And Audrey Was Her Name

No. Not, until I know how to read. And not just to read for entertainment or because I have time to waste.

I love to read. Do I know how to read, properly?

When I was little, I remember how I loved to read. Filling up my borrower’s card at the school library is, to me, like a sport. Studying at an Elementary private school provided books but only very few copies were available. There weren’t many chances of reading in the school curriculum. There were literary passages or short stories within the textbook that the class would discuss but it ended there.

In high school, we read 3 major publications in Philippine history. In the 2nd year of high school, we read The Florante at Laura. It is the Philippines' answer to Romeo and Juliet. I don’t remember anything about the book, sad to say. I only remember feeling fearful of being called to class to discuss anything related to the book. It was in Filipino which I find difficult to understand. I blame the “English Only Policy” Elementary school where I studied and a “Bisaya Only” speaking household.

In my 3rd year, we read “Noli Me Tangere” by Jose Rizal. It is an important book but also published in Filipino at my time. The way it was taught in class, we had to create scripts and stage a dramatization of the book. FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR. Forth year, we read the follow-up book which is “El Filibusterismo” by the same author. AGAIN, FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR. You would think that a year of studying a text is enough. Oh, no. When I am not in the scene that day, my mind goes elsewhere.

Yes, I am to blame. I cannot remember the details of these books. I am not one to remember details at all. I plan to reread these last 2 books as soon as I find better copies and out of this reading slump.

I love to read. Do I know how to read, properly? I know I like to write. What I cannot say, I write down. Even my writing is as terrible as what’s in my head. Most of the time, it does not make sense. Have you realized that?

I decided to never fully edit my work as it reflects my true voice.

I don’t care about rewriting or editing my work because my grammar is just as bad. I decided to never fully edit my work as it reflects my true voice. If you don’t practice writing, you end up forgetting the skill. It’s been years since I can write in more than 150 words. They say writing prompts help. Find one topic to write about. Anything under the sun, right? Sometimes I find writing prompts a hassle to even think about where I stand in things and, so I stop. Is it a lack of motivation, then? Too many questions I have no care in finding answers.

Okay, the ramblings end here. Until my next post.

No comments

I am slowly getting back to hoarding books again. Books should always be a good thing but not when you buy one just to get a new one with zero regard to storyline or costs. In my case, I keep buying books on sale only to be disappointed later on. There's a reason that some books cost less. I also refuse to buy hyped books because it's not fair to well-written books that are not recommended on social media often enough.

I have also wanted to get a new Kindle. The one that was handed down to me was lost somewhere. Trust Shopee, an online shopping platform, to lure you into buying things that you don't actually really need but is a great platform for all the wants in the world. I decided to get the Kindle 2022 e-Reader 11th Edition because of its price tag. It was also sold by a reputable online store and I was also able to score some discount. The Kindle is so tiny! It is the size of a pocketbook! Good thing you can adjust the text size of the ebook. Book recommendation anyone? Comment below.

I am also trying to get back to writing book reviews. I also want to be able to write about books well like how it was taught in schools. To be honest, there was little chance to write book reviews in Highschool although the task was to read passages and write about them. But, not about books. Books are such a luxury!

I want to learn, write, and be able to:

the prose fiction analysis
analyze how the author uses literary elements and techniques to develop a complex characterization
the literary argument question
select a work of fiction in which a character responds to a hierarchy in a significant way
analyze the character’s response to the hierarchy and how that response contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole, and
write a well-written response based on that analysis
understanding of the literary elements and techniques associated with prose fiction
to demonstrate choice, comprehension, and ability to develop and support a claim

..and more importantly, to NOT just write about the summary of the story!

No comments

Advanced Placement, or AP, courses are courses offered in US and Canadian high schools that allow them to study subjects at a college level and in turn, will enable them to earn college advance credits.

One of the AP subjects offered in high school is AP Literature and Composition. In this course, you read fiction, poetry, and dramatic plays. You will learn to evaluate and analyze and write essays on your analysis. By the end of the course, you will discover close reading, interpret the meaning of the text, learn the author's techniques and the effects, and then write an essay on your interpretation and analysis.

Here are common books that are frequently cited in AP Literature exams from 1970 to 2014, PDF link here. The source is not mine and was generated online from one of the US public schools offering the course. The books listed are not complete and some schools also recommend books that are not on the list. Student bloggers who have undergone the study of AP Literature have recommended reading as much literature as you can. Before the end of the school year, the students will be tested and the most common part of the test is the free open-ended question, a prompt, where you will write in paragraphs to present your ideas.

In the Philippines, we don't have AP courses. In fact, throughout high school, the reading of foreign literature was never part of the curriculum. The only books we tackle are the books written by Filipino authors and there aren't that many Filipino classic writers. The only books we've ever read in high school are Noli Me Tangere, El Filibusterismo, and Florante at Laura. Books are still considered a luxury to be had in the Philippines.

So, I've tried through the list presented by one US school and found out how many of the books there I have, started reading, heard about it, and want to read them.

Read books: