For February!

Hello Everyone!

Thanks for coming to the meeting yesterday! For anyone that missed it, we made haiku poems and talked about the short stories. I think "To Build a Fire" was just marginally the favorite story.

We also picked the novel for next time which will be Tuesdays with Morrie. You can buy a digital copy or order a soft cover from Amazon. It's a TRUE story about the relationship between the author, Mitch Albom, and a former professor he had while attending university. And the next meeting will be February 20th at 6:15 pm!

Here's a little blurb about the book from Wikipedia.org:

Albom's breakthrough book came about after a friend of his viewed Morrie Schwartz's interview with Ted Koppel on ABC News Nightline in 1995, in which Schwartz, a sociology professor, spoke about living and dying with a terminal disease, ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease). Albom, who had been close with Schwartz during his college years at Brandeis, felt guilty about not keeping in touch so he reconnected with his former professor, visiting him in suburban Boston and eventually coming every Tuesday for discussions about life and death. Albom, seeking a way to pay for Schwartz's medical bills, sought out a publisher for a book about their visits. Although rejected by numerous publishing houses, the idea was accepted by Doubleday shortly before Schwartz's death, and Albom was able to fulfill his wish to pay off Schwartz's bills.^[11]

The book, Tuesdays with Morrie, was published in 1997, a small volume that chronicled Albom's time spent with his professor. The initial printing was 20,000 copies. Word of mouth grew the book sales slowly and a brief appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" nudged the book onto the New York Times bestseller's list in October 1997. It steadily climbed, reaching the No. 1 position six months later. It remained on the New York Times bestseller list for 205 weeks. One of the top selling memoirs of all time,^[12] Tuesdays With Morrie has sold over 14 million copies and has been translated into 41 languages

Short Novels!

Hi Everyone!

I hope you had a great Christmas vacation! And I hope you have started reading the two short stories we agreed to read at the December meeting.

And as I said in the meeting in December, we'll be reading a short novel for the February meeting. Since we will have to decide on the novel in the January meeting (on the 23rd), please have a look at these links! And even leave a comment with your top choices. (I change the comment settings, so comments should appear immediately.) OR, if you don't like these options, please feel free to suggest a different story. I linked the Amazon UK page for all of these, but some of them are available free online as well.

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
Nonfiction. A journalistic account of a young american man that walked into the Alaskan wilderness and was never seen alive again. There's a movie adaption to watch, and the book references Jack London's Call of the Wild.

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
Nonfiction. The personal account of the relationship between a university student and his dying professor. A very heartfelt book that talks about bigger life themes.

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
An American classic read by almost all students in the United States, tells the story of two friends and their struggle to survive in early 20th century America.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Another American classic, tells the story of a mysterious man living in New York city and his struggle to recapture the past. There's an older movie with Robert Redford, and a new one being released in May!

Animal Farm by George Orwell
A distopia fantasy about a group of animals that take control of a farm. Largely a metaphor about governments, rebellions, structures of society etc etc.

Please have a look at the books online and let me know what you think!

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!