On this site you will find course pages, composition aids, whs drama, and the WHS Boys' tennis page (see More...).
"The Play's The Thing" Hamlet
All of my classes rest on the idea that playing with language is the best way to improve language skills. And it's way more fun than NOT playing with language. To play with language is to explore syntax and diction, to experiment with the same, to laugh, to take risks, to fail, to push boundaries, to pun, to riff, to rant, to actually enjoy using the English language. This is what we do in the American Literature courses and the UConn ECE Composition and Rhetoric course. On this website you can find curricular documents, links to youtube videos, cool photos, and assignments.
To totally stereotype, the Irish are the best in the world at playing with language and their artists are great examples for the rest of us. The background photo above is of the Trinity College Library Long Room in Dublin, and the inset is of the Samuel Beckett Bridge over the River Liffey, also in Dublin. And yes, I've been to Ireland and want to live there.
To totally stereotype, the Irish are the best in the world at playing with language and their artists are great examples for the rest of us. The background photo above is of the Trinity College Library Long Room in Dublin, and the inset is of the Samuel Beckett Bridge over the River Liffey, also in Dublin. And yes, I've been to Ireland and want to live there.
A running list of writing tips, including a definition of plagiarism and resources for responsible citations, is on the Composition Tips page! Check it out.
The Immutable and Irrefutable
(Rules of the class)
1. Courtesy and commonsense rule. Don’t be a jerk.
2. Respect the right to learn – do not disrupt the class in any way, shape or form. (eg. Talking/texting/playing on your phone, walking about, private conversations, sleeping, throwing, etc.)
3. Whining is forbidden – if you have a legitimate complaint, put it in writing and see me after class.
(Rules of the class)
1. Courtesy and commonsense rule. Don’t be a jerk.
2. Respect the right to learn – do not disrupt the class in any way, shape or form. (eg. Talking/texting/playing on your phone, walking about, private conversations, sleeping, throwing, etc.)
3. Whining is forbidden – if you have a legitimate complaint, put it in writing and see me after class.
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FOR CLASS OF 2022 - JUNIORS
For honors students: we begin the year looking at American Literature through the lens of race - something always appropriate in our country, and this year even more poignant. The last few years we have used classic texts like Uncle Tom's Cabin and Huck Finn as summer reading material. You'll still read those, but instead of starting with the perspectives of white American authors, we will start this year with classic texts written by African American authors. Both of these texts (already in our curriculum) have been making the lists of books on race that need to be read by every American. (I've added an example of such a list here, in case you would like to read further.) Baldwin's The Fire Next Time is a 1963 best seller which is comprised of two letters to America; Coates' Between the World and Me, a 2015 best seller, is also epistolary in form (that means it is a letter), in this case a letter to his black son. These will be challenging reads. Pay attention.
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FOR CLASS OF 2021 - SENIORS
In case you got a copy of They Say, I Say without readings, you can use the pdf below.
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Notes for ECE
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College Prep/college application essay
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