Literature Prep, Genres, Etc

While I will probably not be teaching humanities for a while now, topics related to it still catch my attention. Partially that’s because I was already interested in all those things, which is why I graciously (one might even say graspingly) accepted a second start Humanities class this spring. I’m going to keep posting them here because, if I ever want them again, I’ll know where to find them!

I expect to want them, too; my present chair said he is sure I will be “breaking into” humanities at my new college much more swiftly than they would expect. He’s sure I’ll be in the middle of everything anywhere I go. (Does that mean I’ve been in the middle of everything here? Why, yes, it probably does. )

Jordan Wants to Regain Christian Relics:

A group of 70 or so “books”, each with between five and 15 lead leaves bound by lead rings, was apparently discovered in a remote arid valley in northern Jordan somewhere between 2005 and 2007.
…
“They will really match, and perhaps be more significant than, the Dead Sea Scrolls,” says Mr Saad.

“Maybe it will lead to further interpretation and authenticity checks of the material, but the initial information is very encouraging, and it seems that we are looking at a very important and significant discovery, maybe the most important discovery in the history of archaeology.”

Significant Medieval Treasure Found in Austria:

Austria’s BDA, in charge of national antiquities, said the treasure trove, found in the vicinity of Wiener Neustadt, consists of more than 200 rings, brooches, ornate belt buckles, gold-plated silver dishes and other pieces or fragments, many encrusted with pearls, fossilized coral and other ornaments. It says the objects are about 650 years old and are being evaluated for their provenance and worth.

According to to the BDA, the man was digging to enlarge a small pond in his back garden when he found the buried treasure in 2007 consisting of 153 pieces of jewellery and 75 other precious objects and fragments.

Infanticide Common in the Roman Empire:

Infanticide, the killing of unwanted babies, was common throughout the Roman Empire and other parts of the ancient world, according to a new study.

The study, which has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Archaeological Science, explains that “until recently, (infanticide) was a practice that was widely tolerated in human societies around the world. Prior to modern methods of contraception, it was one of the few ways of limiting family size that was both safe for the mother and effective.”

Based on archaeological finds, the practice appears to have been particularly widespread in the Roman Empire.

Titas Wuz Here is a great article in the Boston Globe about ancient graffiti.

It seems less likely that you’ll recall the anonymous Athenian who, some 1,500 years ago, snuck out in the middle of the night to inform the world that a certain Sydromachos had a backside “as big as a cistern.” Likewise, the fact that someone named Titas was “a lewd fellow” will almost certainly have passed you by.

As for the pictures in the clomping textbooks of old, these would have consisted of grainy busts and urns, not boomerang-shaped penises or disembodied testicles. But times have changed, and there they are, on page 94 of “Ancient Graffiti in Context”: the free-floating genitalia of Hymettos, carved into the rocks there by someone with time on his hands and a loose grasp of human anatomy.

These notes are about things I learned from my students’ presentations over their research papers on modern poets. I want to keep the information somewhere visible and accessible, so that means the blog.

One student had a youtube video of Tony Harrison talking about his poetry. It was very interesting and I wrote “Blog: use to teach creative writing.”

“finding the shape is finding the poem” -> relate to blogging pedagogy on the visual of poetry

Another student presented on Philip Larkin, and specifically on his poem “Church Going.” He said that the church becomes education/higher learning, according to critics. “once I am sure there is nothing going on” and “flowers cut for Sunday, brownish now” seemed to be lines that would be relevant to a class on literature and belief, which I may be teaching in the next few years.

One of the critics said about Larkin’s work “simplicity does not mean simplexity.” I really liked that. It is relevant to a lot of modern poets, like Kay Ryan, a previous US Poet Laureate and a recent Pulitzer Prize winner, who came to speak at my community college just a few weeks ago.

