When I first signed up for this class, I really was unsure about taking it. I did not think that Appalachian literature was going to be interesting. I actually had no idea what to expect. However, now at the end of the class, I have discovered a lot about the region and the diversity of the culture, from dancing outlaws to Affrilachian poets.
I thought that one of the most important parts of this class were the books that we read. Some of them were interesting, while others were confusing which made them not the exciting to read. The two books that I did not like reading were Feud and Oral History. I thought that these books were too difficult to follow, especially Feud. I found it too hard to keep track of all the different names and what family they were a part of. I think that this book is not necessary for future semesters. The other book that I did not like was Oral History. This book was not as confusing as Feud, but I did not like it because it was not all that interesting to me, and some of the names were difficult to keep track of. However, unlike Feud, I would suggest keeping this book for future semesters of this class. The two books that I thought were okay were Whistlin’ and Crowin’ and The Stories of Breece D’J Pancake. I liked Whistlin’ and Crowin’ because it presented a lot of interesting information about literacy practices of women and what some of them had to go through just to attend college (abusive husband). I liked Pancake because, unlike the other books we read, there were not a lot of characters to keep track of. I also liked this book because Pancake had some suspense in his stories like “Time and Again”.
The movies that we watched in this class were just as interesting, if not more interesting than the books. I liked how there was a contrast in the different kinds of movies, from a movie about a tap dancer to a movie about striking coal miners to a movie about Affrilachian poets. I really do not think that I liked any of the movies more than the others. I would suggest keeping all these films as a part of the class because it gives the class a different perspective on Appalachia.
The blog assignment was definitely an interesting assignment, but it was not the first time that I had to write blog entries for an English class. I liked them because they provided another way to express my opinion from saying it in class. However, I think that the minimum should be lowered a little, or maybe I should have just spread my fifteen over more than just the last two months of school.
Now that I am at the end of the class, I am glad that I chose to take this class. It helped to disprove some of the stereotypes of Appalachia that I once had. I liked some of the books, but I think that others can be removed from the course. I also liked all the films that we watched for class and I don’t think that any of them should be removed. If any of my friends asked about future sections of this class, I would definitely recommend it to them.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Reflection on Attendance Poll Questions
I thought that these were a really good idea. I have never had a teacher do anything like this and I thought that it helped me get to know the other people in the class. Not only that, it was also a lot more interesting than just saying “here”. I would not have liked if you had made one of the attendance poll questions a reading quiz. I think that it would have been too hard to come up with twenty different answers to the question.
These questions were sometimes about some pretty obscure subjects. I liked them because they dealt with subjects that normally would not come up within the course of a normal conversation. For instance a recent one that I liked was “What kind of criminal would you be?” I said that I would like to be like Leonardo DiCaprio playing Frank Abagnale, Jr. in Catch Me If You Can. I think that it would be really great to get all that money from the forged checks and then fly around the world for free without any training as a pilot. Of course, the chance of getting arrested is pretty high, but if I wouldn’t mind if Tom Hanks arrested me. The range that was given in the class was pretty wide, but I was surprised that no one mentioned being a pirate. I loved The Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, but being a pirate never crossed my mind.
I am glad that the attendance poll question was never a reading quiz because it probably would have been too difficult to think of twenty different answers to the same question. I think that it is good to keep the poll questions fun, so it is something to look forward to right at the beginning of class.
When you told us about the origin of the attendance poll, I don’t think any of us would have imagined it. That was a good idea to determine if there were any other criminals in your class. Some of the responses to that first question, “Why should I not be afraid of you?” were pretty fascinating. I would have liked to hear the answers if that question was asked in this class. It is interesting, though, that that experience gave you the idea to do attendance poll questions every day for all your classes.
Overall, I thought that the attendance poll question was an excellent idea. I think that everything about, from the origins to the randomness of the questions is very interesting. I think, though, that making the attendance poll question would ruin the concept. I would definitely recommend keeping these attendance poll questions for future classes.
