Picturing comparisons

Students often find it difficult to make meaningful connections between texts.  Indeed, this is the case for my senior classes.  To assist them I want to print a series of stills from the film they have been studying.  Then, I want students to trawl through their notes and find quotes from their novel which could provide interesting points of comparison.  Students can link through shared ideas, catalysts, consequences, similarities in terms of characters and the like.

 

Language and Gender related material

I cannot stop thinking about the different types of texts I would introduce students to as part of the ‘Language and Gender’ elective in Extension 1 English.  As such, I have started to compile a list (see below).  I plan to keep revisiting and updating this list as new ideas come to me.

1. The Bluest Eye (novel)
2. Beloved (novel)
3. Americanah (novel)
4. ‘Girl’ (short story)
5. The visual album accompanying Beyonce’s Lemonade
6.  Girl Rising (film)
7. Poetry of Maya Angelou
8. Poetry of Warsan Shire
9. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (autobiography)
10. Bad Feminist (collection of essays)
11. The Twyborn Affair (novel)
12. Annie John (novel)
13. ‘Quiet‘ (spoken word poem)
14. Anzac Girls (television series)
15. Call the Midwife (television series)
16. The Help (film and novel)
17. Love Child (television series)
18. House Husbands (television series)
19. ‘Black Eye‘ (spoken word poem)
20. ‘Spear‘ (spoken word poem)
21. ‘I think she was a she‘ (spoken word poem)
22. ‘Real Men‘ (spoken word poem)
23. ‘She Said‘ (spoken word poem)
24. Macbeth (play)
25. ‘One Word’ (short story)
26. The Color Purple (novel)
27. Mr Selfridge (television series)
28. Scandal (television series)
29. Bush Mechanics (television series).

AOS Journeys

A number of schools are looking to revitalise their Year 10 and Year 11 courses by introducing Areas of Studies that better prepare their students for AOS Discovery in Year 12.  A popular choice seems to be AOS Journeys.  With this in mind, I have compiled a list of texts which could be used as related material for a unit with ‘Journeys’ as the conceptual focus.  The list is not arranged in any particular order, and I will continue adding to it over time.

1. Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey (novel)
2. The Ultimate Safari by Nadine Gordimer (short story)
3. Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta (novel)
4. Over a Thousand Hills I Walk With You by Hanna Jansen (biography)
5. ‘I am an African’ by Thabo Mbeki (speech)
6. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (novel)
7. ‘I Have a Dream’ by Martin Luther King Jnr (speech)
8. ‘The Manhunt’ by Simon Armitage (poem)
9. ‘Refugee Blues’ by W.H. Auden (poem)
10. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou (autobiography)
11. ‘Caged Bird’ by Maya Angelou (poem)
12. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer (novel) (or the film adaptation)
13. September, directed by Peter Carstairs (film)
14. Selected The Gods of Wheat Street episodes (television drama)
15. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, directed by Ben Stiller (film)
16. ‘Cartography for Beginners‘ by Emily Hasler (poem)
17. ‘Journey to the Interior’ by Margaret Atwood (poem)
18. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce (novel)
19. ‘And of Clay We Are Created’ by Isabel Allende (short story)
20. Cool Runnings, directed by Jon Turteltaub (film)
21. For Colored Girls, directed by Tyler Perry (film)
22. ‘The Second Bakery Attack‘ by Haruki Murakami (short story)
23. Americannah by Chimmamanda Ngozi Adichie (novel)
24. All That I Am by Anna Funder (novel)
25. The Help by Kathryn Stockett (novel) (or the film aedaptation)
26. Grave of the Fireflies, directed by Isao Takahata (film)
27. A Mighty Heart, directed by Michael Winterbottom (film)
28. Girl Rising, directed by Richard E. Robbins (film)
29. The Tempest by William Shakespeare (play)
30. Hamlet by William Shakespeare (play)
31. Tell the Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt (novel)
32. Anzac Girls (television series)
33. Time’s Arrow by Martin Amis (novel)
34. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (novel)
35. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (novel)
36. The Color Purple by Alice Walker (novel)
37. Meet the Patels, directed by Ravi and Geeta Patel (film)
38. Inside Out, directed by Pete Docter and Ronnie del Carmen (film)
39. The Testimony, directed by Vanessa Block (documentary)
40. ‘The Lie‘ by T. Coraghessan Boyle (short story)
41. Lion, directed by Garth Davis (film)
42. ‘A Sheltered Woman‘ by Yiyun Li (short story)
43. Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey (novel)
44. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba (memoir)
45. A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah (memoir)
46. ‘Home’ by Warsan Shire (poem)
47. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (film or graphic novel)
48. Life of Pi by Yann Martel (novel)
49. Freedom Writers, directed by Richard LaGravenese (film)
50. The African Doctor, directed by Julien Rambaldi (film)

