Literature IS a Big Sea........

My Book List!

At the beginning of each school year, I start to compile a list of books to read. Most of the books on the list are my students' recommendation, and the others may be books that I read about in a magazine or books that people tell me about.

I love to read the books that my students recommend, because we get to have great discussions about books. Also, they absolutely love when I tell them that I am reading a book that they recommended.

It seems that the more I read, there are even more books to read!

I read just about every book that was on my list, and now I am starting to compile another list of books that I will read.

The world is literally full of books and authors.

Another blogger, Carole, whom I want to call friend because I love her blog so much, does this monthly post where she ask bloggers to post some of their favorite blogs about books. Every time that I go to her Books You Love Post, I am reminded of how many books there are in the world and how many books I have not read yet and how many I really want to read. (Man, I got to get busy!)

When I read Langston Hughes' autobiography, The Big Sea, he stated in that book that "Literature is a Big Sea Full of Many Fish," and I am finding that quote to be absolutely true.

Once I decided that I would write a blog to write about books that I read, I knew that I had to call this blog THE BIG SEA, because I totally agree with Langston: "Literature is Big Sea Full of Many Fish!"

Writing about books has made me fall more and more and more IN LOVE with books and authors, and I just can't get enough.

My people, try something TODAY that you think that you may like such as working out, eating right, reading, and see how the love will grow...

Thanks for the Blog title Langston!

Happy Friday..........

The Giver by Lois Lowry

I recommend this book for all readers, but especially adolescences.

The ease in which Lois uses language draws the reader into this book from the very first page.

This book, because of his futuristic theme, reminds me of the novels The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, and the short story "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. All three are incredible stories that anyone would enjoy, but especially middle school aged children.

In The Giver, the people live in a society "where nothing was ever unexpected. Or inconvenient. Or unusual. The life without color, pain, or past." As I was reading this book, I was trying to image this world, and I couldn't. A world that is devoid of love, color, choices, feelings, would literally be hell on earth. At first, I thought, it might be good to have little to no uncertainty, but I quickly reminded myself that vulnerability, which we sometimes call uncertainty, helps to build character. And, building character is a darn good thing.

In The Giver, the children are observed and around the age of twelve, they are given a profession that they will do until they are old.

Jonas, the main character, is chosen to a very honored position, but the position requires him to carry the burdens of everyone in the community. (What a huge responsibility!)

This book gave me a lot to think about: the importance of differences, choices, emotions etc.

It's not a very long or difficult text, but it is packed with lots to think about!

Read, Read, Read this quick, splendid book!

My next read is Light in August by non-other than the great William Faulkner.

It's Thursday, it's sunny, and I am HAPPY!

Enjoy this day, My People.....

How Do You See The World?

Is your glass half full or half empty?

Enjoy your day, My People...

Eugene Onegin by Alexander Pushkin

Alexander Pushkin 1799-1837

I have a co-worker and friend who loves books as much as I do. When I first started to teach Advanced Placement (AP) English, she and I would get together to plan for the class and have the most lively discussions about books.

She told me about this book that she read with her class titled Eugene Onegin by Alexander Pushkin, and she told me that I would love it.

One day, I was sitting in my classroom, and a student delivered a copy of Eugene Onegin to me with a note that stated to "Enjoy," and I truly enjoyed this book.

Onegin is written in verse which means that the entire novel is written in the form of poetry. The stanza takes the place of the paragraph, and each stanza is written as a sonnet. A sonnet has fourteen lines, and Pushkin uses iambic tetrameter with the unusual end rhyme scheme of  AbAbCCddEffEgg which makes the book read with a lot of rhythm and this helps to make the storyline quite exciting. (Excuse me if you are not following me, but you know that English teachers love this stuff!)

Puskin is the 3rd person narrator of this story, and he is quite delightful. He tells the story to the reader in a manner that made me feel like he and I were in his house, and he was excitingly telling me this fascinating story about someone whom I just might know. At times, Pushkin would say something like:

"Just now though, friends, I feel to tired
 To tell you how this meeting went
 And what ensued from that event;
 I've talked so long that I've required
 A little walk, some rest and play;
 I'll finish up another day."

(Quite delightful right?)

So, here is how the story goes!

Tatyana falls in love with Onegin, but he does not love her back. Years later, Onegin, just by chance, runs into Tatyana, and now he falls in love with her. However, she admits that she still loves him, but she is married and will remain faithful to her husband......

There is more to this story, but you can see that it is an incredible love story.

Next year, I will definitely be reading this book with my students. What a clever way to get students to understand poetry and its many layers........

Read Eugene Onegin; I think that you will be pleasantly surprised!!!!

Also, if you want to get smarter, this is the type of book that requires higher level thinking, and it helps the reader to get smarter and smarter and smarter!

My next read is The Giver by Lois Lowry!

