Today, we will be discussing The Secret Diaries of Anne Lister. Meeting on zoom, each student will share a passage that they highlighted, describe their reactions and observations, and perhaps offer some interpretations. After that, if a majority of the students were able to watch the film version (which is optional – it’s available to stream on Amazon Prime), we will hold a brief discussion comparing the experience of reading the diaries and that of watching a narrative film adaptation. Lastly, we will talk more informally about the idea of keeping a diary: Do any of you write a diary? What purposes does it serve for you? Do you use it to record personal experiences? Do you keep different types of diaries (reading journals, etc.)? Do you write in more than one language or make use of different mediums?
Once we have completed our discussion on the reading, I will hold an open forum to discuss what would be most useful to you in terms of writing assignments. I am interested in hearing any concerns or questions you have.
Homework:
- Read the excerpts from Najat El Hachmi’s The Foreign Daughter and Igiaba Scego’s Adua, found in the reader.
- Continue writing and revising your working thesis and 1-2 body paragraphs of your Analytical Essay 2.
Translating Women 