Unit 1: Day 5
Portrait of a Word
Wednesday, February 22nd
Check In
Have you completed:
Have you drafted:
Questions? Wonderings? Concerns?
Overview
Today, we will begin to WRITE:
Drafting
Project 1: Step 2
Our Words in Action
Today, we want to really focus on DRAFTING a SCENE with our WORD in ACTION!
What does this mean?
Words in Action
“They say it came first from Africa, carried in the screams of the enslaved; that it was the death bane of the Tainos, uttered just as one word perished and another began; that it was a demon drawn into Creation through the nightmare dodoor that was cracked open in the Antilles. Fuku americanus, or more colloquially, fuku–generally a curse or a Doom of the New World. Also called the fuku of the Admiral because the admiral was both its midwife and one of its great European victims; despite “discovering” the New World the Admiral died miserable and syphilitic, hearing (disque) divine voices. In Santo Domingo, the Land He Loved Best (what Oscar, at the end, would call the Ground Zero of the New World), the Admiral’s very name has become synonymous with both kinds of fuku, little and large; to say his name aloud and even to hear it is to invite calamity on the heads of you and yours” (Diaz 1).
Words in Action
“What makes Dana Owens a queen, you ask? And what right does anyone have to call herself a queen without sounding like one helluva arrogant sista? Well, first of all, each of us has a queen inside. She was placed there before we were even formed, in the womb. It’s just a matter of bringing her out. Being a woman puts you halfway there. But there’s so much more. It starts inside by feeling good about yourself. A queen has high self-esteem. She is proud of who she is, whether she is a corporate executive or a cleaning clady, whether she’s an athlete or a housewife.” (Latifah 35).
Add Concrete, Significant Details!
What does this mean? We want to draft a scene using Concrete, Significant Detail.
Think of a particular scene when you (or someone else) used YOUR word. Think like QUEEN or FUKU. Really picture it like they are there.
Let’s watch this short video on adding Concrete, Significant Details to our writing!
Writing the Scene
Now, you have your scene in mind, you will need two pieces of paper and a writing utensil OR a device!
Let’s watch and WRITE!
Drafting
Write a description of your word or phrase AND show the word or phrase in action.
Tell us a story or two about it. Show it being used! Brainstorm scenes and memories, important events having to do with this word. Remember: you need to make a point, not just ramble about the word or phrase you’ve chosen.
Diaz’ point is that the fuku came from the Dominican Republic and to the US, and American readers should pay attention, lest they get cursed with a fuku too!
Latifah’s point is that language matters– she’s not a bi**ch, she’s a queen. Teach us WHY the word matters to your community. In fact, more than teach us SHOW US!
Homework