Another student spoke of Paul Muldoon, particularly his poem “Monarch and Milkweed.” Then she showed a video of Muldoon’s band Rackett playing a song on YouTube. Muldoon apparently plays electric guitar. The song was interesting for several reasons.
1. I am intrigued by the fact that they assume everyone will get WWII references: “your mother was in the resistance… the Gestapo asking questions…”
2. “Juliet gave way to Romeo” which I am noting for my class where we do modern Romeo and Juliet references. I may never teach it again, since I am changing colleges, but in a class someday I will be able to bring that back in, possibly in Brit Lit I when I am teaching Shakespeare.

I love it when students introduce me to facts or ideas I didn’t know or missed the first time. These three students all got extra credit points for these. (I always give students two points if I learn something from them, which includes a new vocabulary word. I have learned three in the last ten years.)

Two new and useful posts have been spotted at University of Texas’ rhetoric hub of Blogging Pedagogy.

Crowdsourcing Narrative Techniques: TV Tropes in the Literature Classroom

and

Poetry in Images.

8166 Rhetorics of New Media (Gurley): RC-Rm 18
Jon Stewart’s Rally to Restore Sanity: A Trickster at Work
Rachel Anderson, Grand Valley State University (She is a medievalist doing pop culture. I love it.)

This would have been a live blogging of the session, if I had been able to get an internet connection.

example of tricksterism: Stewart’s Rally to Restore Sanity

reading signs made her laugh:
“My comedy channel: Fox News
My news channel: Comedy Central”

This rally was held at end of October 2010. Stewart is not an overt political activist? Instead, in his rhetoric and its representations of it at the rally, Stewart speaks as trickster.

Anderson uses Just Gaming as a theory base.

The media response was interesting and so was Stewart’s response to the media.

Stewart is a key figure in (political) popular American culture.

2 modes through use of language:
rally attendees signs (collected by The Huffington Post)
Stewart’s speech

Stewart has been getting into “more serious reporting,” such as in October 2004 when he accused Fox of “hackery.”

He is all about the debate and has a willingness to engage his guests in current issues.

Since 2001 Colbert and Stewart promoted Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear. Original responses to the announcement of the rally were positive. WSJ quickly said it was a response to Beck’s rally, which is clearly an example of tricksterism.

Stewart himself evaded giving reasons for creating/holding rally.

What is Stewart doing here?
role as trickster
literary and culture trickster = god, goddess, demi-, Loki (as example)

Loki promised ridiculous payment for Asgard on a crazy schedule. Problem is that the giant was able to finish, with help of his horse.
Loki turned himself into a mare and lured the stallion away. Loki then gave birth to an eight-legged horse.

Anderson could not explore the whole ideology of tricksterism, because that would take too much time, since it is a huge area.

2 major concepts:
ruse = retell story, refocus the narrative to enable the audience to see another angle
game of the just = (reading assignment on topic)

The trickster is a consummate game player. The trickster is always trying to figure out new moves. Trying to invent new games.

Justice = reevaluation of moves in a game

“Absolute injustice would occur if the pragmantics of obligation, that is the possibility of continuing to play the game of the just, were excluded. That was unjust.” (Lyotard and Thebaud, Just Gaming 67)

Justice is not an ideal. It’s a space. It’s a space of negotiation, narrative, game-playing.

Stewart is a self-aware trickster. Most clearly expresses this Nov. 19, 2010 during an interview with Rachel Maddow. Several times referenced ideas of “gaming.” “Politics is a Democrat and Republican game.”
He said there is a bigger difference btw folks with kids and without kids (parents/nonparents) than between Dems and Repubs. (Maybe he’s right, too.) By doing this, the trickster Stewart introduces new angle into the game.

He does acknowledge power of politics. Then he delves into the issue of his rally as a political statement.

Does Daily Show function only as entertainment?
He was asked this question in the interview.

His answer included:
“form of me around” “a comedian… who criticizes [politics]”
“[I have] No ability to really do anything”
“The rally was to deflate the bubble… articulate an intangible feeling… say it’s a real feeling… idealistic but it’s impotent…”
“serve the best purpose that I can” in being sardonic

The interchange indicates Stewart’s understanding as his role as trickster. Maddow appears to be pressuring him into a role. Stewart has the feeling (Anderson thinks) that politics is more than a left-right side and that his job as trickster is to create a place btw political streams that is as wide as possible.

