Finally

So this semester of reading has been an interesting one to say the least. I am definitely not an avid reader by any means but I read when I can/ feel like it. My reading habits have not changed too much over the course of this semester. I've been reading books that are based on activities I'm interested in such as music, dance, and Show Choir. I typically find myself reading most on my bed or in the John. I struggle focusing on what I'm reading when there's a lot going on around me so I MUST read while listening to my iPod! Although I have struggled keeping up with my blogging about what I read, I have gotten something from my reading. My favorite reading from this semester would hands down be "Swear, Tears, and Jazz Hands," which I'm still reading. It is a complete and total history of Show Choir, from Vaudville to GLEE. So being that my reading habits have not changed much at all, I must sadly admit I don't think I will read nearly as much anymore. I just don't have much free time to sit down and read and I find it very difficult to get interesed and inticed in a book. Although reading is not my favorite thing ever, I have enjoyed this semester's reading, but not so much the blogging. Sorry Hill, It's just not my thing. So Goodbye fellow bloggers!! Its been a fun one!

-RocketGuild Out

Currently

Books being read:
"Sweat Tears and Jazz Hands"
-Mike Weaver and Collen Hart


Pages Read-175

Sentences  of the week:

-"Show Choir gave me a foundation, and leadership skills that helped me in my career."
   -Sweat Tears and Jazz Hands

-"All you GLEEKS can trace your GLEEK heritage back to some of the greats such as Bob Fosse!"
  -Sweat Tears and Jazz Hands

-"Show choirs of today have adopted the orignal vaudeville show idea, with a little refinement of course."


Notice all my sentences this week come from one book. "Sweat Tears and Jazz Hands" is a complete history of show choir, how it originated, and how it got to where it is today! For anyone that has been in show choir, or any type of choir, this is a must read! It's a great book. A neat fact-the book has two authors, Mike Weaver and Collen Hart, and Mike Weaver happens to Homestead High School's advanced show choir's choreographer!  

Practice Analysis

J. D. Salinger's vulgar and graty language in his novel, Catcher in the Rye conveys a simple commonpalce comfort. Salinger's basic and louse expression of mood dislpays his simpicity in writing making a stronger connection to the hio pollio. Freely, Salinger includes vernacular ,such as "all of that David Coppefield crap," that expresses his disregard to standard perameters and formality of classical writing.

Close-reading Bingo

1. (error 1 and 4) The only history the narrator seems to inform the reader about is "madman stuff" that happened to him before he becomes "pretty run-down."
http://budinthegarden.blogspot.com/

2. (error 3) Also, the narrator’s repetition of slang suggests that he is uneducated or unconcerned with perfecting his speech.
http://estella-havisham.blogspot.com/2011/10/practice-diction-analysis.html

3. (error 6)  The language that used is not over sophisticated, yet it is neither vulgar nor blunt.
http://bookworm-days.blogspot.com/2011/10/close-reading-diction.html

4. (error 8) There is a chattiness about the writing with words like "black Penguin paperback" and "integral signs swooping upward between two floors".
http://morgan-happygolucky.blogspot.com/2011/10/mezzanine-claim.html

Best paragraph I came across today:

J.D. Salinger masters the voice of his protagonist, Holden Caulfield, in the first page of his novel Catcher in the Rye, using direct, colloquial, and bluntly offensive diction. Holden starts by saying that while he knows the reader would like to know about his background, he is not going to provide any information on his origins. His gruff, devil-may-care attitude exudes from the page, as he says he can’t be bothered with “all that David Copperfield kind of crap.” Holden’s trademark sense of superiority reverberates within the passage. While Holden’s language is neither profound nor particularly beautiful, it is representative of how a disenchanted teenager speaks. Holden complains that he won’t give his “whole goddam autobiography” and that his prother is far away from “this crummy place.” He has no objection to cursing, a sign of rebellion against the norm through language. Salinger breathes life into Holden by rambling and cussing, providing literature’s favorite teenage antihero with an identifiably meandering and rude voice.

http://academiczengerine.blogspot.com/

 

Currently

Books I'm reading

-Uncle Johns Best Bathroom readings

-West Side Story(Novelized)


Style Mapping:

Bill963- "In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, she uses Elevated and sophisticated style of diction. For example, when she writes “Accompanied the commencement of an enterprise which you have regarded with such evil forebodings” it shows her high diction"

TheNewZealander-"A few adjectives could be categorized as elevated language, but as a whole, the passage falls in the middle of the gamut. Some predictable repetition of words occurs, creating neither a harsh, coarse sound, nor a melodious one."

Case 1-"In Cormac McCarthy's excerpt from "Blood Meridian" he writes in a picturesque, metaphoric connotative language."

Peanut Butter without the jelly-"Leaning towards the denotative side, Anna uses her orante style to pull this story together."

The TRUTH-"Kamler has a figurative, metaphoric, and connotative language when describing the areas he's traveled to and the way he explains how he managed to stay alive in the most hazardous situations."

The award for best setence goes to Case 1. Although short, Case 1 includes many good vocab words and decribes a passage quite well. Language used such as picturesque and connatative gave the reader a good sense of what was being described. All of these setences are strong though. Good work class!


-RocketGuild OUT

Style Mapping

A passage from "Stardust" by Neil Gaiman in short can be described as dry. The passage is very denotative, straight forward and elevated. The author simply describes the setting of a town called Wall. The diction is fragile and overlaps a light use of figuratuve language. The passage includes mildy sweet language such as "granite amidtst a small forest woodland." In contrast a passage from the novel "West Side Story" by Arthur Laurents is much more relaxed and vulgar. The diction used is middle diction, not very denotative or connatative. The passage has very common language such as "stink bomb" and "bodega." The sound of the passage is plain yet plays with a sense of excitement.

Quarterly

So this quarter....it's been alright. My reading habits really haven't changed much at all. I'm still struggling to find time to just read. Between homework, show choir, musicals, and other commitments I can't find time to read much, let alone have time to blog about it. Anyhow, I've been reading pretty much all pop fiction. I've enjoyed some of my reading but not much. I guess reading just isn't my thing . I don't loathe reading but I don't  love it either. For the rest of the semester...well I don't know what the best plan would be. Obviously I wish i had more time to read and blog. So yeah, reading and blogging more often will be mty number one goal for the rest of the semester.