REVIEW: The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl

I had high hopes for Melissa Kiel’s novel The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl; teenage angst, unrequited love, and the imminent demise of the world – what is not to love?

Despite my high hopes, I found that the novel began quite slowly.  I felt the introduction to the protagonist, Alba, was a bit clunky and the comic book/superhero allusions did not really make sense or seem relevant at the start of the text.

Initially, I also found the significant gap between what Alba could perceive and understand about her social world, on the one hand, and what the reader appreciated, on the other to be quite frustrating.  As the novel progressed, it became apparent that the closure of the gap would be the climax of the novel.

I did, however, enjoy the portrait of small town life provided by Kiel.  I also enjoyed her depictions of the people who flocked to Eden Valley in anticipation of the end of the world.

I also think that a number of my students would quite enjoy the adolescent angst, confusion, and indecision featured in later stages of this text.

REVIEW: Clancy of the Undertow

I recently ready Christopher Currie’s Clancy of the Undertow, an Australian coming of age story that has received positive reviews online.

I purchased the novel largely because of the name.  As a play on Banjo Paterson’s ‘Clancy of the Overflow’, I was expecting a story that followed the logic of Paterson’s poem, perhaps depicting an individual who wished for an opportunity to live a different life.  As per the poem, I expected Clancy’s life to be the one that was desired.

As it turns out, only some of what I expected was delivered.  While the novel definitely dealt with desire, aspiration and reflection on the status quo, there was not always a clear delineation between what was happening to characters and what they hoped would happen to them.  I found this ‘messiness’ appealing, and definitely reflective of reality.

I also thought the text dealt sensitively with a bullying, identity, and interpersonal relationships.

REVIEW: Night Owls

Night Owls by Jenn Bennett is a typical young adult novel; it explores love, risk taking, angst and the complexities of family.

The novel features Beatrix Adams, a teenager with a dream of becoming a medical illustrator.  To win scholarship money to further her goal she decides to enter a competition.  In order to succeed in that competition she pursues an opportunity at the local research hospital to draw corpses.

Her presence at a bus stop near the hospital causes her to meet Jack, a charismatic, attractive and slightly mysterious young man.  The two of strike up a relationship and Beatrix is soon drawn into Jack’s world and he, in turn, into hers.

There are moments of family tension in relation to both families, and the young people are forced to reassess their goals, recalibrate how they understand their family, and come to a decision as to how they feel for each other.

This was a good, albeit not overly substantial, read.  I think it will appeal to people who have also enjoyed John Green’s novels.

Pairs of texts

I have spent a lot of time recently thinking about interesting textual pairings for study as part of a comparative unit.  Many of my ideas are not suitable for my school context or the ability levels of my classes.  However, I do think that, in the right contexts and with the right classes, all could form the basis of interesting and engaging units.

