Dr. Comprone's Blog

African American Literature: Jazz Listening Comprehension

2012-01-30T07:36:00.000-08:00

Which piece is the best? You decide. Who has the most jazz feeling?
Or can one even talk about which piece is the best?

1. “All Blues" Miles Davis
Miles Davis
2. “Afro Blue” – John Coltrane
Afro Blue
3. "Blue Monk"
Blue Monk
4. “Yesterdays" Art Tatum
http://youtu.be/D9Cs_zb4q14
5. Charlie Parker
"All the Things You Are"
All the Things You Are
6. Dizzy Gillespie
"A Night in Tunisia"
http://youtu.be/BQYXn1DP38s
7. Ornette Coleman Quartet
http://youtu.be/swJ-BZyCIh8
8. Oscar Peterson Solo
http://youtu.be/cIkQNti8_EU
9. Herbie Hancock
http://youtu.be/XrgP1u5YWEg

10. Bud Powell

"Tempus Fugit"

http://youtu.be/yrO45Tzvhxg

Composition: High Blood Pressure on the Rise in the African American community? Check yours now!

2012-01-29T10:49:00.000-08:00

Our next in class assignment will be on blood pressure. Normal blood pressure is 120 mm systolic over 80 mm diastolic. In class, you will test your blood pressure to see if your blood pressure is normal, and then you will freewrite about blood pressure and our fast paced, fast food oriented, unhealthy lifestyle. High blood pressure is a number one killer in African American communities: African American community.
You would be surprised that 41% of African Americans have high blood pressure, and 21% of whites. Perhaps some of this could be attributed to environmental factors, but some also say genetic factors play a role. In any case, the best thing to do is to educate yourself. Don't go to the closest fast food place thinking that your heart is invincible.high blood pressure 41% in African American community
The heart is an incredible muscle, but it needs to be treated with respect. We are dead if our hearts break down.

119 or below is the normal systolic blood pressure (the number you get on the top)

120-139 is prehypertension

140 and greater is high blood pressure

My reading was 129, a little high. So, my own recommendation is for me to get a little more exercise in (that involves cardiovascular activity).

79 or below is normal diastolic blood pressure

80-89 is prehypertension

90 and greater is high blood pressure

My reading was 80, just at the bottom of the prehypertension scale, so I am going to concentrate on a little more exercise, less sweats, and more relaxation.

Your assignment will be to take your blood pressure in class, and then you can interpret the results yourself. Educate yourself!

Here are some foods that are good to eat to reduce your blood pressure as well as recommended lifestyle changes:

avoid anything with caffeine
reduce sodium intake
eat more fruits and vegetables
avoid fried foods
do not eat too many carbohydrates
eat fresh foods as much as possible
avoid eggs and foods that have high cholesterol content
excercise daily for one hour (cardiovascular activities are most important--you have to sweat in order to count any activity as exercise, but do not engage in extreme exercise)
avoid being overweight or obese
Avoid partially hydrogenated oil (fake oil--it is in a lot of products and is very bad for your health)
Avoid saturated fats
Do not eat sweets
Drink tea (Lipton! or herbal tea without caffeine) tea lowers blood pressure

If you have over 140 over 90, then you have high blood pressure.
Please note that your blood pressure changes daily, so you need to check your blood pressure often even if you get a reading with high blood pressure. You may not have high blood pressure if you have just one reading.

I just took my blood pressure, and I got a reading of 129 over 80. My systolic blood pressure was a little high, but my diastolic blood pressure was normal. That still turns out to be normal blood pressure (high is over 140 for systolic).

Please note that for your heart to work effectively, it needs to pump blood to your brain against the force of gravity. If we didn't have blood pressure, all of our blood would be in our legs (unless we learned to walk on our heads!).

Please note that if your blood pressure was less than 50 (systolic), you would be dead.
Extreme high blood pressure is 230 mm (Systolic) over 140 mm (diastolic).

If you don't understand this, see the chart below:

blood pressure chart

The Novel

2012-01-29T09:13:00.000-08:00

Please finish reading The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta.
We will discuss the phenomenon of cults in our class next week, as well as the idea of the rapture in the Bible.
book review of The Leftovers

Art and Music/African American Literature: DJ Spooky and Remixing

2012-01-28T11:09:00.000-08:00

A lot of creativity in the field of music today comes from remixing. That also means crossing the traditional boundaries between different musical genres, from jazz, to rap, hip hop, country, blues, romantic music, etc.
With a synthesizer and an Ipad Garage Band, so much can be done today. Led Zeppelin, the Beatles, Jay-Z, Madonna, and Mozart can be mixed together to create new music woven from all of music history.
D. J. Spooky is involved in remixing:
http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/27/living/mixmaster-creativity-dj-spooky-paul-miller/index.html?hpt=hp_c2 Spooky
What do you think of his work?
What is the future of music? Of African American music?
Will the concepts of new and old school disappear?

Art and Music: Link to the gospel music I will show you

2012-01-26T08:19:00.001-08:00

Here is a link to the gospel music I will show you:
http://youtu.be/emK7fbUY2g0

Humanities: Art and Music test

2012-01-26T06:21:00.000-08:00

I finally devised a test for a class today: 1/26/2012.
Print out a copy of C.P.E. Bach's "Solfegietto" from the free online sheet music. We will go over which note is which for this piano piece. That will solve all of our problems for the music theory. The test should be easy because we will go over the answers in class.
For extra credit, I will also have you figure out the chords for a gospel piece.
I figured that you should at least learn the basics of reading music, and this is the best way to see if you can read it.
http://www.free-scores.com/download-sheet-music.php?pdf=1059
Here is some information about C.P.E. Bach, who was the brother of Johan Sebastian Bach and was a musician in the Rococo period (right after the Baroque period).
Here is someone playing solfegietto too fast:
http://youtu.be/51VpkSpbaQ8
Here is someone playing solfegietto about right:
http://youtu.be/60Y4yuiJtdA
Here is a jazz musician (Bud Powell) playing solfegietto with a jazz twist:
http://youtu.be/oW3CkapPD_o
The speed of this piece is prestissimo.

Gospel piano chords:
http://youtu.be/_B2sYP8OoVk
I believe that music should be taught for all students in our college curriculum. What do you think?
We will cover art history beginning next week.

Composition: First Test on "African American Self Reliance in Post-Racial America"

2012-01-22T19:56:00.000-08:00

We will have our first test on the essay "African American Self-Reliance in Post-Racial America" throughout next week. Please bring the photocopied chapter or book to class, and do not use assignments from previous classes. You must write the essay in class only.

In your essay,

1) Introduce the author of the article that you are analyzing as well as the title of the article in your first paragraph. Place your name, the instructor's name, the class, and the date in the upper left hand corner. Create an original title for your paper. In your first paragraph, you should address the subject of the essay, which is the idea of self-reliance. Do you agree with Coleman's viewpoint that self-reliance is still necessary in a multiethnic America? Can self-reliance help African Americans overcome higher unemployment rates, lack of health care, and the lack of adequate educational institutions in African American communities? Do you agree with Coleman's viewpoint that African Americans will become more self-reliant as a result of President Obama's achievements?

2) Organize your body paragraphs. You should have at least 3 paragraphs in the body of your paper, each with a different main idea. You should include some quotes in your essay. Make sure that you introduce them. In your body paragraphs, use different rhetorical strategies to frame your argument, e.g. comparison and contrast (compare 2008 to 2012--how have conditions changed for African Americans?), cause and effect (for instance, you might argue with Coleman by questioning whether the election of Barack Obama will automatically result in a change in mindset in the African American community), example and illustration (use examples from your own experience to illustrate your points--what has changed in your life as a result of President Obama's election?), and narration (tell a story to illustrate a point), and description (describe for instance what a postracial society would really be like). You do not have to use all of these strategies, but these are some of the strategies that you should use in your essay.

Here are some important quotes that you could use in your essay:

Coleman questions the idea of a postracial America in the aftermath of the 2008 presidential election: "The United States seems at last to have acknowledged itself as a truly multiracial and multicultural nation. But have we entered a 'postracial era?'" (10).

Coleman describes the health care, education, and income gap between the black community and other ethnicities in America: "The disparities in access to education, health care, and income are symptomatic of conditions that have come to benefit some Americans at the expense of others" (11).

Coleman contends that Barack Obama's election has led to the idea of self-reliance in the African American community: "... the election of President Obama has not created a postracial America, but it has opened a space for black Americans to transition out of a mindset of displacing responsibility for their social situation on the American sociopolitical system and toward a mindset of self-reliance as perseverance" (12).

Coleman asks an important question: "... in the second decade of the 21st century, when an African American man is predisent of the United States, how does black America morph a history of suppression into a future of critical awareness and equal participation?" (13).

3) Write a conclusion. In your conclusion, return to your thesis. Restate your thesis, but draw conclusions by summarizing what you covered in your paper. What conclusions can you draw? This is your chance to make a last impression on your reader. Sometimes, you can also let your reader reflect on the overall purpose of your essay. Do not introduce new information in your conclusion.

Works Cited.
Coleman, Marcus. "African American Self-Reliance in Postracial America." Our Voices: Fifth Edition. Ed. Alberto Gonzalez, Marsha Houston, Victoria Chen. New York: Oxford UP, 2012. 10-19.

Art and Music: Classical Music

2012-01-22T11:36:00.001-08:00

I am going to list some of the greatest music ever from the classical music tradition and romantic musical traditions. You may not be aware of many of the great classical composers. Listen to each youtube video of the classical music, and select which one of the pieces is your favorite. This will be for credit for the class and will count towards your first exam grade. Even if you do not like classical music, keep an open mind and try to choose the piece that you think has the most musicality.
You will receive credit for your post. Try to explain why you like the piece you chose.
You can evaluate them according to technical skill, musicality, and originality. Enjoy!

1. Ludwig Van Beethoven - 1770-1827
Beethoven Symphony No. 5 in C minor
http://youtu.be/DrLr7QRTZ5E

2. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - 1756-1791
Mozart's Requiem in D Minor
http://youtu.be/Zi8vJ_lMxQI

3. Johann Sebastian Bach - 1685-1750
http://youtu.be/_FXoyr_FyFw

4. Richard Wagner - 1813-1883
Ride of The Valkyries
http://youtu.be/_FXoyr_FyFw

5. Joseph Haydn - 1732-1809
Symphony No. 34 in D minor
http://youtu.be/OsRHjURM604

6. Johannes Brahms - 1833-1897
Hungarian Dance No. 5 in G minor
http://youtu.be/3X9LvC9WkkQ

7. Franz Schubert - 1797-1828
Serenade
http://youtu.be/ZpA0l2WB86E

8. Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky - 1840-1893
Piano Concerto 1 in B flat minor
http://youtu.be/BWerj8FcprM

9. George Frideric Handel - 1685-1759 The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba

http://youtu.be/-TGKJ9MgCOQ
10. Igor Stravinsky - 1882-1971
Rite Of Spring
http://youtu.be/Z0xNo2894Fw

11. Robert Schumann - 1810-1856 Traumerei
http://youtu.be/qq7ncjhSqtk

12. Frederic Chopin - 1810-1849
http://youtu.be/ef-4Bv5Ng0w

13. Felix Mendelssohn - 1809-1847
A Midsummer's Night Dream Wedding March
http://youtu.be/z0wmzoHd6yo

14. Claude Debussy - 1862-1918
Clair De Lune
http://youtu.be/bINSmhssRRs

15. Franz Liszt - 1811-1886
Liebestraum
http://youtu.be/KpOtuoHL45Y

16. Antonin Dvorak - 1841-1904
Songs My Mother Taught Me
http://youtu.be/tv3H_SkNuRU

17. Giuseppe Verdi - 1813-1901
Aida (Opus Arte)
http://youtu.be/6QO21JCa7NA

18. Gustav Mahler - 1860-1911
Symphony No. 2 Resurrection
http://youtu.be/d6idPaGqvV8

19. Hector Berlioz - 1803-1869
Symphonie Fantastique No. 5
http://youtu.be/IrezpUWIY98

20. Antonio Vivaldi - 1678-1741
Four Seasons
http://youtu.be/nGdFHJXciAQ

21. Richard Strauss - 1864-1949
Also Spake Zarthustra
http://youtu.be/SLuW-GBaJ8k

22. Serge Prokofiev - 1891-1953
Dance of the Knights
http://youtu.be/DUmq1cpcglQ

23. Dmitri Shostakovich - 1906-1975
Symphony No. 5

http://youtu.be/ogJFXqYEYd8

24. Béla Bartók - 1881-1945
Romanian Folk Dances

http://youtu.be/A02X9_w3DWA

Art and Music, African American Literature: Listening to the Blues

2012-01-22T11:36:00.000-08:00

The blues is one of the most powerful musical traditions ever. Most of modern music comes from the blues--from country, rock, hip hop, jazz, soul, rhythm and blues, etc. The blues evolved from African American work songs and from ragtime music. While the popularity of the blues has dwindled, this music will remain with us forever as a source of inspiration for future generations.