These questions were sometimes about some pretty obscure subjects. I liked them because they dealt with subjects that normally would not come up within the course of a normal conversation. For instance a recent one that I liked was “What kind of criminal would you be?” I said that I would like to be like Leonardo DiCaprio playing Frank Abagnale, Jr. in Catch Me If You Can. I think that it would be really great to get all that money from the forged checks and then fly around the world for free without any training as a pilot. Of course, the chance of getting arrested is pretty high, but if I wouldn’t mind if Tom Hanks arrested me. The range that was given in the class was pretty wide, but I was surprised that no one mentioned being a pirate. I loved The Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, but being a pirate never crossed my mind.
I am glad that the attendance poll question was never a reading quiz because it probably would have been too difficult to think of twenty different answers to the same question. I think that it is good to keep the poll questions fun, so it is something to look forward to right at the beginning of class.
When you told us about the origin of the attendance poll, I don’t think any of us would have imagined it. That was a good idea to determine if there were any other criminals in your class. Some of the responses to that first question, “Why should I not be afraid of you?” were pretty fascinating. I would have liked to hear the answers if that question was asked in this class. It is interesting, though, that that experience gave you the idea to do attendance poll questions every day for all your classes.
Overall, I thought that the attendance poll question was an excellent idea. I think that everything about, from the origins to the randomness of the questions is very interesting. I think, though, that making the attendance poll question would ruin the concept. I would definitely recommend keeping these attendance poll questions for future classes.
Reflection on Class Movies
I really liked how there were movies and other visual materials that were used to teach the class, in addition to the traditional materials like books. I liked how there were a wide variety of movies from Coal Black Voices to Beverly Hillbillies. By adding video to the lesson that was being taught, another way to learn was provided.
The first movie that we watched was Matewan. I really liked this film and I thought that it showed Appalachia how I would imagine it. It was also not at all that surprising to see Chris Cooper playing Joe Kenehan. I can definitely imagine him as helping coal miners after seeing him play one in October Sky. He also seemed like someone from Appalachia in Seabiscuit. Cooper was born in Missouri, which is not quite part of Appalachia, but I am sure he was influenced by the region in some way.
Even thought we only watched one episode of the Beverly Hillbillies, I thought that the portrayal of this people was an interesting perspective on Appalachian stereotypes. The main characters kept with many of the stereotypes, like not driving a car, and a very noticeable accent. However, while this may seem almost derogatory, the main characters are never represented in a bad light.
Some of the other movies that I enjoyed watching in this class were Coal Black Voices and Dancing Outlaw. These were very different films covering very different subjects. I liked Coal Black Voices because it gave a new view to poetry. We got to watch the original poets reading their own work and in some cases we saw poem being performed on stage. I also liked Dancing Outlaw, but more because of its entertainment value than it educational value. The genuinely entertaining parts of this movie were when Jesco was dancing and then there were parts that you laugh nervously at (sunglasses, sloppy eggs) and you wonder if he really means what he is saying. I also liked that we watched these films at relatively the same time during the semester. It provided an interesting contrast in both the arts of Appalachia and the people that create the art and culture of the region.I thought that the films and shows that we watched in this class really added a valuable dimension to the course. Not only did we get to see the information somewhere else besides in a book, we also got a different point of view of the issues of Appalachia. The movies covered a variety of subjects, from dancing to poetry to coal mining.
The first movie that we watched was Matewan. I really liked this film and I thought that it showed Appalachia how I would imagine it. It was also not at all that surprising to see Chris Cooper playing Joe Kenehan. I can definitely imagine him as helping coal miners after seeing him play one in October Sky. He also seemed like someone from Appalachia in Seabiscuit. Cooper was born in Missouri, which is not quite part of Appalachia, but I am sure he was influenced by the region in some way.
