Bukowski and Robbins: Considering Short Stories, Poems, and Essays (for Your Project)

Some of you have expressed that you'd be interested in writing a short story or a series of poems for your transformation project, but you aren't sure how to go about doing that.  Well, I thought I'd take part of today's class to share some pieces from my #1 favorite writer of all time, Charles Bukowski.  Note: I'm not a English/Literature professor... but I'll sure as hell wear that for a day.  :)

Universal Themes:

• Before we dig into some pieces, I want us to think about universal themes of the human condition.  What are some aspects that many/all humans can identify with?  What about/within life impacts us?  What draws us together and keeps us a part?

Short Stories:

• What makes a short story a... "short story"?  
• Are there any that you've fallen in life with?  Elaborate.

"The Most Beautiful Woman in Town"

• What universal themes were present in TMBWIT?
• How was this short story constructed?  How did Bukowski "build" this thing?  What are its "parts"?
• How would you characterize his style?  
• Compare his style to your style/attitude towards life/writing.

Poetry:

• In your own words, describe what a poem is/isn't.
• Do any poems you've read throughout your life stick out to you?  Do you have a favorite?  Or one that you just can't stand?  Why?

A Few of Bukowski's Poems: "Sandra," "tonight," "the escape," sitting in a sandwich joint," and "some picnic"

• Think about all the reasons why people use personal journals that we've discussed throughout the quarter.  Do any of them seem to be reasons for how/why Bukowski turns to poetry?
  (What I'm trying to get at is: it seems pretty clear that Bukowski used poetry, in part, as an emotional outlet.  What I want to know is: what kinds of emotions, specifically?)
  
• Try to pinpoint a handful of Bukowski's "moves" that you like/dislike.  What's he doing?  Why do you like/dislike it??

Essays:

• In your own words, describe what an essay is/isn't.
• Do any essays you've read throughout your life stick out to you?  Do you have a favorite?  Or one that you just can't stand?  Why?

Tom Robbins's Essays: "The Doors," "The Genius Waitress," "Write About One of Your Favorite Things" (The Letter "Z")

• OK, what do you think about this stuff?  How would you characterize/describe his style?  
• Try to pinpoint a handful of Robbins's "moves" that you like/dislike.  What's he doing?  Why do you like/dislike it??

Step Up Your Feedback Game

Yo, 339rs: I'm seeing some suuuuuper weak responses.  Step up your feedback game.  2 sentences ain't gonna cut it.

Z

Today's Online Class!

OK, 339rs, here's our agenda for today's online class:

• 1. “figuring out today” -- familiarizing yourself with today’s agenda, materials, structure, and timeframes. (9 - 9:10)
• 2. journal qs  (9:10 - 9:15)
• 3. freewriting to Burn After Writing (9:15 - 9:50)
• 4. break/recalibration (9:50 - 10)
• 5. feedback to classmates' proposals (10 - 11:20)
• 6. metacognitive reflection essay.  (11:20 - 11:30)
• 7. co-created peer/reader review worksheet (11:30 - 11:45)

The only materials you'll need are your journal, a writing utensil(s), a computer/laptop/tablet with reliable internet connection, and your brain.  Please stay focused (really, seriously, please!) and stay on the specific task at hand (in other words, don't jump ahead).

Here's a link to the Google Doc where all the fun action is taking place.  (Remember to participate -- and have an "editing" function -- in the Google Doc, you need to be signed into your AUSB account.

Journal Questions:

• Think about your #1 proposal -- the option you're leaning towards.  What do you dig about it?  What are you still shaky on?  Why?
• (Note: this has two purposes.  It should help you think through any "gaps" in your project and help you consider doing more of what you like about it.  Also, remember: all of your journal responses throughout quarter are fodder for your metacognitive reflection essay.)

Rapid-Fire Freewriting to Burn After Writing:

• Do you remember when I told you that I made it rain a couple weeks ago at Barnes and Noble?  The night I bought us those fancy letters to mail people who have inspired you?  (Have you mailed your letter yet?  If not, do so by tomorrow!)  Well, I also stumbled this book called Burn After Writing (Jones, 2015).  It's tailor-made for some personal journaling and it's pretty light-hearted and fun.  I've selected some of the best prompts in the book (below), and I'd like you to respond to them.
• (Why are we doing this?  Two reasons: (1) I'm hoping that some of your responses will capture YOU, right now -- where you're at psychologically/emotionally, the images/sounds surrounding you, and  your hopes/fears at the moment.  Time-capsule stuff.  (2) I'm also hoping that you can generate more ideas/material to work with for your transformation project.
• Take 2 minutes per question!  Whenever possible -- and with time permitting -- complement each of your answers with a "why?"  Just to make sure you don't jump ahead, I'm going to copy/paste each question into today's Google Doc after 2 minutes is up.  (Pretend you can hear that "duck quack" that I use in class.)  :)
• PS: Don't waste any time by copying down the prompts.  If you absolutely/positively need something there, consider jotting down the word (or 2) that I've put in bold for each one.

