Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Your Favorite Band Sucks!!!

Think about the first time you saw your favorite band live.  Was the concert hall packed and sweaty?  Did someone spill their beer on you, or burn you with their cigarette?  Were you deaf for days?

Alternatively, think about the first time you heard your favorite band (not live).  Did you have a sudden moment of enlightenment when they came on the radio?  Were you listening to the cd when you had your first kiss?  Did you steal the record from your dad's collection?

Spend a few minutes jotting down details about ONE of these experiences (whatever you think is most vivid).  Then, tell me a story (in about three paragraphs), using sensual language (I don't mean sexual language, I mean 'involving the senses'--I want to hear the music, smell the beer and cigarettes).

The point is to convince me that your favorite band rocks, not by invoking logic (I don't care how many grammys they won), but by making me wish I were at that show or listening to that cd.

Of course, I'd like to know the name of the band, but other than that, try to keep background info (like the band's bio) to a minimum.

The point of this assignment is to measure your ability to make a point through storytelling, a skill that will be necessary for your first major paper.  Please write your response as a comment.

Good luck!

Monday, August 25, 2008

Syllabus Terms

Write about the term you were assigned.  Remember that we are trying to figure out what these things mean in the context of the class, so one of you sentences might mention what you think it has to do with the class.  Post your sentences as a comment and don't forget to put your name and email address on it.  I'll go first.