This is... Photo Poem

Happy French Girl and Her Cat, 1959

I'd like you to do a New Post on your own blog with some writing about one of your own photos inspired by Katy Barber's "Photograph 1969." I'll leave it up to you to decide whether you'd like to arrange your words as a poem or a short piece of prose. I'll be looking for a vivid description of what we can actually see in the photo, followed by that "twist" we discussed in class, where you intimate or imply what else is "in" the photo...an understanding, an observation, a hint at something that came later, a bigger idea at play...something more. Please include the photo in your post. 

If you don't have a photo of your own or find that too personal, find a striking or interesting photo that speaks to you on the internet or in a magazine or use one we looked at in class and write about it in this same way instead.  Here are some historic photos you could use, and here are some heartwarming ones.  

Photograph 1969 by Katy Barber

This is my mother

lifting her hair long

like a low whistle

off her neck

These are her fingers

caught in the tangles

of brown and gold caught in

silver earrings

This is my father

reaching through the lens

to touch the edge

of a new family

to touch her opening belly

under her full dress

This is existing

before I exist

This is me growing up

against their lives

him watching for a sharp

breath from her looking out

onto the border of birth

this is bumping us into three

Remember your journal is due with 10 new pages today, too.  Thanks!

Flea Market Photos

In a New Post on your blog, please share some new writing of at least 250 words inspired by the antique flea market photos we looked at in class (or another one if you'd rather find your own).  

This could be a fictional short story, a long poem, a set of dialogue, a journal or diary entry in the voice of one of the people pictured, or something else...If you want to also include your profile information for the people, you could.

Include a picture of the picture or another image that fits. 

If you'd like to check out the work of Ransom Riggs and his fascination with old photos, visit his website.  I referenced his book Talking Pictures in class.

Photos of the Millennium (so far)

With the advance of cell phones, capturing all aspects of history and everyday life is easier and more accessible than ever.  Think about what your great-grandkids will say about all the images your generation is leaving behind--or will many of the images that tell your story/history vanish into cyberspace somewhere eventually instead of being in a photo album for those grandkids to flip through? (Write about this in your journal?)

This little dog happened to be strolling down a street just after the Pope had passed by--his little smile and upturned chin make it seem like he believes all the applause and fuss is for him!  Adorable.

Choose one of the photos from the 2000s and write a piece (poem or prose, fiction or nonfiction...your choice) of at least 250 words inspired by the photo. This might be a personal memory you have connected to this event or your thoughts about this moment in history...you decide what you'd like to say. You could also choose one from Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential Photos. I also just came across these interesting historic photos you could also peruse for inspiration.

Here's an example of something I wrote referencing an image from the aftermath of 9-11 that has always stayed with me.  

If the link is blocked on the school computers for whatever reason, you could visit another website with "iconic" or important photos from this decade or the last and choose one from there, or you might be able to Google an individual picture if you remember one or have a certain one in mind.  Include the photo you chose and your writing in a New Post on your own blog.

Photo Hunt + Captions + Hashtags

In a New Post on your blog, please share at least 10 of the photos you took during our Photo Hunt. Add a caption of at least 25 words to go with each photo, and include a clever #hashtag with each caption.  You can decide whether to label or otherwise indicate which photo on the list each was supposed to be.

At the end of your post, include a quote that suggests something about paying attention or writers noticing everything or the power of photographs.

Inspiring Images

Photo #1

Photo #2

Photo #3

Photo #4

Photo #5

Photo #6

Photo #7

Photo #8

Photo #9

Please do a New Post today on your blog inspired by one of these images and following these steps:

1. Add the image to your post. (You can right-click the image and save it on your computer to upload, or you can click the link below the photo and copy/paste the url--sometimes you lose the image later when you do it this way).

2. Write a prose paragraph of about 250 words inspired by the image (a fictional story, a personal memory, a vivid description...whatever comes to mind).

3. Then rearrange the exact same words in your paragraph as a free verse poem.  Experiment with the font if you'd like.

Example--yours should be a bit longer at 250 words (inspired by Photo #9):

Prose:

He put his hand on the back of my neck and kissed me, like he knew just who I was and what I wanted, that I loved summer nights and big, thick books, dancing and chocolate milk. I just closed my eyes. I didn't know if his favorite color was red or blue, if he liked Italian or Chinese.

Poem:

He put his hand

on the back

of my neck

and kissed me

like he knew

just who I was and

what I wanted

that I loved summer nights

and big, thick books

dancing

and chocolate milk

I just closed my eyes

I didn't know

if his favorite color

was red or blue

if he liked

Italian or Chinese.

Be ready to turn in your journal again FRIDAY, 11/16 for our mid-2nd quarter check (already!?). You should have 10 new, full pages.  You could freewrite about a few of the other photos in this post if you need some material.  Thanks!

Keeping it Real (like Dan)

In a New Post share your thoughtful answers to 4-5 of the Dan In Real Life questions.  Shoot for about 500 words.  Include an image.  You could also write responses to some of the questions in your journal.  Plan to turn in your journal with 10 new full pages for a Mid-2nd quarter check this coming Friday.

"Reely" good quotes

Dumb and Dumber

Create a New Post featuring 4-5 of your favorite MOVIE QUOTES.  These could be funny, sad, smart...whatever stands out to you.  You can type these or use an image featuring the quote.  Make sure you indicate the film the quote is from, and the character if you'd like.

When a Man Loves a Woman