Notes on Today's Class

On Wednesday, first we played a game. Some call it "Bob the Weasel." I laughed when I heard a student say they had last played it in pre-school...

The silly games we play offset and balance out all the sitting and reading and writing we do. It also allows us to have fun with a group. This particular game we played is curiously related to the writing process, only in that it has to do with deception, and ultimately, revealing the truth...

After we played our little game, we sat down and read. We read a happy little essay by Joan Didion, entitled "Girl of the Golden West," about the infamous Patti Hearst. What an uplifting little tale.

I took a risk with this essay. It's quite long, involved, and written in a sophisticated way. Still, I think it gives students a good idea of a well-written, powerful essay. My objective was to show them that good essay writing is not dull and academic, and I think we achieved that...(we'll practice our own writing on Friday...)

There's a terrific interview with Joan Didion here.