Untitled Document

Jen Thielen
Engl 5922
Unit

Literature and Culture of New Orleans

Prefatory Statement:

New Orleans is a place where several separate cultures have grown together throughout history to create a unique city. By studying the literature, music, and art of this area, students will have a rich cultural experience. This unit will give students the opportunity to appreciate ways of life different than their own. They will be able to better understand where people are coming from by expanding their horizons. They will be able to construe what factors contribute to an area's literature and art. Of all places, New Orleans is a complementary mix of old, new, clean, dirty, rich, and poor. These juxtapositions will prove to be interesting and informative for students.

Many authors have made their homes in New Orleans. For this four-week lesson, students will be taken through the world of some of these authors. They will experience poetry, short stories, drama, and biographies. The literature will be accompanied by music, art, decoration, and food from New Orleans to make the adventure complete. In the midst of these experiences will be the themes of diversity, acceptance, and respect. This unit will meet goals of students, instructor and the Minnesota Grad Standards through activities such as the analysis of narrative structure, the analysis of a literary work, and the creation of an anthology.

Class Specifications/Significant Assumptions:

This unit can be modified to fit any age, ability, religion, and background, depending on what literature is chosen. The particular selections in this unit are most appropriate for older students (11th or 12th graders) because of the issues and language in them. Students should have read literature in other classes that will have prepared them for knowing elements of a short story and plot diagrams. There will be brief lessons about these, but background knowledge will be beneficial. The class will also be assumed to have worked in groups, written essays, and presented information in front of a class of peers.

Desired Outcomes:

Students should be able to perform all standards and tasks specified under the Minnesota High School Graduation Standard Arts Analysis and Interpretation. These include:
1. describing the elements and structure of literature; the artistic intent; and the historical, cultural, and social background of the selected literature;
2. applying the specific critical criteria to interpret and analyze the selected literature;
3. describing how particular effects are produced by artists' use of the elements of literature;
4. communicating an informed interpretation using the vocabulary of literature.

By the end of this unit, students will have also learned:

· how to conduct a productive class discussion
· how to work effectively in groups
· how to pick out differences in style of works of New Orleans authors and their own lives

Possible Whole-Class Activities:
· Activity and discussion about plot diagrams
· Read and discuss Tennessee Williams's A Streetcar Named Desire
· Examine and discuss the culture of New Orleans
· Create an anthology of works by New Orleans authors
· Read and discuss selected poems by Tennessee Williams and Everette Maddox
· Read and discuss excerpts from the biographies of George Rodrigue and Buddy Bolden
· Read and discuss short stories by Kate Chopin, David Madden, and William Faulkner

Possible Small Group Activities:
· Plot diagram presentation
· Storyboard creation and presentation
· Peer group editing of assignments
· Reading of a play or novel for the anthology

Possible Individual Activities:
· Journals
· Reading and developing a plot diagram for William Faulkner's "Jealousy"
· Poem or essay about how their surroundings affect them
· Reading of short stories not covered in class because of time

Ongoing Activities:

Students will be required to keep a journal in which they include responses to literature, ideas for projects, vocabulary they don't understand, questions about the literature, differences they notice between works studied and their own lives, and various other types of writing. Some questions to keep in mind during the journal process would be, What are my feelings toward this work? What do I think it means? What words don't I understand? What aspects of New Orleans culture differ from my own?
Student Resources:

· copies of A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams
· copies of "The New Orleans of Possibilities" by David Madden
· copies of selected Everette Maddox and Tennessee Williams poetry
· copies of "The Story of an Hour" and "A Respectable Woman" by Kate Chopin
· copies of lyrics of "King of New Orleans" by Better Than Ezra
· copies of "The Kid Learns" by William Faulkner
· handout of plot diagram
· handout of a brief history of New Orleans (prepared by instructor)
· handout of brief adapted biographies of George Rodrigue and Buddy Bolden (prepared by instructor) (or if at all possible, copies of Blue Dog Man by George Rodrigue and Coming Through Slaughter by Michael Ondaajte)
· copies of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears"
· 2 notebooks
· writing utensils
· folder
· computer access

Unit Launch: Week One, Day One, 50 minute lesson
(Before the unit begins, the instructor will have decorated the room with Mardi Gras beads and masks, posters and photos of New Orleans, a map, Blue Dog paintings, and other New Orleans-type items. Louisiana Sampler or a blues or jazz CD will be playing as students enter the room. There will also be beads to hand out for participation in discussion).

Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will be able to
· eliminate stereotypes about New Orleans and its people
· begin to use a journal
· understand what is expected of them in this unit

Methods:
· Activity One
i. Ask what students know or think they know about New Orleans, getting first impressions, stereotypes, etc. and write them on the board (5 minutes)
· Activity Two
i. Show them a videotape with clips from various New Orleans-based sources (The Waterboy, Saturday Night Live's "Cajun Man", Real World New Orleans Mardi Gras episode, etc.) (10 minutes)

· Activity Three
i. Discuss their lists and my video (10 minutes)

· Activity Four
i. Explain the purpose and intent of the unit, and what they will be expected to complete based on the grad standard
ii. Answer questions regarding the unit and standard
iii. Introduce the themes of diversity and the influence of one's surroundings
iv. Write about how they have been influenced by their surroundings
Homework: Get a journal, and write down any other questions or concerns about the unit or standards.

Assessment:

I will know students will have met the objectives if:
· they participate in discussion
· they have questions regarding the unit or the standard
· they complete a relevant journal entry

Organization of the Unit:

Week One will consist of the unit launch, then readings that have cultural significance. The instructor has prepared a handout of a brief history of the city, which will be read and discussed in class. We will also discuss how one's environment shapes him or her. Biographies of two artists who shaped and were shaped by New Orleans (Blue Dog artist George Rodrigue and early jazz musician Buddy Bolden) will be presented in an adapted version. These will also be handouts prepared by the instructor, and will be read and discussed in class. In small groups, students will discuss similarities and differences between the men and possibly themselves. Journal entries will occur as deemed necessary by instructor. Journal topics may include a diverse place they visited, how to make school more accepting of diversity, reactions to biographies, etc.

Also during this week, instructions will be given about the projects that will be completed during this unit. This includes a plot diagram assignment, a short essay or project about a work, and an anthology of New Orleans literature. Students will be encouraged to begin thinking about if they would like to work with someone or alone and what literature they want to include in the anthology.

Week Two will begin with reading Tennessee Williams's A Streetcar Named Desire. We will "perform" this together in class, and discuss it. Some possible questions for discussion will include:
· What stereotypes are apparent?
· What do you think of each of the characters?
· What language usage differences do you see?
· How do you think Blanche's past shaped her character?
· What do you think is the significance of the title?
· Have you ever been in a situation like Blanche where you lost something of value and had to break it to someone?
Then we will begin going over plot diagrams in preparation for our first task. A version of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" will be distributed, as well as two types of plot diagrams (Harold Weston's "W" diagram and Freytag's Pyramid). Using these resources, we will plot out the fairy tale. We will then do the plot diagram of the play together in class. This will prepare them for their homework which will be reading "Jealousy" by William Faulkner and doing its plot diagram (either style) to be due by Day Four of this week. Students will also be responding to both works in their journals, answering questions such as, are there any similarities between characters in these works?

By the end of this week, students will also have been broken into two groups (decided by the instructor) in preparation for the storyboard assignment.

Lesson Plan: Week Two, Day One, 50 minute lesson

Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will have learned:
· part of a plot (intent, first barrier, high point, resolution, etc.)
· how to diagram a plot using both Weston's "W" diagram and Freytag's Pyramid
· to use this knowledge and apply it to works we are studying

Methods:
· Activity One
i. Hand out copies of a version of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" and read it aloud in class (10 minutes)

· Activity Two
i. Hand out copies of two plot diagrams to be discussed
ii. Discuss (15 minutes) (What is the plot? What does it mean? What do you know about the story? What is a good plot to you?)

