#English literature in High School

[capricorn-0mnikorn]

hello! I'm asking around to a bunch of people to try an find book recommendations and was wondering if you had any. my mom is a high school English teacher and next year is going to be teaching a literature class about cultural conceptions of physical and mental deviance throughout cultures and time focusing on queer and disabled voices, but she doesn't have enough material to teach yet. initially I was like oh! I'm queer and disabled and know a lot about this topic maybe I could give some book recommendations. then I realized that I can't really read books and so I do not in fact have any recommendations (especially not any that would be appropriate to teach to high schoolers) but I was hoping you might. it doesn't have to be just books or fiction either; short stories, poetry, historical context/analysis, biographies, etc would all be greatly appreciated also. ideally things written by queer and/or disabled people. thank you so much for any recommendations you may have (and if not don't worry about it) (⁠✿^⁠‿⁠^⁠)ﾉ

Well, my first thought was this website: Disability in Kidlit, which has reviews of books with disabled characters. Some of it is for kids younger than Y.A.. And it looks like the most recent activity is from 2017. But it's a place to start.

My second thought was the anthology Defying Doomsday, edited by Tsana Dolichva and Holly Kench, a collection of stories of disabled protagonists surviving the apocalypse. The paperback was published in 2016. And when I looked that up, I saw there was a sequel anthology published in 2020, also edited by Tsana Dolichva: Rebuilding Tomorrow.

If she's able / allowed to show YouTube videos in her class, for discussion and analysis, I recommend Jessica Kellgren-Fozard, who is a multiply disabled queer woman who has several curated playlists on Queer History and Disabled people in History.

I'm also posting this as a signal boost, to see if anyone has more suggestions.

[thedungeonbat]

Printed out my essay. So excited to hand it in, I just love Shakespeare!! :)

[marzipane]

Suddenly remembered that time in Freshman year of HS where my English class was reading The Odyssey and we got to the part where Odysseus was basically trapped by Circe and the teacher was framing it like Odysseus was cheating on his wife and the whole class objected arguing that he did not truly consent therefore it was rape therefore it shouldn’t count as cheating. A rare W from a bunch of 14-15 year olds.

[incorrectsmashbrosquotes]

Something I'm trying to do is re-read all the books I was forced to read for High School English and hated them because they were homework. It's been fascinating to re-read them and find that I'm enjoying them now that a teacher isn't forcing me to.

So, help me choose my next one.

[the-sanest-person-here]

its that time of the year when teachers give us a shit-ton of work and expect us to laugh at their jokes for extra credit. no wonder teen suicide rates are so high in the winter months!!!

[peppermintsandbones5]

For 12th grade AP literature my friend @theres-rue-for-you and I had to do a project on Hamlet, and being theater kids, we naturally chose to film a scene. After careful deliberation we chose the part of act one scene five where the ghost of Hamlet senior tells Hamlet of his murder and how he should go about avenging him. I played the ghost and friend played Hamlet. We planned to film one day after school in the auditorium on the stage. But then of course came the discussion of costumes. We didn’t want to write a modern version of the scene, so most of our own adaptation would come from the acting and the costumes, so they had to be good. Hamlet would have to be in all black to show he’s in mourning, so my friend decided to wear a black band t-shirt to show his emo-ness as well, and I gave her one of my dainty floral tiaras to borrow to show his royalty. Then to show the ghost, we decided on the classic Charlie Brown sheet ghost, using floral sheets, and went with no tiara to show how the crown had been stolen from him. We looked ridiculous and acted it completely seriously. We got a 100, and I think it was one of our best performances to date.

[poetrysweetashoney]

This was my first poem.

[ghostboymichael]

hm. well. m*cbeth

[atorturedpoetsquill]

'So High School' by Taylor Swift

This song is so pretty, I am going to cry.🥹

The opening drums with the synthy melody sound like the start of a 2000 rom-com movie. It creates a fast-paced, sweet sixteen kind of feeling, like falling in love, the excitement, the rush! oh my GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ALL THE CRINKLING, TWINKLING HAS ME KICKING MY FEET IN THE AIR. I AM SINKING!!!

And all the 2000 rom-com references. American Pie, Marry, Kiss or Kill me, Truth Dare spin bottles, touch me while your bros play grand theft auto. And THE BRIDGE, oh the bridge...I could die on that bridge.

The hooks and melody are SO cute and sweet, and pretty. Her voice is like something out of a fairy tale, and I can just imagine her smiling while recording this. It is so dreamy and giggly.

"Your friends are around, so be quiet

I'm tryin' to stifle my sighs"

Oh, to be a 30-year-old, experiencing a love that feels so high school!🥹❤️✨

[aq2003]

Dropping in to say I watched the 2011 Much Ado About Nothing and I’m a changed person. New piece of favorite media unlocked. I’m gonna be insufferable about it to my friends. I loved the 2019 version clips you posted and I’m definitely going to try and find a full version of that as well. Also want to read Hamlet bc everything I read about it sounds insane. I liked Shakespeare as a kid until high school english made me absolutely hate it, so thanks for helping me get back into it lol.

YESSSSSSSSSSS 2011 MUCH ADO MY BELOVEDDDDDDDDDDDDD!!! also you can watch the 2019 version here on archive.org (absolutely fantastic benedick/beatrice and also my favorite rendition of hero!)

[theletterboxstuff]

Currently going through nostalgia and grief for the gifted high achiever kid I used to be

[stardust-and-abandoned-dreams]

Study: 21/09/2024

- Chemistry homework: reviewing last year’s nomenclature and naming new types of molecules we’re learning this year

- English homework: Read Chapter 5 of Atonement and answer questions

- Maths practice paper: Completed and marked!

Remember: the effort you put into your study session matters more than the time it takes to complete it! 📚

[thedungeonbat]

can’t believe I picked up 4 of Shakespeare’s works for a total of 4,50$. so excited to read them🪐

[mhb-oficial]

🇺🇸 True terror is to wake up one morning and discover that your high school class is running the country.

- Kurt Vonnegut

[kainthebard]

Seat mates

Seat mate or ceased fate?

Once you really known

but you don't really own.

November mornings, same seats

You acted like my own joker

More than 110, my heart beats

Your hands playful as a poker

Seat mate of bleed dates

Feeling really had grown

Smiling make up frown.

No more same seats at school,

but still thinks you are really cool.

You often whispers, I always hear

"We are friends " loops in my ear.

Hands shakes,I'll never hate

Bye my once favourite home

or a name written in my bone.

On someone shoulder, laid your head

this lovey-dovey view killing me dead.

Although all is perfect,something lack

but all I can do is staring at your back.

[ego-sum-ex-altiora]

Writing The Crucible fanfiction for one of my friends as a birthday present. Dropping the link soon for anyone interested (the target audience being people forced to study it at school).