American Authors: Amy Tan & Junot Diaz

Post modernism Like Inception: Dream-like, blurring the lines between fiction and reality Emphasizes idealism, constructivism, relativism, pluralism and skepticism in its approaches to knowledge and understanding Idealism: Reality is mentally constructed and shaped by humans Constructivism: People create meaning from individual constructs—chaos to order Relativism: Points of view have no absolute truth or validity Pluralism: Acknowledges a diversity in views—no opposition to a single approach Skepticism: Questions anything stated as fact

Andy Warhol and Postmodern Art His work explores the relationship between artistic expression, celebrity culture, and advertisement Art movement that emerged in the 1950s, exploded in the 1960s and 70s Challenges traditions of fine art by including imagery from popular culture The concept of pop refers not as much to the art itself as to the attitudes that led to it Emphasized the banal or kitschy, often ironic

Postmodern Literature Describes certain characteristics of post–World War II literature Fragmentation, paradox, questionable narrators Will not end with the neatly tied-up conclusion Questioning of distinctions between high and low culture through the use of pastiche Pastiche: hodgepodge

Define Multiculturalism

Multiculturalism How does this fit into the idea of Post Modernism? N. The presence of, or support for the presence of, several distinct cultural or ethnic groups within a society. Push for inclusion of distinct cultural groups with equal cultural and political status. Old: Melting Pot Ideal New: Multicultural Ideal (salad bowl) Accept and embrace differences How does this fit into the idea of Post Modernism?

Minorities and Diversity in the 21st Century “The number of minorities in the highest income brackets has more than doubled since 1980, for example, yet minorities still account for a disproportionate share of the poor. More minority politicians are being elected to public office, but minorities are more likely than non-Hispanic whites to serve time in prison. More minorities are earning graduate and professional degrees, yet a disproportionately large percentage never finish high school.”

Minorities and Diversity in the 21st Century A look through poetry and literature. Why? Promote tolerance and appreciation. Broaden your worldview Encourage empathy What? Social activists Immigrant experience Identity Biculturalism Who? African American Indian American Asian American Egyptian American Hispanic American Puerto Rican Jewish American Italian American

Focus on Maya Angelou Born 1928, Died 2014 Singer, Dancer, Actress, Composer, Director, Author, Educator, Civil Rights Activist Served on 2 presidential committees Awarded National Medal of Arts (2000) and Presidential Medal of Freedom (2010) I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings "Angelou had become recognized not only as a spokesperson for blacks and women, but also for all people who are committed to raising the moral standards of living in the United States.“--Carol E. Neubauer, Southern Women Writers: The New Generation

Maya Angelou and Performance African American Oral traditions Slave and Work songs Personal Narrative Response to hardship, oppression and loss Race and sex on a larger social and psychological scale "Once I got into it I realized I was following a tradition established by Frederick Douglass—the slave narrative—speaking in the first-person singular talking about the first-person plural, always saying I meaning 'we.' And what a responsibility. Trying to work with that form, the autobiographical mode, to change it, to make it bigger, richer, finer, and more inclusive in the twentieth century has been a great challenge for me.“--Angelou https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqOqo50LSZ0

Your task Walk around the room and experience the poetry. Read as many as possible Take pictures of the 3 that resonate with you the most No more than 3 people at each poem at a time Once you find the 3 that resonate the most with you head back to your seat. On a separate sheet of paper write the title of the poem and identify the theme that stands out. Write down the words that develop theme and any connections you can make with the poem (personal, historical, etc)

Reflection Jot this information down on your paper. Why did you choose the poems you did? Choose one poem to do quick research on the author. How does this change your perception (if at all)? Jot this information down on your paper.

Mother Tongue by Amy Tan Author of The Joy Luck Club Her work explores mother-daughter relationships in Chinese-American families Literature books page 1264-1269

Tan Questions Describe Tan’s changing perceptions of her mother’s use of English, using evidence from the essay. What power does language hold? Tan claims that the language spoken at home is more influential, or shapes the individual more than the language spoken by peers. Do you agree or disagree? Explain. Write down words that develop the theme of the story and connect to what we have already talked about. Why is this an example of postmodernism?

Found Poem Reflect on words you chose that developed theme in both the poems and Amy Tan’s essay. Compose a found poem of 5 to 10 lines from the words that you selected to respond to the literature. Focus on the themes you identified Found Poetry doesn’t have to rhyme