Week of March 26: (Both class sections) Midterm and Do the Right Thing

Photo credit: Columbia Spectator newspaper (columbiaspectator.com)

The Midterm will be on Tuesday the 26th in class. You’ll have (and want) the entire class period for it. Here are some things to consider.

• Exam format: 2 parts. Part 1 is short answer questions (3-4 sentences). 7 or 8 questions based on assigned readings. Part 2 will be an essay. You’ll have a choice of topics related to a major theme in “Puerto Rican Obituary,” Short Eyes, or Bodega Dreams.
• Review all the readings. Make sure you have them handy and re-download anything you can’t find.
• Know writers and the key plot points of the book and plays we’ve read so far and be able to talk about the main characters in each.
• Review the poems and writers. You don’t need to know everything we’ve done, but you should know a few key poems from both Pietri and Pinero and basic biographical info about their lives.
• Think about key themes that we’ve been talking about so far this semester and how they occur in different works we’ve read. Think about how you would write an essay about one (or more) of them and examples of those themes in different things we’ve read/watched/listened to.
• If you haven’t read anything, now’s the time to do it! You’re responsible for anything that’s been assigned or posted here as an assignment.
• Review the presentations for Bodega Dreams and Dutchman generated by your classmates
• Review my lecture notes on Dutchman and Miguel Piñero
• Be on time and do not miss it! I will not be offering make-ups unless you’re hospitalized and have proof. So be there. Leave earlier than usual. The exam is hard, but not tricky. If you’ve been in class, paid attention, and done the work, you should be fine.

 

 

For Thursday March 28:, we take a detour into representations of the city in film. We’ll spend the entire class on the first half of Spike Lee’s Do The Right Thing. DTRT is now a classic film, but was extremely controversial at the time. commenting on race relations, gentrification, police violence, and much more. We’ll focus on the aspects of race relations, police brutality, gentrification, and urban space as seen in the film and reflect on how well it’s endured on the 30th anniversary of its release. We’ll watch the first half on Thursday; the second half the following Tuesday.

Week of October 16: (Night Class) Bodega Dreams conclusion, Midterm, and FILM VOTE!!

Announcement: be sure to scroll to the bottom to vote and choose the film we’re going to watch.

Also: there’s a graduate school advising workshop on Wed. 10/17 in the Gillet Hall auditorium from 3:30-5 PM. [Update: link added to event]

For Tuesday the 16th: Read pages 157-213 (end of book) in Bodega Dreams. The midterm will be on Thursday the 18th.

To guide your reading, think about the following things:

• What are the key themes of the book? Mark specific examples of them in the text.
• How do characters develop. What changes do you see? Are there any surprising changes? Again, note specific examples in the text.
• What seem to be key turns of the plot?
• How does Quiñonez present urban space and the urban experience?
• How do different characters view the neighborhood that they live in and does this change over time?
• What is the role of culture?

 

Photo credit: Columbia Spectator newspaper (columbiaspectator.com)

The Midterm will be on Thursday the 18th in class. You’ll have (and want) the entire class period for it. We started review in the last class, and here are some things to consider.

• Exam format: 2 parts. Part 1 is short answer questions (3-4 sentences). 7 or 8 questions based on assigned readings. Part 2 will be an essay. You’ll have a choice of topics related to a major theme in “Puerto Rican Obituary,” Short Eyes, or Bodega Dreams.
• Review all the readings. Make sure you have them handy and re-download anything you can’t find.
• Know writers and the key plot points of the book and play we’ve read so far and be able to talk about the main characters in each.
• Review the poems and writers. You don’t need to know everything we’ve done, but you should know a few key poems from both Pietri and Pinero and basic biographical info about their lives.
• Think about key themes that we’ve been talking about so far this semester and how they occur in different works we’ve read. Think about how you would write an essay about one (or more) of them and examples of those themes in different things we’ve read/watched/listened to.
• If you haven’t read or watched anything, now’s the time to do it! You’re responsible for anything that’s been assigned or posted here as an assignment.
• Review the presentations for Bodega Dreams generated by your classmates
• Be on time and do not miss it! I will not be offering make-ups unless you’re hospitalized and have proof. So be there. Set your alarm clock and leave earlier than usual. The exam is hard, but not tricky. If you’ve been in class, paid attention, and done the work, you should be fine.

