Playing Video Games in AP English Literature and Composition – Why?

[This post is part of a broader project I'm calling "Pop Culture Pedagogy" where I write about ways pop culture finds its way into my classroom] Recently, I mentioned attempting to integrate video games in my AP class (along with hip-hop, and movies) in an online forum.  Someone sarcastically compared this to having students read … Continue reading Playing Video Games in AP English Literature and Composition – Why?

The Krabappel – or – What Is “AP Literature and Composition” – A Socratic Dialogue in Two Parts

[This post is part of a broader project I'm calling "Pop Culture Pedagogy" where I write about ways pop culture finds its way into my classroom] Part 1 - What is Literature? Edna Krabappel: Okay class, please turn to page 357 of Tedious Times, where we left off yesterday, analyzing Dryprose’s prophetic critique of education … Continue reading The Krabappel – or – What Is “AP Literature and Composition” – A Socratic Dialogue in Two Parts

Dungeons and Dragons in AP Lit – Part 3 – Day to Day Lessons

[This post is part of a broader project I'm calling "Pop Culture Pedagogy" where I write about ways pop culture finds its way into my classroom] The Adventure - ~3 weeks of class time (5 85-minute blocks) This post and the next will be more nuts and bolts - I’ve previously written about the why, … Continue reading Dungeons and Dragons in AP Lit – Part 3 – Day to Day Lessons

Dungeons and Dragons in AP Lit – Addendum to Part 1 – White Supremacy – What Counts as “Literature”

[This post is part of a broader project I'm calling "Pop Culture Pedagogy" where I write about ways pop culture finds its way into my classroom] “What do D&D, the Odyssey and Hip-Hop Have in Common?” This question may feel strange because your vision of D&D may conjure up some very specific images of a … Continue reading Dungeons and Dragons in AP Lit – Addendum to Part 1 – White Supremacy – What Counts as “Literature”

Ezra Pound Defends James Joyce Against an Early Critic

I'm a fan of polemical writing, whatever the subject-matter.  In fact, my reading of Joyce's letters and biographies has tipped me off to a future project: reading more Ezra Pound, those excerpts which have been included having been so creatively acerbic.  Pound's is a name I've heard here and there but I don't really know that … Continue reading Ezra Pound Defends James Joyce Against an Early Critic

Joyce, Vico, Oral Poetry and the Homeric Question – A Joyce Writing Project

[This is part of a longer series – previous post ("Deeper into the Night") - next post ("Vico on the Origins of Language")] My Master's program culminates in writing a thesis.  I'm writing this post to describe what I'm planning on working on, as much to share as to work out for myself what I'm actually going to … Continue reading Joyce, Vico, Oral Poetry and the Homeric Question – A Joyce Writing Project