1. A Lesson Before Dying (novel) & To Kill a Mockingbird (film)
2. A Long Way Gone (memoir) & Freedom Writers (film)
3. A Long Way Gone (memoir) & Girl At War (novel)
4. A Long Way Gone (memoir) & Hotel Rwanda (film)
5. A Long Way Gone (memoir) & Schindler’s List (film)
6. A Long Way Gone (memoir) & Poetry of Siegfried Sassoon (poetry)
7. A Long Way Gone (memoir) & The Devil That Danced on Water (non-fiction)
8. A Long Way Gone (memoir) & Poetry of Wilfred Owen (poetry)
9. Americanah (novel) & selected episodes of Black-ish (television series)
10. A Monster Calls (novel) & Boy (film)
11. A Monster Calls (novel) & Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (film)
12. A Monster Calls (novel/film) & Frankenstein (novel)
13. A Monster Calls (novel/film) & Mother to Mother (novel)
14. And Then There Were None (novel) & Selected episodes of Trapped (television series)
15. Animal Farm (novel) & Selection of episodes of House of Cards (television series)
16. Antigone (play) and Home Fire (novel)
17. Anzac Girls (television series) & Poetry of Siegfried Sassoon (poetry)
18. Bad Feminist (collection of essays) & For Colored Girls (film)
19. Bad Feminist (collection of essays) & When I Hit You (novel)
20. Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress (novel) & Freedom Writers (film)
21. Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress (novel) & The Dreamer (novel)
22. Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress (novel) & The Kite Runner (film or graphic novel)
23. Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress (novel) & Wadjda (film)
24. Becoming Kirrali Lewis (novel) & Boy (film)
25. Becoming Kirrali Lewis (novel) & The Kite Runner (graphic novel)
26. Beloved (novel) & Dracula (novel)
27. Beloved (novel) & Frankenstein (novel)
28. Beloved (novel) & Icarus Girl (novel)
29. Beloved (novel) & Mother to Mother (novel)
30. Beloved (novel) & Uncle Tom’s Cabin (novel)
31. Beloved (novel) & Unconfessed (novel)
32. Boy, Snow, Bird (novel) & Americanah (novel)
33. Boy, Snow, Bird (novel) & Selected short stories of Chinua Achebe (short stories)
34. Boy, Snow, Bird (novel) & Desdemona (play)
35. Boy, Snow, Bird (novel) & God Help the Child (novel)
36. Boy, Snow, Bird (novel) & Kissing the Witch (novel)
37. Brave New World (novel) & The Crucible (play)
38. Brave New World (novel) & Never Let Me Go (film)
39. Brave New World (novel) & V for Vendetta (film)
40. Briar Rose (novel) & Grave of the Fireflies (film)
41. Briar Rose (novel) & Lion (film)
42. Briar Rose (novel) & Night (autobiography)
43. Briar Rose (novel) & Schindler’s List (film)
44. Deadline (novel) & Dead Poets Society (film)
45. Deadline (novel) & The Fault In Our Stars (film)
46. Deadline (novel) & The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (film)
47. Deadly, Unna? (novel) & A United Kingdom (film)
48. Deadly, Unna? (novel) & Hairspray (film)
49. Deadly, Unna? (novel) & Invictus (film)
50. Deadly, Unna? (novel) & Remember the Titans (films)
51. Deadly, Unna? (novel) & Selected episodes of Redfern Now (television series)
52. El Deafo (graphic novel) & The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (novel)
53. Etiquette and Espionage (novel) & Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (film)
54. Exit West (novel) & Romeo and Juliet (play)
55. Exit West (novel) & The poetry of Selina Nwulu (poetry)
56. Exit West (novel) & The poetry of Warsan Shire (poetry)
57. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (novel) & After the Storm (film)
58. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (novel) & 11’09’01 (collection of short films)
59. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (novel) & Lion (film)
60. Face (novel) & The Intouchables (film)
61. Fahrenheit 451 (novel) & Persepolis (graphic novel or film)
62. Fahrenheit 451 (novel) & V For Vendetta (film)
63. For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow is Enuf (choreopoem) & When I Hit You (novel)
64. For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow is Enuf (choreopoem) & Mustang (film)
65. Frankenstein (novel) & Boy, Snow, Bird (novel)
66. Frankenstein (novel) & Frankenweenie (film)
67. Frankenstein (novel) & The Iron Giant (film)
68. Frankenstein (novel) & Metropolis (film)
69. Frankenstein (novel) & Never Let Me Go (film)
70. Frankenstein (novel) & The Rocky Horror Picture Show (film)
71. Frankenstein (novel) & The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (novel)
