Thanks for Coming!

Thank you so much for coming last night! I hope you all had a good time sharing your poems. And PLEASE PUT A LINK IN THE COMMENTS TO YOUR POEM, that way we can all look at the different poems.

And we'll be meeting up again January 23rd. We'll be talking about two short stories, and here's the links:

"Strawberry Spring" by Stephen King

"To Build a Fire" by Jack London

In the beginning of January I'll post a list of short novels that we can read for the February meeting!

Merry Christmas!

Meeting Tomorrow!

Happy Tuesday Everyone!

I hope you are having a good week! And don't forget to come to the bookclub tomorrow. We'll be starting at 6:15! (But don't worry if you're a little bit late.)

And don't forget we'll be talking about poetry! And the poems you picked out!

See you tomorrow!

P.S. And in the spirit of December, here's perhaps the most famous Christmas poem written in English:

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;

"Now, DASHER! now, DANCER! now, PRANCER and VIXEN!
On, COMET! on CUPID! on, DONDER and BLITZEN!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
"HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT!"

For those who like love poems . You can use this for your lessons . You will find lots of activities for language learners  in the following link :

http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/adrian-henri-love-is/1316.html

 

Love Is...

by Adrian Henri

 

 

Love is...

Love is feeling cold in the back of vans

Love is a fanclub with only two fans

Love is walking holding paintstained hands

Love is.

Love is fish and chips on winter nights

Love is blankets full of strange delights

Love is when you don't put out the light

Love is

Love is the presents in Christmas shops

Love is when you're feeling Top of the Pops

Love is what happens when the music stops

Love is

Love is white panties lying all forlorn

Love is pink nightdresses still slightly warm

Love is when you have to leave at dawn

Love is

Love is you and love is me

Love is prison and love is free

Love's what's there when you are away from me

Love is...

Here is one for those who like wine:

A Drinking Song

By William Butler Yeats 1865–1939

Wine comes in at the mouth

And love comes in at the eye;

That’s all we shall know for truth

Before we grow old and die.

I lift the glass to my mouth,

I look at you, and I sigh.

Into the valley of Death rode the six hundred.

Here is one of my favourites:
The Charge Of The Light Brigade

by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Half a league half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred:
'Forward, the Light Brigade!
Charge for the guns' he said:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

'Forward, the Light Brigade!'
Was there a man dismay'd ?
Not tho' the soldier knew
Some one had blunder'd:
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do & die,
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volley'd & thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
Rode the six hundred.

Flash'd all their sabres bare,
Flash'd as they turn'd in air
Sabring the gunners there,
Charging an army while
All the world wonder'd:
Plunged in the battery-smoke
Right thro' the line they broke;
Cossack & Russian
Reel'd from the sabre-stroke,
Shatter'd & sunder'd.
Then they rode back, but not
Not the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
While horse & hero fell,
They that had fought so well
Came thro' the jaws of Death,
Back from the mouth of Hell,
All that was left of them,
Left of six hundred.

When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
All the world wonder'd.
Honour the charge they made!
Honour the Light Brigade,
Noble six hundred!

More Poems and Poets!

Hey Everyone,

Here's some more ideas for poems to read!

Maya Angelou is a famous female African-American poet, her poems use simple and direct language and focus largely on the theme of defiance in the face of continual opposition. "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" and "Still I Rise" are two of her most famous poems.

Matsuo Basho  was a haiku writer in 17th century Japan. Although haiku's are very short poems, they are open to a lot of interpretation in their meaning, and also in their different translations. For example "The Old Pond" has many different English translations.

I thought I would include as well the current poet laureate, which for the United States is Natasha Trethewey. I particularly liked her poem titled "History Lesson," and on the article page of her biography, you can find not only the text of the poems but audio recordings as well.

The poet laureate in the United States holds the position for only one year, while the poet laureate in the UK holds the position for life (or until retirement). The current poet laureate in the UK is Carol Ann Duffy. This page includes a biography along with detailed explanation of some of her poems. And here is the text to many of her poems.

Have a good weekend!

For Next Time!

Hello Everyone! I hope you are having a good week! (And that you subscribed to the blog!)

We met last Wednesday at 6:30 on the 8th of November for the first time this year. And we introduced ourselves and we talked about songs and narration! As promised, here are the links to the songs we talked about:

"Cats in the Cradle" by Harry Chapin

"A Boy Named Sue" by Johnny Cash

"Suzanne" by Leonard Cohen

"The Last Time I saw Richard" by Joni Mitchell

"50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" by Paul Simon

"We are Young" by FUN.

And NEXT TIME, we will be meeting December 5th, at 6:15. And we will be talking about POETRY. Your HOMEWORK is to research 2-3 poems (or 1 really long poem) to share with the group. You should have at least some of the following information:

• A printed copy of the poem
• Author (and a short Biography)
• Title of Poem
• Genre of Poem
• Type of Poem (haiku etc.)
• Plot of Poem (if there is one)
• Description of Characters
• Explanation of important themes/ideas
• Explanation of important vocabulary
• And why you chose the poem!