Some who attended or participated did not like (in the rally):
lack of directed action
rally’s message unclear?

Fun stuff:
rhetoric of the signs at the rally
then photographed at the rally
posted on fb and The Huffington Post

Some of the signs:
Somewhat Irritated about Extreme Outrage
What do we want? Respectful Discourse. When do we want it? Now would be agreeable to me, but I am interested in your opinion.
Hey Hitler. Give me back my nuance.
One of us or perhaps both of us may be correct
Real patriots can handle a difference in opinion

pi is all the irrationality I need
People who use hyperbole should be shot
God hates signs.
This is a sign.
The people behind me can’t see.
End Road Work.
Only the jesters dare speak the truth.

All of what Stewart does shows the nature of his role of trickster, by keeping the game going. (What game? I am just a bit confused.) The tricksterism lets them–Stewart and Colbert– play the game of the just.

Stewart recognizes, accepts, and embraces his role as Loki-like trickster.

Questions:
How did you get interested in Stewart?
spend lot of time working with Loki, saw Maddow interview, most self-aware expression of tricksterism that I’ve ever heard… got the transcript… analyzed how he was constructing himself in that way.

Is Glenn Beck a trickster? Beck versus Stewart
Is his rally a space to be a game player?
Relatively self-aware. Created persona.
find him amusing when I watch him as a performance

lacks the sense of irony that Stewart does
Stewart intends his audience to read him as ironic.
Beck has less nuance.

Where Stewart was talking to Maddow and calling her out as partisan. Showcasing the places where he thinks the left closes down the debate. He would do either, but the right tends to give him more material. (Bias is clear. There is plenty to whatever.)
Stewart has not spared Obama in the last year. Extremely cynical to Libya. Does not lampoon them quite as effectively.

Doesn’t go out of his way to be balanced. Takes his material where he finds it.

Beck doesn’t want anyone on the field. Stewart is worried about the stadium. Feel as if Beck is generated by an outside force. Stewart is more authentic.

Stewart has managed to outlast most other figures.

Stewart is now doing Beck imitations. Stewart is all the sudden keeping the presence of Glenn Beck around by doing those imitations.

signer people “The Silent Majority” like the 70s
telling the people in the stadium that they are on the field
really loud folks are shutting down the game

refocusing technique to move around power

notion of the troll
troll v. trickster
troll lacks nuance and just wants to irritate
famous personalities that you would now consider trolls
Is the troll an aspect of the trickster?

Other people did not show up:
NASA and New Media: A Study of NASA’s Emergence into Socializing Networks, YouTube, and Apps
Maria Baugh-Horstman, University of Houston – Clear Lake

Wikimemory
Nathan Kuntz, California State University Fullerton

“On the Cusp of Modern Science: Frankenstein and Prometheus Unbound”
Kelli Gardner Bell, Saint Louis University

This would have been a live blogging of the session, if I had been able to get an internet connection.

This is both an attempted distillation of the ideas from my thesis and a fishing trip, said Ms. Bell.

On the cusp of modern science:
Galileo Galilei apparently dropped rocks from the Tower of Pisa to test gravity.
Later Sir Isaac Newton “discovered” gravity
from “A Victim of Gravity” School House Rock 1978

Saturday Morning Cartoons:
The Saturday morning cartoons of my generation (She’s young.), misrepresent science, but introduces the scientists. The cartoons encourage the Myth of The Dark Ages and show the cultural ways that we present how science was discovered, developed, etc.

When we think about current perceptions of science –essay written in 1943, a view that already existed in early modern (Knox?), we see that we think earlier ages created nothing. However this is incorrect. The people of medieval Europe invented the scientific method, spectacles, clocks, windmills, and developed other things such as better building techniques, water mills, and agriculture (including three-crop rotation). However, we don’t know the names of the people responsible for these advances. Because we cannot name them, we ignore them.

