My idea for this blog going forward is to feature the writing of Chinese writers working in English. The idea occurred to me when I taught a creative writing class at Sanya College. The students impressed me, so I would like to encourage them to continue. So going forward The Absurb Circle will become a lit mag for them… And I will probably publish articles on writing as well as a few things of my own… As examples only, of course!

A Republican wins a New York House Seat!

This news shook me.  How could this happen?  Did Yahoo! News get this wrong?  Nope, it came from Reuters.  Amazing!

http://news.yahoo.com/republican-wins-york-democratic-stronghold-044027938.html

The voting district includes parts of Brooklyn and Queens?  I’ve been to this area before.  It’s a democratic stronghold.  I remember being in Southampton when W. won his first election before I moved to Washington, and the people in this area wanted to riot over dangling chads and tattoo the word “Disinfranchized” on their foreheads.  A dark cloud settled over New York as Bush took office.

It’s not even four years yet since their “Golden Boy” Obama took office.  The article says Republican Turner, the winner, called the victory a “repudiation” of Obama. Meaning that the people of New York refuse to be associated with the President they elected.  Considering the fact, according to Reuters, that this district has voted democratic in every election since the 1920′s, that’s a major slap in the face.

One note about the article itself and the difficulties of being a journalist in the high-speed, high-demand internet age.  Edith Honan, the writer, missed spelled a simple word–”loud” as “laud.”  Opps!  The mistake stuck out all the more because it was “laud and clear.”  I’m sure Edith and Reuters are embarrassed, being professionals, but what can they do?  The mistake is out there.

Jeremy, ###, classes 0901 – 04

Journalism Reading

A course in American Print News

The objective of this course, according to the author of the book we have been given, is to learn something of the art of journalistic writing in the English language.  The textbook, written by a newspaper reporter, focuses on newspaper writing.  However, in the United States, the newspaper business is passing away.  Newspapers don’t belong in a museum just yet, but we are rapidly advancing toward that day.  So the Chinese student of English may never actually get to read real-live hold-it-in-your-hands American newspapers.  So this class will focus instead on blogs and their role in current media.

Instructor

Jeremy Trylch

136.9896.3449

trylch@yahoo.com

jeremytrylch.com/blog

Course Requirements

This is a reading course, so students are required to read.  Reading will be done in and out of the classroom.  All students will read selected assigned articles from the required textbook as well as online blogs.  A list of blogs is supplied in the further reading section of this syllabus.

Students are required to keep a reading journal.  Each week the student will write a “blog style” article pondering their reading assignments.  These articles are to appear online.  Each student will keep an online blog of their reading assignment.  Yes! This means you will write 100-300 word responses to the articles you read and their relationship to the class discussion.

All writing must be done in English, posted online somewhere accessible, and should contain links to the online articles referred to.  Each student will email their URLs to the class monitor each week, who will then compile the links from the entire class into a single email and email it to me. These emails must reach me the day before class.  That means I need to have an email from the class monitor every Tuesday containing links to your online posts.  This is your homework assignment for the entire course.

In the case of internet failure, all reading journals must be typed, printed out, and handed into the monitor who will then hand them into me at the beginning of class.  Let’s hope the Internet does not fail us!

Grading

There are seven weeks of reading assignments.  Students are required to write seven reading journals.  You will be graded on your best five, your top grade will count toward your final examine grade.

You will be graded on the thoughtfulness of your journal entries and your command of the English language.  You will be graded on the presentation of your ideas, and yes! Grammar Counts!

Reading Assignments

Topics, Due Dates, and Textbook Reading Assignments

1. Blog journalism – In-class reading of blogs

2. News and Politics — Sept. 20 — 147-149

3. Health and Fitness — Sept. 27 — 246

4. Business & technology — Oct. 4  – 202-204

5. Fashion — Oct. 11 — 164-170

6. Entertainment — Oct. 18 — 265 or 205

7. Humor — Oct. 25 — 236

8. Green Living — Nov. 1 — 262

Further Reading by Topics with links to suggested online blogs.

News and Politics

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-blog/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/

http://www.thedailybeast.com/

Health and Fitness

http://www.onlinedegrees.org/top-100-health-and-fitness-blogs/

http://www.fitnesshealthzone.com/

http://www.glamour.com/health-fitness/blogs/vitamin-g

Business & Technology

http://www.informationweek.com/

http://technorati.com/blogs/directory/technology/

Fashion

http://www.fashionweekdaily.com/

http://www.stylelist.com/news/stylelist-fashion-week/

http://www.gq.com/

http://www.askmen.com/fashion/fashiontip/

http://www.fashionrenegade.com/

Entertainment

http://boingboing.net/

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/

Humor

http://www.theonion.com/

http://thebloggess.com/

http://www.cracked.com/

Green Living

http://www.blogs.com/topten/10-popular-simple-green-living-blogs/

http://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/

http://greenupgrader.com/

The day started out with Prof. Helle finishing the berry juice from the berries we picked the day before. He strained it and bottled it in a wine bottle… beautiful!

We got in the car and drove through Munich University Campus on our way.  And I, I fell in love.

We drove less than an hour to the castle located near the center of Munich.  I’m told it was built after the French and Bavarian Styles.  And royalty still has a residence here.

This was only the small rear face of the castle.  The castle sprawls through beautiful gardens and there are several smaller (mansion size) building for VIP guests.

I was impressed with the amount of paintings of beautiful young women decorating the interior of the castle.  I’m told the king appreciated the beauty of women and had them specially painted.  It’s good to be king!  I made a joke that was why the castle was named Nymphenburg… Nymph meaning a beautiful young woman… But the Professor tells me that the word nymph in German means only a mythical fairy…. that worked for me too.

Sorry about the skip week. I’ve been working trying to get all my documents together for my work visa. In such a bureaucracy you can imagine the leg work involved… actually, no you can’t. And you wouldn’t believe the amount of misinformation. Luckily for me, a coworker has been assign to help, and she gets it.

They must’ve known an American writer wouldn’t understand their system. So I hope to be writing again soon.

Peace