Of eagles, chickens, french fries, and potato salad
06 Sep 2010 Leave a Comment
I heard this quote over the summer at an AP conference and fell in love with it. It seemed to unfold the more I thought about it–as does all great poetry.
Sitting in my classroom deciding what to do for the first couple of weeks, I decided that I wanted to begin/end every class with a poem this year. To get the class started and thinking about poetry on day one, I created a Prezi to start a discussion with my class. Each class had the same discussion and focused on surface level observations. Well, I kind of manipulated that with the addition of the videos in the Prezi. I ended up getting them to think outside of the word “bird” and “potato” to where I believe Collins was wanting his listeners to go. We then talked about what I now call “chicken poetry” versus “eagle poetry.” We’ve all read poems that speak to us and somehow crawl into our skin and live there for the rest of our lives. Those poems help us to fly and take us to places we never want to leave (eagle poetry). We’ve also all read poems that are–for a lack of a better word right now–nasty (chicken poetry). Those poems are usually the ones our teachers made us sludge through (or in my case, the teenage “love” poems that a high school English teacher must sludge through). They are the ones we want to forget and never read again.
I challenged my students there that I would do my best to never give them “chicken poetry.” I admitted that I could never please everyone, but insisted that instead of dismissing a poem upon first read, the students take the time to see a poem for what it says and then what it really says. Therein, I believe, lies the heart of what makes poetry so great.
Click here to see the Prezi presentation.
God, the Gospel and Glenn Beck
06 Sep 2010 Leave a Comment
in Frediggle's Linkizzles, Rants
Here is an interesting post taken from the blog of Dr. Russell D. Moore, author and Dean of the School of Theology and Senior Vice-President for Academic Administration at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. In it he speaks about the politicizing of religion in America. I’ve always felt as though Americans are a blessed people (due in part to our support of Israel), but I detest when church leaders and political leaders attempt to marry Christianity and government. I’m not saying that they are mutually exclusive. I want my government leaders to be Bible believing evangelicals, however, I’m a realist. We live in a fallen world where sin reigns. It will continue to reign until the glorious return of the savior of the world, Jesus Christ. The best we can do is to go out into the world, “making disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.” Notice it doesn’t say, “making disciples of all nations, legislating them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.”
I believe Glenn Beck is a man of integrity and should be honored. I don’t believe that it is his place to be sanctimonious and preach about a God he doesn’t know personally. Yes, I know he is Mormon, but I stick by my last statement. Mormon’s lecturing Christians is the equivalent of the Britain lecturing America on democracy. Close, but one toy short of a Happy Meal.
Anyway, click on the link above for Dr. Moore’s take.
Reviewzzle: The Unwritten, Vol. 1
06 Sep 2010 Leave a Comment
in *Geek Zone* GEEKS ONLY!, Book Review (Goodreads.com)
The Unwritten, Vol. 1: Tommy Taylor and the Bogus Identity by Mike Carey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
“Stories are the only things worth dying for.”
Tommy Taylor is not just a fictional kid of magic. He’s modeled after the author’s real son Tommy Taylor. Up until recently Tommy has had to live in the shadow of his fictional clone. Things begin getting strange when a woman approaches Tommy at a convention and suggests that his entire childhood and past is made up.
I first heard of this series from an article found on Relevant (here) and, as an English teacher and proponent of great storytelling, my interest was piqued. After spending the summer reading up on one J.R.R. Tolkien and his thoughts on fairy tales (of which I highly recommend), I thought this was going to be a venerable goldmine of literary treasure.
I wasn’t disappointed, but felt a little underwhelmed by the story. Did I build up my own anticipation for reading it? Perhaps, but it felt like the first arch was over almost as soon as it began. One shining moment was a companion piece in the back that follows Rudyard Kipling as he must deal with an Illuminati-type organization that will either make or break him. He gains popularity by writing pro-imperialistic propaganda and once he refuses to live under the Illuminati’s might, his writing becomes still-born. It isn’t until his son dies that he’s able to pick up the pen and begin crafting animal tales as a metaphor to his disenfranchisement. Along the way he has a few run ins with Mark Twain and not-so-directly with Oscar Wilde. I think you can now tell which part I enjoyed the most.
