Here is an example of superficial academic voice:
I wanted to read more AP classics because I know that will help me to be ready for the future, so I chose The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. This book tells a story from many perspectives, but most of it shows the point of view of some young girls growing up in a poor, mostly black community, who know a girl named Pecola who gets molested by her own father. We learn about her father's background and why he is angry with the world, and there's a scene where he takes his anger out on Pecola by raping her, but he convinces himself it's an act of love Afterward, the girls say that no one seems to care about Pecola. They just gossip about her. The author says, "We looked for eyes creased with concern, but saw only veils" (149). That line connects to the way people like to talk about others and judge them, but they don't ever really care about them. I see this all the time at school when people spread gossip. They say mean things about people they don't really know.
Let's call this one the "I'm-completing-this-stupid-assignment"/detached voice - detached from real meaning or real feeling. There's summary, followed by the required quote, and a generic connection. There's no reflection or pondering of WHY people gossip or how that gossip affects the victim. This sample sounds like someone quickly fulfilling an obligation, not like someone truly considering the impact or purpose of the text.
Here's another common superficial voice:
In an amazingly well-crafted novel of classic proportions, Toni Morrison embellishes her text The Bluest Eye with vivid images to make the reader respond emotionally and to place impact on the central ideas of her novel. She uses sentences such as "We looked for eyes creased with concern, but saw only veils" (149)."Veils," of course, are metaphorical and convey the author's opinion about people. She demonstrates the ubiquitous tendency of people to hide from reality. Through Morrison's expert style, she is able to make readers see the world in a new way that was enlightening for me.
Do you see the problem? Lots of fancy words; very little substance. Let's call this one the "I'm-trying-too-hard"/pedantic voice. But it doesn't work because there IS no real analysis. AND it's hard for me to believe the reader got much out of the book when they spend so much time praising it without a real reason. This sample sounds like someone trying to impress a teacher, not like someone who actually cares about the text itself.
I have read many terrific blogs, by the way. A few to check out that I've shared on Twitter as my "featured" bloggers are: Javid Khan, Becca Muncy, Angela Koukoulas, Lily Jimenez, and Lane Ledesma. Their blogs, even when they don't LIKE a book, show authentic response.
To start our new 9 weeks, I'd like your first blog to revisit what you read last 9 weeks. First, list the books you read in increasing order of difficulty; then respond to the following questions SINCERELY/honestly/truthfully:
- How many books did you start/finish? When you abandoned a book, why? When you finished one, what made it worth reading?
- What made the most challenging book challenging? What did you learn from it?
- What book did you enjoy the most and why? What did you learn from it?
- How did you progress last 9 weeks? How does the amount/quality of reading compare to your previous years in school? Are you reading more than/ less than you normally would? What can I do or you do to help you progress this nine weeks? (Feel free to make suggestions; I can't always provide tons of extra class time, but I listened to that request and tried!)
- How can your challenge yourself this 9 weeks? Set a goal that includes the following - how many books and/or pages will you read this 9 weeks? Should be MORE than last 9 weeks total. I can share that info with you if you need it. What challenging genre will you try this 9 weeks? (Some possible choices - nonfiction argument, nonfiction history, biography/memoir, historical fiction, multicultural fiction, AP-recommended, drama)
(By the way, I DO recommend The Bluest Eye for those of you looking for an AP read. Though the shifting perspectives are challenging, and though you may think I just gave the book away with a "spoiler," the point of the book is not to find out what happened to Pecola, but to puzzle through WHY it happened and WHY people from difficult circumstances can fall into a pattern of hopelessness. Morrison also ponders HOW single events in one's lifetime can permanently damage self-image and potential. )
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