Welcome to Flight 008! This flight is the first to have the complete package for the upcoming four weeks.
You can download the complete Flight 008 here (zip-file in Dropbox):
Flight 008
Study Guide 009: note taking
Study Guide 010: study groups
4 OWL assignments
Advanced Grammar 003: relative clauses
Idioms 003: body parts
Phrasal Verb 003: MAKE
Word Formation 003: Vary
Listening - 5-minutes On “AI’s next top model”
Listening - 5-minutes On “Sounds Keep Me Prisoner”
Speaking - Cooperation 003: city life
Speaking - Individual Long Turn 003: taking a break
Speaking - Pronunciation 003: /f/ and /v/
Speaking - Presentations 003: body language
Reading
Publishing Flights monthly now will have me more books finished, especially during the summer break. The best novel I read these four weeks most definitely was Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (see below as Novel of the Month).
My other great read was The Socratic Method by Ward Farnsworth. Not too heavy on the philosophical text side, this book lays the the unwritten rules of the Socratic method.
Other books I read were Three Dads Walking about three fathers who lost their daughters to suicide and did a charity hike. A modest but heartbreaking read. The Paradox of Choice was not a surprising read but one of those books that are helpful to put known ideas into proper words.
I also read a Dutch book on AI in education (Chatten met Napoleon) to find material for a study guide on AI in the learning process. It wasn’t a very good read but helped in getting my own (reactionary) ideas on AI in education.
Life and Times of Michael K was a re-read for me. I read this novel about two decades ago for a Coetzee course at university. Michael K is not a hero, he is not an anti-hero, he is not even participating in the competition. Life & Times of Michael K is about not participating, not conforming to social conventions of gratitude and communication. Michael is as silent as the rocks in nature, not nourishable, obedient when pushed, but impenetrable. He is at his best when left alone. Coetzee's novels are short but the plot is high-paced and mired in symbolism (camps, rocks, water, insects, soap, pumpkin [seeds]). He focuses on what needs to be said with the struggles of South-Africa in the background, creating a network of symbols and symbolic meaning.
Finally, I finished Seed to Dust by Mark Hamer. I am not sure where Hamer wanted to go with this book. I usually appreciate books because of their storytelling, their sagacity, or their beauty. Seed to Dust does not really fit into one of these categories. Though at times the sun sneaks its way through the tree's foliage, it mainly stays in the shadows.
Yes, the book does slow you down; helps you reflect and puts life in perspective, the hubbub in the background. It is somewhat about the garden, somewhat about social interactions, somewhat about (a) life, somewhat about nature. It was ok, and maybe it is good to read something that is ok from time to time, to keep you grounded.
Video
This month the Booker season has started as the long list has been announced.I usually wait for some more reviews before spending time on them. Booker novels are often hit and miss.
And the monthly book news by Ben Reads Good can’t be missed each month.
Novel of the Month
The Novel of the Month is a novel have just read this summer break. I finished it in one day and it was well worth the time. It is fantasy, it is a puzzle, it is uncurling truth. It is world of which you only get a glimpse but want to revisit again and again.
Piranesi is a mesmerizing novel about a man named Piranesi who lives in a vast, labyrinthine house filled with statues. He explores and maps the house, content in his solitude, until he begins to uncover secrets that threaten his understanding of reality. A thought-provoking exploration of identity, imagination, and the power of belief.
Author: Susanna Clarke
Year of publication: 2020
Pages: 272
CEFR: B2
Plot Complexity: moderate
Language Complexity: moderate
Ideas Complexity: moderate
You can find more novel ideas at www.rookreading.com.
Poem of the Month
This month's poem, “The Song of Powers” by David Mason. is based on the children's game of rock, paper, scissors. The layering in this poem is in the symbolism of the rock, the paper and the scissors (you can find an analysis here: https://poemanalysis.com/david-mason/song-of-the-powers/).
The thing I like about this poem, though being a pessimistic one, is the rhythm in the lines, and the idea that if you seek a fight, you will end up alone. Therefore, any struggle in the world is bound to create loneliness. This is enforced by the use of the word "Mine" which starts many lines. Focusing on what you want, not how to resolve a problem together, might make you win, but you will end up alone. Perhaps that message is the silver lining of this poem
Song of the Powers
by David Mason
Mine, said the stone,
mine is the hour.
I crush the scissors,
such is my power.
Stronger than wishes,
my power, alone.
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