Week 1 is done!

You all survived week one. Congrats. You managed to turn in your summer reading assignments, write an in class essay, and begin to think about literature in a different way. I'm so excited about where these classes are headed. As I walked around the room and listened to what you guys had to say about Dune and How To Read Literature Like a Professor, I was very impressed. You guys really have a grasp on both books. I can't wait to see how our Socratic Seminar goes on Tuesday. Remember that the purpose of the seminar is to have a great discussion about both of our books, and a healthy debate over the themes and ideas. The rest of our week will be filled with more work on finding your analytical  voice and getting ready for your first group project of the year over literary criticism. 

Embrace Science Fiction! It's Awesome!

Your second book for your summer reading assignment is Dune by Frank Herbert, and I know that you are sighing and thinking I'm crazy for assigning this novel. You just have to trust me. It's a great novel, and to many lovers of Science Fiction it is the novel that took Science Fiction to the next level.  Did you know that George Lucas was influence by Dune when he was creating Star Wars, and I know that a lot of you love Star Wars (don't deny it). I dare you to Google Dune by Frank Herbert and see what's out there. First thing that pops up is http://www.dunenovels.com/, It's a great site with tons of fun stuff to browse over. There is even an interview with Frank Herbert, and interviews with some of the cast from the Syfy movie adaptation. I'm not going to lie to you, it was not my favorite movie. The version from 1984 (and yes, I know I'm dating myself here) is my favorite. It has Kyle MacLachlan (Desperate Housewives), Virginia Madsen, and Sting in major roles. You can never go wrong with Sting,. You guys should definitely watch one. One word of caution though, they are adaptations. This means that they are not going to follow the novel exactly. I Can't wait to see what you guys think of the novel.