Even thought we only watched one episode of the Beverly Hillbillies, I thought that the portrayal of this people was an interesting perspective on Appalachian stereotypes. The main characters kept with many of the stereotypes, like not driving a car, and a very noticeable accent. However, while this may seem almost derogatory, the main characters are never represented in a bad light.
Some of the other movies that I enjoyed watching in this class were Coal Black Voices and Dancing Outlaw. These were very different films covering very different subjects. I liked Coal Black Voices because it gave a new view to poetry. We got to watch the original poets reading their own work and in some cases we saw poem being performed on stage. I also liked Dancing Outlaw, but more because of its entertainment value than it educational value. The genuinely entertaining parts of this movie were when Jesco was dancing and then there were parts that you laugh nervously at (sunglasses, sloppy eggs) and you wonder if he really means what he is saying. I also liked that we watched these films at relatively the same time during the semester. It provided an interesting contrast in both the arts of Appalachia and the people that create the art and culture of the region.I thought that the films and shows that we watched in this class really added a valuable dimension to the course. Not only did we get to see the information somewhere else besides in a book, we also got a different point of view of the issues of Appalachia. The movies covered a variety of subjects, from dancing to poetry to coal mining.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Response to ExpectMore.gov
ExpectMore.gov was another site that I came across while doing research for the Appalachian stereotypes essay. The Office of Management and Budget and Federal agencies develop this site. I found this website to be helpful because it provides three main resources for each government agency. In my case, I chose the site for the Appalachian Regional Commission. The three resources that it provides are the goal that that the agency is trying to accomplish, the agency’s performance rating, and an improvement plan.
The link next to the goal of the commission brings you to a long list of specific objectives that the agency aims to accomplish by a certain year. Under each accomplishment there is a column with the year, the target, and the actual. For instance, one of the goals is the cumulative number of jobs created. In 2005, the target was 20,000 new jobs, but only 19,346 were created. In 2006, the goal was the same, but 28,866 jobs were actually created. For the year 2010, the goal is 120,000 new jobs. This seems slightly high to me, but it is good to be ambitious. I like this site because it provides a way to numerically measure the success that is achieved in Appalachia.
The next resource that is provided is the rating. Unfortunately, the Appalachian Regional Commission received a lower rating than I expected. ExpectMore.gov gave ARC a rating of adequate. “This rating describes a program that needs to set more ambitious goals, achieve better results, improve accountability or strengthen its management practices.” The problem that is mentioned is that there are several other programs that do similar things like ARC. The evaluators at ExpectMore.gov feel that the reason why the score is not higher is because ARC’s purpose is not unique enough. I still think that it should be at least one level higher because it has helped so much.
The third resource that is offered is an improvement plan for the agency. The description of the general improvement plans says that everything can be improved and that all the assessed programs “are held accountable for improving their performance and management.” I think that the key to creating efficient agencies is accountability. When every part of an organization is available to analysis, then it is also available to potential improvement from other people outside the organization.
I found this site to be very helpful. However, I was disappointed that it received such a low rating. I would think that an agency tackling such a large problem would at least get a little leeway. ARC is trying to improve the lives of people that are living in a very impoverished region of the United States. Overall, the Appalachian stereotypes essay that we had to write really taught me a lot about the region and what people and the government are doing to help out this region.
The link next to the goal of the commission brings you to a long list of specific objectives that the agency aims to accomplish by a certain year. Under each accomplishment there is a column with the year, the target, and the actual. For instance, one of the goals is the cumulative number of jobs created. In 2005, the target was 20,000 new jobs, but only 19,346 were created. In 2006, the goal was the same, but 28,866 jobs were actually created. For the year 2010, the goal is 120,000 new jobs. This seems slightly high to me, but it is good to be ambitious. I like this site because it provides a way to numerically measure the success that is achieved in Appalachia.