Evaluate these songs and see which one you like the best. They are representative of some of the great blues artists.
Also, answer the question: what do you feel the blues is about? Is it all about sadness, or is it also about toughness?

1. "Boogie Woogie" Meade Lux Lewis
Don't laugh too hard with the dancing from this time period! The music might be great to listen to, but the dancing at that time seems pretty primitive compared to today.
http://youtu.be/28_wHq8MsjU

2. "Chicago Breakdown" Big Maceo Merriweather
http://youtu.be/EcVCz_zkjRo

3. "Every Night I Have the Blues" Memphis Slim
http://youtu.be/qy_H-1J4xWs

4. "Shake Rattle & Roll" Big Joe Turner
http://youtu.be/LeiMByJ-Cec

5. "Detroit City Blues" Fats Domino
http://youtu.be/8mix3gmzPa0

6. Huey Piano Smith
"Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu"
http://youtu.be/0QR5s1aqE5k

7. Louis Armstrong
"Basin Street Blues"
http://youtu.be/6GuDExkBmnU

8. Billie Holiday
"The Blues Are Brewing"
http://youtu.be/x6RwSsHSIfs

9. Roosevelt Sykes
"Gulfport Boogie"
http://youtu.be/MnduDyjkytY

10. Little Brother Montgomery

"Prisoner Bound Blues"
http://youtu.be/n98MQCMxwRU

11. Otis Span

"T'aint Nobody's Business If I Do"
http://youtu.be/pui2zoH2VlI

12. Camille Howard
"Bangin' The Boogie"
http://youtu.be/dfW9Fhp1F88

13. Amos Milburn
"After Midnight"
http://youtu.be/j7OPNLdoOMg

14. Albert Ammons and Pete Johnson
"Boogie Woogie Dream"
http://youtu.be/mIVJw8yX6GY

15. Jimmy Yancy
"Rolling The Stone"
http://youtu.be/m3BSIckiKyM

16. Whistlin' Alex Moore

http://youtu.be/EqThBmQLPIw

17. Robert Johnson "Crossroad"

http://youtu.be/Yd60nI4sa9A

18. Jimi Hendrix "I'm a Man"

http://youtu.be/q_ZDNhO03Nk

Art and Music: Test Material for next Tuesday

2012-01-18T05:20:00.000-08:00

Section I:Identify all of the notes in a C major scale:

II. Identify all the types of chords for the note of C:

C major

C minor

Extra Credit:

C minor 7

C major 7

CSus2

CSus4

CAug

C 7 b5

C7 #5

Cm7b5

Cm6

Cdim

Cdim7

III. Describe the meaning of the various time signatures:

IV. Place in order the following terms for tempo in Italian (from slowest to fastest)

There will be more on the test, and you can search for the answers online through google.

I will go over the chords and the minor scales on Thursday.

You will need to know the basic idea behind the circle of fifths, and you will also have to identify the scale of C in the bass clef. You will have to know the basic musical terms.

I will add more to this post later today.

Composition: Discussion of "African American Self-Reliance in Post-racial America"

2012-01-14T17:58:00.001-08:00

In "African American Self-Reliance in Postracial America," Marcus Coleman describes how the election of Barack Obama created a new racial discourse in America. It has been four years since the election of Barack Obama to the White House, but have race relations really changed for the better in America?
Here are some Internet sites that discuss the concept of a post-racial society. The first link is from a person's opinion on the web--it is not scholarly at all, but it does give a different perspective of a postracial society.

http://http://www.positivearticles.com/Article/Opposing-Views-of-a-Post-Racial-Society/47974
The author's opinion is that race is still an issue in America. The author wrote this piece in 2009.

In a recent art exhibition in Los Angeles, an artist depicted a group of white men attacking a black man for dating a white woman. You can see the slideshow at this link:

http://www.examiner.com/artists-in-los-angeles/kienholz-s-five-car-stud-reminds-us-that-post-racial-is-still-a-myth

The point of this artwork is to reveal the violence that can still occur in our society today. If our society was really post-racial, events like this would not occur. Certainly, they are more isolated, but these incidents should never occur in our society.

Is it possible that the election of President Barack Obama to the White House has made people more silent about the realities of racism? What can an individual do to combat racism?

In "African American Self-Reliance in Postracial America," Marcus Coleman inquires: "how do we as a nation work to alter the traditional meaning of the white-black binary?" (13).

What can our society do to break down barriers between races and ethnicities?
Why do you think fewer people are talking about race today than in the past?

Discuss your experiences with racism and what you think our society needs to do to "alter the traditional white/black binary opposition.

Works Cited.
Coleman, Marcus. "African American self-Reliance in Postracial America." Our Voices: Essays in Culture, Ethnicity, and Communication: Fifth Edition. Ed. Alberto Gonzalez, Marsha Houston, and Victoria Chen. New York: Oxford UP, 2012. 10-19.

Humanities/Art and Music: Links to Music Theory

2012-01-12T08:28:00.000-08:00

Here are all the major scales:

http://www.music.vt.edu/musicdictionary/appendix/scales/scales/majorscales.html

Intervals and scales:

http://library.thinkquest.org/15413/theory/intervals.htm

Scales and the notes on the piano, as well as musical notation:

http://www.musicalintervalstutor.info/listenModes.html

This last site shows all the keys on the piano that are pressed down for all of the chords! It also shows the scales.

http://www.8notes.com/piano_chord_chart/Am7.asp

Please let me know if you have any questions about this.

African American Self Reliance and a Postracial America

2012-01-12T08:17:00.000-08:00

Do you think America is a post-racial society or not? Has the election of President Barack Obama changed race relations in America or not? Give your opinion.

Also, discuss the disturbing trend in the African American community towards higher unemployment. According to recent statistics, "the African American unemployment rate increased from 15.5 to 15.8 percent" (Malveaux). Why do you think African American unemployment is on the rise despite the political changes that have occurred with the election of President Barack Obama?

Please read the following article and comment on the statistics.

Article on unemployment gap between African Americans and other ethnicities

What conclusions can you draw? Is the increased unemployment in the African American community a result of discrimination in American society? Can we really live in a "postracial society" with such an income gap between African Americans and other ethnicities?

African American Literature and Humanities: Spirituals and Gospel Music

2012-01-09T08:32:00.000-08:00

Spirituals and gospel music can be appreciated by everyone, and particularly, they are examples of the strength and the resilience of the human spirit during hard times. You can watch these videos and be prepared to write about them in class. Please feel free to comment on them.

For the first part of the class, we will be covering the African American vernacular tradition. The vernacular tradition is the folk tradition, which is composed of songs, music, tales, and the oral tradition. The vernacular tradition often informs the literary tradition, and we will examine later in class how they relate to each other when we discuss the Harlem Renaissance and the Black Arts Movement.

For my Humanities (Art and Music class), just be able to identify these various musical pieces.

City Called Heaven

Ezekiel Saw De Wheel African American Spiritual

"I'm A Rollin'" African American spiritual

"Go Down Moses"

"Been in the Storm So Long"

"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot"

"Steal Away to Jesus"

"Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel?"

child speaks out on slavery and "Wade in the Water"

"Walk Together Children"

"Soon I Will Be Done"

"Come Sunday"

Gospel:

"This Little Light of Mine"

"Down By the Riverside"

"Freedom in the Air"

"Take My Hand, Precious Lord"

"Peace Be Still"

"Stand By Me"

Chord Progressions: Art and Music

2012-01-07T17:39:00.000-08:00

In music, chords (three or more notes played at the same time) change in musical pieces and are placed in a sequence. Above, we have a progression from V-IV-I in the C major scale. G is five notes from C, so the G major chord is the V chord for C major. F is four notes from C, so it is the IV chord for C major. Obviously, C major is the first chord with C. When you play the C major chord, the F major chord, and the G major chord, you are progressing along the C major scale from the first note (C) to the fourth note (F) to the fifth note (G). This is called a chord progression. All types of music with harmony (notes played at the same time) have chord progressions. Some earlier music only has melodic progressions; more contemporary music has harmonic progressions with chords.

Above, you have the fifth chord for C major, which is G B D (D is on the top), and the second picture is the IV chord or the fourth chord for C major, F A C (C is on the top), and then you have the first chord in C major, which is known as the I chord or the CMaj chord (CEG with G on the top). The G chord in the top of the image is shown with inversions. Inversions happen when the root is no longer the first note on the chord. You play the GBD chord with the same notes, but BDG is the sequence for the first inversion (the third note becomes the first note). DGB is the second inversion with the fifth note played as the first. Every chord has only two inversions.

Above, you have the C major scale. The first note is C, the second note is D, the third note is E and is on the first line, the fourth note is F, the fifth note is G and is on the second line, the sixth note is A, the seventh note is B, and the note at the top is C one octave higher (remember, if you play eight notes one after the other on a piano on the white keys, you will reach the same note again, just one octave higher). Scales have notes played in a succession and are the basis of melodies. Chords are played at the same time, so they are the basis of harmony, or the vertical arrangement of notes. Chords come from scales and are based on scales, so that does make things easier for us.

Above, you have a picture of the notes C E G. C is the bottom note. E is the middle note, and G is the top note on the second line from bottom. The symbol on the right means that the notes are played on the right half of a piano, which is the side of the piano where higher pitched notes are played. This is the C major chord. All three of these notes are played simultaneously on the piano.

We covered the circle of fifths and all of the major scales in the last post.

A lot of this material sounds extremely complicated, but I will try to boil down the basics of music theory. Chords look very complicated, but they are always organized around a root note, just as scales are based on a root note. There are certain tricks that musicians use to learn how to create harmonies. A knowledge of scales both major and minor and the chords that arise from these scales is essential to any form of music. A chord is a series of notes played simultaneously, while melodies (based on scales) are notes played in succession.

We have talked about scales, which are notes played in a sequence. Scales are the basis of melody, which is based on a horizontal arrangement of notes in a linear sequence. Chords are the basis of harmony, and like scales, they are organized around a root note. The major chords are made from the 1st, 3rd, and 5th notes respectively played together simultaneously.

There are many types of chords. The ones that you should know are the major, minor, diminished, half-diminished chord, and many others.

Let's take C major.

CEG is the CM chord.

CEbG is the Cm chord (minor). In this case, Eb would be a black key on the piano, just below E.

CEG# C aug chord. This is the augmented chord. In the augmented chord, you raise the fifth note.

CEGb C dim chord. In the diminished chord, you lower the fifth note a half step (from a white to a black key).

Sometimes, a plus sign is used for augmented.

Sometimes, a minus sign is used for diminished.

There is also the dominant chord and the half-diminished chord.

