Hi all, we come to the end of a busy week settling in to our literature studies and now we have the grand-finalé today and tomorrow with this amazing conference “Addressing the Sacred” in which we have writers, artists, literary critics and theologians sharing their gifts and their experience with us. I hope as many of you as can will make it. You will not be sorry: it will amplify your understanding of the literature we are studying this semester, whether you are in 1^st, 2^nd or 3^rd year. Check the program, the speakers and the workshops. And remember that as a student you can come for FREE…. but remember there are rules!

I have a handful of Blog topics for you to think about over the weekend in readiness for your first Blog or Vlog by the end of next week (hope you have posted your URL into the required Google Doc – in LEO).

Topics for Australian Literature:

Creative: in the light of Ashley Crowther’s (Fly Away Peter) redefinition of the attitudes of  his grandfather and father, describe your own experience of a part of the landscape that you love (could be your own garden….). Let yourself see what attitudes colour your own experience of what you like and don’t like.

Critical:Take any one of the poems or prose passages from “The Mountain’s Own Meaning” and write or record a short exposition of what you understood and enjoyed about the passage.

 Remember your work is going to be seen/ heard by others so please check your work carefully for expression and punctuation before posting up.

Topics for Twentieth Century Literature

Creative: in the wake of you introduction to Hopkins (Gerard Manley) take a single line from any one of his poems and use this as the starting point for a poem of your own. If you can explore his way of using language by imitating some aspects of his style (alliteration, assonance, rhyme, consonance…)

Critical: produce a mini on-line digital resource kit for anyone wanting to study Hopkins in more depth. Provide links to articles, youtube videos etc….

Topics for Visionary Imagination.

 Creative/ Critical: Your topic is already set in the Flip Class Video. Adapt this topic in whatever way suits your creative or critical imagination.

In conclusion: this week is THE week for Wax Flowers (Eriostomon Australis) in the bush near where I live. I went on a late evening run yesterday and caught these awesome images of a swathe of Wax Flowers along the side of the track.