FILM VOTE for next week’s classes:

The following week, we take a detour into representations of the city in film. Now for the fun part: I’m kicking the decision to you to vote for the one you want to see. What I’m looking for is something that shows NYC neighborhoods (or at least a neighborhood) with several outdoor shots, intersects with at least some of the themes we’ve seen, is in the time period we’re looking at but old enough to show a NYC that’s probably unfamiliar, and, honestly, I have or can get my hands on easily. It’s a quasi-scientific process with a heavy does of gut instinct. So here are the options: Spike Lee’s Do The Right Thing or Walter Hill’s The Warriors. Lee’s now-classic film deals with issues of race, space, police violence, and neighborhood life in 1980s Brooklyn. The Walter Hill-directed The Warriors (1979) is almost pure camp: a fictional look at the (very real) gang life in early 1970s New York. The acting is over-the-top, plot is fairly simple, but there’s a lot of action and it’s a definitive New York film in many ways.

Here are trailers for both films, courtesy of YouTube. After that, make your choice with the poll below! One vote each (current students only, please). The poll will close next Thursday before class.

 

Week of October 16: (Day Class) Bodega Dreams conclusion, Midterm, and FILM VOTE!!

Announcement: be sure to scroll to the bottom to vote and choose the film we’re going to watch.

Also: there’s a graduate school advising workshop on Wed. 10/17 in the Gillet Hall auditorium from 3:30-5 PM. [Update: link added to event]

For Tuesday the 16th: Read pages 157-213 (end of book) in Bodega Dreams. The midterm will be on Thursday the 18th.

To guide your reading, think about the following things:

• What are the key themes of the book? Mark specific examples of them in the text.
• How do characters develop. What changes do you see? Are there any surprising changes? Again, note specific examples in the text.
• What seem to be key turns of the plot?
• How does Quiñonez present urban space and the urban experience?
• How do different characters view the neighborhood that they live in and does this change over time?
• What is the role of culture?

 

Photo credit: Columbia Spectator newspaper (columbiaspectator.com)

The Midterm will be on Thursday the 18th in class. You’ll have (and want) the entire class period for it. We started review in the last class, and here are some things to consider.

• Exam format: 2 parts. Part 1 is short answer questions (3-4 sentences). 7 or 8 questions based on assigned readings. Part 2 will be an essay. You’ll have a choice of topics related to a major theme in “Puerto Rican Obituary,” Short Eyes, or Bodega Dreams.
• Review all the readings. Make sure you have them handy and re-download anything you can’t find.
• Know writers and the key plot points of the book and play we’ve read so far and be able to talk about the main characters in each.
• Review the poems and writers. You don’t need to know everything we’ve done, but you should know a few key poems from both Pietri and Piñero and basic biographical info about their lives.
• Think about key themes that we’ve been talking about so far this semester and how they occur in different works we’ve read. Think about how you would write an essay about one (or more) of them and examples of those themes in different things we’ve read/watched/listened to.
• If you haven’t read or watched anything, now’s the time to do it! You’re responsible for anything that’s been assigned or posted here as an assignment.
• Review the presentations for Bodega Dreams generated by your classmates
• Be on time and do not miss it! I will not be offering make-ups unless you’re hospitalized and have proof. So be there. Set your alarm clock and leave earlier than usual. The exam is hard, but not tricky. If you’ve been in class, paid attention, and done the work, you should be fine.

FILM VOTE for next week’s classes: [EDIT: embedded poll isn’t showing up for some reason; trying to fix it]

The following week, we take a detour into representations of the city in film. Now for the fun part: I’m kicking the decision to you to vote for the one you want to see. What I’m looking for is something that shows NYC neighborhoods (or at least a neighborhood) with several outdoor shots, intersects with at least some of the themes we’ve seen, is in the time period we’re looking at but old enough to show a NYC that’s probably unfamiliar, and, honestly, I have or can get my hands on easily. It’s a quasi-scientific process with a heavy does of gut instinct. So here are the options: Spike Lee’s Do The Right Thing or Walter Hill’s The Warriors. Lee’s now-classic film deals with issues of race, space, police violence, and neighborhood life in 1980s Brooklyn. The Walter Hill-directed The Warriors (1979) is almost pure camp: a fictional look at the (very real) gang life in early 1970s New York. The acting is over-the-top, plot is fairly simple, but there’s a lot of action and it’s a definitive New York film in many ways.

