Thursday, January 30

Today is Thursday of Week 3. For a lot of people, it is Storytelling Day: have fun with your new story this week! Here is a link to the Week 3 assignments.

Class Procedures and Reminders

Project Stack. I've replied to all the assignments in the stack turned in by 5PM on Wednesday! You can always check the stack to make sure I received your submission form, and I'll try to keep up to day with any assignments people turn in today for Week 3.

Look for stories everywhere. You can find storytelling ideas everywhere you look! Everyday household objects, things you see walking around campus, foods you eat, snatches of other people's conversations: there are story ideas lurking everywhere, and the more you use your imagination to dream up stories, the easier it will be to write stories for this class every week.

The following items are for fun and exploration:

Blog Stream. I've shared some pet pictures from people's posts, and here are some wild animals from Hunter's scuba-diving photos: turtles and sharks! Find out more in his Introduction post.

Twitter Stream. From the Postal Museum at Twitter, a stamp honoring Zora Neale Hurston. She was not only a great novelist but also one of our greatest folklorists! More about Zora Neale Hurston.

Indian Epics Today. Now that everyone in Indian Epics has started the Ramayana, here is the main hero of that story: Rama is today's character! More about Rama. Here you can see Rama and his devoted helper, Hanuman:

Storybooks. And here's a Storybook inspired by Rama... and by OU sports: Lord Rama: The Greatest OU Football Player.

100-Word Stories. Today's story is a story from India: Fire versus Water (click title for more info).

Writing. This is a cartoon from the great Grant Snider to inspire you in your writing today: A Writer's Hierarchy of Needs.

Mindset Cats. And today's mindset cat recommends curiosity: Follow your natural curiosity and see what you learn.

Indian Music Video. Mash-ups are a wonderful form of creativity in storytelling and also in making music; this is a Chaiyya Chaiyya / Don't Stop mash-up:

Writing Video. Playing games is a great way to cultivate both your curiosity and your creativity! Here's a video about Dungeons and Dragons: Can Dungeons and Dragons Make You A Confident and Successful Person?

Event on Campus. There will be a celebration of Asian New Year tonight, 6PM-8PM, in the Jim Thorpe Multicultural Center (details).

January 30: Gandhi's Death. On this day in 1948, Mohandas Gandhi was assassinated. The image below shows the memorial in New Delhi where Gandhi's body was cremated. The gold letters on the black stone read "Hey Ram" (Oh Rama!); this is what Gandhi reportedly said at the moment he was shot. There is some controversy as to whether those were Gandhi's last words, but here is something he wrote in December 1947, just weeks before his assassination: "In the end it will be as Rama commands me. Thus I dance as He pulls the strings. I am in His hands and so I am experiencing ineffable peace."

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