CEGB Major seventh

CEGBb Dominant seventh (the seventh note is lowered half a step)

CEbGbBb Half Dimished Seventh

CEbGbB diminished seventh

CEG#B Augmented Major Seventh

CEG#Bb Augmented seventh

These are some of the major chords of the C major scale. As you can see from the chords above, chords are usually created from the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th notes of any root note. Some jazz pieces play the root of the chord in the left hand and the other parts of the chord in the right hand. You can also have chords that have notes 11, or even 13 notes away from the first chord! Sometimes, you even have a CSUS4 chord, which has the first note, C, the fourth note, F, and the fifth note G.

One complicated aspect of chords is that chords often change in music.

You can invert the C major chord by playing CEG with E as the first note. The chord would be EGC. So, instead of playing the first note, you play the third note at the beginning of the chord.

You can also have a second inversion, such as GCE. G is the fifth note in C major.

A simple chord progression is the I-IV-V chord progression:

An easy way to make a completely harmonious chord progression with scales is to use the circle of fifths and a I-IV-V-I chord progression.

First, you need to know what a chord is. The major chords are derived from the scales with the first, third, and fifth note.

Remember, the first note of a scale is the root.

So, for C major, the first chord, would be C-E-G. You play all of these notes together to create harmony. Harmony occurs when notes are played together.

You play the chords in the left hand when you do this exercise. You play the scales in the right hand.

So, you play CEG in the left hand, and then for the first three notes, hold the chord down. Play C D E in the right hand.

When you get to F, you change the C E G chord to C F A. F is the fourth note in the C major scale, so the F chord from C major, which is labeled IV because it is four notes away from C, is F A C. I usually play this chord inverted as C F A with a lower C instead of a higher C.

A chord inversion happens when you shuffle the notes around. Usually, the C major chord is played C E G, but you can play it E G C with a higher C or even G C E, which is the second inversion. The root remains C, but you have changed the position of the root note.

Anyway, to continue our discussion, you have played

CEG as a chord in the left hand (I) CDE notes one after the other

CFA as a chord in the left hand (IV) F in the right hand

Then you play the G B D chord in the left hand

(V) GAB in the right hand

Then you play the higher CEG chord C one octave higher (8 notes higher)

You can continue this I - IV- V chord progression throughout the circle of fifths.

To make a transition to the next scale, G major, you just play up the piano by playing

CEG chord (I) in the left hand CDE in succession in the right hand

FAC chord (IV) in the left hand F in the right hand

G major chord I in the left hand G B D GAB in succession in the right hand

You basically continue playing the scale in the right hand with the same chord progression in the left hand for all of the scales.

You have complete harmony on both sides as you play this chord progressions.

That is because the I-IV-V chord progression harmonizes with every note on the circle of fifths.

The first chord in C major, C E G, is called the Tonic. It is also known as the Roman numeral I.

The fourth chord in C major, F A C, is called the Subdominant chord. It also known by the Roman numeral IV.

The fifth chord in C major, G B D, is called the Dominant chord. It is also known by the Roman numeral V.

These are the major triads for every scale. Remember, a chord is a collection of three or more notes, usually the 1st, 3rd, and 5th of every scale.

Another important issue to remember is that you have chords that are minor chords as well as major chords.

Minor chords are represented by lower case Roman numerals. D minor is represented by ii rather than II in the C major scale.

Not all music is based on the circle of fifths. The major and minor scales are organized by a sequence of perfect fifths as you have learned from this lesson and the previous music lesson. Jazz, funk, blues, and nonwestern forms of music do not always rely on the circle of fifths. Scales organized along the circle of fifths are called diatonic scales.

Many pop songs, classical music, and the blues rely on this I-IV-V progression, so this is an important form of chord progression in a lot of music. For instance, with C major, you have:

CEG (I)

FAC (IV)

GAD (V)

In the next post, I will discuss how to read music and basic musical terms. I will also have a video lecture on this subject as well. Many of the basic musical terms are in Italian. Also, you will future posts will deal with the birth of art and some of the earliest types of music.

The theories regarding harmonies and music evolved around the 17th-18th centuries with Baroque and Classical music. Early music relied on different types of scales, which we will examine as well in future posts. The pentatonic scale is one example of a nonwestern musical scale found in nonwestern cultures.

For your test, most of the questions concerning the circle of fifths and chords will be extra credit. If you can explain the circle of fifths in a paragraph, then you will receive extra credit for the test when we have it. I will also update the syllabus soon and add dates for when the tests will be.

We will also examine images of art from the early period of history up to the Renaissance.

There are many different chord progressions in different types of music, and you won't be asked to identify all of the different chord progressions. If you can identify some of the basic chords for C major, then you will receive extra credit for the test.

You should also be familiar with the basic notes on a scale and how to read the notes. We will cover that in the next posts, and I will show these terms on the board.

Musical theory can get very complex because of all the inversions that can occur with chords, but if you know the basics, you can develop a sound understanding of written music and learn to read music for almost any musical instrument. I will also post information about the minor scales in a future post. The minor scales are not always associated with darker notes (the dark notes on the piano), but they usually sound sadder and more exotic than major scales. Minor scales are often used in jazz and the blues, while major scales are often used in classical music.

The Circle of Fifths: Art and Music

2012-01-07T10:35:00.001-08:00

We discussed in class over this week the concept of the circle of fifths.

The circle of fifths includes all the possible notes for every major scale.

A scale is a sequence of notes that goes up or down one octave from the root note, which is the first note of the scale.

In the circle of fifths, you start from

C major (no flats, no sharps) CDEFGABC

An octave is eight notes up or down.

Notice that the fifth note of C major is G.

So, the next scale is G major. The rule is that you add a sharp to the next to last note in the scale as you go up the circle of fifths.

So, G major is: GABCDEF#G

Then if we go five notes up, we get to D major.
Keep the F# from G major in D major.

So, we get DEF#GABC#D

Remember C # happens because C is the next to last note.

From D major, we move to A major.

ABC#D#EFG#A

Then, we get E major.

EF#G#ABC#D#E

Then, we get B major:

BC#D#EF#G#A#B

Then, we move to flats because F# major and Gb major are the same black key. This is called an enharmonic equivalent.

Gb Ab Bb Cb Db Eb F Gb

Notice that the only note that is not a flat is the seventh note.

Then we get Db.

Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C Db

Notice that now the only two notes that are not flat is the seventh note C and F from Gb major.

Then, we go up five notes to Ab major.

Ab Bb C Db Eb F G Ab

Notice the seventh note Gb is now only G.

From Ab, we go to Eb major.

Eb F G Ab Bb C D Eb

Then, from Eb major, we go to Bb major.

Bb C D Eb F G A Bb

Then from Bb major, we got F major.

FGABbCDEF

Then, from F we go to C major.

CDEFGABC

If you noticed, we went all the way around the circle of fifths. I will explain this again in class and give you a diagram to make this clearer.

I will discuss how you develop the minor scales from the major scales in the next post.

I hope this helps you.

I can send you an audio clip explaining this concept if you would like in the next post.

http://youtu.be/VfrD6IOTgKY

http://youtu.be/cSlGYdn_auk

http://youtu.be/mqss7ZAfQ0Y

Smooth Jazz: Is it really jazz?

2011-12-16T13:42:00.001-08:00

Smooth jazz probably reminds you of elevator music if you have ever heard it. Played with electric keyboards, smooth jazz is very mellow. I ordered a smooth jazz book for the piano, and it had some really laid back pieces. You would be surprised to hear that smooth jazz sells so well. Some feel that smooth jazz is not really jazz because it doesn't have the blues influence that can be found in traditional jazz. Perhaps though, smooth jazz just represents the freedom that jazz illustrates: the idea of pushing melodies and harmonies to different levels in the name of musical freedom.
You probably recognize this music from whenever you have gone into a shopping mall--
http://youtu.be/EGtTblTR0YU
There is nothing wrong with this evolution of jazz in my opinion, but traditional jazz I believe still has its place in our society.
Of course, you probably also recognize Grover Washington's smooth jazz. I think smooth jazz represents a laid back interpretation of jazz.
http://youtu.be/lmMsyn10ZYg
In future posts, I will also discuss different types of jazz and the evolution of the music, all in the search for that mystical concept that we call soul.
To be sure, smooth jazz is very commercialized and reminds me of eating at a fast food restaurant or of shopping, but the psychological effects of this music are very powerful... It communicates a feeling of relaxation and letting go. Perhaps that is the "soul" of quality elevator music....
We will be discussing hip hop and rap as well in these posts, but we are going to discuss all aspects of the African American vernacular tradition as it has branched out. Everyone can appreciate the concept of smooth jazz, as you can see on the numerous videos posted throughout youtube.
Also, going back to the concept of soul... I think all of us have a soul, we just have to find it, and finding it through musical expression is terrific nowadays. What would the world be without those people who invented jazz, hip hop, and soul music today?

Blue Monk, All Blues, and Maple Leaf Rag: A Journey Into the Past

2011-12-07T08:27:00.000-08:00

These are all just some old pieces, but all of these pieces are interesting because of the soul they express. I've been working on playing all of these pieces on the piano, and one of my questions is how the expression of soul fits into all of these pieces. It is hard, if not impossible, to get into the mind of the person who composed these pieces. I do go by the old saying that great artistic works are produced by the depth of suffering a person goes through. I think Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, and Scott Joplin went through a lot of hardship in their lives, and music acted as a form of soul therapy for them. Today, people all over the world celebrate their work and interpret it in different ways. Here are some videos.

Thelonious Monk produced Blue Monk, which is probably one of the deepest blues pieces of all time. The blue notes in the piece, the sadness that permeates the whole piece, the rhythm to the whole piece is terrific. The melody is relatively simple to play on the piano.
http://youtu.be/FRUWtrgTpcs

Improvisation is the spirit of jazz and the blues. It takes rhythm, harmony, melody, and soul to do it right.
I am impressed by all the types of improvisation based on this piece from people from all walks of life.
Here is an interpretation of Blue Monk with a lot of chords and experimentation:
http://youtu.be/mHKqnxaoxpg
Here is another interpretation of the same piece:
http://youtu.be/T6BhVy0hu94
To be honest, I like the interpretations that do not vary too much from the basic melody of the piece. This one interpretation sounds much better:
http://youtu.be/cO9mqA-jkec

Now, a really beautiful piece is Miles Davis' All Blues, which is really soulfully interpreted by Herbie Hancock and Gulda playing on the piano. These guys really make their pianos sing. Check this piece out:
http://youtu.be/hgyxtgHROxg

I can play this piece on the piano fairly well, and I'll post some video of me playing it, but I can't play it at all like these two piano greats.

We can also look back at ragtime to see the early roots of the blues. Scott Joplin was one of the innovators of this style.

This Asian guy just completely expresses Joplin's rag, the Maple Leaf Rag, in such an expressive way. Pretty amazing stuff:
http://youtu.be/0B04--XmZiE

Has today's music lost its soul?

2011-12-03T07:24:00.001-08:00

This a question that many people ask, not just among African Americans, but also throughout America. There is a lingering feeling that today, music just doesn't deal with love anymore or sensitive issues. For the spring semester of 2012, in my composition and African American literature courses, we are going to explore the history of African American music, from the spirituals, to gospel, to the blues, jazz, R& B, hip hop, rap, and folk songs. We will examine how music has often defined the African American experience. One of the questions is what is soul? It is a hard concept to define, but soul has to do with music that is not just played in a technically perfect manner, but it is an expression of the spirit. Since I am a musician myself, I like to think that a piece I compose has soul, but I can't really state what it is. Maybe by going back on memory lane and revisiting some of the greatest musicians of the past, we can rediscover it through this blog. Maybe also in looking back in the past, we can redefine the future, a future where soul still has a place. I think the need for soulful music has not died out. If musicians aren't producing soul today, it doesn't mean they don't have soul. They just need to find it again. Maybe we need a new movement, not just an Occupy Wall Street, but a movement that will bring the power of love back to the American people.

In light of this, I will be organizing a talent show in early 2012. The theme will be soul... music, spoken word, anything with a soul. It won't be about who is the best or about bringing people down, or self-destruction.
I think our world needs to reinvent music, a music that will bring back to life our broken lives.