• The book that has had the greatest influence on my life... (p. 12) 
• The most dramatic fork in my life... (p. 13)
• The [3] best times I've ever had in my life... (p. 15)
• My life story in 3 sentences... (p. 19)
• Baggage I am carrying... (p. 19)
• The last 3 years of my life described in 3 words... (p. 28)
• The one relationship I would like to fix... (p. 40)
• The thing that I am working on that is BIG... (p. 45)
• My personality in 6 words... (p. 45)
• 5 things I want in my life... (p. 47)
• My last... film, book, concert, time I cried, song I listened to, time I was scared, time I danced, time I was angry, time I laughed, time I was drunk... (p 54).  Note: in addition to pinpointing the moment/title/etc, try to find the approximate date too, i.e., March 2015.
• 1 word: my... job, partner, body, love life, sanctuary, fear, addiction, passion, kryptonite, regret, turn-on, turn-off, hero, future, fantasy, Achille's heel, guilt, greatest virtue, vice... (pp. 58-59)
• The advice that has shaped me the most... (p. 67)
• I am sick to death of hearing about... (p. 74)
• 3 things I need to let go of... (p. 94)
• The ~5 songs [have been] the soundtrack to my life [this summer]... (p. 110)

Transformation Project Feedback:

• OK, now I’d like you to hop on my blog to access your classmates’ blogs.  Take 7 minutes to read and respond to each classmate’s proposal.  (Yes, everybody’s.)  I personally think the most valuable feedback you can provide someone is asking them (tough) questions to get them thinking more deeply about the task at hand.  Also, you have my permission to offer people suggestions and/or alternative ideas if you think you’ve got good ones.  :)
• Remember: to comment on other people’s posts, you need to be signed in to your AUSB email account.  Also, I strongly suggest typing your responses on an MS Word doc because sometimes when you’re done writing a response (to someone’s blog post) and click “Publish” it craps out. So again: type up your responses in MS Word and then when you’re done, copy/paste it over.

Metacognitive Reflection:

• Here's the link.  Cha cha cha check it out!  Any questions?

Co-Created Peer'n'Reader Review Guide/Worksheet for Next Week:

• OK, so I want us to (together!) brainstorm questions that we can ask each other for a Peer/Reader Review-style worksheet for Week 9 -- questions that can guide our feedback to one another.

My Journal Transformation Proposal

Idea #1: "Teaching Principles and Practices"

I use my journal, in part, to document teaching ideas (including lesson plan-y ideas for our 339 course -- see the attached pic, below!).  

To me, as someone who prides himself on being a "real" teacher (compared to, say, someone who has the professional title "instructor" on a default level) it's super-important to be reflective -- to think about what I do, what I value, why I value what I do, how I can make improvements, etc.  

Since my personal identity is wrapped up in my professional identity (ie, all this "teacher stuff") I've used my journal to document and, hopefully, better understand my personal teaching values -- core, to-the-bone, don't-ever-forget-this-about-the-crazy-world-of-education aspects.  To some extent, I've done this sporadically over the past 6+ years as a teacher, but never in a systematic, it's-all-here fashion.  (And it's still not "all here" -- I've just tried to consciously collect any nuggets o'wisdom that have entered my brain over the past 2 months.)  I don't think I'm ready to do this yet, but one idea I have is to create a water-tight "THESE are my teaching principles" document.  I've crafted a formal "Teaching Philosophy Statement " -- it's own unique genre, specific to teacher-applicants -- but it's not quite the same.  So that's one idea.  Principles are h-u-g-e, and taking stock of your principles is essential, I believe, for any aspect of life.

Idea #2: "Theme Time Radio Hour" (TTRH)

One of my all-time favorite things in life is/was "Theme Time Radio Hour" with Bob Dylan.  From 2004 - 2009 (or something like that), Bob Dylan played the role of DJ/pop-culture-curator/historian and narrated an hour-long set revolving around one specific theme.  Some themes he's done in the past are: California, Birds, Fruit, War, Something, Questions... the list goes on and on -- I think he's got upwards of 30 episodes, and they're all A++++++ fantastic.  They accompanied me during 3 solo coast-to-coast roadtrips to/from Philly, so these podcasts/sets don't just appeal to me on a musical-appreciation level, but a personal life-story level too.  It kept my company during a major turning point in my life.