Great read and a good beginning to a promising tale. I do have the second volume and will read it as soon as I’m caught up with grading or just can’t wait any longer–whichever comes first.
The Gaslight Anthem – American Slang
04 Jul 2010 Leave a Comment
This is a great new album by an awesome band. Check them out when you can!
Brought this over from a discontinued blog of mine. Let’s keep it all in one place shall we? :)
03 Jul 2010 Leave a Comment
anberlin – Cities Review
March 27, 2007
| Vocals | 8.0 |
| Musicianship | 9.0 |
| Lyrics | 9.5 |
| Production | 10 |
| Creativity | 8.5 |
| Lasting Value | 9.0 |
| Overall | 9.0 |
I’ve known anberlin ever since I got my hands on a Tooth and Nail sampler a few years ago. I had really high hopes for their first album Blueprints for the Black Market and wasn’t disappointed. By the time their second album, Never Take Friendship Personal came out I was officially a fan. While not always spinning in my CD player, I’ve been hooked ever since like a kid to Fruit Loops. The pop sensibilities of every song are complimented by the various aggressive instrumental voices. Cities, anberlin’s newest offering, is no exception. Musically anberlin has matured in the way every band should. Their first album was extremely polished; their second, the antithesis of the first; finally, Cities is the culmination of both.
Pat Sajak is My New Hero
28 Nov 2007 Leave a Comment
I love it when the biggest and freshest face in Hollywood jumps in front of a camera and tells me who I should vote for. As if their celebrity status trumps the values me mum and dad instilled in me when I was a wee tot. Thank you Oprah but I don’t care if you could buy a small country with the money you have I will only vote for Obama if his beliefs and agenda align only to my own. Ladies and gentlemen, please, I implore you, please vote for the candidate in November 2008 that you want to vote for. Don’t vote for a candidate simply because Oprah, Barbara (Streisand), Ted (Nugent) or even Pat Sajak, tell you to. Vote for the candidate (republican, democrat, green, independant) you think will do the best job for our children, grand children and so on. That is the gift our Founding Fathers gave to us.
What a find!
09 Oct 2007 Leave a Comment
I like to think that I’ve got a nice little comic book collection going. Most of it is recent stuff because I can’t afford the old expensive issues. I came across this great story over at newsarama.com where an old couple, cleaning out their attic, found a copy of Detective Comics #27! For those of my readers not wise in the ways of the fanboy, DC #27 is the first appearance of Batman in a comic book. In mint condition (of which there are none known) the skrilla this puppy could pull in is about 500 g’s (that $500,000.00). *sigh* — what I could do with that money (more comic books anyone?). Anyway, it’s a great story and I can only hope to have it happen to me one day.
Click here for the story.
fReDiGgLe’S mUzAcKiZzLe
27 Mar 2007 Leave a Comment
in Rants
Introducing my new music page. Here I hope to post reviews and such for albums I think are worthy of your attention. Check out my review of anberlin – Citites here.
Captain America Dead at 66
08 Mar 2007 1 Comment
Today in comic book shops all across America, fanboys everywhere were stunned to find that Steve Rogers, aka Captain America was assassinated by a single bullet to the head by a sniper as he arrived to federal court.
I’m a poet and didn’t even think I was one. Wait, that’s not how it goes…
07 Feb 2007 2 Comments
in Poems, Uncategorized
I stumbled across an old book of poems I had written in high school and I thought I’d share one with you. It is rather macabre so you are forewarned. I’ve placed the background info for the poem at the bottom of this post so if you’re interested you know what to do. Remember, I own the copyright (especially if you think it’s good!). I encourage you to read this out loud. As with some free verse poems, pause after every line and read s-l-o-w-l-y (it adds effect). Let me know what you think and I’ll maybe post some more!
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