Here is an article on the subject:
http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/02/showbiz/music/love-songs/index.html?hpt=hp_c1

Extension for Papers: All papers due Monday marked FINAL with writing rubric

2011-12-02T06:36:00.001-08:00

I prefer that you turn in all of your three papers with the writing rubric and a detailed self-evaluation. Monday is the date to turn in all of your final papers marked FINAL with the name of the paper. Please send your best paper to the email address indicated in the last post (it should be one of your final papers) and to me at raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com
Have a wonderful break, and if you like lasagna, please come to the open house across from secretarial services from 12 to 4 p.m. today.

All Classes: Submit your best paper for your Saint Paul's writing portfolio

2011-12-02T06:24:00.001-08:00

Please submit your best paper to 1611F11@saintpauls.edu. Please make sure that the paper is written according to MLA format. You must have a focused thesis, organized ideas, and grammatically correct sentences in this paper. This is required for all classes. Also, you have an extension until Monday to turn in all of your papers to raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com. Also, you should submit one paper to me that I can use as a sample paper on my website (that should be the same paper you submit as your best paper to Saint Paul's). Please note that when you write these papers, you are leaving your legacy for future generations of Saint Paul's students.

All Classes: Turn In Your Assignments by this Friday

2011-11-30T06:23:00.001-08:00

Send all of your assignments to me at raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com. Attach all of your assignments in one email, mark the final paper with the word FINAL in the title of the file, and do not send me any hard copies of your papers (they will not be accepted). You must also include your own self-evaluation at the end of the paper according to the writing rubric. Please evaluate your paper for Style and Mechanics, Evidence (following MLA format), Organization, and Focus and Thesis.

All papers are due by this Friday. You may only file for an extension under extenuating circumstances. Contact me at raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com if you need help with your papers.

Here is a copy of the rubric for your information. Please provide a detailed justification for the score you give for your papers:
Writing Rubric: please attach to your own papers (all classes)

Student name: ________________

The title of the paper evaluated: _______________

Course: _______________________

WRITING RUBRIC

Use this rubric to evaluate your own papers and to evaluate other students' papers, and please attach a self-evaluation of your papers at the end of the drafts of your paper; this rubric will be used to evaluate your papers for the final grade.

Core Program Course Rubric (CPRC)

Writing Rubric

Calculate scores according to this scale:

5 (Skilled); 4 (Proficient); 3 (Average); 2 (Marginally Acceptable); 1 (Unacceptable)

then add all of the scores and multiply by 5 to get the percentage.

Focus and Thesis (1-5)

Your score: ____________

Justification for your score: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Questions: Does the essay respond to the prompt in a focused way? Does the essay maintain a single focus throughout?

Goal: Identifiable thesis representing adequate understanding of the assigned topic. Thesis or focus is developed throughout essay.

Evidence (1-5)

Your score: ____________

Justification for your score: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Questions: Does the writer support assertions with evidence or examples? Is evidence cited according to required guidelines (such as MLA)? Are quotations integrated into the student’s own writing? Goal: Accurate evidence that is well documented, relevant, well integrated, and/or appropriate.

Organization (1-5)

Your score: ____________

Justification for your score: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Questions: Does the student divide paragraphs by idea? Does the student develop paragraphs beyond two sentences? Does the student distinguish between an introductory paragraph, a body paragraph, and a conclusion? Goal: Effective paragraphing with few overall organizational problems. Introduction and conclusion are effectively related to the whole.

Style and Mechanics (1-5)

Your score: ____________

Justification for your score: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Question: Is the essay written according to the conventions of Standard Written English? Some sentence-level errors are normal, but not multiple errors of multiple kinds. Goal: Effective and varied sentences; minimal errors in sentence construction; only occasional punctuation, spelling and/or capitalization errors.

Total score: ___ + ___+ ____+ ____ = ____ x 5 = ____ %

0-59% F

60-69% D

70-79% C

80-89% B

90-100% A

Jay-Z interview: All Classes

2011-11-29T08:25:00.001-08:00

http://www.npr.org/2010/11/16/131334322/the-fresh-air-interview-jay-z-decoded
Jay Z had a recent interview with National Public Radio. The interviewer really did not know much about Jay Z's work, but I think what Jay Z had to say was very interesting. Post your comments on the interview. What do you think of his legacy? You can write a paper on this for extra credit if you want. ALSO, YOU MAY USE THIS PAPER TO REPLACE ONE OF YOUR ASSIGNED PAPERS. THIS PAPER SHOULD BE 3 PAGES IN LENGTH AND MUST INCLUDE QUOTES FROM THE INTERVIEW ACCORDING TO MLA FORMAT. His interview deals with the issue of growing up in a tough neighborhood and using music as a way to escape a hard life.

The Modern Language Association (MLA) has its own guidelines for citing an interview as a reference. For example, if you're citing an interview Matt Lauer of the "Today Show" did with John Smith you'd write, "Smith, John. Interview with Matt Lauer. Today Show. NBC, New York. 10 Apr. 2007." When you place a quote in your paper, cite the name of the person who did the interview after the quote.

Example of a quotation in a paper (turn into a block quote; I can't do block quotes on the blog, so indent twice and do not use quotation marks when doing a block quote):

Jay-Z used poetry to survive:
"I would run into the corner store, the bodega, and just grab a paper bag or buy juice — anything just to get a paper bag," he says. "And I'd write the words on the paper bag and stuff these ideas in my pocket until I got back. Then I would transfer them into the notebook. As I got further and further away from home and my notebook, I had to memorize these rhymes — longer and longer and longer. ... By the time I got to record my first album, I was 26, I didn't need pen or paper — my memory had been trained just to listen to a song, think of the words, and lay them to tape" (Gross).
What are his best songs in your opinion?

Composition I and Composition II: Update on Assignments

2011-11-25T06:17:00.001-08:00

I will only be requiring that you turn in three revised papers for your final grade. Please turn in your best papers! I am working on returning your papers right now. I am looking forward to reading your work in class.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Studies in Literary Topics: Update

2011-11-25T06:16:00.001-08:00

Since the semester is coming to a close so fast, please turn in your Grapes of Wrath paper with some emphasis on the Literary Theory book. I am canceling the final project, which is to do a presentation on a second book for the class. If you have prepared the presentation, then you will receive extra credit for the presentation. Please bring your papers to class, so we can revise them.

African American Literature: Update

2011-11-25T06:12:00.001-08:00

Out of the eight papers assigned, I will require that you only turn in three well revised papers. If you have turned in more, that will work towards a higher grade. Three well revised papers means that you have to have revised these papers according to the rubric and attached the rubric. I will be sending you back your papers later today, and you should be receiving them through the email. Please begin sending me your final papers. Attach the writing rubric to your papers at the end of your papers and evaluate your papers.
I notice that some students have turned in papers that are not written in their own words. Be warned that you will receive a failing grade if you plagiarize.
Have a happy Thanksgiving, and I am looking forward to your revisions!

Composition: Why do more white people support Herman Cain than black people?

2011-11-22T09:13:00.001-08:00

Does Herman Cain have a chance with the black community? Why do you think more white voters are attracted to Cain than black voters? What do you think makes him popular among some white voters? In a poll, only 6% of African Americans would vote for Cain against Obama. Are you surprised that conservative white voters would show up to his speeches?Cain and black voters

Composition: Student Kills Gay Classmate

2011-11-22T08:40:00.001-08:00

The essay on Black queer identity assigned for our class brings up some important and controversial issues. The essay about one black homosexual man's rejection by his family and his effort to deal with rejection by his own community. While some students may disagree with homosexuality and while homosexuality is often condemned by the black community, what about the issue of tolerance in the black community and in American society as a whole? Recently, a teen murdered a person for being gay. How tolerant do you think our society should be? Even if you disagree with homosexuality, does that mean you should discriminate against homosexuals? Where can you draw the line? Here is the article: student kills gay classmate

African American Literature: Their Eyes Were Watching God and Dialogue for "A Raisin in the Sun"

2011-11-18T06:46:00.001-08:00

http://www.script-o-rama.com/movie_scripts/r/raisin-in-the-sun-script.html
This is the script for A Raisin in the Sun. However, you will not find the names of the characters attached to the dialogue. It is a violation of copyright to have the full play online, so if you do not have the book, this is the best that I can do for you. I recommend asking someone in class about borrowing a book if you do not have the book.
Also, for Their Eyes Were Watching God, read the chapter on the Pear Tree in The Norton Anthology of African American Literature: 2nd Edition. You should have quotes from the passage in The Norton Anthology of African American Literature. In chapter 2, the chapter on the pear tree, the pear tree is a symbol of Janie's budding sexuality and her desire as a woman to find a man who would complement her. In my chapter on Their Eyes Were Watching God, I discuss Janie's quest to find a man and use that as a metaphor for the relationship of the individual to the object of desire and to the blues. You need to find a few quotes from both texts in your paper on Their Eyes Were Watching God.

Clips from the film Their Eyes Were Watching God:
Trailer
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Their Eyes Were Watching God Best moments

There are many other clips of the movie on youtube. I encourage you to watch them if you would like some inspiration for your paper.

Composition: Should the Occupy Protest Have a Central Message?

2011-11-17T08:25:00.001-08:00

Occupy Wall Street: No central message
Occupy Wall Street CNN article
The media claims that Occupy Wall Street has no central message. Is there a central message? Do you think the movement is based on all of the problems we have today, such as corporations influencing government, the large amount of wealth associated with 1% of the population, and the ecological crisis? Do you think the protests need a leader, or is being leaderless an advantage? What do you think the movement can accomplish without a leader?
Police versus protesters
Some of the alleged goals:
question the power of the state
give people jobs, homes, meaningful opportunities
create the space for the people to take power back into their own hands
'The state is powerful'
“The eviction last night is very much the point … the state is powerful ,” said Peter Queck, 28, a member of the working group who is unemployed. “To expand the movement, we need to reach out to more and more of the 99 percent … to people who are on the sidelines trying to wait for something more concrete. … Demands I think, still play an integral part of that.”
“Creating a civic space where actual democratic discussion is possible has been central to our movement and will continue to be so,” he said. “It's obvious that in our society unless we make spaces for real and meaningful conversation, that those conversations won't happen, so occupying a space is certainly on the forefront of most of our minds.”

Composition: Get rid of books in the 21st century classroom

2011-11-16T06:32:00.001-08:00

Read this article. Do you think regular books should be outlawed in college? Should all colleges use ebooks? Do you think the author is being serious? What do you use, ebooks or regular books?
regular books should be outlawed in college

Composition: New York Protesters forcibly removed, judge declares police action unconstitutional

2011-11-15T08:31:00.001-08:00

protesters removed, then judge rules forcible removal unconstitutional
A judge decided that the decision to remove protesters was unconstitutional. The mayor says he needed to clean the park. Is it coincidental that mayors chose to clean parks in Oakland and other places at the same time, or is this an organized effort to stop protests before a presidential election?
"Protesters -- and the general public -- are welcome there to exercise their First Amendment rights, and otherwise enjoy the park, but will not be allowed to use tents, sleeping bags or tarps and, going forward, must follow all park rules," Bloomberg said.
"The law that created Zuccotti Park required that it be open for the public to enjoy for passive recreation 24 hours a day. Ever since the occupation began, that law has not been complied with, as the park has been taken over by protesters, making it unavailable to anyone else. ... The park was becoming a place where people came not to protest, but rather to break laws, and in some cases, to harm others," the mayor said.

Hundreds of police officers surrounded the park in riot gear with plastic shields across their faces, holding plastic shields and batons which were used on some cases on protesters.

Police also came armed with klieg lights, which they used to flood the park, and bull horns to announce that everyone had to clear out.

These two photos were taken in two different parts of the world. Can you tell where the first one was and where the second one was?
A New York judge issued an order Tuesday morning allowing Occupy Wall Street protesters to return to Zuccotti Park, just hours after scores of police in riot gear ordered them out and tore down their tents.

