1. H. G. Bissinger

2. Friday Night Lights  Friday Night Lights is a nonfiction account of a high school football team’s season in Odessa, Texas in 1988.  High school football means everything to the citizens of Odessa.  The author, H. G. Bissinger, left his job as editor for the Philadelphia Inquirer to live in Odessa for a year and record the story of this football team.

3. Friday Night Lights  This book is about much more than football. As you read, watch for social criticism. Pay attention to what Bissinger says about: Race Politics Education

4. Friday Night Lights  In addition, remember that our unit centers on friendship, loyalty, betrayal, and rites of passage. You should take notes whenever you see these themes emerging in the story.  Understanding characters’ identities is central to understanding this story. Pay attention to appearance vs. reality. Are the characters who they claim to be? Are they living in the present or in the past? Are they living their own lives or living vicariously through others?

5. The Preface  The preface to Friday Night Lights introduces readers to the author, H. G. Bissinger. It also briefly explains how he came about writing this book.  Take careful notes over this section. You need to understand Bissinger and what he was trying to do with Friday Night Lights.

6. The Prologue  The Prologue introduces readers to the main characters. The football players central to the story are: Boobie Miles Jerrod McDougal Mike Winchell Ivory Christian Brian Chavez Chris Comer

7. As you read  Take careful notes over how these football players are characterized. Understanding their circumstances is essential to understanding the story.  Think about the following: What part of town do each of the players live in? How important is football to each of the characters? Who values education, and who sees school as a place to gather football players and fans? How do the adults in each player’s life feel about Permian football? What are each player’s long term goals? What is most important to each of them?

8. Diction  Friday Night Lights is nonfiction, but that doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate the writing within the story. Pay close attention to Bissinger’s word choice as you read.  The descriptions he gives provide readers with a very specific picture of life in Odessa. Watch for figurative language and examples of effective word choice.

9. Speaking of word choice…  A note on the “n-word” You read Mark Twain’s Huck Finn last year, so you are familiar with the painful history of this term and understand that it cannot be used. Some of the citizens of Odessa do use this word. Bissinger chose to include it in the book because it helps paint an accurate picture of this town. Racism is a huge issue in Odessa, and it has a large impact on the story.

10. For tomorrow  Read the preface and prologue, taking careful notes over the previously mentioned topics as you do so.