March 27th: Class with w/John Prendergast, Kean Univ Human Rights Senior Fellow

Next week on Thursday, March 27th, we will have a special class with Human Rights Activist and Kean University Senior Fellow John Prendergast:

"How Apple and Students Can Help End the World’s Deadliest War"

11:00-1:15 Academic Affairs Talk with Students and Faculty STEM 6th Floor

This talk connects the dots between our demand for consumer electronics and the deadliest war in the world since the Holocaust. It turns out the minerals that are used to power our cell phones and laptops originate in part from the Congo, where armed groups vie for control of those minerals. A major consumer movement has emerged that is changing the equation for Apple, Intel and the U.S. government, which in turn is having an impact in the war zones of the Congo.

**Please note that this event starts earlier than our usual class time slot, and takes place on the 6th floor of the STEM building. Please make every effort to arrive on time if possible. For those of you who are booked until 12:30pm, please attend and just do your best to enter quietly.

In addition, here is a link to a video about John's latest book "Unlikely Brothers".

Invitation to the Human Rights Institute Conference, March 21

Dear #EthnicAmLit students,

You are all invited to join me tomorrow in considering the rebuilding of lives and communities after the trauma of war.

I will be emceeing the 7th annual Human Rights Conference.  Here is a link for more information.

What is coming up?

The week after Spring Break we will be addressing new material in class.  Please be prepared to discuss the following material on the dates below:

1. Monday, March 17th:  Discussion of Smoke Signals & "The Third and Final Continent" by Jhumpa Lahiri (link to this reading is on this blog).
2. Thursday, March 20th:  Complete discussion of Lahiri's story and discuss "Fictive Fragments of a Father and Son" by David Mura (link to this reading is on this blog).  
3. Monday, March 24th:  Screening & Discussion of Cats of Mirikitani
4. Thursday, March 27th:  Screening of Cats of Mirikitani

Smoke Signals

Dear #EthnicAmLit students,

While I am attending the Digital Media and Learning conference later this week, I would like you to watch the film Smoke Signals.  This independent film was directed and co-produced by Chris Eyre and the screenplay is by Sherman Alexie (based on his short story "This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona" from his book Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven).  It is also reminiscent of the his poem "Postcards for Columbus" which was discussed thoroughly in class during the excellent group presentation given last Thursday.  The film is unique as an all-Native American production: including the producer, director, screenwriter, actors and technicians.

Here is the link to the film on-line:  Smoke Signals

Please write one of your blog posts on the film, offering your close reading of prominent themes and metaphors threading this text together.   Here are some prompts for your explication of this film:

• How is the question of history addressed in the film?
• How is tradition addressed here?
• What do you make of metaphors such as fire, smoke, storytelling, memory?  The fourth of July? The well known American trope of the "road trip"?  Fry bread?  What about the tropes such as the -"West" as a place of progress, -expansion, -cowboys & indians, -John Wayne?
• What about the theme of fathers & sons?  The notion of a legacy or inheritance?  
• How is violence (both personal and historicized violence) addressed in the film?
• What about the significance of names in the film?  Victor Joseph, Arnold Joseph?  Thomas-builds-the-fire?, etc.  Why the inclusion of Thelma & Lucy?  What might their roles refer to? …And their car in reverse?
• The significance of the title of the film itself?
• What kind of commentary does this film offer us in terms of understanding America?

I will see you all on Monday after Spring Break.  In the meanwhile, I will be completing the rubric evaluation for your group presentations and reading your blog posts over the break.

Enjoy the week off!  Let's hope we finally catch a glimpse of springtime….

Dr. Zamora