So ever since I first heard his awesome TTRH podcasts, I've thought: goddamn, I want to do some of these by myself sooooo bad -- if it's done well, it'll be a journey into metaphors/associations, transitions, historical tidbits, and rock'n'roll coolness.  I finally tried out a miniaturized version last ~November with my girlfriend, and it was super-cool.  Now, I want to make a full-length one.  

Some of the themes I'm thinking about messing with are: LA Anthems, Booze'n;'Music, "Last Stand" Songs, Desert, Gospel, Heart, and Jesus.  Depending on the specific theme, I've got anywhere from 5 potential songs to 20.  What's helped up to this point is bringing my journal around with me as often as possible -- I'll often extend some "TTRH brainstorming" to my friends (all 4 of them) every time we hang out: yo, if I did a TTRH on ______, what songs/tidbits could I include?

As far as how I'm going to do this, well here are my plans.  One of my best buddies, "Snarky," is into this idea 100%; he and I are going to co-host/curate a TTRH set.  We've thought through different approaches, and we're hoping to experiment with different approaches to find out which one(s) is the best for us.  Our ideas are:

• traditional TTRH: conduct some background research/prep.  Pick out 5 songs a piece.  Work through the transitions between songs/segments ahead of time.
  
• free-wheeling: on-the-spot haggling, free associations, surprise
  
• settling a questions: best Beatles album?
  
• digesting and deconstructing an album: picking Sgt. Pepper's, for example, and then listening to it one song at a time, with some debriefing and commentary in between numbers.

These are my thoughts for the moment.  More to come later!

Happiness and Gratitude

Randy Pausch's Last Lecture

Journal questions:

• Happiness:
  
• What makes you happy?  (Name ~10 things.)  
• Why?
• Make a list of 10 "happy to do's" to accomplish by September (or by Labor Day).  Get specific.  Who are you doing this with/for?  When?  How long's it going to last?  Make a plan.

• Gratitude:
  
• Who's an old, good friend you've lost touch with in recent time?  What happened?  How long's is "long"/"a while" to you?
• Reach out to an old friend -- someone you haven't directly communicated with (call, text, IM, etc) -- in a long time.  (In too long.)  I'll see you in 15 minutes.  :)
  
• Name 5 people who've had a major influence and/or who you're supremely grateful for in your life.  What did they do? specifically, that's made you remember them?   Note: I'd like you to choose people who are still living and who aren't family or (super-close) friends.  
• I'd like to go around and find out their role/relationship to you.  Let's take a look at who we picked.

Before we get to thinking through our transformation project, let's take a look at Anne Lamott's "Shitty First Draft" piece.

Next week, your journal transformation project proposal is due.  Here are some questions that I'd like you to think through:

• What are you thinking about creating/doing?  Try to think of 3 possibilities.  I'm looking for ~500 words
• Why have you settled on those ideas?  What's interesting/important about them to you?
• Which option are you learning towards?  (And why that instead of the others?)
• How will you go about creating/doing this?  What steps will you take?

Some questions you might have:

• What's "enough"?  How long does this need to be, and/or, how much time should I expect to spend on it?
• What's the public/private nature of this?  Who will see it?  

For next week:

• Comment on 2-3 proposals via the blog.  Bring in a printed copy to class.  (We'll do a timed round robin-type deal -- i.e., take 5 min, read/comment, ask questions, give feedback, then pass it along...)

Ethnography and Participant-Observation

This week's theme is research, and specifically, ethnography and participant-observation as methodological tools (and, some might argue, ways of being and knowing!).

Here's the list of today's questions to get us thinking about the relationship between journals/journaling, research, and you:

• What is "research"?  What forms of research are you most familiar with?  Which do you find yourself privileging the most/least, and why?
• What is "culture"?  Describe it.  Identify a few cultures and explain what makes them a culture.
• What cultures are you a member of?  What makes that culture that culture?
• Why might someone (like a researcher) choose to use a journal over a laptop when studying a culture(s)?
• Human subjects and research:

• UCSB Human Subjects Info  
• Human Subjects Training Module

Ellen Isaacs at TEDxBroadway

_______________________

Relating back to learning and "the self":

• How can a journal be used as a self-regulated learning tool?  What can you learn?  (Think: what have you learned through yours?)
• After 4-5 weeks of doing this, what do you think of your own personal journal thus far?  What do you think you're doing particularly well?
• Where do you seem room for improvement?  How would you like to step up your "journal game" for the second half of the course?
• Fill in the blank.  "Y'know what?  If I bring my journal everywhere with me, I could get some journaling done while/instead of __________________."
• ie, waiting for a friend at the bar!
• What are some potential ideas you're flirting with for your "journal transformation project"?  

Looking ahead to next week, re: gratitude and happiness:

• Who/what are you grateful for?  Why?  In what way(s) has this person/thing made you happy?