Source: The Burning Plain
Role: a well-written book
Contact: Michael Nava, SF novelists
Notes: another protagonist, Henry Rios, who is literate, makes literary reference throughout the novel, specifically to Dante, Emily Dickenson, and others. I think the title of the novel also refers to Dante's Inferno. The protag. is also a gay, Mexican, LA lawyer, how much more contemporary California is that! The plot involves the LAPD and the Hollywood studio system, and makes many pop culture references w/o being self-conscience. The the first 1/3 of the book involves some mild gay sex scenes, but the on the last 10 pages a young, gay boy is brutally raped. I could not teach this book because of that.
Action: I read the whole novel in two, obsessed days and nights!
Leads: I'd still like to read one more of Nava's books to see if there may be less sex, more suitable to an academic analysis.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
My own musings thus far
I need a theme, something that connects the literature and is unique. Rawls suggests the dreams, fulfilled, unfilled, reviled, and lost. What do I think about Ca in general and how does this relate to mysteries?
California: land of exaggerated opportunity, the golden state from the gold rush era, where thousands came but few found fortune while most found nothing; the golden state because of the sunny weather, temperate climate, and abundant produce but also a place where migrant farm workers like the Joad family struggled to survive; the land of Hollywood dreams, budding actors come to seek their fame and fortune, but again few succeed; the land of vineyards, wine, and romance; the land of potheads and the "emerald triangle" , the land of the robber-barons, railroad magnates, and destroyers of the land; home of free-speech and protest in Berkeley; welcoming home to the gay population when they where outcasts elsewhere in the nation. Hmmm. Ca the state of outcasts and outlandish dreams. There might be something there.
Berkeley. SF, wine country, LA, Emerald Triangle (Humboldt), Gold Country, Gay haven, Mexican Connection, noir, Hollywood, earthquakes, Asian influence, Chinatowns. What am I missing?
I'm getting closer to a theme, I think.
California: land of exaggerated opportunity, the golden state from the gold rush era, where thousands came but few found fortune while most found nothing; the golden state because of the sunny weather, temperate climate, and abundant produce but also a place where migrant farm workers like the Joad family struggled to survive; the land of Hollywood dreams, budding actors come to seek their fame and fortune, but again few succeed; the land of vineyards, wine, and romance; the land of potheads and the "emerald triangle" , the land of the robber-barons, railroad magnates, and destroyers of the land; home of free-speech and protest in Berkeley; welcoming home to the gay population when they where outcasts elsewhere in the nation. Hmmm. Ca the state of outcasts and outlandish dreams. There might be something there.
Berkeley. SF, wine country, LA, Emerald Triangle (Humboldt), Gold Country, Gay haven, Mexican Connection, noir, Hollywood, earthquakes, Asian influence, Chinatowns. What am I missing?
I'm getting closer to a theme, I think.
Susan Dunlap - Vejay Haskell
Source: interview w/susan dunlap
role: na
contact: http://www.interbridge.com/dunlap.html
Notes: Haskell plot summaries
Action: read summaries, a good resource later
Leads: none at this time
role: na
contact: http://www.interbridge.com/dunlap.html
Notes: Haskell plot summaries
Action: read summaries, a good resource later
Leads: none at this time
Stealing from students, Kirsten Ashby
Source/Name/Place: Kirsten Ashby
Role: former student, UCB ext. mystery novel class
contact: msg. board
Notes: did google search on Lara Roberts, didn't find much
Action:
New Leads: nothing now
Role: former student, UCB ext. mystery novel class
contact: msg. board
Notes: did google search on Lara Roberts, didn't find much
Action:
New Leads: nothing now
Stealing from Students, Antonia Fannin
Source: Antonia Fannin
Role of Person: student mystery novel class
Contact: msg. board
Notes: another lead to dark writers and personalities: Eddie Muller, a SF author and personality
Action: read Muller's website
New Leads:
Role of Person: student mystery novel class
Contact: msg. board
Notes: another lead to dark writers and personalities: Eddie Muller, a SF author and personality
Action: read Muller's website
New Leads:
Stealing from other Students, Nancy Zink
Source/Name/Place: Nancy Zink
Role of Person: former student, mystery novel class (also former supervisor at DVC)
Contact: ucb ext. myster novel course msg. board/also at dvc email
Notes: Zink's project was a dossier of Berkeley crime via author Susan Dunlap
Acton I contacted Nancy, since I know her, via email about her project on Dunap and asked her suggestion for my own course.
