25/26 April 2017

Today students discussed the argument Peter Brooks presents in "Fictions of the Wolfman: Freud and Narrative Understanding," and how that argument about narrative structure illuminates some elements of Wolf in White Van. They then participated in a seminar discussion about Darnielle's novel, considering issues of interpretation in anticipation of the in-class writing that will bring this unit to a close. The in-class essay will take place on Thursday, 27 April and Friday, 28 April.

• A make-up session for the seminar discussion will take place during flex on Thursday, 27 April. Students should come prepared to discuss Brooks' essay and its connections to the novel. 
• The make-up session for the in-class essay will take place after school on Wednesday, 3 May in Room 219, starting at 3:30. The make-up session will last 83 minutes.

21/24 April 2017

Today students reviewed Chapter 10 of Wolf in White Van, mining the chapter for traces that connect with the novel's themes. Then, students worked in small groups, reading selections from the following:

• Robert Howard's "The Thing on the Roof"
• Sigmund Freud's The Unconscious and Civilization and Its Discontents
• "Backmasking" (Wikipedia)
• "Types of Castles" (Wikipedia)
• "Conan the Barbarian" (Wikipedia)

As students read through these selections, they took notes on places where each text illuminates events or ideas in Wolf in White Van. In their small groups, they shared what ideas they pulled from the pieces they worked with, then made connections to specific scenes from the novel.

For next class, students should be prepared to discuss Peter Brooks' "Fictions of the Wolfman: Freud and Narrative Understanding."

19/20 April 2017

Presentations are winding down, and we will very soon return our focus to Wolf in White Van. In preparation for our Socratic Seminar about the novel next week, students will read two short selections from Freud's The Unconscious and Civilization and its Discontents, and Peter Brooks' essay "Fictions of the Wolfman: Freud and Narrative Understanding." Students should read the texts, then make connections between the articles and the ways these texts shed light on the novel, the narrator, and the narrative structure of the book.

10/11 April 2017

This week, students will be making presentations about their senior theses in class. Students should continue reading Wolf in White Van, the discussion of which will continue when presentations come to a conclusion.

Today in class, in addition to presentations, students completed peer review on the first draft of the personal narrative. The final, revised narrative is due on 17/18 April.

Wolf in White Van Reading Schedule

The reading calendars can be found here.

Personal Narrative -- rough draft due 10/11 April

During our reading of Fences, we began working with a range of different narrative prompts. You will choose one of those starts to complete, using the guidelines here to structure your work. First complete draft is due on 10/11 April for peer review in class.

Presentation Guidelines

Thesis presentations begin on the week of April 10; make sure you've signed up for a slot, and make sure you're prepared to present your work on the day you've signed up for. Guidelines for the presentation are here.