· Activity Three
i. Split students into groups of two or three and have them attempt to diagram the plot of the story according to one of the diagrams (making sure both types of diagrams are represented) (10 minutes)

· Activity Four
i. Have each group share their diagrams (10 minutes)

Assessment:

I will know students will have met objectives if:
· participate actively in discussion of diagrams
· work efficiently and correctly with group on the diagram of "Goldilocks…"

Week Three will move into further description and work on the storyboard assignment. Using the plot diagram we have come up with for A Streetcar Named Desire, as well as the one we they have done for homework on "Jealousy," we will construct storyboards. Within the six groups of five already picked by the instructor, students will then each be given a role within their group. These roles coincide with the creation of the storyboard. This consists of creating a comic-like representation of the plot of a work, including things such as camera angles, time, special effects, lighting, and so on. Drawings may be simple, but explanations should be detailed. Each student will be in charge of something within their group. Groups will be given time in class to work on this but may also need to use time outside of class as well. These storyboards will be worked on throughout the unit and will be presented by each group in Week Five. The person who is the "expert" on an aspect of the storyboard will be expected to explain that portion of the presentation.

This week we will also start several short stories. We will read "The New Orleans of Possibilities" by David Madden, "The Story of an Hour" and "A Respectable Woman" by Kate Chopin, and "The Kid Learns" by William Faulkner. Discussions of these works will follow in preparation for another assignment, which will fulfill the analysis task. The short stories, as well as the works previously read and the poetry that will follow in the coming weeks, will be the literature students can choose from to complete the "Interpretation of Literature" standard. Possible discussion questions for these works will be included in pages to follow.

Week Four will be a continuance of the short story reading and discussions. If time is an issue, one or two of the stories may be assigned for homework, with small-group or large-group discussions to follow the next day. These discussions will also involve the elements of a short story, including theme, characterization, point of view, symbolism, and allusion, among other things. During this week, we will also check on the progress of the story boards and allow time to work on them if needed.

This week will also be the start of the poetry section. Selected poems by Everette Maddox ("Hearing It All", "The Poem", "Irrelevant", "The Notion of Doors"), Tennessee Williams ("The Beanstalk Country", "Mornings on Bourbon Street"), and song lyrics by New Orleans-based Better Than Ezra ("King of New Orleans") will be read and studied. Short biographies of the poets will be provided to go along with the theme of influences of environment. Students will also be journaling about the poetry, as they have been with other works. Journal topics would include their reactions, how the poems fit with the unit, and their attempt at a poem.

By the end of this week, students will have chosen the work they intend on using for the anthology, and the person with whom they will work. At the end of this week, storyboards will be due.

Lesson Plan: Week Four, Day Four (tentatively), 50 minute lesson
(Can be used with any of the poetry we are studying)

Objectives:
By the end of this lesson, students will have learned:
· strategies for an interpretation of poetry
· strategies to relate poetry to their own lives

Methods:
· Activity One
i. Briefly discuss the biography of the poet, including the time in which he wrote, and the culture of New Orleans at the time

· Activity Two
i. Read the selected poems

· Activity Three
i. Have a large group discussion about the poems, including things like mood, tone, figurative language, and interpretation

· Activity Four
i. Individually, write a short paragraph about how the poem is relevant in their life, or why it has no relevance at all

· Activity Five
i. Give homework (a poem or creative piece about how they think their environment has shaped them)

Assessment:
I will know students will have met the objectives by:
· their participation in and evidence of their interpretive strategies in discussion
· their fulfillment of the writing assignment

Week Five will spent mostly tying up loose ends. Students will have decided on the work they will include on the anthology, and will work on writing analyses of them. This week will also be when the second task will be due, as students will be armed with all the choices of literature they may choose for it. A writing and editing workshop of sorts will be the theme for this week. Students will have the opportunity to work in class to finish their assignments and get peer, as well as teacher, opinions and critiques of their work.

Assignment One-Due Week Two, Day Four

Plot Diagram

Read William Faulkner's "Jealousy." Using the diagrams and examples discussed in class, construct a plot diagram for this short story. You may use either Weston's or Freytag's diagram. You may make this as creative as you'd like, using colors or drawings to demonstrate the concept. In addition, use the diagram of A Streetcar Named Desire we did in class to formulate a 2-3 page essay comparing and contrasting the plots of the two works.

You will be graded on the following:
· The correct use and accuracy of the diagram
· Neatness
· Knowledge and understanding of the works demonstrated in the essay

Assignment 2-Due Week 5, Day One

Environmental Influences

One of the themes we have been discussing during this unit is how an author's environment can shape what they write. With that in mind, create a poem or other form of creative writing that tells the story of how you feel you have been shaped by your environment, using what you journaled about on day one.

