Announcements:
- Continue the first written assignment due Tuesday March 5. See the Assignments page for it if you’ve misplaced your copy. (Re)Read the assignment sheet thoroughly and make sure you understand what I’m asking. There are no trick questions here: I’m looking for exactly what’s on there. Now is also the time to schedule time with Lehman’s ACE Center if you’re not totally confident about your writing ability. Also see the resources on the assignments page for some quick MLA formatting tips.
- New York City has a special election on Tuesday February 26 for Public Advocate to replace (Lehman alum!) Tish James, who resigned after winning the election for State Attorney General. Same polling place as you usually go to. WNYC Radio’s Gothamist news site has a good overview of all the candidates and election info. You can also go to the Board of Elections website.
Recap from this week’s classes:
- See my lecture notes on Piñero on the Lecture Notes page
- Finished Piñero’s poetry
For Tuesday February 26th, Read “The Drama of Miguel Piñero” at the front of Outlaw and then read Act 1 of Piñero’s play Short Eyes (pages 193-215). Short Eyes is set entirely in a prison (actually a house of detention: think Riker’s Island). Think about what the setting means and how characters react to it. Also consider how Piñero’s own experience and outlook on life shape what and who he writes about.
Questions to think about to guide your reading:
- What characters does he show in the play?
- What language does he use and what effect does that have?
- What audiences do you think Piñero is writing for?
- What similarities or differences do you see with his poetry?
- What’s the setting he chooses and what side of the city does that show?
- What are some of the key themes the play deals with?
- Identify key points of the play where the storyline (plot) turns or changes. Mark significant points where this happens in your book and write them down in your notes. What causes the plot turns and how might actors on stage make them believable?
For Thursday February 28th, Read Act 2 /Finish Miguel Piñero’s play Short Eyes (pages 215-243).
Also watch the film version embedded below. Short Eyes is set entirely in a prison (actually a house of detention: think Riker’s Island). Think about what the setting means and how characters react to it. Also consider how Piñero’s own experience and outlook on life shape what and who he writes about.
Questions to think about to guide your reading:
- How does the setting shape the characters’ actions in the play?
- [More to come]
Watch the film version of Piñero’s Short Eyes (1978). Piñero has a few scenes in the beginning as the fictional character Go Go. The famous soul vocalist Curtis Mayfield has a part also in addition to creating the soundtrack.
After this, we’ll move to the first novel of the semester: Ernesto Quiñonez’s Bodega Dreams.
If you keep up with the weekly reading and take good notes, then you’ll be well prepared for the midterm and final exam and get much more out of the class!