Online Presentation Link

Directions:

• Collect a story that relates to your own ethnic/regional/marginalized identity from someone. 
• Turn the story into a work of sudden fiction. 
• You may write a single piece of sudden fiction (like those found in Sudden Fiction) or a collection of three or more micro-stories. 
• Stories should evoke a single moment or idea (rather than create a traditional narrative) about ethnic/regional/marginalized identity. 
• Fiction should be 1- 5 pages (typically 1,500 words).

 

	Excellent	Satisfactory	Developing
CONTENT:	Narrative is concentrated around a single event or idea.  Narrative includes powerful symbols or metaphors related to point about ethnic/regional/marginalized identity. Narrative has broader implications.	Narrative has some sort of focus. Narrative talks about identity without any clear symbols or metaphors.	Narrative lacks focus. Narrative does not address ethnic or regional identity.
STYLE:	Narrative is compact. Each word is carefully chosen.   Narrative has a clear focus or message but remains open-ended. Narrative is highly readable and engaging.  Narrative creates a sense of a moment or idea rather than a traditional plot.	Narrative is short without being compact. Words have some thought. Narrative makes some point.  Narrative is interesting.	Narrative is not written in Sudden Fiction style.
IDENTITY	Narrative relates to ethnic/regional/marginalized identity of the author. Narrative celebrates that identity and demonstrates something distinctive about identity. Narrative	Narrative addresses identity through characters, situation, or setting.	No clear relationship to ethnic/regional/marginalized identity.

 

Are You the Nanny?

I was walking through Kohl’s with my newborn daughter in the top part of the cart. She was in her stroller that would compact to a carriage. My husband and I were walking, browsing through clothes. We started in the men’s section for him and found a couple of ties and dress shirts because he had an interview. I wandered off with my light-skinned daughter to the women’s section. I tried to find dress suits and more pantyhose so that I could look better taking of people in the nursing home. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see a woman glancing at my daughter and me from over the rack. I casually walked off and pushed the cart, cooing at my daughter. She was awake and alive, looking at the colors and blurs and shapes around her. I could still feel the woman’s eyes on the side of my head. I paid no attention to it for a little while longer. I finally got to the shoe section and was approached by the staring lady. She took a glance at me, with my very dark complexion and to my daughter. Then she beamed saying, “Oh she’s so cute, are you the nanny because she doesn’t look like you?”All of a sudden I felt my husband grab my arm so I couldn’t latch onto her neck with my hands. Without buying anything, my husband picked up the stroller and started pushing Aynae through the enter and exit doors. I walked fast beside him with tears stinging my eyes and fighting to fall. I didn’t break down until I got in the car. And then I cried on the drive home.

 

 

 

I Don’t Need Friends

With normal people, friends come and go. With me, friends are a no show. They don’t show at your graduation party but expect you to show up to theirs and bring gifts. They hype you up to talk to that cute boy, but talk trash behind your back to the cute boy. Friends hurt your feelings all the time yet you always let them back in. Even in sports, you can’t seem to get friends. You can’t seem to fit in. You can’t call your teammate a friend because she will stab you in the back just to get your spot. My friends only want to be my friends when I’m down. When I’m up, they hate and push me away. I don’t need friends. But one day they will need me and I won’t be there. 

 

Possible Outline:

 

Introduction:

Thesis: Milk and Honey and Indian rape laws (and culture).  Talk about the differences in the rape laws, when did the U.S. make rape a crime vs when did India make rape a crime. 

 

Body Paragraphs: Talk about milk and honey

• Topic Sentence (ties to thesis). Talk about the author and her Indian background and what she went through
• Example from text. Exercept from the story that talked about her getting raped
• Analysis (close reading). Close reading of the excerpt
• Outside source material. Find research about women in India being raped when they were in a relationship

 

• Topic Sentence (ties to thesis). India and rape and laws
• Outside source material. Supports statement
• Analysis: what this law means and how it is reflected in Milk and Honey. 
• Example from text. (paraphrase or quote) (CITE)
• Analysis (close reading). Why does this passage reflect the law above?  

 

• Topic Sentence (ties to thesis). India and rape and laws
• Outside source material. Supports statement
• Analysis: what this law means and how it is reflected in Milk and Honey. 
• Example from text. (paraphrase or quote) (CITE)
• Analysis (close reading). Why does this passage reflect the law above?  

  

 

Every body paragraph should have these four things (not necessarily in this order).

 

Conclusion:

So what? Give the reader a take-away.  

Cultural difference? Cultural negotiation.