72. Girl Rising (film) & Poetry of Maya Angelou (poetry)
73. Girl Rising (film) & When I Hit You (novel)
74. Hamlet (play) & A Monster Calls (novel/film)
75. Hamlet (play) & Nutshell (novel)
76. Hamlet (play) & The Lion King (film)
77. Hiroshima (novel) & Grave of the Fireflies (film)
78. Jasper Jones  (novel) & The Help (film)
79. Jasper Jones (novel) & To Kill a Mockingbird (film)
80. King Henry IV, Part I (play) & Selected episodes of House of Cards (television show)
81. King Henry IV, Part I (play) & Selected episodes of Scandal (television show)
82. King Richard II (play) & Selected episodes of House of Cards (television show)
83. Life of Pi (novel) & Castaway (film)
84. Lord of the Flies (novel) & Where the Wild Things Are (film)
85. Lord of the Flies (novel) & The Hunger Games (film)
86. Macbeth (play) & Selected episodes of Designated Survivor (television series)
87. Macbeth (play) & The Dressmaker (film)
88. Macbeth (play) & The Gods of Wheat Street (television series)
89. Macbeth (play) & The Kite Runner (graphic novel, novel or film)
90. Macbeth (play) & Selected episodes of House of Cards (television series)
91. Macbeth (play) & Selected episodes of Scandal (television series)
92. Maus (graphic novel) & A Long Way Gone (memoir)
93. Maus (graphic novel) & Night (autobiography)
94. Maus (graphic novel) & Schindler’s List (film)
95. March (novel) & Little Women (novel)
96. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (novel) & The Fault in Our Stars (film)
97. Night (autobiography) & A Long Way Gone (memoir)
98. Night (autobiography) & Beatrice and Virgil (novel)
99. Night (autobiography) & Girl At War (novel)
100. Night (autobiography) & Over A Thousand Hills I Walk With You (biography)
101. Night (autobiography) & Rabbit-Proof Fence (film)
102. Night (autobiography) & Schindler’s List (film)
103. Night (autobiography) & The Seven Stages of Grieving (play)
104. Nineteen Eighty-Four (novel) & Pleasantville (film)
105. Nona and Me (novel) & Looking for Alibrandi (film)
106. Nona and Me (novel) & September (film)
107. Of Mice and Men (novel) & Hunt for the Wilderpeople (film)
108. Othello (play) & Boy Snow Bird (novel)
109. Othello (play) & Desdemona (play)
110. Othello (play) & Gone Girl (film)
111. Othello (play) & Jasper Jones (novel)
112. Othello (play) & New Boy (novel)
113. Othello (play) & Selected episodes of Redfern Now (television series)
114. Othello (play) & V For Vendetta (film)
115. Over a Thousand Hills I Walk With You (biography) & Girl At War (novel)
116. Over A Thousand Hills I Walk With You (biography) & Hotel Rwanda (film)
117. Over A Thousand Hills I Walk With You (biography) & Lion (film)
118. Over A Thousand Hills I Walk With You (biography) & Maus (graphic novel)
119. Over A Thousand Hills I Walk With You (biography) & Night (autobiography)
120. Over A Thousand Hills I Walk With You (biography) & Schindler’s List (film)
121. Pride & Prejudice (novel) & Bride and Prejudice (film)
122. Pride & Prejudice (novel) & Bridget Jones’s Diary (film)
123. Pride & Prejudice (novel) & Mustang (film)
124. Pride & Prejudice (novel) & The Wedding Plan (film)
125. Refugee Boy (novel) & Freedom Writers (film)
126. Refugee Boy (novel) & The African Doctor (film)
127. Refugee Boy (novel) & The Arrival (picture book)
128. Romeo & Juliet (play) & Alex and Eve (film)
129. Romeo & Juliet (play) & A United Kingdom (film)
130. Romeo & Juliet (play) & Freedom Writers (film)
131. Romeo & Juliet (play) & Hairspray (film)
132. Romeo & Juliet (play) & Meet the Patels (film)
133. Romeo & Juliet (play) & Mustang (film)
134. Romeo & Juliet (play) & My Big Fat Greek Wedding (film)
135. Romeo & Juliet (play) & Tanna (film)
136. Romeo & Juliet (play) & The Fault in Our Stars (film or novel)
137. Romeo & Juliet (play) & Titanic (film)
138. Romeo & Juliet (play) & Viceroy’s House (film)
139. Romeo & Juliet (play) & West Side Story (film)
140. Safana and Aunt Sarrinah (play) & Selected episodes of Redfern Now (television show)
141. Safana and Aunt Sarrinah (play) & The Green Bicycle (novel)
142. Safana and Aunt Sarrinah (play) & The Kite Runner (novel or graphic novel)
143. Safana and Aunt Sarrinah (play) & Wadjda (film)
144. Safana and Aunt Sarrinah (play) & Poetry of Warsan Shire (poetry)
145. Scattered Lives (play) & Americannah (novel)
146. Scattered Lives (play) & Freedom Writers (film)
147. Scattered Lives (play) & Looking for Alibrandi (novel)
