Class #3 postgame

I'm posting this ahead of time in case I forget... the reading assignment for Monday is the entire Brecht Antigone (1-64), and Ch. 21-22 of the Course Guide ("Public Writing" & "Counterarguments"). Kickoff is Yen for Brecht and Rosa for the lecture. Oh, and don't forget to post your keywords... I've done some research into the original Greek for you in the comments below, and some of it turns out to be pretty interesting. I also went back and commented on your earlier posts... I would have done this last week, but it was a kaka week for me, as the Greeks would say.

But there's more... you should also read and familiarize yourself with the Paper #7 prompt, and you should do the new Discovery Task by Tuesday night (post to EEE dropbox).

Note on Discovery Task: the instructions say you that your instructor will assign you a certain article. I want each of you to find your own article by Sunday night on JSTOR... you can email me the titles or the links. Try some different search terms in addition to Sophocles and Antigone, like "burial" or "Hegel," or perhaps your keyword. I'll read them and choose the best one, then tell you about it on Monday. Then you can all read that one and do the D.T. worksheet questions about it for Tuesday night (submit to EEE dropbox).

Note on photo: that's not my uncle's grave... his headstone isn't finished yet. It's my grandparents'. Notice the rocks on top of the headstone... I'm not sure if this is just a Jewish custom or if other people do it, but whenever we visit the cemetery we put rocks on top of the headstones. I'm not sure why either... I'll look it up later this weekend. That's my wife and the little kids are my uncle's grandkids... first cousins once removed (?)

Follow-up... the rocks go on the gravestone as a marker of the visit, which won't blow away and lasts longer than, like, flowers. Here's some other details... we use the back of the shovel to shovel dirt into the grave once the casket is placed in, to show regret. We're supposed to wash our hands before entering the house after the funeral. Pregnant women aren't supposed to attend, but on the flipside you're supposed to eat eggs to encourage new life (?). Cover the mirrors. No wearing leather (because it requires another death?). Those last few my family doesn't really do. Oh, but you also have to tear a garment of your clothing... my dad taught me how to sneak away to the bathroom immediately after a funeral so the rabbi didn't cut our ties off. And you sit on boxes. Not joking... I think traditionally they were wooden boxes but now it's cardboard (I think you're suffering discomfort to show solidarity); if you're really religious you're supposed to sit on the box all day for like two days. And finally, the most important funereal tradition in any Jewish family from New York, going to the very first baseball game at the new Yankee Stadium. OK that isn't a tradition, just a consequence of my niece being sick and my sister having an extra ticket. I like to think Zeus rewarded me for breaking my loyalties as an employee of the State of California to go the funeral.

Oh, and yes. I did in fact where that same suit for 48 hours straight.