I can´t wait to see what you picked!
(For inspiration, you can look at the previous post, and I will post more links in the coming days to more poems and poets as well.)

See you in December!

Welcome Back!

Hello Everyone!

I hope you are having a great start to the school year. I just wanted to let everyone know that the bookclub for this school year starts TOMORROW. We will start off talking about songs and music! And then we're going to talk a little bit about poems. After all, songs are a type of poem. Here's some different websites to think about poems:

This website is about Shel Silverstein, an american poet. Although he writes primarily  for children his charming poems are still enjoyed by people of all ages. (And not all of them are for children!) If you like Shel Silverstein, Dr. Suess is also a classic children's poet, well loved by almost all English speakers.

William Carlos Williams, is another famous american poet that writes in a very modern, free verse style. His poem "This is Just to Say" is very short but interesting nonetheless.  Similar poets are Ezra Pound and T.S. Eliot

If you are looking for more classical poetry, Shakespeare's sonnets are excellent to read bit by bit. This website has all of his sonnets, along with his plays!

And I have to include Robert Frost, as he is one of  the most famous poets from my home state, Massachusetts. His poems "The Road Not Taken" and "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" are well-known throughout the United States.

I'll post some more poems in the coming days! See you Soon!

Goodbye Dinner!

 Goodbye dinner at the end of May! Thank you so much everyone!

For Next Time!

Hi Everyone, I just wanted to thank everyone for coming last night. We talked about the graphic novels everyone has been reading, and exchanged more books to read. Next time, we'll be meeting on May 24th and talking about "The Swimmer", a short story by John Cheever. Here's a link for the story available online. And don't forget to check out his biography as well. Finally, if you want to listen to the story as well, there is a podcast as well.

Next meeting.

We will have our next meeting next Wednesday , April 26th. We will talk about the graphic novels we read and decide on the last reading for the present school year.

Persepolis

Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis is an exemplary autobiographical graphic novel, in the tradition of Art Spiegelman's classic Maus. Set in Iran during the Islamic Revolution, it follows the young Satrapi, six-year-old daughter of two committed and well-to-do Marxists. As she grows up, she witnesses first-hand the effects that the revolution and the war with Iraq have on her home, family and school.

Like Maus, the main strength of Persepolis is its ability to make the political personal. Told through the eyes of a child (as reflected in Satrapi's simplistic yet expressive black-and-white artwork), the story shows how young Marjane learns about her family history and how it is entwined with the history of Iran, and watches her liberal parents cope with a fundamentalist regime that gets increasingly rigid as it gains more power. Outspoken and intelligent, Marjane chafes at Iran's increasingly conservative interpretation of Islamic law, especially as she grows into a bright and independent teenager.

Amazon.co.uk Review

Watchmen

Has any comic been as lauded as Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' Watchmen? Possibly only Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns but Watchmen remains the critics' favourite. Why? Because Moore is a better writer, and Watchmen a more complex and dark and literate creation than Miller's fantastic, subversive take on the Batman myth. Moore, renowned for many other of the genre's finest creations (Saga of the Swamp Thing, V for Vendetta, and recently From Hell, with Eddie Campbell) first put out Watchmen in 12 issues for DC in 1986-87. It won a comic award at the time (the 1987 Jack Kirby Comics Industry Awards for Best Writer/Artist combination) and has continued to garner praise since.

Amazon.co.uk Review

The story concerns a group called the Crimebusters and a plot to kill and discredit them. Moore's characterisation is as sophisticated as any novel's. Importantly the costumes do not get in the way of the storytelling, rather they allow Moore to investigate issues of power and control--indeed it was Watchmen, and to a lesser extent Dark Knight, that propelled the comic genre forward, making "adult" comics a reality. The artwork of Gibbons (best known for 2000AD's Rogue Trooper and DC's Green Lantern) is very fine too, echoing Moore's paranoid mood perfectly throughout. Packed with symbolism, some of the overlying themes (arms control, nuclear threat, vigilantes) have dated but the intelligent social and political commentary, the structure of the story itself, its intertextuality (chapters appended with excerpts from other "works" and "studies" on Moore's characters, or with excerpts from another comic book being read by a child within the story), the fine pace of the writing and its humanity mean that Watchmen more than stands up--it retains its crown as the best the genre has yet produced. --Mark Thwaite

Maus

"The story of Vladek Spiegelman and his wife, living and surviving in Hitler's Europe. By addressing the horror of the Holocaust through cartoons, the author captures the everyday reality of fear and is able to explore the guilt, relief and extraordinary sensation of survival - and how the children of survivors are in their own way affected by the trials of their parents. A contemporary classic of immeasurable significance."
Amazon review