148. Scattered Lives (play) & Poetry of Peter Skrzynecki (poetry)
149. Scattered Lives (play) & Poetry of Selina Nwulu (poetry)
150. Scattered Lives (play) & Poetry of Warsan Shire (poetry)
151. Schindler’s Ark (novel) & Hotel Rwanda (film)
152. Speak (novel) & For Colored Girls (film)
153. Speak (novel) & The Lovely Bones (novel)
154. Speak (novel) & The Scarlet Letter (novel)
155. Speak (novel) & When I Hit You (novel)
156. Stargirl (novel) & Wadjda (film)
157. Station Eleven (novel) & A Midsummer Night’s Dream (play)
158. Station Eleven (novel) & Hag-Seed (novel)
159. Station Eleven (novel) & Never Let Me Go (novel or film)
160. Station Eleven (novel) & The Tempest (play)
161. Stolen (play) & Rabbit-Proof Fence (film)
162. Stolen (play) & The Rabbits (picture book)
163. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (novel) & Hunt for the Wilderpeople (film)
164. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (memoir) & Queen of Katwe (film)
165. The Color Purple (novel) & For Colored Girls (film)
166. The Crucible (play) & Mother to Mother (novel)
167. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (novel) & Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (film)
168. The Dreamer (novel) & Billy Elliot (film)
169. The Drover’s Wife (play) & Selected episodes of Redfern Now (television series)
170. The Drover’s Wife (play) & ‘The Drover’s Wife’ (short story)
171. The Drover’s Wife (play) & Mother to Mother (novel)
172. The Drover’s Wife (play) & When I Hit You (novel)
173. The First Third (novel) & Boy (film)
174. The Fault in Our Stars (novel) & Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (film)
175. The Handmaid’s Tale (novel/television series) & Never Let me Go (novel/film)
176. The Help (novel) & A United Kingdom (film)
177. The Help (novel) & Remember the Titans (film)
178. The Help (novel) & The Blindside (film)
179. The Outsiders (novel) & Hunt for the Wilderpeople (film)
180. The Outsiders (novel) & Freedom Writers (film)
181. The Outsiders (novel) & Yolngu Boy (film)
182. The Rabbits (picture book) & Deadly, Unna? (novel)
183. The Rabbits (picture book) & Poetry of Oodgeroo Noonuccal (poetry)
184. The Rabbits (picture book) & Rabbit-Proof Fence (film)
185. The Real Inspector Hound (play) & Selected episodes of Trapped (television series)
186. The Real Inspector Hound (play) & And Then There Were None (novel)
187. The Scarlet Letter (novel) & Easy A (film)
188. The Skull Beneath the Skin (novel) & The Real Inspector Hound (play)
189. The Skull Beneath the Skin (novel) & Selected episodes of Trapped (television series)
190. The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (novel) & The Drover’s Wife (play)
191. The Street Sweeper by Elliot Perlman (novel) & Freedom Writers (film)
192. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle (novel) & Hamlet (play or film)
193. The Kite Runner (novel) & Big Fish (film)
194. The Kite Runner (novel) & Boy (film)
195. The Queue (novel) & Animal Farm (novel)
196. The Queue (novel) & Brave New World (novel)
197. The Queue (novel) & Fahrenheit 451 (novel/film)
198. The Queue (novel) & Nineteen Eighty-Four (novel)
199. The Queue (novel) & Persepolis (film/graphic novel)
200. ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ (short story) & Icarus Girl (novel)
201. To Kill a Mockingbird (novel) & A United Kingdom (film)
202. To Kill a Mockingbird (novel) & Boy, Snow, Bird (novel)
203. To Kill a Mockingbird (novel) & Hairspray (film)
204. To Kill a Mockingbird (novel) & Poetry of Langston Hughes (poetry)
205. To Kill a Mockingbird (novel) & Jasper Jones (novel)
206. To Kill a Mockingbird (novel) & Pleasantville (film)
207. To Kill a Mockingbird (novel) & Remember the Titans (film)
208. To Kill a Mockingbird (novel) & Selected episodes of Redfern Now (television series)
209. To Kill a Mockingbird (novel) & The Blindside (film)
210. To Kill a Mockingbird (novel) & The Hate U Give (novel)
211. To Kill a Mockingbird (novel) & The Help (film)
212. To This Day (graphic novel) & Wonder (novel)
213. To This Day (graphic novel) & Face (novel)
214. Vernon God Little (novel) & Elephant (film)
215. Vinegar Girl (novel) & The Taming of the Shrew (play)
216. Vinegar Girl (novel) & 10 Things I Hate About You (film)
217. Voices from Chernobyl (non-fiction) & Grave of the Fireflies (film)
218. War Horse (film) & Poetry of Siegfried Sassoon (poetry)
219. War Horse (film) & Poetry of Wilfred Owen (poetry)

