Class Tomorrow

Hi everyone. I'm afraid we're not going to be able to have class tomorrow. I am having an emergency tooth extraction. Here is the short version: I never had my wisdom teeth out as a teenager (you may have noticed that I have both a big mouth and a big head, so there was room for them to stay), and now one of them has to come out. It is causing me pain from my jaw all the way up to my eye. The only time they could get me in was tomorrow afternoon. The good news is, I won't gain ten pounds over the break (I'm a sucker for razzleberry pie). The bad news is the same as the good news.

I propose that instead of meeting for class, we have a blog discussion over the break. Here are the requirements for the blog discussion:

1. Read the poems for tomorrow if you have not already done so.
2. As usual, post an original response on the blog (I will post prompts later today).
3. Respond to at least two of your classmates' posts.

I have every confidence in your ability to conduct a meaningful online conversation. One problem with the current blog format (and I'm trying to figure out a way to improve this element) is that many of you are not reading the posts of your classmates. The blog lets me know how you are doing with our reading, but it doesn't always function as an online conversation. I would like for that to change this week.

I am available via email to answer questions about explications, and I will have your critical essays for you when we get back next Tuesday.

Please start reading Much Ado About Nothing. Don't be intimidated by Shakespeare. If it helps, read the "No Fear Shakespeare" that Sparknotes does alongside the original text. Do not read the modernized text in place of the original. That would be grounds for public flogging or at least expulsion from the community of decency. Shakespeare's poetry is glorious, and his language is full of puns and innuendo that you miss in the modernized text. But the modernized text can help if read as a supplement. There are also some good film versions that can help.

Speaking of films, the offer to replace missed blogs by reviewing THE ROAD still stands. It opens this week.

Thank you for understanding. I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving. I am grateful for this class. The conversations are valuable and rewarding to me, and I am learning a lot from you.