When Pocahontas was put out, with a Native American consultant with fake credentials, Disney decided to age up and sexualize the 10 year old girl to make the historically platonic if not paternal relationship into a romance with (the at-the-time not problematic) heart throb Mel Gibson. Let see what the Read more…
“Born in the U.S.A.” by Phoebe Schmitt “Born in the U.S.A.” by Bruce Springsteen is one of America’s most iconic songs played on the Fourth of July for a patriotic backdrop. However, the song is far from boasting patriotism. Springsteen was born on September 23, 1949, into a working-class family. Read more…
This week, we visit the stars above! We read The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell this episode of Required Reading. In a remarkable piece of Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Anthropology and Catholicism, the Sparrow is a story of triumphs and trials and it is all the more incredible for doing so. As we Read more…
“Born in the U.S.A” Song Analysis by Lauren Polli In 1984, famous songwriter, Bruce Springsteen, released “Born in the USA”. The song starts off on a negative note, opening with lines “Born down in a dead man’s town/The first kick I took was when I hit the ground.” Springsteen is Read more…
This is The American Experiment, a newsletter about forming a More Perfect Union. Subscribe now
This week we read the most recent piece of fiction yet! With the plot hinging on 9/11, we read Jonathan Foer’s Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. We cover this non-traditional narrative and get to the bottom of a key in a vase. We thank you for following us! In an effort to Read more…
This week on Required Reading, we learn the answer to life, the universe, and everything. We read The Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. Join us, won’t you? And don’t forget to bring a towel. If you want to read along with us, consider purchasing the book through Read more…
As we return, in triumph, to season three, we begin with an American Classic, and my vote for the greatest American Novel. We talk To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and shoot all the bluejays we want. Something new this year! First, we will be telling you about the Read more…
Hello! Time for something a bit more unsettling. Every term three, we cover a graphic novel where students in group pick and discuss. For the past two years, one of our most popular is My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf, a cartoonist who went to school with Jeffery Dahmer. Since the Read more…
After promising months ago, issues with hackers, and AP Exams, I have returned, battered, but not beaten with The Lord of the Rings – The Fellowship of the Ring: Book 2. Mike, Mike, and Robert are back with me as Gandalf and Boromir die and a Hobbit shows incredible bravery. I Read more…