The order from New York Supreme Court Judge Lucy Billings allows protesters to bring tents and other equipment back into the privately owned park where the now-global Occupy movement began.
Does the judge's decision really matter when the Mayor has taken the decision to use the police?

African American Literature: Sonia Sanchez, Nikki Giovanni, and June Jordan paper

2011-11-14T06:55:00.001-08:00

Summer Words of a Sistuh Addict

the first day i shot dope
was on a sunday.
i had just come
home from church
got mad at my motha
cuz she got mad at me. u dig?
went out. shot up
behind a feelin against her.
it felt good.
gooder than dooing it. yeah.
it was nice.
i did it. uh huh. i did it. uh huh.
i want to do it again. it felt so goooooood.
and as the sistuh sits in her silent/
remembered/ high
someone leans for
ward gently asks her:
sistuh
did u
finally
learn how to hold yo/ mother?
and the music of the day
drifts in the room
to mingle with the sistuh's young tears.
and we all sing.
--Nikki Giovanni, 1969
The Norton Anthology of African American Literature, 2nd Ed.
"Sistuh Addict" is a poem about the pain and family problems that often lead to drug addiction. The underlying message is that people become addicted because they have other issues in their lives that affect them psychologically. This is an interesting poem to analyze for this paper, but you can also analyze a poem by June Jordan or Sonia Sanchez if you want. This paper should be about 3 pages long, and you should follow MLA format.

Composition: Police breaking up protests

2011-11-14T06:35:00.001-08:00

We hear constantly that America is one of the freest countries in the world. If this is true, why are police breaking up protests while in riot gear? In a recent article from The New York Times, Maria Wollan and Elizabeth Harris state, " police officers in riot gear had moved in to empty the parks, surrounding protesters and shoving some of them with nightsticks. At least one officer said through a loudspeaker that anyone who resisted arrest might be “subject to chemical agents and impact weapons." Do you think the police should be using "chemical agents" and "impact weapons" in America, or is this violating our civil rights?

All classes: Contact me

2011-11-14T06:26:00.001-08:00

Please contact me at raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com. I will send you any papers that you need revised and also contact you about your papers.

All classes: turn in your best paper

2011-11-14T06:24:00.001-08:00

I need to collect your best paper from you, so I can submit it to Dr. Bowers as an example of your performance in my class. Please self-evaluate your paper and submit your paper to me by the end of this week. Include at the end of the paper your self-evaluation of your paper.
Send it: raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com

All Classes: Writing Your Introduction

2011-11-14T06:23:00.001-08:00

Please give me an example of the introduction to one of your papers on this blog post. Does your introduction capture your audience's attention? Do you have a clearly identifiable thesis? Do you mention the work that you are analyzing in your introduction?

Composition: Is Occupy Wall Street ineffective?

2011-11-14T06:20:00.001-08:00

Read the following article from the New York Times.
Occupy Wall Street moves to college campuses
Pick one quote from the article and analyze it. You should discuss its significance. Also, do you think students should join the Occupy Wall Street movement and protest the rising costs of tuition?

All Classes: Revising for Style and Mechanics

2011-11-07T08:34:00.000-08:00

Revising for style and mechanics is a complicated process. On the one hand, you need to work on sentence level revision and on communicating to your audience with grammatically effective sentences. To reach this goal, write down a list of the errors that you make in your papers. What are your most frequent errors? Identify these errors and bring them to class. On the other hand, style is a matter of word choice. There is no correct style, but you should write according to your audience's demands. If you are writing for an academic audience, you need to support your arguments with references to the texts or works that you are discussing. You need to be as specific and as clear as possible. Also, your goal should be to make your audience think deeply about a particular subject or issue. You might write longer sentences than another writer, or you might write shorter sentences. One writer might have longer paragraphs in her essays, while another writer will write shorter paragraphs. There is no correct way to develop your own writing style, but to perfect your own writing style, you need to develop your own voice. You need to develop grammatically effective sentences regardless of your style. Here is a checklist for style that you can use when evaluating your own papers or evaluating someone else's papers in class.

1) Are the sentences in the paper grammatically effective? Yes No
2) Does the paper have run-on sentences in it? Yes No Please list some of the run-on sentences. ____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
3) Does the paper have sentence fragments in it? Yes No Please list some of the sentence fragments.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
4) Does the paper have comma splices in it? Yes No Please list some of the comma splices.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
5) Does the paper have errors in punctuation? Yes No Please list some of the common errors in punctuation.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
6) Does the writer paragraph effectively? Yes No If no, state why.
____________________________________________________________
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7) Do you find the writer's style interesting or boring? Yes No If no, state why.
____________________________________________________________
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8) Does the writer use cliches or sweeping generalizations instead of being specific? Yes No ____________________________________________________________
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Remember that your writing will not always appeal to everyone, but you should try to make your writing as appealing and as persuasive as possible for your audience. Remember that your professors also would prefer to read interesting papers rather than boring papers. You should try to be original when you write
and avoid cliches.

All Classes: Revising for Organization

2011-11-07T08:14:00.000-08:00

Revising for organization is similar to revising for focus and for a thesis. You can use several approaches to revise for organization.

First, write an outline of the paper you are evaluating. For each paragraph, write down the main idea or topic sentence. The topic sentence of the introductory paragraph should be the thesis.

Evaluate whether the organization of the paper makes sense.

Then, respond to these questions:
1) Is the paper organized? Yes No
2) Do the ideas in the paper relate to the thesis? Yes No
3) Should some ideas be omitted from the paper? Yes No Which ideas? _____________________
4) Are there transitional sentences in the paper linking together ideas from paragraph to paragraph? Yes No
5) Is the writing choppy? Yes No
6) Does the writer connect ideas together for the paper? Yes No
7) Do you think some ideas should be moved around in the paper to make it more effective? Yes No
If so, which ideas?_______

Second, list all of the major ideas in the paper. Then, look at how you would organize the paper. Would you organize the paper differently?

Third, think of moving paragraphs around and deleting material.

Ask yourself: will my reader understand how my ideas are organized? How can I communicate better to my audience?

You will find that your writing will become clearer as you organize your ideas for your readers.

All classes: revising for focus and for a thesis

2011-11-07T08:05:00.000-08:00

Here is a checklist that you can use when you revise your own paper for focus and for developing a thesis:

1. Can you identify a thesis statement in the introductory paragraphs? Yes No
2. Do the introductory paragraph and the concluding paragraph relate to each other? Yes No
3. Do quotes in the paper relate to the thesis? Yes No
4. Do ideas in body paragraphs relate to the thesis? Yes No
5. Does the paper contain irrelevant information? Yes No
6. Does the paper have one central argument? Yes No
7. Is the thesis statement too broad? Yes No
8. Is the thesis statement too narrow? Yes No

How do you write according to MLA format? all classes

2011-11-07T07:23:00.000-08:00

I wrote an earlier post describing how you can write a paper according to MLA format. I also suggest viewing the Purdue Owl website for more information on how to write effectively according to the MLA format. Purdue Owl on the MLA format

Please click the image below to see the full paper. Click X in the upper right hand corner to exit the full size image of the paper and to continue reading.

As you can see in the example above, please put your name, the professor's name, the course, and the date in the upper lefthand corner. You should center the title of the paper above the first paragraph. You can have a header on the upper right hand corner of the first page with your last name followed by the page #. Go to Insert -- Header and Footer on Microsoft Word 2007 to enter a header. Click omit first page if you do not want a header on the first page.

Notice that in the first paragraph, there is an in text citation with the author's last name and the page number. Remember that a citation is a quote with quotation marks, while paraphrasing is just referring to a source without quotes. You should have at least 3-4 quotes in your papers. You should also have a works cited page. You can also paraphrase in your papers. You can also see that in the second paragraph, there is a block quote. You need to indent twice with a block quote. A block quote is a longer quote. Do not place quotation marks around it. Put the page number in parentheses after the quote (following the period at the end of the quote). If you did not mention the author's last name when you introduced the quote, put the author's last name before the page number at the end of the quote. For example, in the block quote above, if Raymond Herricks wasn't mentioned at the beginning of the quote,

the quote would end (Herricks 122-123).

Here is a sample of a works cited page below:

The page above is a sample of a works cited list. Any work that you quote or paraphrase should be included in the works cited list.

If you have any questions, please let me know.

Remember that whenever you insert a quote into your paper, it should relate to your thesis (your argument) and should support your interpretation.
Please evaluate your papers according to the standards for MLA format.
In class, for the next few weeks, we will be working on revising your papers in class, so please bring copies of the rubric to class, and please read these posts.

Writing Rubric: please attach to your own papers (all classes)

2011-11-07T06:25:00.000-08:00

Writing Rubric: please attach to your own papers (all classes)

Student name: ________________

The title of the paper evaluated: _______________

Course: _______________________

WRITING RUBRIC

Use this rubric to evaluate your own papers and to evaluate other students' papers, and please attach a self-evaluation of your papers at the end of the drafts of your paper; this rubric will be used to evaluate your papers for the final grade.

Core Program Course Rubric (CPRC)

Writing Rubric

Calculate scores according to this scale:
5 (Skilled); 4 (Proficient); 3 (Average); 2 (Marginally Acceptable); 1 (Unacceptable)

then add all of the scores and multiply by 5 to get the percentage.
Focus and Thesis (1-5)
Your score: ____________

Justification for your score: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Questions: Does the essay respond to the prompt in a focused way? Does the essay maintain a single focus throughout?

Goal: Identifiable thesis representing adequate understanding of the assigned topic. Thesis or focus is developed throughout essay.

Evidence (1-5)

Your score: ____________

Justification for your score: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Questions: Does the writer support assertions with evidence or examples? Is evidence cited according to required guidelines (such as MLA)? Are quotations integrated into the student’s own writing? Goal: Accurate evidence that is well documented, relevant, well integrated, and/or appropriate.

Organization (1-5)

Your score: ____________

Justification for your score: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Questions: Does the student divide paragraphs by idea? Does the student develop paragraphs beyond two sentences? Does the student distinguish between an introductory paragraph, a body paragraph, and a conclusion? Goal: Effective paragraphing with few overall organizational problems. Introduction and conclusion are effectively related to the whole.

Style and Mechanics (1-5)

Your score: ____________

Justification for your score: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Question: Is the essay written according to the conventions of Standard Written English? Some sentence-level errors are normal, but not multiple errors of multiple kinds. Goal: Effective and varied sentences; minimal errors in sentence construction; only occasional punctuation, spelling and/or capitalization errors.

Total score: ___ + ___+ ____+ ____ = ____ x 5 = ____ %
0-59% F
60-69% D
70-79% C
80-89% B
90-100% A

African American Literature assignments for the entire semester

2011-11-02T09:59:00.000-07:00

Here is a complete list of all of your papers that are due:
1) Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God paper; refer to my chapter and to the excerpt in the Norton Anthology of African American Literature
2) Black Arts Movement female poets paper (Nikki Giovanni, Sonia Sanchez, June Jordan)
3) American Gangster: describe the relevance of this film to understanding the war on drugs today; discuss 2-3 scenes in the film
4) The Great Debaters: Describe 2-3 scenes that illustrate the theme of the movie
5) Phyllis Wheatley "On Imagination": Describe how Wheatley uses the power of the imagination to illustrate her yearning for freedom
6) Toni Morrison "The Site of Memory": Describe the importance of history in African American culture
7) A Raisin in the Sun : discuss the importance of money and how it can break up families
8) Sterling Brown paper: choose one poem by Sterling Brown and analyze it
All papers should be written according to MLA format. You should have quotes (or describe scenes) in your papers.
Please watch the video lectures and attend class.
Please pay attention to lectures as you cannot succeed in writing your papers effectively without paying attention to lectures.
These are the papers that will be due by the end of the semester.
Please bring your papers and drafts to class for revision.
If you have any questions, please post them here.

