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Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Future Posting

This doesn't mean I'm posting from the future, ha ha. But as the semester winds down, I need to make sure that I know when I'm going to be posting on which topics. I've been shedding motivation like a snake sheds skin, and I didn't have much of it to start with.

To Read
Loser's Guide to Love and Life
Henry V
Scholarly research
Two other YA adaptations, probably The Wednesday Wars and either Dating Hamlet or Ophelia

To Post

This week
  • Analysis of themes from Midsummer Night's Dream that can be adapted into teen novels (breadth)

Next week
  • Book review of Loser's Guide, with perhaps an additional post on the difference between adaptations and spinoffs comparing Loser's Guide to Ariel
  • Discuss a scholarly article (literary theory, legacy?)
  • Adapt a passage of Henry V in YA-novel style (breadth, creative imitation)

March 27 - April 2
  • Compare a passage in a Shakespeare play to a scene in a YA novel (textual analysis, contextual analysis)
  • Book review of Ophelia or Dating Hamlet (or both!) (depth--I've looked most closely at Hamlet this semester)
  • Something involving digital mediation? SUGGESTIONS PLEASE.

April 3 - 9
  • Book review of The Wednesday Wars, discuss how Shakespeare can apply to the life of today's teens
  • Transcript of interview with my little brother about reading Romeo and Juliet (connecting)
  • Hub post

One of the things I'm really struggling with is gathering in the threads of everything I'm supposed to be doing--in other words, I've been running around like a chicken with my head cut off as I try to remember what the learning outcomes are and what they mean to my practical work. Then, on top of that, I'm trying to say something meaningful about Shakespeare and YA literature adaptations beyond "YA literature exists and there's some Shakespeare in there."

My blog isn't as focused as Max's or as scholarly as Laura's, so I guess I'm feeling self-conscious. The threat of public humiliation if I fail at the task of keeping up this blog makes me anxious rather than pumped up.

How do you think I'm doing, reader? Does this plan look like I'll fulfill class requirements and say something worthwhile or interesting? Is there an aspect of YA lit and Shakespeare that I haven't explored that you would be interested in reading about?

Comments (4)

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I understand your worries completely. It seems to me that you're keeping fairly focused (not something I'm sure about my own blog) and that you still manage to vary your posts and keep things interesting. Perhaps you could try and dig up some research about Shakespeare in YA lit.... but other than that, I don't know. As for digital mediations... perhaps there's some kind of forum about one of these books, or even an on-line book? I don't know. Good luck!
1 reply · active 733 weeks ago
Oooh, good idea with the forum! I'll search around for that. An online community of teens discussing Shakespeare would be pretty much perfect. If I can't find anything else, maybe I can post about e-books.
Jessica, I am having difficulty in finding a thesis as well. I chose a topic I was interested in, but what is my ultimate argument that will divide an audience.
What are some common threads you have seen in your YA literature? How must the story-line change to fit this age group, and do those requirements change over time?
Start asking questions about what makes this genre unique, and hopefully a thesis will spring from your own inquiry.
1 reply · active 733 weeks ago
Thanks, Lindsay! These are good suggestions.

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