'Dystopian Literature......

...The Cautionary Tales of a Brave New World'

For those of you who are in the seminar programme: my literature seminar will take place on Wednesday 26th September at 12:55 in E12. There is reading to do before the seminar - please come and pick up a booklet (with some extracts - nothing too strenuous) before the session.

I'll try to catch some of you at Chris's 'Greek Tragedy' seminar on the 19th, but please spread the word so that everyone has had a chance to read the material before the session.

See below for a dystopian treat (if there is such a thing)...

'Translating the British'

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/aug/10/carol-ann-duffy-olympics-london?INTCMP=SRCH

'Translating the British' by Carol Ann Duffy - the Poet Laureate's response to the London 2012 Olympics.

Duffy continues fairy-tale work

http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2012/aug/14/carol-ann-duffy-rapunzel-ballet?INTCMP=SRCH

Carol Ann Duffy to write a 'dark Rapunzel ballet' - sounds about right!

Welcome!

Welcome to EN English Literature!

You'll probably hear lots about how hard it can be to make the transition from GCSE to AS Level so I won't bore you with that... What I will say is that there are plenty of support systems in place to help you manage the transition. We do expect you to be more independent, but that doesn't mean we leave you completely on your own!

The course you will be starting this year is a brand new version of AS Literature and we're really happy with it. I hope you enjoy it too! :)

Welcome!

Welcome back to the new A2 students! I hope you have had a lovely summer (with lots of reading) and that you are ready for the new academic year!

If you are interested in re-submitting your AS coursework and you haven't spoken to me about it yet, let me know and I'll dig out your work from last year.

If you want to re-take LTA1C, you'll only be able to do this in January (not next June) so you'll need to make sure you don't miss the deadline for this. Revision materials are available on my AS Lit Moodle page if you need them :)

Elizabethan Rose theatre set to bloom again

Plans to excavate the final third of the Bankside site could see the theatre fully restored in time for the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death in 1616.

Follow the link below for the full story...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2012/jul/16/rose-theatre-redevelopment-plans

Carol Ann Duffy wins PEN/Pinter prize

"Carol Ann Duffy is a great poet: in addition we were all struck by [her] propensity for being independent and sometimes awkward, to make important points through her work. She comments on contemporary events directly in a way we do not believe a poet laureate has done before," said Antonia Fraser, Pinter's widow.

And Pinter himself was a fan of Duffy's, revealed Fraser. "In a way poetry was his first love," she said. "He was a playwright, that's what he put on his passport, but poetry was his first love. And Carol Ann Duffy is a very good choice: she's so wonderfully outspoken, which is what the prize is about."

Good choice!

Click here for the full Guardian article.

AS Lit: Prose Study

This looks amazing!

A2 Lit: Love through the ages

Keep a record of the poems we study on your blog - you will need these notes later on for your revision!

We will look at a range of poems in the first 2 weeks, and this is a great opportunity to get started on your blog....

A2 Lit: Coursework

Things to do during the first term:

• Keep a reading journal, reflecting on the texts as we work through them
• Research context info and critical interpretations, and post these on your blog, complete with your comments
• Start to plan your essay, keeping the assessment objectives in mind.....

AS Lit: Creative Reading

Things to be working on in the first half term:

• Reading and keeping a log of your stimulus material
• Reflecting on what inspires you
• Planning ideas for your own creative piece

This includes the Carter stories and any independent reading you might be doing as well. Download the reading list from the Moodle page to give you a head start with this.