MEC 9/26

Questions to ponder for this week's reading:

"How to Talk to a Hunter"

• How did Houston choose to "narrate" the story, and why did she choose to do it this way? What effect does it have?
• How does Houston develop other characters (besides the narrator)? How does she develop the narrator's character? What do you know about the narrator? About the hunter? How do you know these things?
• What is the conflict in this narrative? The plot?
• Why does the narrator do the things she does?
• What is this short story about?
• How did Houston end the story? What do you think has happened or will happen? What has been resolved?

"Selway"

• What do we know abotu the narrator and Jack? What kind of people are they? What do they like? Dislike?How do we know these things?
• Does the narrator love Jack? Does he love her?
• What do they learn about themselves and each other while going down the Sleway?
• How does the Rier play a part in the story? Is it a "character" as well? If so, is it a major or minor one?
• How did Houston end the story and what effect did it have on you?
• What has been resolved?

"Highwater"

• In the two previous stories, there were primarily two main characters, a man and a woman. In this story, there are two main female characters, and two minor characters. How are the minor characters important to the story?
• What do we know about each of the characters and how does Houston tell us these things?
• What is the conflict in this story?
• Why did Houston choose to tell the story of this conflict through the story of the two female characters? Why not a male and female?
• What is or is not resolved in this story?

These questions are simply starting points for discussion of the stories. As you read, think of your own questions. Use them to make note of Houston's technique for telling a story.

LoP 9/26

Some questions to ponder for the reading:

Chapter One:

• What is the difference, if any, between "landscape" and "geography?"
• Why is Graves motivated to canoe the Brazos? Have you ever been motivated in the same way to do something similar?
• What does Graves mean when he says that you can comphrehend a piece of a river? What are some elements of that piece that you can comprehend?
• How many ways does Graves know this river? What does that tell us about the many ways we know a landscape (i.e., how many ways can you know a landscape)?

Chapter Two:

• How is the year/time in which Graves traveling similar/not similar to this year?
• What is Graves's mood as he is starting out? Is he excited? Mournful? Complacent?
• How old is Graves, and how do you know this? That is, what things gives you a sense of his age?
• What does Graves say about "aloneness?" Do you agree?

Chapter Three:

• The Brazos River's full Spanish name is "El Rio de los Brazos de Dios." Who named it, what does this mean, and why do you suppose it got that name?
• According to Graves, what changed the Commanche and gave them power?
• What cultures collide along the Brazos, how, and why?
• How does Graves weave the history of the Brazos into his own story?

Chapter Four:

• River people talk about "river time." Based on what Graves says about impatience and cities, what do you think this might be?
• Graves spends a lot of time describin the people who used and settled the river throughout its history. Do you see influences of these in the cultures and attitudes of contemporary Texans?
• How does Graves describe the river?
• What details does he give us to set the mood of this chapter, and what is that mood?
• Who is the "passenger," and why is he along on this trip? What role does he play in Graves's telling of the story. Does he "stand in" for Graves in some way?
• How does Graves's war experience color his experience on the river?
•  

Chapter Five:

• What does Graves mean, and to what was he referring when he wote "you do not, for instance, conquer and Aztec empire with 400 men and a set of developed humanistic impulses"?
• What Graves have to say about hunting?

Use these questions as a guide to your reading. Think aobut them and the story as you go along, and come up with questions and musing of your own to discuss when we get together.

MEC 9/21

lease read the frist three short stories in Pam Houston's Cowboys Are My Weakness.

Writing assignment: Wrtie a poem about transformation imitating Mary Oliver's poem, "In Blackwater Woods" Five stanzas.

LoP 9/21

Read Chapters 1-7 in Goodby to A River for class next week.

Remember that class will be meeting at The Ranching Heritage Center next week. If you want to ride over with me, meet me in front of the Honors College. Be sure to let me know you are coming, so that we can wait on you if you are going to be a little bit late.

MEC 9/13

Today's writing prompt: Develop an extended metaphor, using nture, and tell us any story about your life.

Literature of Place (LoP) 9/6

Please read Chapters 1 and 3 in A Field Guide to Getting Lost and prepare to discuss them in class. As you read (particularly the first chapter), consider how it relates to our dual task of field research and writing about place. Also keep in mind the essay I read in class today and how it relates to the new chapters.

Also, Dr. Fritz has approved paying the majority of the cost for the canoe trip we are taking in association with Goodbye to a River. If there is additional cost to you, it will be on the order of $20-$25 dollars. I'll keep you posted on that. The cost of the field trip is paid for with grant money.

MEC 9/6

Please read the next three chapters in the novel (7-9).

