Language and Composition: The Art of Voice (Muller and Whiting)Part 3:
AP FavoritesContext LinksMAYA ANGELOU, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Context Links Here is an interview with Angelou from NPR. She talks about her life and writing.
http://www.npr.org/2008/04/06/89355359/ at-80-maya- angelou-reflects-on-a-glorious-life
JUDY BRADY, I Want a Wife Context Links Here is the Web site for Ms. magazine. Brady’s essay appeared in its very first issue. What kind of articles appear in this magazine?
http://www.msmagazine.com/ This article is about the 40th anniversary of Ms. After learning a little more about the magazine, can you see how the Brady essay fits in?
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/13/ ms- magazine-celebrates-its-40th-anniversary/
JOAN DIDION, Marrying Absurd Context Links Didion wrote “Marrying Absurd” in 1967. What is the current trend of weddings in Las Vegas? Read this article for some insight.
http://travel.usatoday.com/destinations/dispatches/post/ 2011/02/las-vegas-quickie-weddings-slow-down/143328/1
JONATHAN EDWARDS, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God Context Links Read this account of Edwards delivering the sermon. What surprises you about his delivery of or the reaction to the sermon?
http://enrichmentjournal.ag.org/200201/200201_104_johnathan.cfm Here is a summary of the First Great Awakening. What role did Edwards play?
http://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plan/first-great-awakening#sect-background
QUEEN ELIZABETH, The Golden Speech Context Links Do you wonder why this is called the Golden Speech? Here is an explanation. Do you think it is accurate?
http://www.historytoday.com/richard-cavendish/elizabeth-golden-speech
THOMAS HOBBES, Leviathan Context Links Leviathan was written during the British Civil War. Read more about the war here.
http://www.british-civil-wars.co.uk/ Here is a blog entry about the famous frontispiece for the book Leviathan. Study the image and record your observations.
http://richelieu-eminencerouge.blogspot.com/2010/02/ hobbes-and-leviathan-image-by-abraham.html
JOHN F. KENNEDY, Inaugural Address Context Links Here is a Web site dedicated to the inauguration of Kennedy. Be sure to check out the handwritten draft of the Inaugural Address.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/pihtml/pi051.html Watch this video of the Inaugural Address, paying special attention to the delivery. What impresses you about Kennedy as a public speaker?
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/jfkinaugural.htm
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR., Letter from Birmingham Jail Context Links King wrote his famous letter in solitary confinement for his involvement with the Birmingham campaign. Read more about that campaign here. Why was King arrested?
http://mlk-kpp01.stanford.edu/index.php/encyclopedia/encyclopedia/ enc_birmingham_campaign/
ABRAHAM LINCOLN, Second Inaugural Address Context Links Read about some photographs of Lincoln’s inauguration recently discovered recently. What would it have been like to hear the speech first hand?
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=19094867 Click here to read some background information about Lincoln’s second Inaugural Address. Why do you think this speech is famous?
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0311/50616.html
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI, The Prince Context Links Here is more extensive information about the life and writing of Machiavelli. Under what conditions did he write The Prince?
http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/machiavelli/biography.htm For more context surrounding The Prince, check out this essay. What is Machiavelli’s reputation, and why?
http://www.historytoday.com/vincent-barnett/niccolo-machiavelli-%E2%80%93-cunning-critic-political-reason
NANCY MAIRS, On Being a Cripple Context Links This essay by George Mairs (Nancy’s husband) discusses his caregiving for his wife. How has illness affected their relationship?
http://www.pbs.org/thoushalthonor/caregivers/george.html
TIM O’BRIEN, The Things They Carried Context Links Learn a little more about the Vietnam War from this PBS website.
http://www.pbs.org/battlefieldvietnam/history/index.html Writing about war is a unique genre. Read about some other war writing in this New York Times piece.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/08/us/08military.html?pagewanted=1&_r=0
GEORGE ORWELL, Politics and the English Language Context Links It should come as no surprise that politicians continue to use unclear language to obscure their true intentions. This article is about political jargon in British politics.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/nov/30/politicians-bad-language-jargon
GEORGE ORWELL, Shooting an Elephant Context Links Read or listen to this account of an author who goes to Burma to research Orwell. What can be learned from modern day Burma (Myanmar)?
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4761169
PLATO, Allegory of the Cave Context Links This is an animated version of Plato’s cave. How does this help clarify the allegory? How would you do it differently?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2afuTvUzBQ
DAVID SEDARIS, Me Talk Pretty One Day Context Links Click on the Amazon.com listing for Me Talk Pretty One Day and read the reviews. Why do people tend to strongly like or strongly dislike Sedaris’s writing?
http://www.amazon.com/Me-Talk-Pretty-One-Day/dp/0316776963 This is a negative review of Me Talk Pretty One Day. List the reasons the reviewer does not like the book.
http://blogcritics.org/books/article/book-review-me-talk-pretty-one/
BRENT STAPLES, Black Men and Public Spaces Context Links This is a scientific study about race and fear. What would Staples think of the study and its results?
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/07/0728_050728_racefear.html
JONATHAN SWIFT, A Modest Proposal Context Links This introduction to “A Modest Proposal” will help you understand the political and personal context of the essay.
http://www.victorianweb.org/previctorian/swift/proposal1.html
HENRY DAVID THOREAU, On the Duty of Civil Disobedience Context Links Here are some basic definitions of the term civil disobedience.
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/civil-disobedience/ This introduction to Civil Disobedience contains much information and many external links.
http://thoreau.eserver.org/wendy.html
OSCAR WILDE, The Importance of Being Earnest Context Links This is an interesting article about the first production of Wilde’s play. Be sure to check out the image of the program.
http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/t/the-importance-of-being-earnest-first-stage-production/ Do a Google Images search for “The Importance of Being Earnest.” What kinds of images are displayed?
VIRGINIA WOOLF, A Room of One’s Own Context Links Here is a review of A Room of One’s Own that was published at the same time Woolf’s book was published.
http://www.nytimes.com/books/00/12/17/specials/woolf-room.html
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