Here are trailers for both films, courtesy of YouTube. After that, make your choice with the poll below! One vote each (current students only, please). The poll will close next Thursday before class.

 

Week of October 10: (NIGHT Class) Bodega Dreams conclusion and Midterm

For Tuesday, October 10th, Read pages 157-213 (end of book) in Bodega Dreams. Highlight/underline passages of the book that you think show good examples of key themes or changes in key characters. Take brief notes in your notebook of specifically good points.

We’ll start the class with a presentation by Maya, Adnan, and Carmen

To guide your reading, think about the following things:

• What are the key themes of the book? Mark specific examples of them in the text.
• How have characters developed or changed over the course of the book? Are there any surprising changes? Again, note specific examples in the text.
• What seem to be key turns of the plot?
• How does Quiñonez present urban space and the urban experience? What’s the status of Bodega’s dream at the end of the book and what effect has the story had on the neighborhood and people?
• What is the role of culture?

For Thursday, October 13th is the Midterm exam. It will be given in class and no notes or books will be allowed. Do not miss it! Makeups will not be offered. Format will be short answer questions plus one essay on themes of the Juan Flores essay, books, play, and poems we’ve covered so far. Know: basic plot points and characters of the book and play, be able to identify key themes, and the main points of 2-3 poems from both Pietri and Piñero. Also know basic biographical info about Pietri and Piñero.

Scholarship opportunity:

The mission of the New York City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (NYCHCC) is to represent and advocate for Hispanic businesses in New York City.  They assist new entrepreneurs, strengthen existing businesses and assure the growth and success of Hispanic businesses.  The NYCHCC is also committed to helping Hispanic students succeed academically and to effectively achieve their professional goals.  To this end, the $2,000 NYCHCC Scholarship Award is designed to assist students of Hispanic heritage to obtain a college degree.  Scholarships are available on a competitive/need basis.

Qualifications include:

• United States citizens/residents of Hispanic descent
• DACA students are encouraged to apply
• Must live in NYC
• Undergraduate students attending accredited University
• Proof of 3.0 GPA or higher
• One letter of recommendation from a Professor
• Submit a 500 word essay
• Resume

The deadline to apply is November 1, 2017.  Candidates must apply via their website, http://hispanicchamber.nyc/nychcc-scholarship-awards/.  If you have any questions, please feel free to stop by the Office of Academic Testing, Scholarships & Awards, located in the Apex Building room 240.  You may also contact one of our Scholarship Advisors via email at: scholarship [dot] office [at] lehman [dot] cuny [dot] edu or at 718-960-8156.

Announcement: The Black Panther Party film festival is at Maysles Cinema in Harlem until 10/7.

Week of October 10: (DAY Class) Bodega Dreams conclusion and Midterm

For Tuesday, October 10th, Read pages 157-213 (end of book) in Bodega Dreams. Highlight/underline passages of the book that you think show good examples of key themes or changes in key characters. Take brief notes in your notebook of specifically good points.

We’ll start the class with a presentation by Brandon, Deondre, William, and Nami

To guide your reading, think about the following things:

• What are the key themes of the book? Mark specific examples of them in the text.
• How have characters developed or changed over the course of the book? Are there any surprising changes? Again, note specific examples in the text.
• What seem to be key turns of the plot?
• How does Quiñonez present urban space and the urban experience? What’s the status of Bodega’s dream at the end of the book and what effect has the story had on the neighborhood and people?
• What is the role of culture?

[EDIT: The first presentation on Bodega Dreams is now online here. Usual password.]

Thursday, October 13th is the Midterm exam. It will be given in class and no notes or books will be allowed. Do not miss it! Makeups will not be offered. Format will be short answer questions plus one essay on themes of the Juan Flores essay, books, play, and poems we’ve covered so far. Know: basic plot points and characters of the book and play, be able to identify key themes, and the main points of 2-3 poems from both Pietri and Piñero. Also know basic biographical info about Pietri and Piñero.

