For my students

Writing: It's not just for college

This one goes out to my College Writing 2 students. "I Love You Period" by Dan Baird:

I love the fact that he makes something nerdy (being a good writer) into something cool (which being a good writer already was, but how many of us really think like that?). Let's face it--if you can't punctuate your love letters, how far do you think you'll get in life? Okay, so the song is still full of geek, but it's a fun example of why we should care about punctuation ;)


Here's a song with an opposite take on punctuation: "Oxford Comma" by Vampire Weekend

"Oxford Comma" points out the ridiculosity (it's a word. I may have just made it up, but it's a word) of how uptight we tend to be about language. (The English teacher in me needs to remind everyone that, while language changes and we need to be flexible, PUNCTUATION IS STILL IMPORTANT! Remember those love letters from the first song?)


Now, one we've all experienced: "Writer's Block" by Just Jack (a fun Brit-Hip Hop take on the curse we all know).

See? Even rappers know what it's like.


And here's the ultimate song for writers. From the Beatles:

Writing. It's hip. 

Hands, Explanations, and Wile E. Coyote

Can you tell I've become obsessed with slam poetry?

Here's some Def Poetry. I really like the way this young woman presents herself. It's a cool topic, and she talks about it honestly, beautifully, ironically, and makes it cooler.

And here's part of why slam poetry is so awesome (warning: this one is almost 15 minutes. It's selections of poetry interspersed with commentary):

National Poetry Slam Director's Cut

And here's some nostalgic poetry for us Loony Toons fans:

Yeah, I know, it makes a point about addiction. But really, it's about Wile E.

More Poetry Slamming

This one is about being pretty. I love it!
 

 

What I love about poetry slams: the intense philosophy crammed into just a few minutes.

And speaking of poetry slams, there's a restaurant/bookstore/fair trade market in DC called Busboys and Poets. I've never been there, but after seeing several videos of poetry slammers recently, I looked into local events, and found this place. They host a monthly poetry slam on the second Friday of every month. I'm going to go and check one out next month. They also have weekly open mic nights, which should be pretty cool. 

Who wants to start going to poetry slams with me?

Why We Teach

This is a poetry slam performance, so don't be shocked by this guy's vehemence!

He sums up why teachers teach in a 3-minute performance. Pretty impressive.