2017-18 AP LIT READING BLOG

The reader and the writer have a relationship in which they use one another to further the experience of literature, described by Thomas C. Foster as, “one creative intelligence.” This means that the reader uses the writer to see new ideas and find meaning between the lines of his work all while becoming inspired by the words in which he is reading, the writer needs the reader to what interpretations can be made of his work and be able to see it in a new perspective other than his own, together they make up the complexity and beauty behind good literature. The writer in many ways also has to be a reader, as stressed in Foster’s book a lot of writing stems from other writing. This “intelligence” occurs when a reader sits down and really breaks down what the writer might be trying to convey through words, from there new ideas are formed and the reader either decides to use those ideas in his own writing or continues to use that knowledge while reading and making interpretations of other...

Right after reading the first few chapters of this book, I made a comparison of this author’s values and techniques when he reads to something that is important and more familiar to me: Music theory. With music in general, in the genre “pop” there are songs that are similar to one another that all sound good, and the average person does not know much more beyond the fact that it sounds good because it just sounds good to them. This can be compared to the way that less inexperienced readers who are used to reading for purely “affective” reading in that they are used to reading things with the view that each new story is completely new, and with little to no connection to other texts than the few times a reader can recognize a story as maybe being similar to other readings. In terms of the “language of reading” and the “grammar of literature”, he refers to these things as the ways in which an upper level reader, like a professor, reads, linking this terms to what he believes to be the ...

The author has a lot of material to use in his text and isn’t really afraid to point out the obvious connections within different texts over and over again throughout. Foster backtracks to previous parts of his text to get many points through to his audience. He also uses the same stories repeatedly to where it may seem too repetitive, but Foster still gets his message out as clear as day. Foster realizes how each and every piece of literature can connect directly and/or indirectly. All of these connections are what Foster referred to as “intertextuality,” which in itself seems like a play on the words intertwined , text , and similarity . Foster lays all this out as if all literature can be placed on one whole spectrum that sums up one whole story. In several sections of the book, Foster edges towards an idea that all forms of literature could be a part of just one story. He suggests that most writers add to this one story through additions or edits, to which he gives good exampl...

ALL BLOG POSTS & COMMENTS MUST BE SUBMITTED TO THE BLOG BEFORE AUGUST 1ST @ 11:59 P.M.  AT THAT POINT THE BLOG WILL BE CLOSED.

AP LITERATURE PRE-REQUISITE/SUMMER READING ASSIGNMENTS 2017-18 Revised 5/8/17 Pre-requisite/Summer Reading and Writing Assignments:          AP Literature Pre-requisite Reading is not an addendum to our curriculum, a hoop to jump through, or a ticket into the class.   The text selections are a part of the year’s curriculum and work.   There is simply not time during the year to accomplish all reading tasks we have planned.   Summer Reading allows us to begin our textual work immediately and to increase the amount of total reading we can do together throughout the year. All pre-requisite work is due on the first day of school at the beginning of your AP class. All work must be TYPED ; each reading/writing assignment should be clearly labeled (no binders or folders).     Whole Class Readings:   à The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck   Assignment:   10 DE Note...

Below you will find the Prompts for the Foster book.  You have also received this document in your gmail.  Please refer to your Pre-Requisite/Summer Reading Assignments Sheet for more details. AP LITERATURE PRE-REQUISITE READING 2017-18 HOW TO READ LITERATURE LIKE A PROFESSOR —BLOG   1.     Foster says that “reading literature is a highly intellectual activity.”   He discusses the “language of reading” and the “grammar of literature.”   What does he mean by these things and why are they important for the kind of reading he is discussing in this book?   How is this kind of reading different from purely “affective” reading?   What is the true value of “reading like a professor” according to Foster?   Be sure to use textual evidence to support your answer. 2.     King Solomon wrote, "There is nothing new under the sun." Foster applies this precept saying that all "writing and telling belong to one b...