Scholarship opportunity:

The mission of the New York City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (NYCHCC) is to represent and advocate for Hispanic businesses in New York City.  They assist new entrepreneurs, strengthen existing businesses and assure the growth and success of Hispanic businesses.  The NYCHCC is also committed to helping Hispanic students succeed academically and to effectively achieve their professional goals.  To this end, the $2,000 NYCHCC Scholarship Award is designed to assist students of Hispanic heritage to obtain a college degree.  Scholarships are available on a competitive/need basis.

Qualifications include:

• United States citizens/residents of Hispanic descent
• DACA students are encouraged to apply
• Must live in NYC
• Undergraduate students attending accredited University
• Proof of 3.0 GPA or higher
• One letter of recommendation from a Professor
• Submit a 500 word essay
• Resume

The deadline to apply is November 1, 2017.  Candidates must apply via their website, http://hispanicchamber.nyc/nychcc-scholarship-awards/.  If you have any questions, please feel free to stop by the Office of Academic Testing, Scholarships & Awards, located in the Apex Building room 240.  You may also contact one of our Scholarship Advisors via email at: scholarship [dot] office [at] lehman [dot] cuny [dot] edu or at 718-960-8156.

Announcement: The Black Panther Party film festival is at Maysles Cinema in Harlem until 10/7.

Week of October 28: Miterm exam/ La Ciudad

Photo credit: Columbia Spectator newspaper (columbiaspectator.com)

The Midterm will be on Tuesday the 28th in class. We started review in the last class, and here are some things to consider.

Exam format will be short answers (about 8) and one essay.

Review all the readings. Make sure you have them handy and re-download anything you can’t find.

Know writers and the key plot points of the book and plays we’ve read so far and be able to talk about the main characters in each.

Review Juan Flores’ “The Structuring of Puerto Rican Identity” essay that we started the semester with and know the “4 moments” he describes.

Review the poems and writers. You don’t need to know everything we’ve done, but you should know a few key poems from Pietri and Pinero and basic biographical info about their lives.

Think about key themes that we’ve been talking about so far this semester and how they occur in different works we’ve read. Think about how you would write an essay about one (or more) of them and examples of those themes in different things we’ve read/watched/listened to.

If you haven’t read or watched anything, now’s the time to do it! You’re responsible for anything that’s been assigned or posted here as an assignment.

Be on time and do not miss it! I will not be offering make-ups unless you’re hospitalized and have proof. So be there. Set your alarm clock and leave earlier than usual. The exam is hard, but not tricky. If you’ve been in class, paid attention, and done the work, you should be fine.

If you missed class, do not ask me via email for info about the exam. Ask a classmate for detailed notes instead. Better yet, arrange to meet classmates for a study group. We spent an entire class period on review: I don’t have anything else to add.

For Thursday 10/30, we’ll take a turn into filmic representations of the city and city life from an immigrant’s perspective with a screening of director David Riker’s 1998 film La Ciudad/(The City). we’ll watch the first half of La Ciudad on Thursday and finish it on Tuesday 11/4. Prepare to take good notes, as there may be a writing assignment on it at some point and it will be on the final. For people following online, though apparently out of print, the film’s available on Netflix and at the NY Public Library if you’re in the NYC area. Read this short review and one from the New York Times of the film.

Week of 3/24: Bodega Dreams conclusion and Midterm

For Monday the 24th: Read pages 157-213 (end of book) in Bodega Dreams. We’ll also continue review for the midterm, which is on Wednesday, the 26th.

To guide your reading, think about the following things:

What are the key themes of the book? Mark specific examples of them in the text.

How do characters develop. What changes do you see? Are there any surprising changes? Again, note specific examples in the text.

What seem to be key turns of the plot?

How does Quiñonez present urban space and the urban experience? How do different characters see the neighborhood that they live in?

What is the role of culture?

Photo credit: Columbia Spectator newspaper (columbiaspectator.com)

The Midterm will be on Wednesday the 26th in class. We started review in the last class, and here are some things to consider.

Review all the readings. Make sure you have them handy and re-download anything you can’t find.

Know writers and the key plot points of the book and plays we’ve read so far and be able to talk about the main characters in each.

Review the poems and writers. You don’t need to know everything we’ve done, but you should know a few key poems from Pietri and Pinero and basic biographical info about their lives.

Think about key themes that we’ve been talking about so far this semester and how they occur in different works we’ve read. Think about how you would write an essay about one (or more) of them and examples of those themes in different things we’ve read/watched/listened to.