African American Literature Lectures and Papers

2011-11-01T07:44:00.000-07:00

African American Literature Lecture A Raisin in the Sun
Sterling Brown Lecture
Please watch these lectures.
For the Sterling Brown paper, choose a poem to analyze or two poems to compare and contrast.
For A Raisin in the Sun, write a paper describing the relationship between money and family. How can money break a family apart? Is the play realistic today?
Write 3-4 pages for each of these papers and write according to MLA format.

New Composition Lectures

2011-11-01T07:40:00.000-07:00

Cell Phones Lecture
Cell Phone Lecture II
Style and Mechanics Lecture
Home as Respite Lecture Part III
Please watch the lectures above. They should help you with your papers.

We recently discussed the use of cell phones in classrooms. Sometimes, they can be useful, but most of the time, they can be a distraction. I would like you to answer the following questions in your comments on this post:

1) Is there such a thing as cell phone etiquette? Do you think you should ask people whether it is okay to use a cell phone when they are trying to talk to you? If you were on a date and someone called you, would you ask the person if it is okay if you answered the call, would you just answer the phone and talk, or would you tell the person who called you to call back later? If you were on a date with someone who answered a cell phone call and talked for ten minutes, what would you do? Would you leave? When is it appropriate to text and when is it not?
2) How often do you use your cell phone? Could you spend a day or even a week or month without a cell phone? Do you feel you are a cell phone addict?
3) How does a person know when he or she is addicted to a cell phone?
4) What policy do you think teachers should have concerning cell phones, given that some students use cell phones for notetaking, etc.?
5) When does cell phone use become rude?

In the future, if you do want to use your cell phone in class, please request my permission.
Thank you.

Studies in Literary Topics: Final thoughts on The Grapes of Wrath, or is the end just the beginning?

2011-11-01T07:24:00.000-07:00

The Grapes of Wrath ends in a way that challenges the typical notion of the American dream, which is based on the idea that at the end of the day, those who work hard can make it to the middle class. Today, with the disappearance of jobs in manufacturing, low skilled jobs will not be as available. Mechanization will make many low skilled jobs unnecessary, and even some high skilled jobs could become unnecessary. For instance, fewer teachers might be necessary in the future as online courses become a reality and as the Internet takes over the traditional tasks of teaching. Legal assistants will lose their jobs because legal documents can be looked up by computers faster than any legal assistant could. Maybe even doctors will become unnecessary as robots conduct surgery, even without the guidance of a doctor. Mechanization makes human being less useful as it increases, and it also streamlines costs for businesses, but the side effect is that millions, or maybe even billions of people will be without a job. High skilled jobs will even be more scarce as competition increases. Also, with global protests like these and with politicians offering no solutions to the problems of unemployment or the recession (what happened after four years of change with President Obama? It seems like nothing gets done in politics....), what does the future look like? If you look into the future through your crystal ball, what do you see humanity facing in the next 10 years or 20 years? What do you think you should do to prepare for the future?
TTheT

Studies in Literary Topics and The Grapes of Wrath

2011-10-29T21:06:00.000-07:00

After reading The Grapes of Wrath, you can notice some important themes to address in your papers. One is the growing
mechanization of American society. At the time this novel was written, industrialization was in its immature stage. In the 21st century, the use of technology has heightened to the extent that technology dominates nearly every aspect of our lives. One of the tragedies
in the Dust Bowl period was the rise of the tractor in farming, leading to the mechanization of American agriculture. A similar
transformation has already occurred in factories where robots have replaced human beings, leaving millions of American factory workers
unemployed. In the future, cloud technology will replace IT representatives, and all your questions about software or computing
will be answered by a machine. Not only that, but we can also envisage a world where one day, people could be educated by software rather than by human beings. In this same world, court cases would be resolved by supercomputers, and police officers would be replaced by robots. It appears that one of the themes of The Grapes of Wrath is that with each technological innovation, there is a price to the added efficiency that technology brings. One of the consequences of the efficiency of machines is the growing uselessness of the human being.
Watch the video below to learn about the true story of how America lost its manufacturing jobs to American and multinational companies that outsourced jobs to China, where labor was cheaper (the mainstream media hides this fact from American consumers):
How Iphones and tablet computers are created in inhuman conditions in China
A typical day in a factory worker's life working to build Iphones
This last video shows how the Ipad is manufactured by workers in inhuman conditions (this video was appalling for me because I own an Ipad... but is the problem the Ipad itself or the way in which it was produced in a system that is based on profiting off the cheapest labor possible?):
Ipad and inhuman labor
As technology advances, it appears that machines dominate our lives even more and make human labor decreasingly necessary. Most people believe that there is no way to turn back the clock, but what will happen to those people without jobs? Will their fate be to become a burden for the state and to join the ranks of the unemployed? Another great theme in this novel is capitalism.
In the 1930s, many Americans felt like the capitalist system was broken, but somehow, the system survived. Michael Moore's condemnation of capitalism sounds eerily similar to condemnations of capitalism in the past.
Michael Moore describes the broken capitalist system and Occupy Wall Street
A good question is: is it capitalism, not technology itself, that leads to the alienation of human beings in our contemporary society? Is the profit motive the real reason for unemployment today, or have machines simply replaced us and become more efficient than ourselves, rendering the idea of the human being as a productive worker obsolete?

All Classes: How to use MLA format and incorporate evidence into your papers

2011-10-28T07:41:00.000-07:00

MLA format is easy once you get the hang of it. 25% of your grade for all of your papers is based on your ability to incorporate evidence into your papers, so that is a significant chunk of your grade. Many students do not know how to write according to MLA format and are turning in papers with insufficient evidence and improper citations. This is resulting in a significantly lower grade. Here is how you can resolve some of these problems in your own writing.

First, in your essays, you should incorporate in text citations into your paper. Whenever you make a statement that refers to a specific passage in a text, you need to place that passage in quotation marks.
E.g.

This is an example of a quote for the Osage Naming Rituals paper:

Steven B. Pratt, Merry C. Pratt, and Rozilyn Miller argue that "everyday life for contemporary Osages is similar to that of their Western counterparts" (26).

If you do not mention the name of the author before the quote, then place the author's names before the page number in the parentheses following the quote.

The Osages do not live any differently than other 21st century Americans: "everyday life for contemporary Osages is similar to that of their Western counterparts" (Steven Pratt, Merry Pratt, and Miller 26).

If you are quoting a group of authors for the first time, use their full names:

Nekita Huling, Creshema Murray, and Marsha Houston contend that "black women can experience the uncertain communication climate of conversations with White women as hostile spaces, where even the most superficial self-disclosure might be misunderstood or used against them" (87).

If you have mentioned the authors in a previous quote, refer to their last name only (never by the author's first name as this is unprofessional).

Huling, Murray and Houston contend that "black women can experience the uncertain communication climate of conversations with White women as hostile spaces, where even the most superficial self-disclosure might be misunderstood or used against them" (87).

You may also paraphrase in your paper. Paraphrasing involves rewriting the ideas of a particular writer in your own words. You must still acknowledge the source of your information if it is not general knowledge.

Huling, Murray, and Houston believe that black women often experience their encounters with white women as hostile spaces (87).

A block quote is a longer quote. Any quote that is longer than two sentences should be turned into a block quote. Please note that in the example below, you should indent the block quote twice. I could not indent the block quote twice on blogger because Blogger is not an editing program and uses HTML. Please indent your block quotes by hitting tab twice for each line until the quote is complete. Do not start a new paragraph after the quote.

E.g.

Huling, Murray, and Houston focus on black women's friendships:

In this chapter, we address the dearth of research on communication in Black women's friendships by examining three concepts: safe versus hostile spaces for speaking, ingroup language, and social support.We compare Nekita and Creshema's friendship with one another to their friendships with two White women in their master's cohort, for whom we use the pseudonyms Betsy and Allison.(86)

Huling, Murray, and Houston assume that black women share a more intimate connection with one another in intragroup relationships.

Note that in the block quote above, I removed all quotation marks, and placed the page number in parentheses after the period at the end of the quote. I also do not start a new paragraph after the quote. You should always analyze the quotes you address in your paper and relate them to your thesis.

Some students might have to write about poetry. When you write about poetry, follow the same format, but count the lines of each poem and cite the lines after the quote. Use a forward slash / to indicate each new line of verse. When you have a block quote, do not use quotations marks and do not use a forward slash to separate each new line of verse. Cite line numbers.

E.g.

Donald Woods writes: "What we've shared/is the strength/to be apart" (lines 1-3).

Lastly, you might wonder how to quote research quoted in an essay. It is pretty easy as long as you follow this format below:

hooks believes that being an intellectual in African American communities "meant that one risked being seen as weird, strange, and possibly even mad" (qtd. in Nero 68).

At the end of your paper, include a list of works cited. The general format is to organize the list of works cited in the following format:

Author's last name, first name. Title of work or essay in quotations (for a novel or longer play, underline or italicize. Title of the anthology or book where the work appeared underlined or italicized (if the work you are analyzing is found in a collection of essays or works--an anthology). Mention the editors here-- write Ed. and put the editors first and last name. Write the place of publication here followed by a colon : publishing company, copyright date. Page numbers where the work is found if necessary.

E.g.

Works Cited

Nero, Charles I. "Black Queer Identity, Imaginative Rationality, and the Language of Home." Our Voices:
Essays in Culture, Ethnicity, and Communication, fifth edition. Ed. Gonzalez, Houston, and Chen.
New York: Oxford UP, 2012. 65-70.

Please note that I abbreviated the title of the publishing company from Oxford University Press to Oxford UP. That is standard practice. Also, I did not put pg. before the page numbers where the work appears in the anthology.

Composition: Meet the Occupy Wall Street Protesters

2011-10-28T06:28:00.000-07:00

Meet the Occupy Wall Street Protesters
Here are some of the Occupy Wall Street protesters. What do you think of their views? Can you relate? Why?

Studies in Literary Topics: Grapes of Wrath and Poverty Today

2011-10-27T10:58:00.000-07:00

Hooverville: a video presentation
Hoovervilles in 2012 with 9 percent unemployment?
One of the main causes of the Great Depression was the instability in the stock market and rising unemployment. As the global economy restructures itself in the 21st century, factories that used to have people working in them will be phased out and replaced by robots. People will lose jobs as a result of the growing use of technology in industry.
Millions of workers replaced by robots... where will the jobs go?

Composition: The Consequences of Police Brutality

2011-10-27T09:02:00.000-07:00

Can you identify the victim of police brutality in the picture above? Do you think police brutality should be controlled more in our society? Or is police brutality an instrument of those in power to hold people down when they challenge those who are in power? The first photo is from a famous incident of police brutality in the 1990s (guess who?), and the second photograph (below) is associated with the recent protests when an Iraq war vet's skull was fractured by police in riot gear.

Is this a pattern of police brutality, or is it not?

Composition: U.S. economy growing or stagnating? You choose.

2011-10-27T08:45:00.000-07:00

U.S. Economy growing according to major news sources

According to major news sources, the U.S. economy is expanding at a rate of 2.5%. If this is true and our economy is recovering, why is unemployment remaining at 9% of the working population? Do you think that the recession is linked to unemployment, or do you think unemployment is irrelevant when judging whether the U.S. is in a recession or not? Base your argument on the sources above.