You will be graded on the following:
· Creativity
· Effort

Grade for this unit will be determined by the following:
· Thoughtful journal entries (10 points)
· Assignment One-Plot diagram (10 points)
· Assignment Two-Environmental influences (10 points)
· Participation (5 points)
· Storyboard (15 points)
· Analysis essay (20 points)
· Poetry paragraph (5 points)
· Anthology piece (20 points)
· Essay or project Presentation (15 points)

100-92 A
91-84 B
83-75 C
74-66 D
65-0 F

Name of Item:Analyze Narrative Structure
Learning Area:Literature and the Arts Content Standard:Literature and Arts Analysis and Interpretation- literature Educational Level:High School Submission Type:Assessment Task

Standard Specification: Those parts of the standard that are assessed in this task are bolded.
A student shall demonstrate the ability to interpret and evaluate complex works of literature by: A) describing the elements and structure of literature; the artistic intent; and the historical, cultural and social background of the selected literature; B) applying specific critical criteria to interpret and analyze the selected literature; C) describing how particular effects are produced by the artist's use of the elements of literature; and D) communicating an informed interpretation using the vocabulary of literature.

Large Processes and Concepts: The items from the Large Processes and Concepts for this learning area that are addressed in this assessment task are bolded in the right hand column.
The following bolded large processes and concepts are covered in this assessment task.select/describeanalyzeinterpret/translateevaluate

Evidence of Learning: The following product(s) supply evidence of student learning.
Structural Analyses: Plot diagram, Storyboard, Analytic Essay

Task Summary: The following is a brief summary of this assessment task.
Explore and describe narrative structure.

Feedback Checklist: Items in the checklist are aligned with the standard and describe the quality criteria for each piece of evidence. Items indicate what is being assessed and how well it needs to be demonstrated.
Task ChecklistY = YesN = No Evidence Shown
Student Type of Evidence Teacher
Structural Analyses: Plot diagram, Storyboard, Analytic Essay
The analyses accurately depict the functions and relationships among the elements.
The analyses explain how particular narrative effects are achieved.
The analyses incorporate vocabulary of the literary form.

Task Overview: Students will work in class to diagram the plot of A Streetcar Named Desire using either Weston's or Freytag's diagrams. They will then take that knowledge and apply it to a short story (William Faulkner's "Jealousy"). Those plot diagrams will be the basis for the storyboard, which they will create in groups and present to the class.

Task Description: Includes clear, step-by-step, instructions.
1. Read "Jealousy" and A Streetcar Named Desire. Analyze the narrative structure of each by creating two plot diagrams that graphically depict the pattern of events (dramatic tension and release; conflict and resolution) in each story. This can be using either of the plot diagrams we have looked at. 2. Next, develop two storyboards based on each work's narrative structure. You will be assigned to either story, and within that group, be assigned a role to concentrate on (such as lighting, special effects, dialogue, camera angles, etc.) You may collaborate with another person who has the same role. The storyboards can show setting, conflicts, and character relationships in more detail than the plot diagrams. 3. In creating the storyboards, portray selected key events. Determine what criteria you will use to select events. For example, one way to select key events is to see plot as driven by characters; the climax, its resolution, and the effects on the characters become critical features in understanding theme. So one criterion to use in the selection of key events is that of the illumination of character. Each group will concentrate on a different aspect, such as the ones illustrated above.4. Finally, write an essay in which you describe the structure of each work and compare and contrast the structures. You can analyze the sequence of events and explore how they work together to support the theme and create an effect or emotion. A brief summary of your essay will be presented to the class, as well as a group presentation of the storyboard.5. Analyze the dramatic patterns or rhythms of the works by examining the pace of each story. How is the reader/audience brought into the action or situation? How is dramatic tension or suspense created? Does tension build quickly or slowly? Where are the turning points? How rapidly do they unfold? What is the effect of the ending?6. Another analytic strategy you could use would be to examine the work as a series of stages; each stage represents increased awareness, emotion, or understanding for the characters and/or reader.

Special Notes: Includes any tips or special instructions.

