For the final weeks of this class, we've given you a couple of options. You should do what makes sense for you, and please let us know if there is anything we can do to support you during these final weeks of the semester.

This week will be a bit of a hodge-podge of activities. We'll be turning in starting this week (and finishing next week) to each others' radio shows at night. We'll be reviewing and sharing the work of others that has inspired us most, so far. And we'll be delving even further into our characters.

For the second week of class we’ll be diving right into creating. This week will be a combination of reading and writing, because as Burtis always says, “If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.” You’ll be choosing some examples of noir across a number of genres to read, i.e. novellas, film scripts, radio scripts, and short stories. We want to be upfront about one thing: these texts are not always easy to read (and we’re not talking about comprehension). Works like Ernest Hemingway’s “The Killers” and James M. Caine’s “The Postman Always RIngs Twice” are products of the times in which they were written (the 1920s and 30s respectively), and the language and attitudes can be racist, sexist, and xenophobic. You may feel uncomfortable with some of the language and ideas, and we encourage an open dialog about this aspect of noir and our reactions to it. It shouldn’t need to be said (but we will say it): our own work in this genre needs to be situated in OUR time -- when we have a better understanding of why these attitudes are inappropriate and outdated. You'll also be beginning to customize your blog and make it your own.