REVIEW: ‘The First Third’

Until recently, I had not heard of Will Kostakis.  In fact, my decision to read his novel The First Third was an ‘anti-boycott’, a response to a much publicised decision by a school to revoke an invitation for Kostakis to address their students in light of the coming out announcement made by Kostakis on his blog.  To me, the school’s decision made little sense.  After all, Kostakis was to address students about his novel not his private life.

I am very glad I was prompted to purchase and read The First Third because it is a fantastic book!  The novel is a coming of age text, following the experiences of Billy as he navigates the complexities of school, love, family and friendship.

In this text, Kostakis does a fantastic job of representing the diversity and complexity of our worlds: for example, Billy and his family are Greek, Billy’s best friend Lucas is gay and has cerebral palsy, and Billy’s mother is a single mum.  The text also features an opinionated grandmother, and a family divided by interests and distance. To me, this world seems far more ‘real’ than some of the cookie-cutter type families represented in YA fiction and, I suspect, will thus resonate better with my students.

REVIEW: ‘The House on Mango Street’

I recently read The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros.  The House on Mango Street is an acclaimed coming of age novel that explores Esperanza Cordero’s experiences in her neighbourhood.  The text addresses the emotional spectrum of the coming of age journey, highlighting moments of joy, sadness, belonging and pain.

One of the things I found most interesting about this text was the way it showed that an individual’s coming of age journey does not occur in isolation.  Indeed, Esperanza’s journey intersects with those of others in her community.

Extracts of this text would be interesting to use as introductory material to a a ‘Coming of Age’ unit.  They could also be used as stimulus for creative writing, used as models for students to depict significant moments in their own coming of age journeys.

Poetry and Fiction pairing

I have spent a lot of time recently reading and reviewing short stories in a bid to boost my students’ engagement with literature, help them to understand how effective short stories are constructed, and to model how to offer opinions about the work of others.

One of the short stories that I read was by Roxane Gay.  The language in this text (first seen in the title), probably makes it unsuitable for school.  However, it did get me thinking about the way in which composers convey emotion and the complexities of a migrant’s relationship with his new home.  The slur used in Gay’s text also reminded me of Wyclef Jean’s spoken word poem ‘Immigrant‘.

Pending permission from the powers that be, I think it would be really interesting to compare these two texts, exploring them as part of a suite of texts exploring the complex range of emotions and responses to re-establishing oneself in a new country, city or place.