Author Information:
Name: State Model E-mail: mecr.help@state.mn.us
Organization: Children, Families & Learning

Name of Item:Comprehensive Analysis of a Literary Work
Learning Area:Literature and the Arts Content Standard:Literature and Arts Analysis and Interpretation - Literature Educational Level:High School Submission Type:Assessment Task

Standard Specification: Those parts of the standard that are assessed in this task are bolded.
A student shall demonstrate the ability to interpret and evaluate complex works of literature by: E) describing the elements and structure of literature; the artistic intent; and the historical, cultural and social background of the selected literature; F) applying specific critical criteria to interpret and analyze the selected literature; G) describing how particular effects are produced by the artist's use of the elements of literature; and H) communicating an informed interpretation using the vocabulary of literature.

Evidence of Learning: The following product(s) supply evidence of student learning.
Analysis of a Literary Work

Task Summary: The following is a brief summary of this assessment task.
Students will select a piece of literature and formulate a comprehensive analysis and interpretation of the work.

Feedback Checklist: Items in the checklist are aligned with the standard and describe the quality criteria for each piece of evidence. Items indicate what is being assessed and how well it needs to be demonstrated.
Task ChecklistY = YesN = No Evidence Shown
Student Type of Evidence Teacher
Analysis of a Literary Work
The analysis is a thorough examination of the literary work thatconnects elements and structure with effect and artistic intent,connects background and context with meaning and point of view and incorporates vocabulary of the literary form
Interpretation of the work is consistent with the analysis
Conclusions are supported and explained with specific examples from the work

Task Description: Includes clear, step-by-step, instructions.
Select a piece of literature which you have studied in depth. Formulate a comprehensive analysis and interpretation of the work that you may present in a written or oral presentation. This may be in the form of a formal essay or a comparable creative project to be approved by the instructor. Your presentation must include the following components: 1. Your general reaction to, impressions of and questions about the work. Journal comments and discussions in class can assist you with this. 2. A plot diagram or other analytic strategy that illustrates the structure of the work. 3. Identification of three themes of the work. Choose one of the themes to explore fully using references to specific details from the work. 4. A description of the writer's use of the formal elements of fiction. Among the elements you may consider are the uses of symbolism, figurative language, allusion, setting, characterization, dialogue, narrative structure and repeated elements. Provide detail and examples from the text to support your analysis. 5. Biographical notes about the author including specific details that shed light on the work or raise questions about the work. 6. Notes about the social, political, cultural events or circumstances of the time period in which the work was written. Describe how these factors influenced the development of the work or are reflected in the work. 7. Summary of a critical essay on the work. Take a position in agreement with or questioning the point of view of the critique. Use specific references from the essay and from the literary work to explain and support your position.

Special Notes: Includes any tips or special instructions.

Author Information:
Name: State Model E-mail: mecr.help@state.mn.us
Organization: Children, Families & Learning

Name of Item:Critical Anthology
Learning Area:Literature and the Arts Content Standard:Literature and arts analysis and interpretation - literature Educational Level:High School Submission Type:Assessment Task

Evidence of Learning: The following product(s) supply evidence of student learning.
Individually created section of the critical anthology

Task Summary: The following is a brief summary of this assessment task.
Work with a group to produce an annotated critical anthology. Select the literary works, write a critical analysis of each and contribute your work to an anthology of critiques.

Feedback Checklist: Items in the checklist are aligned with the standard and describe the quality criteria for each piece of evidence. Items indicate what is being assessed and how well it needs to be demonstrated.
Task ChecklistY = YesN = No Evidence Shown
Student Type of Evidence Teacher
Individually created section of the critical anthology
The definition of story describes a relationship among elements, structure, meaning and expression
The section contains literary analysis aligned with a stated point of view about story
The section introduction describes the characteristics of the literary form
The prefaces present points of view on structure and meaning aligned with stated criteria