Nelson

"Nelson is a collaboration, by which I mean that those involved have produced one long novel, rather than a series of short stories. Davis's idea - and it's a good one - was to ask each of those who agreed to take part (they were rounded up via Twitter) to tell the story of a single day in a different year in the life of the character they would create together: a woman named Nelson, after her father's favourite pub, who was, they decided, born in 1968 (there being more artists than years, a couple have done different days in the same year). The result is much more than an elaborate game of consequences. Davis and Phoenix, as editors, obviously kept a close eye on the narrative. Though the vision and style of each artist is different, the baton is respectfully received, the story consistent and knowing. Yes, you will need to concentrate: the physical appearance of Nelson, her friends and family sometimes changes dramatically from year to year. But her essence remains the same. She is a clever, funny, difficult woman and, as she grows up, the reader worries for her. Will she ever be happy? Will she ever allow herself to be loved? Or will the painful legacy of her lost twin and her absent father - who may, she discovers, have ended up on the streets - finally crush her?"
Amazon review

Habibi

"Set in a fictional country in what seems to be the Middle East, a 6 year old girl called Dodola is sold by her poverty-stricken parents to a calligrapher to be his wife. The man is brutally murdered and the girl is stolen and sold into slavery. She saves an infant boy from certain death by claiming him as her own and then later escaping with him to live on an abandoned ship in the middle of the desert. She names him Habibi. The two of them manage to survive for a few years by Dodola prostituting herself to merchants travelling across the desert in exchange for food. Then one day she is stolen once again and taken to join the harem of the Sultan. Habibi does his best to survive but must take himself to the city in order to survive and from there the story begins, the two of them striving to meet one another again.

To say that the book is beautiful is an understatement and an insult to Craig Thompson; the book is sublime."
Amazon review

April is the cruelest month ...(The Waste Land by TS Eliot)

Our pick for the cruelest month of the year is graphic novel.
Maus and Persepolis for those in a blue mood.
Watchmen and Nelson for adventurers and
Habibi for prudish spinsters.
We still have extra copies of Watchmen, Maus and Habibi in the CFR, so if you feel like reading one of them ,come and take it. We are open every day from 10 to 2 and 5 to 9.

My Fair Lady

Here's some clips from My Fair Lady, the movie that was based on Pygmalion.

This is one of the most iconic scenes:


And here you can see some of the hardwork that came before:

Definitely watch the whole movie if you haven't seen it!

Hope you've bought your books already!
(And I hope you're enjoying the good weather. Maybe the rain will stay mainly in the plains...or where ever it is.)

Reading for March: Pygmalion

Hello Everyone! I just wanted to thank everyone that came last night, and to post some information. As both groups decided, the reading for March will be the play Pygmalion, by George Bernard Shaw. It is in five acts, and is available here, to read online. It's available in a variety of formats, if you just want text, the HTML format is the easiest. If you happen to have some sort of e-reader, there are formats for that as well. The book is also available in English off the amazon.es website (here), where the book is very affordable if you do not want to read on the computer. But I suggest you order it soon, because our next meeting is March 29th the last Thursday of March. See you then! (And check back to the blog soon for information about the different graphic novels we might read in April.)

Short Video of "The Lottery"

Here's a short film based on the short story. Is it how you imagined the story?

Podcast for "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson

Here is the link to a podcast done by the New Yorker Fiction Podcast. A.M. Homes, a contemporary American author, reads the short story aloud and then discusses the story with the editor of the podcast, Deborah Treisman. So if you want to listen to the story!

The Lottery

Our reading for February will be "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson.

"The Lottery” is a classic in modern literature. It was published in the June 26, 1948, issue of The New Yorker and it became the most controversial short story in its history. Soon after the piece was published, angry letters poured in to The New Yorker. Many readers canceled their subscriptions and sent hate mail throughout the summer. And while many of them claimed they didn’t understand the story, the intense reaction indicated they understood it all too well.

“The Lottery” is considered to be the paradigm of a perfectly crafted narrative. While the tale begins on a sunny, summer day, it builds at a ferocious pace, from daydream to nightmare. The writing is tight and compelling, and the story is impossible to forget. As author Jonathon Lethem puts it, “It now resides in the popular imagination as an archetype.”

 Authors including Stephen King, Nigel Kneale, Richard Matheson, and Neil Gaiman all credit Shirley Jackson as a source of inspiration, and for decades, “The Lottery” has been taught in middle schools and high schools across America. As author A.M. Holmes pointed out, the story is introduced to students when they are “just waking up to the oddity of things, and the terror that is in everyday life.”

It is said that “The Lottery” did more in nine pages than most novels do in nine chapters. Here’s how Shirley Jackson outraged a nation with fewer than 3,500 words:

The Lottery

(Taken from the Wikipedia and Book and Literature.)

Human Is?

Philip K. Dick’s Human Is? was the other short story we talked about. Philip K. Dick wrote the famous novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (later filmed as Blade Runner). He creates dark and depressing atmospheres and complex and engaging characters, some of them with a brittle sense of humor. In my view  Human Is? is not the best  story in A Window on the Universe but is the one that clearly examines what being human actually means.

BLADE RUNNER . Tears in the rain.

It’s a Good Life

On the 19th of January we held our monthly meeting at the CFR ,as we usually do. The book we were reading was called A Window on the Universe.
Of all the stories included in A Window on the Universe It’s a Good Life by Jerome Bixby may be the scariest. If you liked the story you´ll be interested in the web comic:

The Weird Web Comic: Episode #7 – Jerome Bixby’s “It’s a Good Life”