The details:

Song reflections are thoughtful and clear. Each one discusses not only the song itself but how the song reflects (or doesn’t) the hero stage with which it has been associated.

The voice of the song reflection is distinctively the author’s own; it is clear and authentic. The language is natural and fluid and represents the author’s genuine phrasing and tone.

In the song reflection, the author references specific lines from the lyrics and/or knowledge about the context from which the song comes to support his/her basic claims.

If the song reflection comes late in the discussion, the author still attempts to say something new/meaningful to enhance the discussion with his/her post. He/She doesn’t simply chime in with nothing further to add.

When relevant, the author references previous comments on the song, interacting with or expanding upon those earlier comments.

While the language of each song reflection is meant to be casual and authentically the author’s own, there should be few (if any) surface errors in spelling, punctuation, grammar or format in each comment.

Each song reflection is posted ON TIME, and there is no extraneous code or problem seeing the post.

The details:

The topic and theme(s) selected for the essay are significant; the topic has enough relevance and depth such that the author has substantial elements to research and synthesize.

The point-of-view is from sufficient distance that the emotional impact and greater significance of the author’s experiences have the benefit of reflection and insight.

The voice of the piece is clear and authentic. The language is natural and fluid and represents the author’s genuine phrasing and tone. The reader’s interest is engaged and sustained throughout the piece.

The specific/concrete details used to illustrate key ideas in the essay read authentically and logically. They are synthesized with the research such that the essay flows smoothly.

There are no wasted words throughout the essay; every sentence is essential to the development of the logic and no phrasing is generic or vague.

The overall flow of the piece is fluid and logical. The author’s paragraphing and organization aid the reader’s understanding of the essay’s main point/theme(s).

There are no/few surface errors in spelling, punctuation, grammar or format in the draft. There is a clear title for the blog page, but no MLA header (to protect the student’s anonymity online).

There is evidence of native talent and/or drafting and genuine effort put into the piece as well as significant progress made over multiple drafts

The essay has been successfully posted as a page on the student’s blog site ON TIME; it is formatted to look appealing and is easily readable. There’s no extraneous code or problems seeing the page.

Draft Due: 16 Sept. 2009

Final Due: 30 Sept. 2009

The details:

Blog posts are thoughtful and engaging, whether they are on required topics or free range. While the free range ones do not have to be “serious” or officially “academic,” they should still be substantive and thoughtful (and humor is always good, too).

The voice of the posts is distinctively your own; it is clear and authentic. The language is natural and fluid and represents the author’s genuine phrasing and tone. The reader’s interest is engaged and sustained throughout each post.

The posts are completed weekly in a timely fashion. Those on required content clearly cover the content assigned.

When relevant, the written content of the post is supplemented by pictures or video. The design of each post balances the visual and textual elements and makes the post easy to read.

When relevant, hyperlinks are incorporated into the post to link to related content.

While the language of each post is meant to be casual and authentically the author’s own, there should be few (if any) surface errors in spelling, punctuation, grammar or format in each post. There should also be a clear and logical title for each post.

There is evidence of native talent and/or drafting and genuine care put into each post.

Each blog entry is posted ON TIME each week and there is no extraneous code or problem seeing the post.

(with great debt and gratitude to Joseph Campbell)

At the heart of literature and art, of religion and myth, of culture and story… at the heart of life is the hero journey. According to Joseph Campbell,

Mythmakers are seldom content to regard the world’s great heroes as mere human beings who broke past the horizons that limited their fellows and who returned with such boons as any man with equal faith and courage might have found.

The mighty hero of extraordinary powers is each of us: not the physical self visible in the mirror, but the king within.

This class invites you to recognize the special nature of your birth, to listen for a call spoken by a herald perhaps yet unknown to you, and to accept that call regardless of your fears and the very real dangers you may face.

Then, you will need to conquer the guardians at the gate, both internal and external, to be transformed by sinking into the belly of the whale, by dying to yourself and risking a new birth.

You will then need to persevere through the training and tests that will await you on the road of trials in a region of magnified power and strange, mystical forces & figures. There you will learn the true extent of your power, of your connection to the supernatural, a connection that is both wondrous and mysterious. There you will find the source of your supernatural aid and learn to accept both the gifts and the hard lessons offered by the Universe to assist you along the way.

You will then need to conquer the demons that would bar your return home and resist the message of your apotheosis – the epiphanies you have gained from facing the challenges along the road. You will risk death yet again as you resist the temptations of nirvana that promise you bliss but would prevent you from completing your hero journey and bringing back your boon, your gift, that is capable of transforming the world.

Once you’ve crossed the threshold of return, you will need to find a way to integrate the power of the supernatural with the mundane of “reality.” Only then, when you have become a master of both worlds, only then will you be able to aid others on their way.

***

To help you take this journey and then to lead others to take it, the resources offered here are a beginning – and an end, the end of a journey already taken. Use what you will to get started, but realize that each journey is unique, and as you take your own, you will discover and create what you really need to aid you on your way.

Eventually you may even outgrow the language of the hero journey presented here. But, whatever the words and symbols you light upon, that sing to you of the mystery you are being encouraged to embrace—the ultimate message will transcend and resonate: you are a hero that the Universe, that God, is calling into being and action.

***

Few stories you’ll read follow a straight line from the birth to the call to the road of trials to the return home. All good stories start somewhere in the middle. It’s only here, at some mid-point, that the story takes shape, that the call is heard and you’re prompted to understand the meaning of your journey – when you realize the need to look back at who you have been, who you are, and to see the something more that has been going on all along just at the edge of your perception… So, we begin, not with your birth, but with where you are now, with who you are now, at this mid-point on your journey.

To begin, answer the following five questions (in any order):

Who are you?

What do you want?

Where are you going?

Whom do you serve?

Whom do you trust?

Click the above for video prompts.