Burke - Second Half

Please post your questions for the second half of Burke below.

Please post your comments about the first half of this book below. Consider examining both the characters and plot lines and what they tell us about southern identity and history.

The Final Paper (or Papers)

For your final, you will do one of two things:

Option 1: Write two three-page papers, one analyzing James Lee Burke's Jolie Blon's Bounce and a second analyzing the film Sling Blade in the context of our other materials on southern identity.

Option 2: Write one five page paper comparing Jolie Blon's Bounce and Sling Blade in the context of southern identity.

These papers will be due the day of our scheduled final exam. To wit, Tuesday May 5. They are due by 5:00 PM, and may be submitted electronically via Google Documents or paper format in my drop box on the door of Bishop 315

Some people call it a Kaiser Blade...

Please post your Sling Blade comments below

No South?

In this last chapter that we will read of Cobb, we will consider whether or not the South remains today a distinctive place. I have also added to Blackboard a copy of a paper that I presented on the crime fiction of James Lee Burke. If you would please read it so that we might discuss.

The South of Guilt and Shame?

As we move into this last section of class, we will be using the Wallace video, lecture podcasts, and Cobb's Away Down South to help us analyze contemporary popular culture about the South. To wit, you will write an essay examining some aspect of James Lee Burke's Jolie Blon's Bounce and the movie Sling Blade. Both engage many of the themes found in southern history and explore dimensions of southern identity.

Use this post for your discussion questions for the Cobb chapter that we will discuss on Thursday.

Writing tips

Here is a copy of Dr. Ownby's writing tips. They are good rules to follow.

By the way...

In case any of you are interested in what your instructor writes in his "free time," you can check out my food blog:

http://nystromtable.blogspot.com

Enjoy!

Settin' the Woods on Fire

You will be able to find a copy of the DVD for the George Wallace documentary, Settin' the Woods on Fire, in the hopper on my door after 2:00 PM today. The only problem is that I only have 26 copies of the DVD. This means that we are about 10 copies short and some of you will have to share. If you know that you might watch it with a friend in the class, then please only take one for the both (or several) of you.

You will find a great deal of additional information at PBS's companion web site, including a full transcript.

Use this blog post for your comments.

Nonviolence Triumphant?

Robert F. Williams lived to old age. Martin Luther King died of a gunshot wound in 1968. One advocated self defense, the other, nonviolence. These themes I discussed with one of your peers after class on Tuesday. Let's continue that conversation and more. Please post your discussion question below.