Christopher Durang is so much fun! And given how beloved he is when it comes to doing silly college theater, I suspect a lot of AP high schoolers would love his stuff too.
Natter 58: Let's call Venezuela!
Off-topic discussion. Wanna talk about corsets, duct tape, or physics? This is the place. Detailed discussion of any current-season TV must be whitefonted.
He also fits the AP Board's call to teach "a variety of lit from the 16th to 21st century" (paraphrasing) since he's so contemporary.
ETA: BWAH! I'd never been to his homepage before. [link] (It was the "to enter, click on..." part that set off a coughing fit of laughter.)
I love reading this discussion, Especially since I've read/heard (I don't know which) lately of Isabel Allende's latest bio-book. I read Paula on a bus through Slovakia in a fog and remember desperately trying not to cry as a castle came into view. Allende, Marquez, Alvarez, Cisneros and a few other latin authors have a special place for me.
Kat, would any of the short stories by Angela Carter work for what you're looking for?
For Magical Realism, Jilli?
For Magical Realism, Jilli?
Yes. I was also trying to think if any of her short stories would work for your Grotesque section, but I'm not sure. Another author that would be good for Magical Realism is Ray Bradbury. Something Wicked This Way Comes or Dandelion Wine.
Wait, what age range is this for? I'm trying to figure out if Caitlin R. Kiernan would be a good choice for your Grotesque section. I mean, her work (and especially some of her short fiction) would be perfect, but some of the subject matter may be questionable, depending on the age of the students.
DAMN! Maybe I'm dropping Romance because while I think it's a good category and if I go modern Romance, it's nice and light, I think I could use that place instead to do Social Commentaries... then I could get Obasan, which is fantastic, and Native Son and The Bone People.
The downside is that it's heavy heavy heavy to replace a fun and uplifting (in the medieval, gothic or modern sense) category like romance and replace it with serious heart wrenching lit.
Maybe put those in Tragedy, along with Things Fall Apart and Lear?
Jilli, for 12th grade AP. The trick is picking a range of authors from 16th century to modern and to mix old canon with new. And to pick stuff I like and can be passionate about.
Sort of a tall order.
Sort of a tall order.
Whoof, I'll say! And I'm sorry, I skimmed earlier and didn't see that you had already mentioned Angela Carter. Maybe something by Shirley Jackson? I really do think you should include Geek Love. It'll be good for them.