1st Semester Independent Reading

We've talked about the classics, the canon, your summer reading books, Nabokov, and Calvino.  Now it's time to choose another independent reading book that fits into that "great literature" category that you can practice your critical reading and analysis skills on.

This quarter we'll be reading and discussing poetry in class.  Next quarter we'll work with short stories and get to some short novels right before Christmas.  Between our short story unit and our short novels, we'll have some time for you to present a verbal analysis of your independent reading book.  It will ask for all of the same things you're currently working on in writing (theme, aspect of the book to analyze, structure and evidence to support your interpretation) but you won't have to write it.

More details will come later, but for now, here's what you need to know and do:

• Pick a book you're interested in reading--it should be British if you didn't read a British author for your summer reading
• Find a copy and begin reading it
• Keep a reading journal, perhaps structured like your summer RJ, to make note of important details to remember, significant quotes that may be good evidence later, or to collect your thoughts on various aspects of the book and the author's overall point.

I have managed to work in 6 independent reading days in class between now and the middle of November.  The first one will be Sept. 28 so make sure you have your book with you that day to make best use of your class time.