Preview: The American Dream

For those of you who might want to get a head start on the semester's remaining work, here's a preview of what's ahead, aside from the term paper. We'll be working with the general theme of the so-called "American dream" in works of Willa Cather, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and John Cheever.

As an introduction you will be required to read "American Dream: Myth or Reality" by James Nagel. It is available online at the PBS American Masters Website. Yes, you will be responsible for the material presented therein.

On Monday when you return you will receive a hardcopy of this essay as well as a copy of Willa Cather's "Neighbour Rosicky." If you are tired of hours of Easter break Facebooking, you can find a copy of the story online here.

N.B. Your term paper note cards are due on Thursday, April 15. I will not be giving an extension. Please bring blank note cards and your secondary sources to school every day next week. I will be giving you in-class work time. Be prepared!

The Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar

Why not become a member of SPOGG, "The Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar"? Membership is free! In fact, if you join, print out the membership card, laminate it, and carry it with you daily, I will give you 100 extra credit points for 4th quarter. Not bad, eh? And remember, you are all charter members of the Cincinnati chapter of the Apostrophe Protection Society. From the SPOGG website:

There are huge problems in this world, and then there are problems that can be solved by everyday people with red pens and a little moxie.

The Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar is for pen-toters appalled by wanton displays of Bad English. (And we're not talking about Bad English, the band, although their song "Heaven is a 4 letter word" needs a hyphen.)

SPOGG is for people who crave good, clean English — sentences cast well and punctuated correctly. It's about clarity. And who knows how many of the world's huge problems could be solved if we had a little more of that?

SPOGG is the proud founder of National Grammar Day, which happens every year on March 4.

Visit the SPOGG blog. If you are really cyber-hip, you can also join on Facebook.

Word of the Day: Longanimity & Longanimous

Longanimity (n) - good-natured tolerance of delay or incompetence; calmness in the face of suffering and adversity; forbearance.

longanimous (adj.) - showing patient and unruffled self-control and restraint under adversity; slow to retaliate or express resentment

How many of these other long- prefix words do you know?

long-wooled, longanberry, longar palm, Longbeak, longbeard, Longbenton, longboat, longbow, long-tongued, long-waisted, long-staple, longcloth, longe, longeron, longheaded, longhorn, longhouse, longicorn, longilateral, longiloquence,longimetry, longinquity, longipalp, longipennate, longipennes, longiroster, longirostral, longirostres, longueuil, longueur, longulite, longus