Here is the prompt from the end of class; Find something about which you do not already know and "go there" to describe it. Try to create a scene with verisimillitude. The first draft of this prompt will be due at the start of next week's tutorial.

MEC 8/31

Sorry, y'all, but I forgot to give you your next reading assignment: Please read the next three chapters in the novel.

Also, please note that the tutorial groups/times have been posted, along with the first writing assignment and when it is due. Hand in the assignments at the start of each tutorial.

Mother Earth Chronicles (MEC) 8/25

Greetings all, and welcome to class. We have a new room: ENGL 150. It is much better for our purposes.

I have run into a hitch on the Tuesday tutorial group (Zachary, Travis, and Amanda) and so will need the students in that group to move to a different time/day. The server is currently down, but as soon as it comes back up, I'll send an email out and give you options for different groups. As soon as it all gets worked out, I'll post the tutorials group days and times on the sidebar.

Intro Fieldcraft 5/2

Hi everyone--

The final project is due before 4:30 PM on Monday, May 9th.

Cheers,

Dr T

Comm Sust 4.26

Remember, we meet at Roscoe Wilson Elementary school today to start our reports on the semester projects.

Fieldcraft 4/18

Meet at LLL on Wednesday. Please bring your wildflower field guide by Zoe Kirkpatrick and your sketch book.

Fieldcraft 4/13

Get ready for the trip to the Lesser Prairie Chicken Festival!

Bring:
Sunscreen
headlamp/flashlight
work gloves
closed toed shoes or boots
long pants for Saturday
long underwear
warm socks/shoes
insulated jacket
gloves
hat to cover your ears
sweater
binoculars
field journal/art kit
toiletries
meds
snacks for the van
water bottle
pillow

You may also plan to wear shorts on Friday, as well as Saturday after the service project.

Homework: download some photos of male prairie chickens from the internet and practice making thumbnail sketches of them and their behavior. Create at least two pages of these in your journal.

Print off 2-3 pictures of the chickens and bring them with you for a class exercise on Friday.

Be at the OPC at 1:30 (unless you have class until 2). We will try to leave as close to 2 PM as possible. There really won't be any place to park a car, so have someone drop you off with your gear.

We will return sometime before 5 PM on Saturday.

If you missed class on wednesday, you need to go to the OPC tomorrow or Friday morning and fill out a trip sheet.

Fieldcraft 4/12

Hi everyone—

I’m having another very busy week, so I’m behind in grading the journals and have only finished about half of them. I’ll finish them up this evening and bring them to class tomorrow, so don’t worry about picking them up.

Fieldcraft 4/4

Remember to bring gloves and work clothes for the service project on Wednesday. It probably won't take us too long (and you will be happy to know there will be no manure-spreading), so bring your binoculars, field guide, notebook, and art kit. We'll go for a walk down the trail following the weed clean up.

Comm Sust 4/4

Hi all--

Remember that we are meeting at the Windmill Museum tomorrow at 2:30. Here is a map to where it is:

The access from 19th street is completely shut off owing to construction, so you will have to come in through the Broadway access. Go east on Broadway to just past the south entrance to MacKenzie State Park. You should be able to see the Windmill Museum on your right.

I will be riding there on my bike. I'll leave from the Honors College at 1:55, if any one wants to join me. Let me know if you do and I'll be sure to wait for you.

We will be riding about 10 miles round trip to the Windmill Museum, and there will be some hills. Also, the wind will be blowing fairly stiffly on the ride back. So you might think about bringing a bottle of water or something along with you. 

I just thought I should let you know, since this is farther than we usually ride in class. If you decide it might be beyond your capabilities and would prefer to catch a ride withs someone, just let me know.

Also, the entry fee for the museum is $5.

I am working on finishing the grading for your papers, so should have them for you then. We will also be talking about what your ideas for the next paper, as well as what/how you plan to do a presentation on your blog project.

Remember, we will be finishing the discussion of the Kingsolver book in class next week, so read to the end of the book.

Cheers,

Dr T

NHH is now Environment and the Humanities

We've recently changed our name from Natural History and the Humanities. We're hoping that the new name helps to make it more obvious what we're about. There will be a few hiccups in things like class registration until the computer gets everything changed over. The "NHH" course prefix will now be "EVHM."

In the meantime, you can find Environment andHumanities  on Facebook, so be sure to look for us there!

Comm and Sust 3/28

Hi all--

I finally heard back from the Windmill Museum and they are having a school on wind energy this week and so are unable to accommodate us for a tour. However, they have set one up for next Tuesday at 2:30.

So let's meet tomorrow in the classroom and I will give you a background lecture on energy and sustainability.