Monday, February 22

Today is Monday of Week 5. Let's hope nothing "unprecedented" awaits us this week! Here is a link to Week 5 (and if you're using the grace period this morning, here is a link to Week 4).

Class Procedures and Reminders

Week 5 Break. I had originally planned for Week 5 as an optional break week, but a lot of people needed that break week last week. So, some of you will be doing Week 5 as usual, and some of you may be taking a break this week, or maybe you will not take a break now and save it for later; it's all good. You can decide what works best for you! If you have fewer than 150 points in Canvas right now, that means you should probably do at least some of Week 5, and if you have any questions about how that works, just let me know. More info here: Spring 2021 Break Weeks.

Project Stack. There were so many project websites that people published over the weekend: thank you! It's very exciting to see that happening. You can check the stack to make sure I received your assignment, and later today I'll update the Myth-Folklore and Indian Epics project lists, plus I'll start sending back comments on everyone's projects, starting with projects turned in on Friday, then Saturday, and so on.

The following items are for fun and exploration:

Blog stream. I was excited to see the new story Kaelan published: it's a story inspired by Game of Thrones! Find out more here: The Unburnt.


Twitter stream. I can definitely relate to this writing graphic I saw go by at Twitter (larger view).


And more wonderful art from India: this is the god Indra riding on his vahana, the elephant Airavata (who often has multiple heads and/or multiple trunks):


This weekend was the birthday of the amazing Buffy Sainte-Marie; she just turned 80 years old! Here is she is appearing on Sesame Street back in the 1970s:



For another video today, here's a playlist by David Brown of the Norman Library... all about Mythology, Fairy Tales, Folklore and Fantasy!


David was a student in this class last year, and you can check out his Storybook here: Doors of the Damned: Gates of Hell.


As you get ready to write this week, you might ponder this cartoon from Grant Snider: All I Need to Write.


Plus this handy writing flowchart:



February 22: Zitkala-Sa. Today marks the birthday in 1876 of the Lakota writer, Zitkala-Sa ("Red Bird"). You can read more about her life and career at Wikipedia. The University of Oklahoma Press recently published a biography of this remarkable woman and writer: Red Bird, Red Power: The Life and Legacy of Zitkála-Šá. You can read her book Old Indian Legends for free online.


Here is a short video about her: Zitkála-Šá: Trailblazing American Indian Composer.


Check out the Twitter stream for information and fun stuff during the day, or click here for past announcements.