EXTRA CREDIT

Make Your Own Poe Video

I was surprised to find that a number of enterprising Poe enthusiasts had made their own video interpretations of Poe's poems and posted them on Youtube. I like this idea a lot, so I will give extra credit to any student who makes their own video of a Poe poem. Here are the rules:

• The poem must appear in its entirety so that the audience can see/hear the poem and actually digest it (i.e. don't flash it on the screen for a second): the audience has to experience his actual words some way.
• The video must be burned to CD or given to me on a jump drive to download onto my hard drive.
• You must post it on Youtube and send me the link.
• You must leave it up all semester.

You may want to check out these examples: "Annabel Lee," "The Raven," or "Alone."

Also, here's a video without words that would not meet my rules, but it was disturbing enough that I thought I'd pass it along: "Annabel Lee."

Deadline:Noon, Jun 29, 2011

Possible points: 8-20 points depending on quality OR removal of one absence.

Visit the Mutter Museum and Describe the Experience

The College of Physicians of Philadelphia owns and operates the Mutter Museum, a museum that displays a vast collection of human oddities for medical education. For future doctors, the museum is a rare opportunity to see medical conditions that they may only encounter once in their professional careers. For non-medical professionals, the Mutter offers a rare glimpse at human deformity and so-called "monsters" that would satisfy even Marilyn Manson. There is an online coupon available to save $2 off the ticket price. To get the extra credit, visit the museum, bring back proof of your visit, and post a one-page reaction in the Extra Credit Forum to the experience that makes reference to some of the issues raised in The Monster Show to our preoccupation with deformity and the monstrous.

Deadline: June 29, 2011
Possible Points: 5 to 15, depending on quality