Task Description: Includes clear, step-by-step, instructions.
The anthology must be organized by sections, each of which will be the responsibility of one group member. The teacher will provide guidelines regarding the number of works each student must analyze for his or her section. Each section will have an explanatory introduction and contain bibliographic information about the selections and the analytic summaries written by a group member.The following steps describe the work that each student must complete, but group members must communicate to ensure that contributions will create an anthology that is varied in the work it critiques and in its critical approaches. 1. Select works of literature. They must be of a genre or New Orleans author not covered in class. Works from poetry, novel, short story, drama, biography, and other non-fiction must be included. Also look for works that blur the distinction between fiction and non-fiction. Consider works that use the same elements of writing in different ways or push the definition of an element by using it in an unexpected ways. Among the kinds of non-fiction works that may offer the richest possibilities are memoir, autobiography and biography; they may utilize many of the traditional fiction elements. Essays may also provide vivid portrayals of people, settings, conflicts and offer observations about the human experience and thus be especially worthy. Consider news media and entertainment forms from which you could select work that extends the definition of "story."As you make your selections, consider these questions and discuss them with your group: What are the quintessential qualities of a story? What makes a story a story? When is a story not a story?In gathering and organizing the selections, develop at least two categories in which to place the works; do not use fiction and non-fiction as your categories. Determine how to identify and define the categories and communicate this to the group. Confer with the group to decide which and how many different categories to include.2. Write an introduction for one section (category) of the anthology in which you identify and explain the characteristic features of the category. 3. Write about each selection: · Bibliographic information. · Description of how the work fits in this particular category. · A summary of the work. · A description of the characteristics of the work that defy summary (for example, riveting descriptions, emotional impact, powerful characterization); in other words, what would a reader miss if she/he only read the summary instead of the work itself. · Description of how the work fits or expands the definition you developed for story; that is, an explanation of how or why the work is or is not a story. · An explanation of the value of each selection to the reader. 4. Write an extended definition of story, criteria for what makes a story and detailed answers to the question, "What is the value of story?" The group will work together to construct the critical anthology as individuals complete their contributions. The completed anthology must include an introduction comprised of an overview and the definitions of story submitted by each group member.

Special Notes: Includes any tips or special instructions.

Author Information:
Name: State Model E-mail: mecr.help@state.mn.us
Organization: Children, Families & Learning

Possible Discussion Questions for Short Stories:

General questions/Pre-reading questions
· What is significant about the title?
· What do you expect will happen?
· What will be relevant to this story?
· How can you connect this story with your own experiences?
· Would any of these pieces be different if they were set elsewhere?

"The Kid Learns"
· What do you think Johnny does for a living?
· What happened to Johnny?
· Who is Mary?
· Have you ever tried to stick up for someone and got hurt because of it, either physically or emotionally?

"A Respectable Woman"
· What happens at the end?
· Why will Mrs. Baroda be nice to Gouvernail in the future?
· Describe the relationship between Mr. and Mrs. Baroda.
· Was Mrs. Baroda a respectable woman?
· What are some situations where you wanted to do something but didn't because it was improper?

"The Story of an Hour"
· How does Mrs. Mallard feel about her husband's death? Find a passage to explain.
· Explain the ending.
· Has something you wished for ever come true, but then you figured out didn't want it that way?

"The New Orleans of Possibilities'
· Discuss the relevance of the photographs
· Is Kenneth really in the photos, or is it his quest to make the day unusual that makes him see the resemblances?

Teacher Resources

Faulkner, William. Mirrors of Chartres Street. Meyers Printing Company, 1953.
New Orleans Sketches. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University
Press, 1958.

Frommer's New Orleans 2001. Forest City, CA: IDG Books Worldwide, Inc., 2000.

Gardner, John. The Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writers. New York:
Vintage Books, 1983

Hills, Rust. Writing in General and the Short Story in Particular. Boston: Houghton
Mifflin, 1977.

Kubis, Pat and Bob Howard. The Complete Guide to Writing Fiction and Nonfiction
(and Getting it Published). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1990.

Madden, David. The New Orleans of Possibilities. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State
University Press, 1982.

Ondaajte, Michael. Coming Through Slaughter. New York: W. W. Norton & Co., Inc.,
1976.

Rodrigue, George. Blue Dog Man. New York: Stewart, Tabori, and Chang.

Williams, Tennessee. The Winter of Cities. Norfolk, CT: New Directions Books, 1956. Theatre of Tennessee Williams. Norfolk, CT: New Directions Books, 1971.

There are also several other books about New Orleans or by authors from there that I was not able to peruse for their appropriateness. I have included them in a list, however, as they may prove valuable to add to the lesson:

Almost Innocent-Sheila Bosworth
Decorations in a Ruined Cemetery-John Gregory Brown
Music in the Streets-Ralston Crawford
Bizarre New Orleans-F.G. Fox
In the Land of Dreamy Dreams-Ellen Gilchrist
Literary New Orleans in the Modern World-Richard S. Kennedy
Balcony Stories-Grace King
Lives of the Saints-Nancy Levin
Literary New Orleans-Judy Long
The Great Divorce-Valerie Martin
A Recent Martyr-Valerie Martin
New Orleans Stories-John Muller
The Moviegoer-Walker Percy
Red Wine Moan-Jeri Cain Rossi
Fabulous New Orleans-Lyle Saxon
A Confederacy of Dunces-John Kennedy Toole
The Optimist's Daughter-Eudora Welty

Brief History of New Orleans (adapted from Frommer's):

New Orleans is a city with a unique history. It is a fusion of country and city, rich and poor, clean and dirty. Its diversity is celebrated in every aspect, as a sign in the House of Blues club claims: "Unity in diversity." Authors and other artists have made their home in New Orleans to experience its "magical and seductive" pleasures. It is a very sensual place, appealing through the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes. Current residents include author Anne Rice and Nine Inch Nail's lead singer, Trent Reznor.
New Orleans tradition runs rich through its large plantations and above ground cemeteries in the Garden District, to the old buildings in the French Quarter, to the bayous. It is a place of carnivals and festivals and fun.
New Orleans was founded at the turn of the 18th century by two French-Canadian brothers. They may have been the first Cajuns - Acadians who left France for Nova Scotia only to be kicked out by the British. They made their way to the Louisiana bayous. It was later named in honor of a French regent, the duc d'Orleans, and was inhabited mostly by the French until 1764 when Louis XV's Treaty of Fontainebleu gave it to his cousin, Charles III of Spain. The French grudgingly mixed with the Spanish, forming the Creole people.
Soon, America gained control in the Louisiana purchase and moved in. They spread out into areas like the Garden District, while the Creoles stayed in the French Quarter. The Battle of New Orleans during the Civil War united Americans and Creoles, and after that, New Orleans boomed with plantations, balls, and festivals.
There was a decline after the boom, and Italians moved in to start some fun. Gambling and prostitution ran rampant. In 1897, Alderman Sidney Story decided to move all the illegal activities to the area around Basin Street. This was named Storyville, where jazz became popular and a catalog called The Blue Book listed every prostitute and brothel in the area.
Storyville no longer exists, but New Orleans, the largest port in the U.S. and the second largest in the world, still flourishes today with plenty of character. There is an effort to retain the old, and if possible, meld it with the new. This is what has created the uniqueness of New Orleans.

Buddy Bolden:
"The person most often credited by music historians, and early Jazz musicians, with being the first jazz cornet player is, Buddy Bolden. The old-time musicians say that Buddy Bolden was "the first musician to start the big noise in Jazz". Since his career ended before the first jazz recordings were made, all we have left of his playing career is legend.
Bolden was famous for his big bold cornet sound; it has been said "his trumpet could be heard all over New Orleans, and even across the river in Algiers." Legend has it that he was so popular he had eight bands playing on the same night, and he'd rush from band to band playing a few tunes with each. Several early Jazz musicians like Sidney Bechet and Bunk Johnson apparently played in Bolden's bands occassionally.The Bolden style had blues foundations. However his music was more like ragtime with improvised embellishments. His band featured cornet, clarinet, trombone, guitar, bass and drums, playing a mix of popular dance numbers in both ragtime and blues style. By the turn of the century, many New Orlean's bands had begun playing in the collective improvisational style pioneered by Buddy Bolden. One of those groups was the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, the group which made the first ever jazz recording.
In 1906, Buddy began suffering periods of derangement. The following year he was committed to a mental hospital outside of New Orleans and remained there for 24 years until his death. Trombonist Frankie Dusen took over the Bolden Band and renamed it the Eagle Band, and they continued to be very popular in New Orleans until around 1917.
Although we have no recordings of Bolden, Jelly Roll Morton's Buddy Bolden Blues (I Thought I Heard Buddy Bolden Say) did immortalize the pioneer Jazz trumpeter. The song is based on the melody of the Bolden theme song Funky Butt named after the "Funky Butt Hall," one of the more popular dance halls in New Orleans where Bolden often played."

