Morning, all. Sitting here in PJ bottoms and a tank, enjoying not working. I am so excited for Allyson -- that's so cool!

Trudy posted the full text of MLK's IHAD speech today, and I am thinking about working it in to my lesson plan tomorrow (poetry unit). It's chock-full of excellent metaphors and allusion, and I was thinking I could make them read and discuss some Langston Hughes and Maya Angelou...but since I am still caffiening up, I am drawing blank to more excellent poems about social injustice that are accessible. I know Neruda has some, but they are pretty long and involved for my freshman and sophomores, but I would really love to have a poem from the Latino perspective.

Any ideas?

Oh, and you guys talk about House so damned much that I have to see what it's all about. I'm DLing it now.

Also, I think I must get BG on the schedule now, I have so many friends who say it's excellent fun. Is it out on DVD? 1st season, I mean?

And Gimlet just sidled onto my lap, and is mrrrping at me to pet her. Sucha soft kitty.

Oh, {{Perkins}} I hope you feel better soon.

Someone who came to our office today for a meeting wore perfume. Now I have a headache. Bollocks.

Erin, I love this poem by Pat Mora called "Elena". Also, check for Gary Soto poems, or, more strikingly Jimmy Santiago Baca.

Most schools teach IHAD and in fact, most students know him as the man who gave that speech. So this year, we've agreed, within my department, to teach the Letter from a Birmingham Jail. Not poetic though. But beautifully written.

This is one of the Baca poems that might work. Oppression by Jimmy Santiago Baca.

Megan, I hope you feel better soon, as well.

Erin!

Most schools teach IHAD

Obviously UnAmerican, so I'm coming to this from a different context, but I've only very recently actually read the whole speech. A friend who TAs a class in communication and political science asked me to translate it into Hebrew for an exam of her students. It's so beautiful, I had tears in my eyes almost all the way through. All that Erin said, only I probably missed most of the connections, due to said UnAmerican-ness.

Mmm, Nilly, I don't think you missed many of them. Two, off the tops of my head are Biblical and Shakespearean.

It's a wonderful speech.

Kat, I love "Elena!" I will definitely be using that in my class; after sitting through P/T conferences, trying to communicate with many parents with little to no English, with my pidgin Spanish, I think my kids will really get this poem.

Thanks!

Thanks Nilly. I made some pear green tea to soothe myself. I also closed the blinds on my windows so now I feel like I'm in a little cocoon.

Megan, I find many times a cup of coffee with a couple of spoonfuls of sugar helps a migraine. I don't usually sugar my coffee, but the caffiene (if I remember correctly) constricts blood flow to the brain, and the sugar...well, does something pyhsiologically therapeutic, too.

And yo, a pillow over my face, and silence.

delicious soup for lunch. Soup Man rocks.