The focus of the Grade 11 AP course is understanding, analyzing, and writing non-fiction prose, and engaging with ideas to develop and support your own arguments. The required summer reading for Grade 11 AP English Language includes one entertaining book on writing well, one fascinating central work of non-fiction, and several selections from newspapers / magazines. Optional reading includes suggested novels related to our visiting author and other subjects.
On writing: Sin and Syntax: How to Craft Wickedly Effective Prose by Constance Hale (2001)
What makes good writing work? Constance Hale has crafted an energetic, irreverent look at the nuts and bolts of language. Our course will begin with close examinations of exemplary writings, figuring out what makes them tick, and learning to use the tricks of the trade in your own work. No writing is required as you read this book, but you should quickly mark pages (e.g. with post-its) that give you surprising or “aha!” moments – these moments will provide a foundation for our discussions at the beginning of the year.
Core non-fiction: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot (2010)
Who is HeLa? This book tells the story of an American woman who died in the early 1950s, but whose cells have lived on in the billions, making possible key scientific experiments and medical advances. Expect to find material that will provoke your thinking about medical and scientific ethics, legal issues, social class, and race. The book, extensively researched, is non-fiction, but will show you a number of ways in which scientific journalism can be informed by some of the techniques of fiction.
Non-fiction periodical reading
It is important for this course that you read widely and continuously about current events, local, national and international issues, topics of interest in other fields (science, economics, psychology, etc.) – your own interests should guide your reading.
Over the summer, you should read from a variety of reputable sources (see below) and clip / collect five substantial items from those sources. They should be opinion pieces, not news stories or informational articles. They may be taken from print or online sources, but you should use at least three different publications. One of the items you select should relate to an issue raised by the Afterword in Skloot’s book (315-328).
You may then wish to (a) further pursue an issue that was raised by the Skloot book; (b) select as a focus a contemporary concern that meshes with your other 2012-2013 courses—be that Biology, Geography, World Issues, Law, Economics etc.; (c) read opinions about several current issues that interest you.
Keep your articles together in a folder (physical or on your computer). I will be asking you to bring them to class in the first few weeks to do some writing about your selections.
Examples of suggested newspapers/magazines:
The Globe and Mail (Canadian newspaper) The National Post (Canadian newspaper)
The New York Times (US newspaper) The Washington Post (US newspaper)
The Times of London (UK newspaper) The Guardian (UK newspaper)
Maclean’s (Canadian news magazine) The Economist (UK news magazine)
Time (US news magazine) Newsweek (US news magazine)
The New Republic (US political magazine) National Review (US political magazine)
The New Yorker (US ideas magazine) The Atlantic (US ideas magazine) or Atlantic Online
Harper’s (US ideas magazine) Mother Jones (US ideas magazine)
The Walrus (Canadian ideas magazine) This (Canadian ideas magazine)
Salon.com (online ideas magazine) Slate.com (online ideas magazine)
Guernica (online magazine on politics and art)
Arts and Letters Daily (an online compilation of items from around the English-speaking world)
Examples of newspapers/magazines that are not recommended:
The Toronto Sun (newspaper) USA Today (newspaper)
fashion, lifestyle, or popular culture/entertainment magazines
And, finally
Pre-reading of other course texts is NOT required. Books may be bought yourself or ordered through the Canadian School Book Exchange. Check its site for the recommended editions (the listed edition of Antigone is the required one).
I strongly recommend you read independently as much as possible over the summer, for pleasure and to expand your boundaries. Here are some suggestions:
Every year, we have the good fortune to hear a Canadian author read from and/or discuss his or her works. The author for the upcoming year is Joseph Boyden. We will be studying some of his stories in our class, but you may also be interested in independently reading one or both of his novels: Three Day Road and Through Black Spruce. Other Native Canadian and American authors you might enjoy include Thomas King, Eden Robinson, Lee Maracle, Sherman Alexie, Leslie Marmon Silko, and Louise Erdrich. This reading is optional.
If you would like more suggestions for summer reading, here are some books that are not required but that focus on issues and ideas in our course and elsewhere. Check them out online or by browsing at a bookstore to see what interests you.
Animal Farm by George Orwell (might interest those taking World History)
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig (might interest those taking Philosophy)
Intuition by Allegra Goodman (might interest those taking Law or Biology)
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess (might interest those taking Philosophy or Anthro/Psych/Sociology)
A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews (might interest those looking for a contemporary Canadian female author)
Mudbound by Hillary Jordan (helpful for Henrietta Lacks; might interest those taking American History)
The Lady of Burma by Richard Shannon (a play about Aung San Suu Kyi; might interest those taking World Issues)
If you have the opportunity to attend the theatre in the summer, any of the following plays would be good enrichment experiences:
• At The Stratford Festival: Elektra, Henry V, The War of 1812
• At The Shaw Festival: Hedda Gabler, Present Laughter
• At The Young Centre for the Performing Arts (Distillery District): Speed-The-Plow, The Crucible, Death of a Salesman