by Mr. Quale on January 31, 2010
. . . If you do, you start missing everybody.
A few of the best Salinger pieces I’ve read so far:
Dave Eggers writes for The New Yorker and considers what Salinger has been doing for the last half-century, and how this mystery gets to “the heart of writing iteself . . . given that the nature of written communication is social.”
Frank Portman writes for The Huffington Post about “The Catcher Cult” and his curious relationship with the novel that he uses in his first, wildly successful young adult fictional tale, King Dork. In it, the protagonist is Tom Henderson, a high school student who passionately despises all things Catcher-related. Here, Portman describes his Holden’s iconography and his approach to the novel:
Holden Caulfield, the icon, hovers over anything you write about teenagers whether your text specifically acknowledges it or not. My approach was to acknowledge the hell out of it and to play around with the well-established convention that everyone’s angsty, smart-ass teen narrator try as hard as he can to be mistaken for him. But I’m not some kind of anti-Salinger activist. I was just trying to be funny, honest.
David Lodge, author of The Art of Fiction (which includes a chapter examining Salinger’s use of “Teenage Skaz”), writes an Op-Ed contribution for The New York Times where he describes Salinger as a “Pre-Postmodernist” whose fiction was “was arguably the first truly original voice in American prose fiction after the generation of Hemingway, Fitzgerald and Faulkner.”
And The Onion published this piece on his passing, where they report on how a “Bunch Of Phonies Mourn J.D. Salinger.”
by Mr. Quale on January 29, 2010
by Mr. Quale on January 27, 2010
In Part One of this slightly strange documentary, Kurt Vonnegut talks about growing up, writing short stories for the magazines, and then he gets interviewed by his good friend Kilgore Trout.
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by Mr. Quale on January 27, 2010
A collaborative roadmap (click to enlarge) created by my English 11 class as we begin our study of Antigone:
by Mr. Quale on January 20, 2010
Next fall the High School ISS Art Trip will visit three Spanish cities—Madrid, Toledo, and Barcelona—for six packed days and five nights. We will begin our adventure in Madrid, using a half day to also visit Toledo (A beautiful, walled city dating back to the 7th Century BC). From Madrid we will board the high-speed train to Barcelona for the last two days.
Students enjoying Velazquez's "Las Meninas"
Some of the highlights of this trip will include experiencing firsthand the artwork of the Spanish masters: Goya, Velazquez, El Greco, and Picasso. While in Barcelona students will also experience the architecture of Gaudi, including his famous ongoing masterpiece: Sagrada Familia. We will also find time to enjoy an outdoor folk museum and a Spanish Flamenco performance.
This Art Trip will take place the week of October 3rd, 2010. Current 8th graders can also participate in the trip as incoming 9th graders. The purpose of the trip is to experience the wealth of art and architecture in the three cities mentioned above. During the spring, each participant will be required to attend four talks given by Ms. Svihus and Mr. Quale concerning the artists and their work as well as the architecture we will be visiting.
Interested in going? Come talk to Mr. Quale or Ms. Svihus, and grab a Sign-up Form from either teacher’s room.
by Mr. Quale on January 18, 2010
11th Grade English Classes: 
Mark your calendars and planners. Below is the schedule for both my English A2 and A1 courses. I look forward to some interesting presentations and activities.
Students who have not had a conference with me yet will need to schedule one this week, using the sign-up sheet that is now posted outside of my classroom. And, if your specific presentation date does not work below, come see me this week so that I can reschedule it.
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