Very interesting but I can’t keep up. Would love to have a copy of her work. I think science and rhetoric is a good topic for me to teach in rhetoric. So I would really like to have more stuff to present. I may ask her to send me a copy.

From Shelly’s novel a plethora of consumer presentations…
Single work of literature can influence our culture in a way that science has not.

The Frankenstein Monster:
iconic film images Boris Karloff in Universal Pictures: 1931, 1935, 1939
Rocky Horror Picture Show

We focused on the creation, not the scientist.
Creation myth for science = Shelly’s book
Creation myth for the Industrial Revolution.
showed visuals of Ind Rev
Philip James de Loutherbourg, 1801, “Coalbrookdale by Night”

creation myth for a scientist, classical education splitting into humanities and science

Our attitudes have not changed with time. We neglect the cumulative nature of knowledge. We think of calendars, astronomy, etc as anomalies while science is modern only. This is not true. Science is definitely an accumulation.

This quote seems particularly apropos to her discussion: “If I have seen further than others,” wrote Sir Isaac Newton, “it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.”

6840 Literature and Science (Roberts): RC-Rm 15

Session Chair: Ian F Roberts

“Martian Picshuas: War of the Worlds and Visuality”
Ian Roberts, Missouri Western State University

“On the Cusp of Modern Science: Frankenstein and Prometheus Unbound” Kelli Gardner Bell, Saint Louis University

“Super Monsters: Comics and the Diseased Body”
Sheri L McCord, Saint Louis University

This would have been a live blogging of the session, if I had been able to get an internet connection.

Perceived Interactivity and Genre: A Genre Analysis of the Facebook Interface
Katie Retzinger, Old Dominion University

This is a live blogging of the session.

Pre-presentation:
Retzinger gave me both the paper copy she had prepared for attendees and a computer version as well, so that yall can enjoy the handout too. I’ve made a jing of the genre analysis of facebook model, as you can see, if you scroll just a bit.

I loved the idea of this topic when I saw it in the schedule and I was a bit disappointed to not have had her ask to present at SCMLA, until I looked at where she is from. Old Dominion is in Virginia, which is a bit out of the SCMLA area.

Presentation:
From dissertation.

FB is the artifact for study.
Interactivity, how does it work?

2007 in Newsweek “in the Ivy League… fb is a key piece of social structure”

Problem trying to address: How is interactivity is defined in the literature?
Problem is the social versus structural interaction.

How people communicate with each other = social interaction
different than an interface where people are engaging with the text itself

metaphors used in interactivity discussion are

can’t always take elements from f2f and apply to textual-interactivity comm.

elements of perceived interactivity: rely on user’s perceptions or what they think are interactivity

Categories:
control
speed or response time
directional comm. ->back to f2f comm., clicking on something or with others or with the work itself

In study used surveys, interviews, genre analysis.

Not an accepted theory for interactivity. Data used to build a theory on HER research, but not generalized or perhaps generalizable.

(This would be an interesting job talk.)

Genre analysis confirmed results from surveys and interviews.

Model used is on the handout. Model based on Askehave & Swales 2001 and Askehave & Nielsen 2005.

What is discourse community?
1. purpose
of fb creators
of fb users
2. goals = completed actions
3. values = what important in the actions

Features within the interface:
1. navigation and hierarchy
2. interaction -> click or not click, drop downs, and perception of use
3. constraints = factors that shaped the study

User purpose:
to keep in touch with friends and families, to make contacts and meet new people
most said to keep in touch with friends and families

FB creators’ purpose, Mission purpose is on fb:
defined later as open media having access to information and helping people stay in touch
having one world
fb transcends national/geographical boundary
free-flow of information
able to share and connect in any medium and any information
“but we still come to work everyday and make decisions we think are best for (users)”

User goals:
check on other folks’ updates
creep (stalking)
comment on pictures
update profile and status
information sharing

Features analyzed:
those that were indicated
like button
comment feature
pictures
profile itself
status updates
and a whole bunch of other things