New Leads: Susan Dunlap (author), protagonist = Jill Smith. I'm also curious about Veejay Haskell as one of Dunlap's progat. as Haskell is my former last name and some of the titles of these books are intriguing: Slugfest... Dunlap writes w/Berkeley as the setting, more importantly with themes of social activism, "championing the little guy" and a socially conscious radial lawyer. The epitome of Berkeley, CA.
Role of Person: former student, mystery novel class (also former supervisor at DVC)
Contact: ucb ext. myster novel course msg. board/also at dvc email
Notes: Zink's project was a dossier of Berkeley crime via author Susan Dunlap
Acton I contacted Nancy, since I know her, via email about her project on Dunap and asked her suggestion for my own course.
New Leads: Susan Dunlap (author), protagonist = Jill Smith. I'm also curious about Veejay Haskell as one of Dunlap's progat. as Haskell is my former last name and some of the titles of these books are intriguing: Slugfest... Dunlap writes w/Berkeley as the setting, more importantly with themes of social activism, "championing the little guy" and a socially conscious radial lawyer. The epitome of Berkeley, CA.
Starting the Search
Date:
Source: Name/Place
Role of Person or Medium:
Contact or Biblio Data:
Notes:
Action:
New Leads:
Source: Name/Place
Role of Person or Medium:
Contact or Biblio Data:
Notes:
Action:
New Leads:
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Response from Mary Ann Koory
Source: Mary Ann Koory
Role: UCB prof, Mystery Novel course
Contact: private
Notes: Received enthusiastic response from MAK to try out this new medium.
Action: I'll continue to write in the log-blog and hope she can access
Role: UCB prof, Mystery Novel course
Contact: private
Notes: Received enthusiastic response from MAK to try out this new medium.
Action: I'll continue to write in the log-blog and hope she can access
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Investigative Log
Source Name/Place: Diane, SF Mystery Bookstore, 4175 24th St., SF
Role of Person: Owner
Contact: http://www.sfmysterybooks.com, 415-282-7444
Notes: store crammed full of mysteries, organized by sub-genres, countries, states
Action: Interviewed Diane, who suggested several possible titles to include in the Ca mys. novel course
New Leads: The Lost Gold of San Francisco by Michael Castleman, The Little Dog Laughed byJoseph Hansen, The Big Hello and the Long Goodbye by Peter Gessner (a local author), The Burning Plain by Michael Nava
Role of Person: Owner
Contact: http://www.sfmysterybooks.com, 415-282-7444
Notes: store crammed full of mysteries, organized by sub-genres, countries, states
Action: Interviewed Diane, who suggested several possible titles to include in the Ca mys. novel course
New Leads: The Lost Gold of San Francisco by Michael Castleman, The Little Dog Laughed byJoseph Hansen, The Big Hello and the Long Goodbye by Peter Gessner (a local author), The Burning Plain by Michael Nava
Friday, October 5, 2007
Investigative Llog
Lead: Mary Ann Koory
Role of Person: Professor, Mystery Novel course, UCB
Contact Info: Not sure if I should publish this infor
Notes: Wrote to MAK asking permission to use a blog instead of the Investigative Log that she provided for our research project.
Action: awaiting her response
Role of Person: Professor, Mystery Novel course, UCB
Contact Info: Not sure if I should publish this infor
Notes: Wrote to MAK asking permission to use a blog instead of the Investigative Log that she provided for our research project.
Action: awaiting her response
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Discovered Blogs
Taking an online teaching and learning course at CSUEB, I discovered blogs. Our instructor gives students the option to blog journal entries. Now I'd like to try for my Mystery Novel class at UCB Ext.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)