The next resource that is provided is the rating. Unfortunately, the Appalachian Regional Commission received a lower rating than I expected. ExpectMore.gov gave ARC a rating of adequate. “This rating describes a program that needs to set more ambitious goals, achieve better results, improve accountability or strengthen its management practices.” The problem that is mentioned is that there are several other programs that do similar things like ARC. The evaluators at ExpectMore.gov feel that the reason why the score is not higher is because ARC’s purpose is not unique enough. I still think that it should be at least one level higher because it has helped so much.
The third resource that is offered is an improvement plan for the agency. The description of the general improvement plans says that everything can be improved and that all the assessed programs “are held accountable for improving their performance and management.” I think that the key to creating efficient agencies is accountability. When every part of an organization is available to analysis, then it is also available to potential improvement from other people outside the organization.
I found this site to be very helpful. However, I was disappointed that it received such a low rating. I would think that an agency tackling such a large problem would at least get a little leeway. ARC is trying to improve the lives of people that are living in a very impoverished region of the United States. Overall, the Appalachian stereotypes essay that we had to write really taught me a lot about the region and what people and the government are doing to help out this region.
Reflection on Oral History
Oral History was in a format that I have never really seen before. At times it was confusing who was talking and what relationship that they had with the rest of the characters, but I thought that it was interesting. This book was also confusing because of the same reason that Feud was confusing. There were a lot of unusual names in this book and some of the people had the same last names. I think that all these strange names made it really difficult to follow, but the stories were interesting.
I liked how the book started off with Jennifer at Little Luther Wade and Ora Mae’s house taking an oral history about her family. We read her impressions of the family and we learn of her actions through a third person narrator. The beginning to this story reminds me of a movie, when we see an introduction to the story, and then after a couple minutes it fades to black. After coming from black the filmmaker puts a subtitle on the bottom that says something like “20 years earlier”. This is a creative way to write a book, and it makes a good way to describe the events of the story.
Author Lee Smith brings the whole story to a close when we learn what happens to Jennifer after listening to the oral history. The reader learns the Jennifer was welcome to stay at the house in Hoot Owl Holler, but everyone in the family, except for Little Luther, does not like the tape recorder that she brings. It was surprising when Almarine kisses Jennifer right before she leaves. “…her uncle Al grabs her right up off her feet and kisses her so hard that stars smash in front of her eyes. Al sticks his tongue inside her mouth” (284). I have not figured out the purpose of Al’s action but it has caused Jennifer to change her opinion of her mother’s family. “Some things may seem modern, like the van, but they’re not, not really. They are really very primitive people, resembling nothing so much as some sort of early tribe” (284). I think this is a pretty harsh assessment on Jennifer’s part. Just because there is not a lot of wealth in Hoot Owl Holler to modernize the area does not mean that they are primitive. However, I must agree that it was definitely primitive of Al to kiss Jennifer so roughly. She goes back to school and gets an A on her project, and in an unusual move, marries her teacher. In the end I like how Smith describes what happened to each person.
I thought that this story was out of the ordinary, but it was interesting. I like how Smith starts in the present, then flashes back to the past for the majority of the novel, and then at the end she wraps up the story in the present again. I liked the book and I would recommend it for future sections of this class.
Reflection on Feud: Hatfields, McCoys, and Social Change in Appalachia, 1860-1900
The main problem that I had with Feud: Hatfields, McCoys, and Social Change in Appalachia, 1860-1900, was that it was impossible for me to follow all the names and what family each person. Because of the fact that it was so difficult to follow, I quickly lost interest in the book. I think that either a more interesting book, or even a film would do a better job than this book. Another possibility would be to have students do individual research on the feud and then discuss it in class. This would let people exchange notes and allow them to pick up on anything that they might have missed.
