I am glad to have had another thoughtful conversation with all of you last night, and I am very pleased with the progress you are making thus far. As we covered “shout outs” based on your blog “progress reports,” it is evident to all that each of you is now well on their way….forging your own ground in a unique/individual process. At this stage, it is more clear that each of you is pursuing a customized approach to the discovery of material and readings of influence. You should all be more deeply engaged in the ebb and flow of your own writing and research at this point.
In addition, I am also glad we took the time to do some active listening with the Structured Dialogues protocol. I want you all to keep considering the significance of learning from each other as we move forward, especially as we continue our presentation cycle, because so much of the inbuilt accountability comes from our small group dynamic. Overall, peer feedback and active listening are critical to all of you.
Our class slides:
Thank you to Kerri for an inspiring presentation. It is clear that your project is indeed a trailblazer (in the sense of combining a familiar genre — fantasy, magic – with a topic that is seldom consider in such depth – grief (and the rituals we struggle with to address human grief). Your readings (thus far for your Lit Review) are a strong compliment to what you are setting out to achieve with this project. (I recommend again The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion as another text to add). Your own reading of Chapter Two of Memento Mori was a wonderful “taster” and our first group foray into your powerful world-building and rich imagination. Melia is an enigmatic protagonist and we all look forward to discovering the rest of this story with you.
Your to do list:
Next week Theresa will take her turn in our presentation series. Remember we are meeting online, and I will provide you with that zoom link via email. We will also discuss organizational strategies you are developing.
**Remember to blog your individual progress. Please highlight new discoveries, the organizational methods you are developing, and report out where you are on your Lit Review process.
Enjoy another week in the autumn sunlight!