The Grapes of Wrath, Studies in Literary Topics, Ch.20

2011-10-26T07:56:00.000-07:00

Tear Gas in the 21st century, burning Hoovervilles in the Grapes of Wrath
The police have always been an instrument for the state. The state/government resorts to violence to control those who question authority or to control the poor. This is particularly true in Chapter 20 in The Grapes of Wrath when the poor residents in the Hooverville are confronted by a police officer who says they should work for a starvation wage, or the police will clean them out like cockroaches. This same type of action occurs against protestors today as demonstrated by the video on the link above; the police are using the threat of physical violence to control protestors. Will we see a repeat of the issues of the 1930s in the 21st century as unemployment, homelessness, and social unrest grows? Are the police just doing their job, or do they have a choice when they are given an order to clean up the homeless or to remove protestors through acts of violence? Find a quote from chapter 20 and discuss the quote. Relate it to the current acts of police violence in our society.
Here is a quote about police burning the early Hooverville:
"Seattle police twice burned the early Hooverville, but each time residents rebuilt. When a new mayor took office in 1932, owing his election in part to support of the Unemployed Citizen's League, Seattle's Hooverville gained a measure of official tolerance that allowed it to survive and grow."Police burning Hoovervilles a fact, not fiction

Composition: Protests, Tear Gas, and the Costs of College

2011-10-26T06:45:00.000-07:00

Tear Gas used on protestors
Costs of education rising to an astronomical level
Watch the videos above. I would like you to comment on this. Do you think educators and students have a responsibility to challenge the rising costs of college education? Do you think the protestors are justified in protesting the growing economic inequalities? Given the current system, do you think the police were justified in using tear gas to disrupt the protests?
Have we reached a point where student loans and the prospect of unemployment after graduation have grown too much?

New and old lectures for composition

2011-10-25T14:54:00.001-07:00

Here are the lectures for my composition class. You have five assignments due. Please watch these lectures if you have not already. You need to turn in your papers with an evaluation form with the rubric when you do the revisions. The five papers are Osage Naming Rituals, Black Queer Identity, Sister Friends, Hispanic Heritage Month, Home as Respite for the Working Class Academic. Each paper should be 3-4 pages in length and should be written according to MLA Format. Please follow the rubric. Focus your ideas around a thesis, organize your ideas, use evidence by incorporating quotes into your paper, and emphasize style and mechanics. Please send me your papers as well as the papers you are supposed to revise.

Here are the lectures, please watch them with headphones.

Search for these papers on youtube along with my name (Comprone):
Home as Respite II
Sister Friends
Home as Respite I
Black Queer Identity
Osage Naming Rituals
Revising Papers According to Rubric

Hoovervilles Studies in Lit. Topics

2011-10-22T07:07:00.001-07:00

Are we headed towards the creation of towns for the unemployed with the Occupy Wall Street protests? In Chapter 19, Steinbeck describes Hoovervilles. just as the tractor replaced farmers, will robots replace factory workers? Where will people go? click these links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hooverville
http://money.cnn.com/2011/10/06/technology/occupy_wall_street/index.htm

Composition Lectures: Watch and learn

2011-10-21T09:50:00.000-07:00

Here are three new composition lectures. Please watch them and give me feedback. These lectures were filmed live in class.
I will be adding lectures on our other paper on Hispanic heritage as well as a lecture on revising your papers. Please watch these videos.
These videos do not supplement in class instruction. If you would like me to lecture on any particular subject for our composition classes, please post a comment here.

Sister Friends Lecture

Black Queer Identity Lecture

Osage Naming Rituals Lecture

I would be glad to expand the database of lectures available to you for our class. Please let me know whether you are using this resource. I would appreciate your feedback in this matter.

Chapter 16 The Grapes of Wrath Studies In Literary Topics

2011-10-20T03:35:00.001-07:00

In the 1930s when Steinbeck wrote, unemployment grew as a result of mechanization of farms. In our contemporary time, we may see the number of unemployed rise as machines replace factory workers. How can jobs be created when machines are replacing people? In Chapter 16, the Joad family confronts the fact that there might not be jobs out West. Could there be a time soon when there are not enough jobs to go around?
robots replace people in factories

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Dr. Comprone
Email: raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com

Dust Bowl 2011: Are the 1930s returning? Studies in Literary Topics

2011-10-18T10:54:00.000-07:00

The image above is of a haboob, a large dust storm, in 2011, not the 1930s during the time Stienbeck wrote The Grapes of Wrath. As a persistent drought occurs the Texas Oklahoma region, we may be seeing a return to the dust bowl conditions of the 1930s. This makes Steinbeck's novel even more relevant today, especially since we are dealing with an ecological crisis, a crisis in the free market system, and with ambivalent attitudes towards technology (is it helping us, or is it making us more dependent, cutting us off from the land?). Another issue in Steinbeck's novel is the theme that somehow nature still overpowers humankind and technology. Technology, along with humankind, represents the struggle of humankind to control the environment. Are we returning to the conditions that occurred in the 1930s, such as ecological crises, poverty, banks taking away homes, etc.?

The Grapes Of Wrath Studies in Litereary Topics, Chapter 14

2011-10-18T06:20:00.001-07:00

Chapter 14 represents the thesis of Stienbeck's novel: the idea that the machine age involves a transformation of the human, leading to a separation between humankind and the environment. The irony is that the machine age is also a period of disequilibrium where human beings are reduced to poverty on a massive scale. Also, Steinbeck foreshadows the ecological movement by describing the resistance of the body and the environment to mechanization. choose a passage from this chaper and analyze it.

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Dr. Comprone
Email: raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com

Chapter 13 Studies in Literary topics

2011-10-17T05:51:00.001-07:00

The death of the grandfather is symbolic. What do you think his death represents? Which passage is your favorite in this chapter?

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Dr. Comprone
Email: raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com

Chapters 11 and 12 the Grapes Of Wrath studies in literary topics

2011-10-16T05:37:00.001-07:00

Steinbeck critiques the increasingly mechanized vision of America in the 1930s in the Grapes of Wrath. How have we become dependent on machines in our society? Now, robots can even think and learn complex tasks.
Thinking robot can learn on its own

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Dr. Comprone
Email: raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com

Support the protests (personal post)

2011-10-14T21:23:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow is a big day for the protests. Their goals are to change some of the inequalities and problems we face today, such as rising unemployment, corrupt governments, ecological catastrophe, and let us not forget the rising costs of tuition in colleges, the growth in prisons, and the useless wars wasting money that could be spent on helping people. Let us all not forget how individuals like MLK paved the way for nonviolent protests. With 10% unemployment in the US and rising prices, fewer jobs, something needs to change. Is change still possible in our society today? Is there any choice but to demand some change since the present system is broken? The protests are global now because everything is connected. Even the shoes we buy or the computers we buy are built in places where people work in subhuman conditions while a few get rich. Social injustice is a worldwide phenomenon that demands change from the people worldwide. People do not want much, just a living wage in a sustainable global economy that insures that everyone can have access to education and opportunity.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Dr. Comprone
Email: raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com

Protestors and the declining middle class Composition

2011-10-14T07:11:00.001-07:00

Protests against unemployment and the mega-rich in NYC gets violent

Do you think protesting is worth it? Do you think people ought to protest if the government is doing nothing about unemployment and is supporting the extremely rich? Do you see protesting as a noble cause or as a waste of time? Do you think the government will ever try to solve the unemployment problem, our failing schools, the money we waste on wars, and on the declining middle class?
If you were unemployed, would you join the protestors?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Dr. Comprone
Email: raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com

Is the Afghan war a repeat of the Vietnam War drug trade (like in the film American Gangster)? African American Literature

2011-10-13T19:07:00.001-07:00

Is it possible that money for the drug trade is coming from the Middle East? Is Iran the only place where illegal drugs are getting to the U.S., or are Afghanistan and Iraq also sources of drugs, just like illegal drugs were being shipped to the US in the Vietnam war according to American gangster?
According to wikipedia,
"An increasingly large fraction of opium is processed into morphine base and heroin in drug labs in Afghanistan."
Does that mean heroin from Afghanistan is coming to the US from Afghanistan, where our government has been supporting a corrupt Afghan gov't that is producing heroin?
That means that a) the U.S. supports poppy production in Afghanistan with US tax dollars because that is the only way people in poverty in Afghanistan can make a living, which leads to the conclusion b) that U. S. tax dollars are being spent to produce drugs that are then smuggled all the way to the US where our tax money is fighting the war on drugs. This means that our continued support of the war in Afghanistan is leading to the rise in heroin use worldwide.
How can we fight the war on drugs back home if we support one of the biggest suppliers of heroin worldwide?

Drug trade through Iran

ussupports illegal drug trade in Afghanistan

Heroin from Mexico produced in Afghanistan with US dollars spent on Afghan gov't?- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Dr. Comprone
Email: raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com

Composition: Home ownership chart

2011-10-07T05:04:00.001-07:00

Do you think you will own a home in the future? Do your parents own a home? Has the recession affected you or your parents? Interpret the chart below.
Home ownership decreases

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Dr. Comprone
Email: raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com

Fat tax? composition

2011-10-06T09:36:00.001-07:00

Should our government tax foods that are unhealthy more to solve our economic crisis? Fast food and junk food would be more costly. Do you agree with this concept? Do you think America has an obesity problem?
Should we be free to eat junk food even if it means we will go to the emergency room more often?
Fat tax
Obesity image
Fat tax in America
Obesity cause of death
Obesity in America

Obesity with children Fat tax article
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Dr. Comprone
Email: raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com

extension until Tuesday all classes

2011-10-06T08:14:00.001-07:00

Please turn in all of your assignments by Tuesday. Send them to raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com as an attachment. Please save your documents in Microsoft Word format and follow MLA format. Include quotes to support your argument and a works cited list. Be sure to develop a central thesis as well. Your thesis isthe central argument for your paper. analyze the quotes in the body paragraphs of your papers. To post on the blog, you must be in Mr. Maclin's computer center. The other locations on campus will not allow you to access Blogger because Blogger is linked to youtube, and youtube is blocked on campus.

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Dr. Comprone
Email: raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com

Great Debaters for free African American Lit.

2011-10-05T21:25:00.001-07:00

The great debaters
Get your free one month trial for Netflix and watch the Great Debaters for free. Sign up.
Live streaming on the web. Watch American Gangster too for free. Just sign up for one month trial and then cancel if you want.

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Dr. Comprone
Email: raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com

Composition: Poverty and homelessness

2011-10-03T17:05:00.001-07:00

Poverty and homelessness
What can Americans do to combat homelessness during the Recession? analyze the chart and discuss what can be done.

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Dr. Comprone
Email: raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com

Chapter 6 the Grapes of Wrath Studies in Literary Topics

2011-10-03T17:04:00.001-07:00

Homelessness in the great recession

One of the themes of Chapter 6 is homelessness. How does Muley deal with being homeless? Does Steinbeck's depiction of homelessness still make sense today?

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Dr. Comprone
Email: raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com

Composition: N-head and Rick Perry

2011-10-03T06:30:00.001-07:00

Video on Perr and n- head
N-head and Rick Perry
What do you think of Rick Perry's use of this word on a rock? Can he still be presidential?

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Dr. Comprone
Email: raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com

Chapter v, studies in lit. Topics

2011-10-02T20:08:00.001-07:00

Foreclosure

Picture

In the Grapes of Wrath chapter V, Steinbeck describes how banks repossess people's properties because they do not have funds. The foreclosure crisis still exists in America. When Steinbeck describes the bank as a monster, do you agree with his interpretation? Wshould the government bailout homeowners?
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Dr. Comprone
Email: raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com

Composition Sister Friends

2011-09-30T06:26:00.001-07:00

What effect does a white toy doll have on a black girl if she chooses it as a toy? Are toys multiethnic enough today? While there are manyblack dolls on the market, do you think choosing a white doll is a sign of self- hatred for a minority child?

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Dr. Comprone
Email: raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com

Midterm grades

2011-09-30T06:12:00.001-07:00

Please turn in your papers to me at raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com. Send them as Microsoft Word attachments. Please clearly label the attachments. Also, if you have any questions, email me. Please read over your papers before you turn them in. Also, please attend classes. If you miss 30% of a class, you will lose your financial aid. Also, online instruction does not replace instruction in the classroom. All papers are due by next Friday. Your comments on the blog count as class participation.

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Dr. Comprone
Email: raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com

The Relevance of The Grapes of Wrath

2011-09-30T04:39:00.001-07:00

Dust Bowl returns to the 21st century?
Dust Storm video
Are we headed for a 21st century replay of the Dust Bowl era with a worldwide recession and dust storms?

