Discussion Questions (week 7)

Here are questions to consider for this week:

• We talked in brief about Sikelianos' source texts, where she locates or finds information about her father. Can you trace and identify the variety of sources (texts, persons, objects, etc.). Can you comment on how these sources reflect, conflict with, question, or inform the representation of Jon himself? How do these sources enlarge/limit our understanding of Jon? of the narrator? How does perspective here contribute to meaning?
• What specifically makes The Book of Jon seem more personable/relateable than War, the musical, or than the Activist? Between these three books, can you compare tone? style? perspective? voice? arrangement? narrative? time/chronology? In what ways are these three books similar? What concepts, questions, ideas, or frustrations from the previous two books might actually help enlarge your understanding/appreciation of The Book of Jon that would have been otherwise unnoticed/unappreciated?
• Katie mentioned an earlier ambiguity of the narrator's gender in the book. What role do you think gender plays in the representations of Jon? Where in the book might questions of gender roles play importance? Can you make any connection between the formal arrangements of the book and the way gender roles are revealed/portrayed within the text?

Here are some additionally interesting nuggets:

• An eclectic interview with Eleni Sikelianos in Here Comes Everybody
• Eleni Sikelianos reading her work (please be patient through the small introduction)
  
• Another interview with Sikelianos in Chicago Postmodern Poetry

Reminder *1*: Please read (both above and below this post) the work labelled as for workshop this Thurs., and try to bring in to class some brief notes for each of those writers. They will bring in (20) copies of their work for us to look at.

Reminder *2*: Please type up an anonymous mid-term evaluation of the course to bring in for next Tues. You might include all that you're enjoying thus far, what you're not, ideas for change or revision in class format, comments on my teaching style/practices, what you've been learning, how your ideas about writing, texts, books, creativity have been engaged or altered. The more feedback the better. I don't want your name on them so you can speak frankly.