Advanced Writing Class notes January 13, 2011

Dear Scholars,

The WiZiQ class this week failed again to function. The computer crashed before class and the session never started correctly. The recording of the Great Books class worked fine both weeks. We just have to get the bugs out.

We discussed different projects for this semester. Adrian will be putting the literary journal together. Josh and Justin are working on skit writing. Charley will be trying his hand at comic monologues. For some ideas, try searching for stand-comics. Jeff Dunham is very popular.

You were also asked to bring to class any appropriate material that has inspired you and which demonstrates language or ideas that you feel would be of value to the rest of the class: videos, articles, books, films — whatever you find interesting. Be sure to post your thoughts. Please everyone have something to suggest.

Film discussion
We discussed film as an artistic medium and several presented their favorite films. A new section of the online classroom has been created for film and a film discussion forum has been set up. Scenes from Singing in the Rain,(classic song and dance film with Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, and Donald O’Connor) and The Turning point (Ballet film staring Michael Berishnikov) have been posted. Also, the entire culture clash film, Merry Andrew, was available and has been posted. Please post other favorite films in the film discussion forum and please post short reviews explaining why you like them and what we should look for in them.

The listening assignments were: the lecture by Eagleton on The Metaphysics of Terror, and a series of short videos by David Berlinski. If you have time, here is an interesting lecture by a Canadian scholar on how to inspire students about mathematics. Please be sure to listen to these!