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= = = Welcome to a Close Look at a Story =

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The current reading for discussion is Zora Neale Hurston's "Sweat," a short story written in the first half of the 20th century. The story's rich images and characters are ethnographic in their depiction of African American life in Florida. As a member of this reading group, you will work with other members to define parts of the story in order to make the whole story more accessible. Here's what you are to do:
 * Meet with your team members to assign tasks. Assign different people to perform different tasks on subsequent days. That way everyone will have some experience with each task. Or you may decide that every member should add some facts and/or discussion points to each page.
 * Set your reading schedule.
 * Be sure to sign your work. You may want to introduce your work for the day with a brief synopsis of your discoveries.
 * Read what others have written each day and respond to what they are saying. Be sure to include your name with your comment. You are expected to converse with each other on all the assignment pages--not just write your information for the day. Make these pages work for you in understanding the book.
 * Remember that I can join any conversation on your assigned wiki space at any time--and ask questions or see who is writing and who is not. Use this wiki to practice your academic thinking and writing.

= Things to think about = = These pages are meant for you to practice thinking and writing about literature. Use them to hone your writing skills and your thinking skills. Use them to try out ideas and to try out new ways of thinking in writing. Most of all, enjoy the time you spend exploring a text and having a conversation about it with folks in your class. = = =