Happy Wednesday, My People!

"Just A Minute!"

Benjamin E. Mays: Morehouse College President from  1940 to 1967

One of the things that I really love about the church where I am a member is that fact that my preacher is an intellect. At tonight's service, he spoke to us about making a list of things that are really important to us and for us to make sure that we are good stewards over the things that we value.

Two things that he suggested that should be important to Christians are our Salvation and our Time, and he went on to recite "Just A Minute" by Benjamin E. Mays:

"Just A Minute" 

by Benjamin E. Mays, Former Morehouse President

I have only just a minute, only 60 seconds in it,

Forced upon me, can't refuse it.

Didn't seek it, didn't choose it,

But it's up to me to use it.

I must suffer if I lose it,

Give account if I abuse it,

Just a tiny little minute,

But eternity is in it,.

What are you going to do with your minute?

I came home and goggled this great poem, and I fell in love with it, and I had to share it with my readers!

I hope that you love it as much as I do.........

My Babies are Gone!!!

One of my many babies!

Tuesday was my seniors official last day of high school, and I am extremely excited about them going off to really start their lives....

I really wanted to say something profound or say something that they would remember forever; however, I have been giving them all of the wisdom that I have all year long, so I just hugged them and sent them on.

I really loved and enjoyed my seniors. They are smart, eager to learn, willing to read anything, and always seemed to listen very intensely when I tried to impart wisdom about life to them.

One of the themes that continued to come up this year is a quote from Toni Morrison's novel Song of Solomom about letting go of the s@#$ that is holding us back so that we can fly.

I really hope that quote resonated with them, and I pray that they will continuously work on getting rid of whatever may hold them back from living their best lives: fear, anger, people, self-doubt, the opinion of others, and on and on and on....

It was a bitter-sweet ending, but I have to let them go in order for them and me to fly!

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

"If a man does not keep pace with
his companions, perhaps it is 
because he hears a different drummer. 
Let him step to the music which he hears, 
however measured or far away."
Henry David Thoreau

Before I start to talk about this biography titled Steve Jobs, I think that is is very important that I talk about the writer of this book, Walter Isaacson.

Walter Isaacson

Steve Jobs asked Walter Isaacson to write his biography to tell his story to his children. And after reading this book, I know that Jobs only works with people whom he consider to be the very best, and Walter is a gifted storyteller.

He tells the story of Steve Jobs in a manner that is completely captivating. I must admit that this quite lengthy book was on my mind quite a bit until I finished it. I spent many nights, while extremely sleepy, trying to read one more page. This biography is quite thought provoking.

You know how most people are raised to be nice and respectful, to think about the feelings of others, be assertive but with caution, have empathy, and all of those other good qualities that many of us think helps to make us great people. Well, Steve Jobs was painted in this book as having none of those qualities.

He fathered a daughter whom he refused to acknowledge for part of her life; he was at times distance with his two daughters that he later fathered with his wife, Laurene; he was extremely rude to people; would speak whatever was on his mind with no regards to how it would make people feel etc. BUT...

He was a genius who realized at an early age that he was much smarter than his adopted father, whom he thought was quite intelligent, and this revelation seemed to cause Jobs to turn into a very cocky, strong-willed guy. Other factors such as being given up by his biological parents seemed to cause Jobs to lack empathy, be self-centered, and really have attachment issues. From reading this book, it appears that he had no one, outside of perhaps his wife and son, Reed, whom he called friend. People respected him, but I am not sure if many called him friend.

Steve was extremely gifted and self-assured, and he seemed to go with his gut quite often, and most of the time, that worked for him. He knew that he wanted 1000 songs in his pocket and along came the iPod; he knew that he wanted a cellular phone that was easy to use and did a lot of stuff and along came the iPhone; he wanted to create movies that used digital technology and along came the movie Toy Story and others. He would dream a dream and would make it happen "By Any Means Necessary!" (The man had heart!)

The iphone: a dream that became reality!

You know what else makes this book so intriguing? 

Jobs' legacy took place during our lifetime. I own some of the products and the key players who help to create Jobs' legacy is breathing the same air as me. Most books that I have read about people who influenced the world, are about people who are long gone. But Jobs' story happened during our lifetime, and we know many of the stories about Apple first hand. (We are living during a great time in history for so many reasons, and I am soooo happy to be here.)

The only thing that I felt was left out of his book is how did Jobs' wife, Laurene, lived with a man who was mercurial? Also, I would have love to hear more about what his children thought about him and his impact on their lives.

Other than those few things, it seems like Isaacson basically summed up Steve Jobs' life, which happened to be his career, and leaves the reader loving him, and at the same time, wondering about his complexity.

I HIGHLY recommend this book!

My next read is Eugene Onegin by Alexander Pushkin.

I've been doing a lot of reading this month; school must be almost over.......