If you haven’t read or watched anything, now’s the time to do it! You’re responsible for anything that’s been assigned or posted here as an assignment, including video. (The City/ La Ciudad can be watched from this site: see the Video page.)

Be on time and do not miss it! I will not be offering make-ups unless you’re hospitalized and have proof. So be there. Set your alarm clock and leave earlier than usual. The exam is hard, but not tricky. If you’ve been in class, paid attention, and done the work, you should be fine.

Week of March 17th: Bodega Dreams, continued

Photo: “Spanish Harlem” by Flickr user Edgar Zuniga, Jr. Creative Commons licensed. (Some Rights Reserved.)

This week, we continue reading Ernesto Quiñonez’s Bodega Dreams. Be sure to take notes of key points and underline specific passages of the book that are good examples of them as you read.

Be sure to take a look at the revised syllabus. Also, the new date for the midterm is Wednesday, March 26th in class. Do not miss it and make sure that you’re on time that day!. I’ll go over the exam format in class.

For Monday 3/17: Read pages pages 55-107 in Bodega Dreams.

For Wednesday 3/19: Read pages 108-157 in Bodega Dreams.

To guide your reading, think about the following things:

What are the key themes of the book? Mark specific examples of them in the text.

How do characters develop. What changes do you see? Are there any surprising changes? Again, note specific examples in the text.

What seem to be key turns of the plot?

How does Quiñonez present urban space and the urban experience? How do different characters see the neighborhood that they live in?

What is the role of culture?

Week of 10/29: Midterm and the city on film

Photo credit: Columbia Spectator newspaper (columbiaspectator.com)

The Midterm will be on Tuesday the 29th in class. We did a formal review session in the last class, so I won’t repeat all of that, but here are some things to consider.

Review all the readings. Make sure you have them handy and re-download anything you can’t find.

Know writers and the key plot points of the book and plays we’ve read so far and be able to talk about the main characters in each.

Review the poems and writers. You don’t need to know everything we’ve done, but you should know a few key poems from Pietri and Pinero and basic biographical info about their lives.

Think about key themes that we’ve been talking about so far this semester and how they occur in different works we’ve read. Think about how you would write an essay about one (or more) of them and examples of those themes in different things we’ve read/watched/listened to.

If you haven’t read or watched anything, now’s the time to do it! You’re responsible for anything that’s been assigned or posted here as an assignment, including video.

Be on time and do not miss it! I will not be offering make-ups unless you’re hospitalized and have proof. So be there. Set your alarm clock and leave earlier than usual. The exam is hard, but not tricky. If you’ve been in class, paid attention, and done the work, you should be fine.

For Thursday, we’ll take a turn into filmic representations of the city and city life from an immigrant’s perspective with a screening of director David Riker’s 1998 film La Ciudad/(The City). we’ll watch the first half of La Ciudad on Thursday. Prepare to take good notes, as there will be a writing assignment on it and it will appear on the final exam. For people following online, though apparently out of print, the film’s available on Netflix and at the NY Public Library if you’re in the NYC area. Read this short review and one from the New York Times of the film.

For the week of 3/11: Midterm time!

Photo credit: Columbia Spectator newspaper (columbiaspectator.com)

On Monday, we’ll have a formal review session for the midterm exam, which is Wednesday. Also finish reading Bodega Dreams if you haven’t yet. We’ll take final questions and points on that as well. Here are some things to consider.

Review all the readings. Make sure you have them handy and re-download anything you can’t find.

Know writers and the key plot points of the book and plays we’ve read so far and be able to talk about the main characters in each.

Review the poems and writers. You don’t need to know everything we’ve done, but you should know a few key poems from Pietri and Pinero and basic biographical info about their lives.

Think about key themes that we’ve been talking about so far this semester and how they occur in different works we’ve read. Think about how you would write an essay about one (or more) of them and examples of those themes in different things we’ve read/watched/listened to.

If you haven’t read or watched anything, now’s the time to do it! You’re responsible for anything that’s been assigned or posted here as an assignment, including video.

Finally, bring any questions you have.

Wednesday is the Midterm. Be on time and do not miss it! I will not be offering make-ups unless you’re hospitalized and have proof. So be there. Set your alarm clock and leave earlier than usual. The exam is hard, but not tricky. If you’ve been in class, paid attention, and done the work, you should be fine.