I read the review of this book by Georgann Eubanks in the November 1988 issue of Washington Monthly, and it really helped to clear up what this book was about. I used to think the Hatfield-McCoy feud was just about a stolen hog, but as Waller points out, the media hype for this feud may have been one of the initial causes to the stereotype of Appalachian lawlessness and violence. Also something that I never knew before was that both families sought to solve the problem civilly through the courts, even as high as the Supreme Court of the United States, but this did not work. This review also mentions Waller’s viewpoint that this feud shows how the judicial system failed in this case because it did not take into account close relationships between families and neighbors. I think that if the courts had taken these relationships into account, the case would have been even more complicated. Overall, I thought that this article really helped me to understand the information that Waller was trying to portray in this book.
I was surprised at how much the state was involved in trying to stop this conflict. The governor of Kentucky tried to extradite that Hatfields and even hired a special deputy to fix the problem. There were private detectives and bounty hunters everywhere in the region. When nine Hatfields were brought to trial in 1888, and eight of them received life sentences while the ninth was hanged. The fact that Ellison Mounts was the only one hanged and he happened to be the illegitimate, retarded son of Ellison Hatfield, seems a little suspicious to me.
After attempting this book and reading about it on the internet later, I do not think that this book is necessary for this course. I think that the Hatfield-McCoy feud is an important issue, but I think that there must be other books out there that are easier or more interesting to read. I also think that I could have gathered the same information from this book on the internet. Another idea would be to find a documentary about the feud. Not only does this have the possibility of being more interesting, it also may help other people learn if they see the events and people visually than if they just read the descriptions in the book.
I read the review of this book by Georgann Eubanks in the November 1988 issue of Washington Monthly, and it really helped to clear up what this book was about. I used to think the Hatfield-McCoy feud was just about a stolen hog, but as Waller points out, the media hype for this feud may have been one of the initial causes to the stereotype of Appalachian lawlessness and violence. Also something that I never knew before was that both families sought to solve the problem civilly through the courts, even as high as the Supreme Court of the United States, but this did not work. This review also mentions Waller’s viewpoint that this feud shows how the judicial system failed in this case because it did not take into account close relationships between families and neighbors. I think that if the courts had taken these relationships into account, the case would have been even more complicated. Overall, I thought that this article really helped me to understand the information that Waller was trying to portray in this book.
I was surprised at how much the state was involved in trying to stop this conflict. The governor of Kentucky tried to extradite that Hatfields and even hired a special deputy to fix the problem. There were private detectives and bounty hunters everywhere in the region. When nine Hatfields were brought to trial in 1888, and eight of them received life sentences while the ninth was hanged. The fact that Ellison Mounts was the only one hanged and he happened to be the illegitimate, retarded son of Ellison Hatfield, seems a little suspicious to me.
After attempting this book and reading about it on the internet later, I do not think that this book is necessary for this course. I think that the Hatfield-McCoy feud is an important issue, but I think that there must be other books out there that are easier or more interesting to read. I also think that I could have gathered the same information from this book on the internet. Another idea would be to find a documentary about the feud. Not only does this have the possibility of being more interesting, it also may help other people learn if they see the events and people visually than if they just read the descriptions in the book.
Monday, December 3, 2007
Response to the Appalachian Regional Commission website
When I first encountered the website for the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) during my research for the Appalachian stereotypes essay, I was surprised. I had never heard of something. In other words, I never heard of anything like the Northeast Regional Commission (Connecticut is my home state). However, after thinking about the reason for the creation of this commission, I realized why it was so important to have an organization that represents this region.
The first part of the site that I went to was about the history of the ARC. This organization is older than I first thought. President John F. Kennedy created ARC’s predecessor in 1963 called the President’s Appalachian Regional Commission (PARC). In the mid-1960s, the region was mired in deep poverty. According to the website one of three Appalachians lived in poverty and the per capita income was 23 percent lower than the national average. I guess it was a clear choice what region needed the most help.
