I read the first 8 (or 9?) stories from the ELF online version, mostly because I didn't want to buy another textbook when I'm in the midst of packing my room up to move out.  I'd known the premise of the book, but I had never heard any of the individual tales.

I was surprised at how short some of the stories are.  Given the premise, I was expecting to hear longer stories, so that she was only telling one story at a time.  Instead, I was surprised to find out that she was telling many stories within the context of a much longer story, and we ourselves are reading both of those within a much longer, better known story.

For Thursday's assignment I chose to read The Story of the Envious Wezir and the Prince and the Ghuleh, The Story of the Husband and the Parrot, and the Story of the Porter and the Ladies of Baghdad, and the of Three Royal Mendicants, Etc. All of these were from the Harvard Online Collection.

I read The Story of the Humpback,  The Story of the Fisherman, and  The Story of the Husband and the Parrot. I don't know if it because the book itself has a universal theme but each of the selection I chose seemed to have a similar moral to tell. I really enjoyed all three but I recommend  The Story of the Humpback because although it is the longest and saddest one, it is also the most thought provoking.

As a follow-up to  jrlewis's description of closely related literary kinds--and an invitation to get you to think about the "connections" between your own "cloister" and the world portrayed in Satrapi's autographics...

...here's a rail map that shows how you can get from Oslo to Pyongyang “without changing trains.”

Just read Tales 1-6 of Arabian Nights via the Electronic Literature Foundation, interpreted by Andrew lang and Sir Richard Burton.  The overlapping of the tales (tales within tales within tales!) was very interesting. Excited to discuss this in class!

For our reading of A Thousand and One Arabian Nights I used the Lang interpretations on the "ELF Presents The Arabian Nights" website. I read the Prelude (1), the Story of the Three Calenders, Sons of Kings, & Five Ladies of Bagdad (10), the Story of the First Calender, Son of a King (11), the Story of the Second Calender, Son of a King (12), the Story of the Envious Man and of Him Who Was Envied (13), and the Story of a Third Calender, Song of a King (14) ... all of repeated to some degree the lesson that you shouldn't stick your nose where it doesn't belong.

I found myself identifying with Satrapi's character more so when I was watching the movie then when i read the graphic novel. Perhaps this s due to the fact that watching the movie mad the more haunting aspects of the movie more real to me, than in the novel. I really enjoyed watching the movie, because I was able to "put a face with the name"-I was able to see more clearly and vividly what I had read in the novel. Unlike other members of the class, I do not think that this was due to the soundtrack-perhaps this had a subconscious effect but I didn't really think it impacted my perceptions of the movie. Moreover, i do not think the movie "cheapened" the effect for me.

TOPIC: Connecting Science Past with Science Future
SUGGESTED READING: "NSTA 2010"
Snacks will be served in Campus Center 200 from 2:30-4pm.