery." Imagery exists in most poems and is obviously useful as a focus for analysis. Make sure you read the explanation AND the poetry. We'll be discussing this in class on Tuesday.

Here are some pics from earlier in the week.

AP Lit: Homework for Friday

Hey chums...for the next few days we are looking at poems and discussing diction (and other things). I need you to speed ahead in the textbook and read chapter 15. It covers connotation vs. denotation. Read the poems and the explanation that go along with them. Make sure you understand the concepts. Taking notes would be a great idea.

Eng IV: Neighborhood Mapping

AP Lit: Assignment: Find a Short Poem

Your job over the next few days is to look through the textbook and find a short poem that you like. We're going to be making short films. This poem should take under thirty seconds to read. If you find a longer poem that you simply must use, then pick an 8-10 line segment.

We'll eventually find/develop images/clips to go along with these poems.

English IV: Memoirs We'll Be Looking at This Week

Here are the works we'll be looking at this week...

Gabriel Garcia Marquez Memoir
Frank McCourt Writing in the 1st Person
Using Sensory Imagery With Alexandra Fuller

- linked from Literary Cavalcade Memoir Tips

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English IV - Memoir Unit Introduction

Hello dudes. We are going to be studying/writing memoirs over the next month. I will post updates, assignment sheets, checklists, and copies of the reading materials on the site so that you can access them outside of the classroom. More to come.