Features were used to make connections.
“Doesn’t need to communicate … but can make conclusions by what they post”
assumes people come to see what she posted

some features do imitate f2f
talking or chatting wasn’t always chat feature
b/c of app on phone, respond right away, so becomes synchronous on something that was created as asynchronous

favorites:
72% looking at pictures
40% chat

did not like:
17% info on games, etc
privacy set-ups, default settings did not always work
changes to the privacy settings are in flux
provides services users don’t want
felt that the too much information was upsetting, but later was accepted

news articles, esp Newsweek and Time articles, problem of merging of social relationships

emphasize user purpose when looking at how interface is used and understood

distinguish how we are using the terms within the situations, interactive experiences

Question:
surveys first
195 surveys

interviews 2, one of the interviews didn’t use
3 people said they would come, one didn’t show up, but threw friend out because wasn’t rich,
used graphic theory for
memos, journals thoughts, memos progressed to track my thoughts, allowed me to create a rich description
half an hour interview, audio recorded, page recorded,
used cantasia screen recording, taking notes the whole time
able to see things later with the page report
got a ton of information from those two interviews

Purpose:
Want other people to be open, but don’t want to be open with their privacy… She follows trail of other people’s posts, but wanted to keep their stuff private. Mad when the person keeps it quiet.

The Impact of Chivalry in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Morte D’Arthur Victoria Leland, San Antonio College (undergrad)
Carol A. Bernard (so who is this?)

This is a live blogging of the session.

chivalry plays an integral role
heavily influenced by chivalry

effect of chivalry can be seen in Arthurian legends

SG agrees to fight the GK, accepts the challenge to preserve Arthur’s life
= chivalry

MD’A focuses on Sir Lancelot. Opens in two knights plotting to reveal.
SL saves Guinevere from death, but kills two of his allies.
All but 4 of Knights of King Arthur are dead.

When chivalry upheld, the court flourishes.
When chivalry is ignored, the court dissipates.

Chivalry introduction…. very basic, but interesting.
Would be a great presentation at a research fair, but I’m not sure how it works here. What are we talking about?

Reads well. Does a good job. Uses the mic. Knows how to pronounce her words. Has a good cadence. Doesn’t hurry, and thus hurt understanding.

Knights must be loyal and courageous.
Must show respect to adversary.
Otherwise chivalry is weak and meaningless.

Both SG and SL are courageous.
Both make mistakes, by neglecting the code of chivalry.

SG confesses to greed and discourtesy.
everyone agreed to wear the green belts after SG’s return.
The source of SG’s fall, it becomes a sign/banner of chivalry.

Does not become haughty when presented with his vices.

Exposes a deep crack in his character.
MDA SG does not agree to join other knights. He won’t join them. When his brothers are killed, he goes “crazy” for revenge.
Loyalty to the court is replaced by his personal love for his family. Quest for vengeance becomes the driving force behind his character. No longer concerned with the kingdom, but only with himself and wanting SL to pay for his brothers’ death. Danger results in the ruin of Camelot.

SL is the golden boy, poster child of chivalric ideals.

At Lancelot’s death his praises are presented by his brother “never matched, … most courteous… truest friend… truest lover”
No knight could ever match his ability.

his actions in love are still chivalrous, even though his cuckolding of his friend is not chivalric behavior

Lancelot does everything he can to rescue the queen. Her innocence is in question? Really? Her innocence is in question?

Main duty of knight is to protect the royal family.
He must guard her station, even against the kind.
Keeps his word to come to her rescue.
Lot of gray area, SL picks the lesser of two evils.

Killed Sir Gaheris and Sir Ga…, Gawain’s brothers.
They were not enemies. They were friends and allies of SL.
As a result, SG encourages Arthur to go to war against SL.

dark side of SL
“the best knight in the world and Mallory’s paragon of chivalry” … double adversaries… violent urges generally repressed by the chivalric code
quote from an article, can’t remember who wrote it

attacking an unarmed opponent is against chivalric code
SL breaks the code, kills his allies, and sparks the destruction of Camelot.

