ENGLISH 338 - Oral Literature

http://humphreysfiles.nfshost.com/FinalProject.mp3

In thinking about how to bring it all to a close — this is just in from Pentland, an audio improvisation on Oral Literature. Give it a listen!
http://www.chss.iup.edu/sherwood/audio/student/OralLitFinal.mp3

Soul Nouveaux http://www.sherwoodweb.org/PoetryAudio/dana-soul-nouveaux.mp3

Dana Pulliam

Soul Nouveau

I # was a blank canvas

Empty, innocent and naive, and begging to experience Life-#

In its fullest, in its rawest, in the truest form of its Art#
I’ve been splattered with hues- Blues of sorrow, covered red with anger and slopped green with envy#

Veneers have faded and chipped with time and toil##
I’ve seen terrible things

I’ve felt even worse

I’ve been tainted, painted, and used

admired, hated, abused

stripped and beaten,##

defeated.
layered with affection#, cheated by intention#, relentlessly question my apprehension to trust

andtolove

to feel, to acknowledge my ##

Pain?
There# I said it.

E n a m e l c a n b e p e n e t r a t e d

I hurt, too

YOU MADE THESE COLORS BLEED
Thispain, Mypain

product of years of False Hope, Disappointment, Betrayel and

Lies##
It’s trapped by repression#

It’s squandered obsessions#

A motley collection of Life’s Learned Lessons, Egotist Ideals and Fear##
Fear this aesthetic facade may fade##
No, no, no, it WON’T

It can’t

I will rise,# I will learn,# I am the Renoir of my soul##

Ya see, I’ve discovered that What you see, is what I want you to see

And I hold the palette and I choose the shades
I will paint my future with the colors of my past

IwillexperienceLife- Help me ##
Help me scrape away all that hinders#

Scrape the greed, scrape the envy and mistrust, scrape the doubt, scrape the fear

Now layer me ##
Layer me with love

Speckle me with respect and admiration

Splatter me with insight, Cover me with hope

Smooth me over with integrity-reSTORE me, enSURE me

Implore that what I am is genuine

For I am the painter of my Soul

——————————

Poetry, what is it? (Dana’s Statement on Poetry and Performance)

Last class meeting: Monday, 12/11

Project Due: Wednesday, 12/13 (Leo 110)

Exam/Perf.: Friday, 12/15, 11:15am (Commonplace)

Possibilities for Final Projects

* Synthesis piece - what is oral literature, what are it’s formal characteristics, how would you explain the audience elements, what is the relationship between voice and text in literature today? etc. (Write an 8-10pp. piece that begins with a set of simulated exam questions, and then answers them, drawing widely on course readings.

* Critical Performance Essay, 8-10 pp (discussing a performance, issue, or concept relevant to the class. E.g. “Slam Ritual: Identifying Continuities Between Performance Poetry and Traditional Healing Chants of Maria Sabina”; or “Fronting the Self: Toast Performance and the Fashioning of Ethnic Identity”

* Critical Text Essay 8-10pp. (drawing on course readings) that identifies oral /performance features in a text/voice from the past.

* Creative Work and Commentary: produce a performance score and recording, framing it with an in-depth (min 4 pp) explanation of characteristic oral elements/ performance keys, discussion of scoring and performance choices, and statement of self-reflection.

* Audio Essay - carefully select and edit a thoughtful cluster of spoken word pieces; intercut with your voice, as narrator, explaining, commenting, and analyzing.