Henry James, "The Real Thing": Audiobook link

 

Henry James' story "The Real Thing" is available as an audiobook at this link.

The reading takes an hour and five minutes. Please read along with the voice; you'll learn so much more. Or maybe gather together with classmates and read it together. Crazier things have happened. 

We're going to have a discussion and debate about ideas in the story next Tuesday. It will be obvious if you didn't read it or haven't thought about it. This is college. 

MLA In-Text Citation

 The only thing incorrect about this video is the use of the term "Bibliography." In MLA format, this is called "Works Cited."

Your essay for Thursday needs to include at least one direct quotation from each of the three stories. 

This page from the Purdue OWL is also helpful. 

Excavating (Mining) a Text: Dickens, Moore, and O. Henry

Today we are going to divide the class into three groups: one group for each of the stories.

Each group should choose one member to be the typist. Everybody is a detective collecting evidence. Or maybe it's better to think of yourself as a miner looking for rare gems or diamonds. Most of the "stuff" in a mine is not valuable.

Where in your story does the author write directly about art and artists? Capture this information and put it directly into a discussion board post on our Populi page. Make a list of these instances. Be sure to copy the excerpt exactly. In Latin, this is called verbatim.  Also, remember to include a page number in parentheses following your quotation.  Please post your findings no later than fifteen minutes before the conclusion of class. 

Related to the "Tortured Artist": The "Starving Artist"

The myth of the Starving Artist has existed for centuries. It's nothing new. In many respects, it's a sub-category of the larger classification of the Tortured Artist. M'iseu Fortier in Alice Moore Dunbar-Nelson's story is a great example. He quite literally chooses art over money when he goes to retrieve his beloved violin.

What are the real facts about this? Why does the myth exist? A scholar of economics, way back in 1986, published an article that debunks this myth. 

The Tortured Artist: Myth, Reality, or Somewhere In Between?

 

We've read three short stories so far this semester. What do they have in common? Yes, they all feature art and artists, but what else do they have in common? The artist characters are all tormented in one way or another by their art or by how other people regard their art. The one exception might be Sue in O. Henry's "The Last Leaf." We will revisit this theme as the semester progresses. 

Here's a link to a great video from "The Art Assignment" that explores the history of the "tortured artist" idea over the last three hundred years. What do you think about this idea? Do your friends and family think that you're somehow different due to your passion for art and design? Do you see it in yourself? Think of other related questions and angles of approaching this idea. 

Short Assignment Two 

"Charles Dickens, O. Henry, and Alice Moore: The Artist as Tortured Genius" 

Now that we've watched the video, what do you think about this idea? Do your friends and family think that you're somehow different due to your passion for art and design? Do you see it in yourself? Think of other related questions.

Ingredients

1    introductory paragraph that introduces your essay's main idea

3    body paragraphs, each using textual evidence    quoted verbatim from the three stories, one story per paragraph

1    paragraph that applies the concept of the tortured artist idea in your life. be specific. you might choose to include an additional paragraph about your experiences. 

1    concluding paragraph that moves your ideas forward

This six-paragraph essay is due no later than noon on September 21. Even though you will be quoting directly from published sources, you do not need to include a "Works Cited" page for this assignment because we are all reading common texts. You do, however, need to incorporate in-text citations in MLA form. Proofread carefully before uploading to Populi. Please remember to single-space your text. 

Questions: csmith@dcad.edu

Alice Dunbar-Nelson, Dickens, and the Fog

 

Consider how Alice Moore Dunbar-Nelson describes the fog of New Orleans compared to Charles Dickens describing the fog of London. How are they similar? Dissimilar? Which do you prefer and why? 

Good News!

You have the option of resubmitting a revised essay no later than noon on September 12. I'll be grading these essays on Wednesday, September 13. If you're happy with the essay that you submitted for today, great. Let it be. If you want to take what you learn in today's critique and apply it to a revised version of your paper, that's also great.

Remember that we have new reading assignments for Tuesday, September 12. (See Files and Lessons) 

Also, I've posted the general rubric for this class on the Files tab. Scroll down to the bottom.

Questions?   csmith@dcad.edu