Taken from www.themusicvine.com/~Khyber_Armstrong/noartist/atjbolden.html

Tennessee Williams:
"Thomas Lanier Williams was born in Columbus, Mississippi, on March 26, 1911, the first son and second child of Cornelius Coffin and Edwina Dakin Williams. His mother, the daughter of a minister, was of genteel upbringing, while his father, a shoe salesman, came from a prestigious Tennessee family which included the state's first governor and first senator. The family lived for several years in Clarksdale, Mississippi, before moving to St. Louis in 1918. At the age of 16, he encountered his first brush with the publishing world when he won third prize and received $5 for an essay, "Can a Good Wife Be a Good Sport?," in Smart Set. A year later, he published "The Vengeance of Nitocris" in Weird Tales. In 1929, he entered the University of Missouri. His success there was dubious, and in 1931 he began work for a St. Louis shoe company. It was six years later when his first play, Cairo, Shanghai, Bombay, was produced in Memphis. In many respects, it was the true beginning of his literary and stage career. Building upon the experience he gained with his first production, Williams had two of his plays, Candles to the Sun and The Fugitive Kind, produced by Mummers of St. Louis in 1937. After a brief encounter with enrollment at Washington University, St. Louis, he entered the University of Iowa and graduated in 1938. As the second World War loomed over the horizon, Williams found a bit of fame when he won the Group Theater prize of $100 for American Blues and received a $1,000 Rockefeller grant in 1939. Battle of Angels was produced in Boston a year later. Near the close of the war in 1944, what many consider to be his finest play, The Glass Menagerie, had a very successful run in Chicago and a year later burst its way onto Broadway. Containing autobiographical elements from both his days in St. Louis, as well as from his family's past in Mississippi, the play won the New York Drama Critics' Circle award as the best play of the season. Williams, at the age of 34, had etched an indelible mark among the public and among his peers.
Following the critical acclaim over The Glass Menagerie, over the next eight years he found homes for A Streetcar Named Desire, Summer and Smoke, A Rose Tattoo, and Camino Real on Broadway. Although his reputation on Broadway continued to zenith, particularly upon receiving his first Pulitzer Prize in 1948 for Streetcar, Williams reached a larger world-wide public in 1950 and 1951 when The Glass Menagerie and A Streetcar Named Desire were made into motion pictures. Williams had now achieved a fame few playwrights of his day could equal. Over the next thirty years, dividing his time between homes in Key West, New Orleans, and New York, his reputation continued to grow, and he saw many more of his works produced on Broadway and made into films, including such works as Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (for which he earned a second Pulitzer Prize in 1955), Orpheus Descending, and Night of the Iguana. There is little doubt that as a playwright, fiction writer, poet, and essayist, Williams helped transform the contemporary idea of the Southern literature. However, as a Southerner he not only helped to pave the way for other writers, but also helped the South find a strong voice in those auspices where before it had only been heard as a whisper. Williams died on February 24, 1983, at the Hotel Elysée in New York City."
Taken from www.olemiss.edu/depts/english/ms-writers/dir/williams_tennessee/

Front Street,
New Orleans by Everette Maddox

Everything is coming and going
at once in the hot June
sunshine though it's hard to say
which is which A black trainload
of AMOCO crosses left in front of
a steamboat getting ready
to move out to the right A girl
in a blue slit dress has her
own angle toward and past me with
a starched white boyfriend Trees
nod A busy moment in which
I do not forget to love you or
spill my coffee Only Governor
Bernardo de Galvez who played
"so decisive a role" in the War
for American Independence
just off the ferry from Spain
on his horse looks indecisively
over my head up Canal Street
as if to say Where can a man get
a drink in this part of History

Plot Diagrams:

Harold Weston's W Diagram:

A G

D

C E

B F

AG=Intent, the protagonist (P.) wants something
AB=First Barrier, something is in the protagonist's way
BC=First Barrier Reversal, P. overcomes barrier
CD=High Point, things are looking good for P.
DE=Second Reversal/Rug Pulling, something frustrates P.'s intent
EF=Catastrophe, low point for P.
FG=Resolution, P. goes on to achieve intent

Freytag's Pyramid

Climax

Rising complication Reversal

Exposition Denouement

Initiating Moment Moment of Last Suspense