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Dr. Comprone
Email: raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com

Chapter 4 Preachers and Sin Studies in Literary Topics

2011-09-30T04:08:00.001-07:00

Here is one of the most famous passages in American literature, when Reverend Casey admits to Joad in Chapter 5 that: "I'd get 'em frothin' with the Holy Spirit, and then I'd take 'em to lie out in the grass" (158). Casey's confession leads to a discussion of the shortcomings of preachers in our society today. Here are some articles on the subject. What are your views?
Sex and preachers
preachers and temptation
ministers seek more partners through ministry
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Dr. Comprone
Email: raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com

Chapter 4, Grapes of Wrath, God, the American Dream, the Recession

2011-09-30T03:52:00.001-07:00

Steinbeck describes the washed out preacher Casey: "I got the call to lead the people, an' no place to lead 'em" (150).
What role does preaching play in our society today? Does the power of words/speeches/sermons have the same effect in our society today when words seem to matter less than making money or real life matters? Or do most poor and unemployed Americans simply place more trust in God when the government does not provide for them as the article below suggests?

God, the American dream, and the recession

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Dr. Comprone
Email: raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com

The Grapes of Wrath, Chapter 3 Studies in Literary Topics

2011-09-30T03:34:00.001-07:00

Steinbeck describes the itinerary of a turtle as it crosses a highway road: "Lying on its back, the turtle was tight in its shell for a long time" (Steinbeck).

turtles die on Highway 27
Should turtles be protected from highways? Or does our government have somethig better to spend its money on?
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Dr. Comprone
Email: raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com

The Grapes of Wrath, Chapter 2, Studies in Literary Topics

2011-09-30T03:17:00.001-07:00

hitchhikers today

Steinbeck describes the secret a hitchhiker has at the end of chapter two when the hitchhiker reveals to the truck driver the terrible crime he has committed: "Homicide," he said quickly. "That's a big word. Seven years" (140). Today, drivers often avoid hitchhikers for this very reason. Would you pick up a hitchhiker or not? Have you ever hitchhiked?

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Dr. Comprone
Email: raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com

Morrison on writing her novels: African American literature

2011-09-23T07:03:00.001-07:00

How precise are you when you write? Morrison states that in her work, "the texture is consistent and nothing is wasted; there are no words in the final text that are unnecessary, and no people who are not absolutely necessary" (2297). What does it mean to have unnecessary words in your papers? Do you think that most writers waste their words?

Take one paragraph in one of your essays and revise it for wasted words. Show the original paragraph along with the revised paragraph in your comment.
Can you see the difference?

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Dr. Comprone
Email: raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com

African American literature Analyze this quote from "The Site of Memory"

2011-09-23T06:57:00.001-07:00

Morrison writes, "The act of imagination is bound up with memory" (2297). What does she mean?

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Dr. Comprone
Email: raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com

African American literature: Incorporating quotes into your essay

2011-09-23T06:46:00.001-07:00

Give an example of a quote that you will include in your essay on Toni Morrison's "The Site of Memory." Introduce the quote, use proper MLA format, and analyze the quote.

E.g. Morrison states that memory and imagination play a role in her writing: "Memories and recollections won't give me total access to the unwritten interior life of these people. Only the act of the imagination can help me" (2294). While Morrison believes that memory plays a significant role in her work, it is her imagination that brings memory to life.

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Dr. Comprone
Email: raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com

African American literature: Your introduction to Your Papers

2011-09-23T06:36:00.001-07:00

Paste your introduction to your papers Wheatley, Morrison, and The Great Debaters. The introduction to your paper is one of the most important parts of your essay. You should clearly identify the work that you are analyzing, you should capture your reader's attention, and you should develop an argument or thesis statement in your introduction. Copy and paste the introductory paragraph to each of your essays in separate comments. I will give you some feedback on your introduction.

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Dr. Comprone
Email: raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com

Composition: The Language of Home

2011-09-23T06:26:00.001-07:00

Charles I. Nero describes his struggle as a black homosexual dealing with feelings of rejection at home. His essay underscores the importance of community and the importance of home in the African American community. What is your attitude towards home? Are you happy to be away from home now that you are at college? Do you see yourself as a rebel (more independent, seeking to get away from home) or a homebody (more likely to want to return home)?

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Dr. Comprone
Email: raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com

2011-09-23T06:22:00.001-07:00

Writing your works cited page is an easy task. Please include a works cited list at the end of your paper. It does not have to be a separate page.
E.g.
Pratt, Steven B., Merry C. Pratt, and Rozilyn Miller. "Osage Naming Ritual as a Form of Cultural Identity." Our Voices: Essays in Culture, Ethnicity, and Communication. New York: Oxford UP, 2012. 26-34.

The format is as follows for your works cited list:

Author(s)(last name first). Title of the article in quotation marks. Title of the anthology underlined or italicized. Place of publication: the press (abbreviate university press, UP), copyright date. pages where the article appears.

Based on this information, show me how you would write a works cited list for the second article on black queer identity.

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Dr. Comprone
Email: raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com

Weather trends composition

2011-09-22T09:57:00.001-07:00

2011 summer

Based on this chart, how hot is North America becoming?
How did you deal with the heat in the summer of 2011? Describe a typical summer day using narration.
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Dr. Comprone
Email: raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com

Location:2nd Ave,Lawrenceville,United States

Incorporating quotes into your essay composition class

2011-09-22T09:02:00.001-07:00

Here is an example of a quote integrated into an essay:
Charles I. Nero describes the feeling of rejection he experienced at home because of his homosexuality: "At a very early age, I learned not to trust my parents. Even to this day, I rarely tell them about ordinary, everyday events in my life" (67). Because his parents rejected him, Nero has had to process not having parental figures who acceped him for who he is.

Give an example of a quote integrated into one of your essays. Introduce the quote, use proper MLA format, and analyze the quote.

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Dr. Comprone
Email: raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com

Writing your introductory paragraph Composition class

2011-09-22T08:51:00.001-07:00

In your introduction, you should have a thesis statement or argument. Your introduction should clearly identify the purpose of your essay. You should also mention the work that you are analyzing. Post your introduction to your paper on the importance of names and Osage naming rituals here. Post your introduction to your paper on black queer identity and the language of home here as well. Your introduction should capture the reader's interest as well.

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Dr. Comprone
Email: raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com

Hate crimes and death penalty: Composition

2011-09-20T18:56:00.001-07:00

Deathpenalty

Does this 19 year old man deserve the death penalty?

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Dr. Comprone
Email: raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com

Composition: Death penalty: for or against

2011-09-20T09:42:00.001-07:00

Death penalty

Death penalty 2

Video

Chart
Stats
What are your views on the death penalty?
Use one of the following rhetorical strategies in your argument: description, comparison and contrast, cause and effect, definition, division and classification

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Dr. Comprone
Email: raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com

Composition: Examining Patterns: welfare, debt, unemployment

2011-09-16T20:02:00.001-07:00

Reading charts is important, but even more importantly, being able to think about charts is important. You should examine the connections between different charts and information when you conduct research. You should also be able to interpret and draw inferences from the research that you conduct. Post a comment on the charts below. I would like you to see if there are any patterns in the charts. All of us know that unemployment is a big issue in our society today, but is there a connection between unemployment and the national debt? Is there a connection between unemployment and welfare spending? Read the charts, evaluate them, and post a comment here. Support your answer with facts from the charts that you analyze.

Do you notice any patterns in the charts below? Do the graphs on unemployment by race and historical unemployment have any connection to the charts on welfare spending and on the national debt?

Do you think there is a correlation between unemployment and welfare spending?

Based on a comparison of the charts, do you think there is a relationship between the two?

Does welfare spending prevent unemployment, or does it reinforce it? Is it a necessary fact of life since there are not enough jobs?

Is there a relationship between national debt and unemployment? Is unemployment increasing as national debt increases?

unemployment by race

historical unemployment rate

U.S. Deficit

Welfare Spending

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Dr. Comprone
Email: raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com

Interpreting Patterns and Evaluating charts

2011-09-14T04:57:00.001-07:00

hottest weather graph

Click the link above and interpret the chart. What conclusions can you make about global warming based on the chart? Does the chart indicate the planet is getting hotter, or does it indicate the planet is not getting hotter in recent years? Give examples and support your viewpoint with evidence from the chart.

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Dr. Comprone
Email: raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com

Another chart with poverty rates

2011-09-13T17:29:00.001-07:00

Poverty rates msnbc article

Interpret this chart and discuss the effects of poverty on your generation. How has the recession affected you personally and how do you feel it will affect your generation?

Poverty rates in America increasing

2011-09-13T17:04:00.001-07:00

The poverty rate in America is increasing, and prices are rising. Discuss the charts in the article at this link and interpret the data.
What do the data indicate?

Poverty rates charts and article
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Dr. Comprone
Email: raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com

The role of memory in African American Culture African Amer. lit. assignment

2011-09-12T10:33:00.001-07:00

What is the role of memory in African American literature and culture? Read Toni Morrison's "the Site of Memory." Include one quote in your comment.

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Dr. Comprone
Email: raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com

Essay on nuclear power Composition class

2011-09-12T05:24:00.001-07:00

Examine the charts, images, and articles below. Write an essay based on your conclusions from the charts and maps on the following links. Determine how dangerous nuclear power is based on these maps and charts and make inferences.

http://papundits.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/08-power-plant-accident-rates.jpg

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/mar/14/nuclear-power-plant-accidents-list-rank

http://papundits.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/08-power-plant-accident-rates.jpg

http://papundits.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/08-power-plant-accident-rates.jpg

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=cancer+and+nuclear+power&um=1&hl=en&client=safari&tbo=d&tbm=isch&tbnid=3N_uYJulwctp0M:&imgrefurl=http://alethonewsa.wordpress.com/2009/10/09/more-childhood-cancer-near-nuclear-power-plants/&docid=ezZUZdtYDzv6MM&w=320&h=480&ei=Y_ltToiOO4nu0gH57pXiBA&zoom=1&biw=768&bih=866

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44483925/ns/world_news-europe/

This assignment is due today and is part of your preparation for taking the composition exit examination.

Composition II Strategy and Style

2011-08-18T13:13:00.001-07:00

Strategy and style are two important elements of writing. Style involves the form of your writing--the particular demands of a particular context in which you are writing. It also implies a sense of voice or character and captures the audience's interest. Strategy involves placing your words in a particular arrangement to achieve a purpose. You should be conscious of your writing strategy throughout your essay. For instance, you might want to ask your reader a series of questions in your essay if you are trying to get your audience to question their assumptions about a particular topic. A different writer might write short, emphatic sentences to get a point across. You can use different strategies to achieve different purposes.
Style can be considered the totality of all the choices writers make concerning their sentences, paragraphs, and essays. Style can also be used to describe a particular type of writing, such as an academic style. Here is a brief assignment. Write two paragraphs defining flash mob violence. In the first paragraph, describe flash mob violence using narration (storytelling). In the second paragraph, describe flash mob violence using logic (cause and effect). In the second paragraph, describe what you think are the causes of flash mob violence, discuss the occurrence, and then describe the consequences. Do not use a dictionary definition.
You should also look for articles on the web if you are unsure of what a flash mob is.
This assignment is for next Tuesday.

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Dr. Comprone
Email: raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com

American Literature: Creation Stories

2011-08-17T05:17:00.001-07:00

How do the Pima and Iroquois creation stories differ from one another? What is the relationship between the good mind and the bad mind in the Iroquois creation story? Is there a relationship between the Iroquois story and the Christian creation story? Why do you think creation stories deal with the concepts of good and evil? Where do the Pima live, and where do the Iroquois live? Conduct some research on the Pima and Iroquois and post information about them here.

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Dr. Comprone
Email: raphaeljohncomprone@gmail.com