The next part of the site that I went to was the economic overview. I felt that this section would provide an accurate measurement of the success of ARC. Between 1965 and 1990, the poverty rate in Appalachia was cut in half. The educational level has also increased sharply. According to the website, “In 1990, for the first time, the share of people aged 18 to 24 with 12 or more years of schooling was slightly higher in Appalachia (77 percent) than in the U.S. (76 percent).” I found it amazing that ARC and the Appalachian people in general could make such a gain in just twenty-five years. There are still problems, however, that need to be fixed. For instance, the per capita income in Appalachia compared to the national average has begun to slip since 1999. Also, the unemployment rate is still slightly higher than the national average. Also, the percent population increase in Appalachia is several points lower than in the rest of the nation. Because much of this information, I think that once the 2010 census is complete, Appalachia might be equal or greater in some of these areas than the United States.
The last part of the site that I looked at was titled the Highway Program. This is ARC’s main project, and is most likely the reason for the gains that have been made in the region. According to the website, PARC reported in 1964 to Congress that economic growth would not be possible until the isolation of Appalachia was overcome. Appalachia mostly only had narrow dirt two lane roads. The interstate system basically ignored the region, going around or through as efficiently as possible. After seeing some of the terrain in movies like Matewan, I can see why the road builders were hesitant to build large highways up and around the mountains. Not only would it have been incredibly difficult with the technology that existed in the 1960s, it would have also cost a ridiculous amount. In 1965, the Appalachian Development Highway System (ADHS) was approved. This was a plan for 3,090 miles of road. According to ARCs website, as of the end of fiscal year 2006, 2,645.1 miles had been completed or were under construction.
I think that this is a good idea and I think that it will work. Sixty-six miles of road per year for forty years is quite an accomplishment. I think that Appalachia’s recent economic growth is a direct result of this new road system. Hopefully the success will continue.
The first part of the site that I went to was about the history of the ARC. This organization is older than I first thought. President John F. Kennedy created ARC’s predecessor in 1963 called the President’s Appalachian Regional Commission (PARC). In the mid-1960s, the region was mired in deep poverty. According to the website one of three Appalachians lived in poverty and the per capita income was 23 percent lower than the national average. I guess it was a clear choice what region needed the most help.
The next part of the site that I went to was the economic overview. I felt that this section would provide an accurate measurement of the success of ARC. Between 1965 and 1990, the poverty rate in Appalachia was cut in half. The educational level has also increased sharply. According to the website, “In 1990, for the first time, the share of people aged 18 to 24 with 12 or more years of schooling was slightly higher in Appalachia (77 percent) than in the U.S. (76 percent).” I found it amazing that ARC and the Appalachian people in general could make such a gain in just twenty-five years. There are still problems, however, that need to be fixed. For instance, the per capita income in Appalachia compared to the national average has begun to slip since 1999. Also, the unemployment rate is still slightly higher than the national average. Also, the percent population increase in Appalachia is several points lower than in the rest of the nation. Because much of this information, I think that once the 2010 census is complete, Appalachia might be equal or greater in some of these areas than the United States.
The last part of the site that I looked at was titled the Highway Program. This is ARC’s main project, and is most likely the reason for the gains that have been made in the region. According to the website, PARC reported in 1964 to Congress that economic growth would not be possible until the isolation of Appalachia was overcome. Appalachia mostly only had narrow dirt two lane roads. The interstate system basically ignored the region, going around or through as efficiently as possible. After seeing some of the terrain in movies like Matewan, I can see why the road builders were hesitant to build large highways up and around the mountains. Not only would it have been incredibly difficult with the technology that existed in the 1960s, it would have also cost a ridiculous amount. In 1965, the Appalachian Development Highway System (ADHS) was approved. This was a plan for 3,090 miles of road. According to ARCs website, as of the end of fiscal year 2006, 2,645.1 miles had been completed or were under construction.
I think that this is a good idea and I think that it will work. Sixty-six miles of road per year for forty years is quite an accomplishment. I think that Appalachia’s recent economic growth is a direct result of this new road system. Hopefully the success will continue.
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