SG wants revenge and this leads to the destruction of Camelot.

Arthurian legends, many of social issues are relatable or admonish us to take heed of their mistakes. Paragon for chivalry = the court, Arthur

health of a society is fragile and easily destroyed
individual can bring disaster

core foundation of society
integrity
loyalty
courage
…

When one or more of the individuals place themselves above society, the society is damaged and ultimately destroyed.

conservative values here…

The Mysteriously Byronic Allure of Severus Snape
Jennifer Marchisotto, California State University Fullerton

This is a live blogging of the session.

7th book revealed true loyalties of Snape’s life
any doubt that Snape is a hero is routed

Byronic hero long before the final publication

Snape’s development requires audience to remain engaged with the story.

Harry is an unreliable narrator, because he is an 11 (or older) year old boy.

Snape in his dying moments, he gives Harry his memories. Snape loved Harry’s mother and was always following his love for her.

Like Lord Byron:
Arrogance
brusque, looks on himself as best/ others not, treatment of Harry
plays by his own rules
reclusiveness

book on Lord Byron in film and movies

Snape has more than his fair sure of hateful qualities.
Plays by his own rules.
Hides his status of good guy within the series.
Harry’s father tortured Snape and this created problems between them.
Every example of Snape’s “dishonesty and evil” is intended to support Harry and keep him safe.

at the end of the first book, Harry’s unreliableness is shown.
Readers are pre-conditioned to doubt Harry’s interpretation of Snapes.

surface relationship with Snape is hatred
hostile relationship

Harry’s decisions drag him to action.
“Snape looks like the bad guy, but is the real teacher.” Applebaum

without Snape, Harry would never be able to make his own journey and triumph in the end.

Harry and Snape is far more interesting than the relationship is between Harry and Voldemort.

uncertain loyalties and presence in the book, calls into question reader’s understandings

Snapes and James hated each other.
Azkaban provides background for their relationship.
Explains his treatment of Harry.

pre-conditioned to question Harry’s understanding
Harry responds to Snape just as James did.
Snape always protects his students.

Snape’s love for Lily…
Snape’s Worst Memory -> James and Sirius advance on Snape. Struggling. Tortured. James and his friends tortured Snape in front of other students.
Relationship in book 5 is shown (discussed in book 3).
James, the father, is a bully who picks on the less fortunate.
Presumably if Harry is so like his father, Harry should be a bully.
James is defined as courageous and loyal, BUT anytime his actions are shown, he was a bully.

Examine the presentation of James.
He must have redeeming qualities, or was Lily a totally idiotic girl in love with the bad boy?

Love interest for Snape?
Who on earth would want Snape in love with them?
Whoever asked that question… I am slightly stunned that you would ask that.
Knowing the relationship between Snape and Lilly, Rowling was foreshadowing events in the final book AND in developing Snape as a Byronic hero.

fan fiction is a way for readers to critically engage with texts.
“Fan Fiction Online” Angela Thomas article
way of exploring the puzzle…

fan fiction = Snape Byronic hero
Isn’t there a chance that a fan fiction writer will get to where Rowling is going before she gets there?

Books are limited to Harry’s perspective.

Sympathy for Snape becomes central to the character.
On the page, authors have god-like control over their characters. Can’t control how their audiences engage with and participate in the creation/reception of the characters.

Byronic trope… centuries (1820 to 2011 does not equal centuries). This is that magical thinking that my students engage in. Whatever they know is real and everything else must be long ago (thousands of years for WWII for example).

So many adults can see themselves in the children characters… Somebody Black

recommended novels to student going through depression to help heal

optimism

No one would want to be Snape. Don’t identify with him, but they look at him as a Byronic hero such as we do not have in life. Byronic/romantic image

In an online chat after publication…
Q: Snape hero?
A: Not particularly likable, riddled with bitterness, … but yet he loved and showed loyalty to his love and ultimately laid down his life because of it. –JKRowling

dynamic relationship of Harry and Snape.