Archive – Page 18 – The Adventures of a Young Savage

September 26, 1997

Hi Miss!

When are we going to get book review forms? I got a lot of books to fill in.

I wish we could do some of journal work in class. It’s hard to find time elsewhere.

I’m having a hard time at school. Everybody seems to hate me and I don’t know why. Almost everywhere I turn I am put down. I’m tired of trying to stay up. I don’t want to fight anymore. I need help.

No.

I will not do down. I will not be put down. If I go down and be sucked into believing I am worthless, no one will remember who I was. I am a rock and no one will move me. No one will shatter me. I am a fort and no one will enter me. I refuse to surrender!

No one has gone through this school, but I will go through. Like a battering ram through a sheet of paper (or at least plastic). BUT I WILL get through!

Ben,

It’s hard to be different. When I was in Grades 8, 9, and 10, I went to a French school. I got called all sorts of names in Grafe 8 and 9. I think by Grade 10 thye’d grown out of it. I guess though I was luckier. My school was huge– about 1,000 students. I could disappear during recess and lunch if I wanted to. Also, because there were more people, I was able to find my own group of friends to hang out with.

You’re right though– you have to be a rock– on the outside. Don’t react to the comments. Don’t respond to them, not with words or facial expressions. That way these people who tease you can’t get any satisfaction. Isn’t this class better than Sec III? It seems you get along better with some students. Can you follow the positives?

I don’t know what to suggest. I don’t know if there is any solution.

Feel free to vent in your journal. You have to release your anger and frustration toward the turkeys who are too immature to accept you because you are different from them.

Take care, Ben.

Gabrielle

September 18, 1997

I’m trying to get a copy of “Leonardo Kirkmeister”. I think I might get a better response from the class if they didn’t know it was written by a classmate. If you do this, use the name Chetter Hummin (Chet-ter Hum’in).

You’re right, I think I do have a tendency to give up before I start. But, I think, from re-reading Slash, that TOM would have reacted the same way.

I think you’re right about people not knowing enough about history. I just read a 432 page book titled Prelude to Foundation by Isaac Asimov (who is, or was the best Sci-Fi writer in North America) which is a story about the Universe that is so old and so populated that people think that humanity starting on one world is an absurd legend. People had totally forgotten what once was and where they came from.

Miss, do I get more points if I read more books? Some teachers have told me yes, and some no, so I want to know how you are.

As for the stories, it’s a deal.

Which month are we going to write stories? What’s the outline for this year? (I think you have us a paper that told us what we were going to be doing that year this time last year.)

Here’s a scene from “Leonardo Kirkmeister”:

I think each of my characters has a little bit of me in it, my latest story has a pretty big chunk of me in it. I think it’s going to be a long story, so it might be a while before you read it. When you read it, try to find the connection between me and the story.

O.K. looking forward to it!

Sept. 17, 1997

OK Ben,

Here it is… I shall return this to you, two days after receipt… AS PROMISED!

Just a note, yes you can skip lines, but with that you should be writing on more pages!! You can do it!!!

Do you get more points for reading more books. Here’s a plan. I’ll open this option to the whole class. If you read a book on your own time and provide me with a critique (review) of the book, I’ll add that to your marking scheme.

Regarding the outline, I included a breakdown of the marking scheme in the Term Handouts. I must give Secondary IV’s individual copies. Next week, we will have to start researching our topics for the oral presentation and the stories. So by the beginning of October, stories should be started.

Take care– G.S.

September 17, 1997

Hi Miss!

What’s wrong with Joanne Chemaganish? She always seems so sad and depressed. Even though she’s shy, she used to talk a lot more. I wish I could help her cheer up.

Regarding Chetter Hummin. Tell me when you want a revised copy of it and I’ll try to get it printed out with Chetter Hummin’s name on it.

I checked a couple other authors and the guy who made “Alice in Wonderland” changed his name too (though I never found why).

So how do you like your new house?

I don’t know what else to write.

TTFN, BJ

September 8, 1997

Not much happened this weekend.

There was a rummage sale on Saturday in the Kawawa church basement. I bought a small electric piano for a dollar, and a winter coat worth 2$ for three dollars, and a pair of mittens for two dollars.

I wish I had known about the rummage sale!

I helped paint the sides of our stairway on Saturday (we’re going to put a stairway carpet down).

What did you think of the party? I thought it was pretty boring. I had to be “babysitter” to about 20 screaming kids.

I got there as everybody else was leaving. We spent a pleasant hour or so hanging out and chatting.

There was an accident on the way to school, a small trick tipped off the road before John Lake.

I saw that.

Hi Ben–

Ahhh– I have a lot to respond to here! I was going to stop and read your story once and for all– Well, by now you know, I’ve misplaced it. It’s probably at school. Blah! Regarding having the class do a response–That’s a possibility. I don’t think you should hide your authorship. However, George Eliot did it, as have a number of authors… Let me finish reading it. I’ll see where we can fit it in.

Hmm– your desire for the extraordinary and unordinary helps me understand your aversion to Slash. Ben, I often find (maybe I’m wrong!! There’s always a slight chance!) that you resist things tried in English class without giving them a second chance. No, Slash is not about a sole non-Native, American-born guy attending a Native School. However, as with any other character (unless, perhaps, it’s from sci-fi) Tom K. is a human being, fictitious yes, but created by a real live human Jeanette Armstrong, who created Tom K. out of her own experience and the experiences of those around her. The same is true for your characters– there’s a little of you in each one. (Take that a step further – The biggest Creator – God – left quite a bit of Himself in each of His characters!)

Don’t look at the surface of everything. Meaning can be found at so many levels. You want your readers to consider the possibility that Leonardo Da Vinci was extra-terrestrial. Armstrong wants people to consider the possibility of Tom K. being a real person. Take some time to do this. I’m sure, even though your specific experiences are not the same, you will find commonalities between Tom K. and the great author, Ben J. Also, the book will teach all the students a little about fairly recent Canadian politics and history which may otherwise go unaddressed. People are not politically aware enough these days– That’s a generality and not true for all. I just want to shake people’s thinking in Sec IV-V.

Hey, to be honest, I’m not keen on sci-fi. I’ll give you a chance and read your work if you give me a chance and read my selection.

Well– as Forest Gump would say– “That’s all I got to say about tha-at.” (at least for now)

G.S.

August 29, 1997

August 29th, 1997

Hi Miss!

Miss, what did you guys do while I was in the hospital? I hope they liked West Side Story. Did you act out anything?

Looks like I might be writing a lot of stories this year (I hope). Mr. Leach in MRE suggested I do a story in my MRE journal. I’m going to do a story titled the “Imagineers”.

I can’t write that small. The story is going to be about aliens coming down who are trans-morphable and telepathic. Whoever saw them would see what they thought aliens would look like to them.

Gabrielle Stanton’s Response:

Ben – a question (oops, it was more than one)… What makes you so interested in “outer space” and aliens? I’ve never known someone so keen on the topic– (at least I don’t think I have!).

Do you write your stories for fun or do you want people to learn something from them? What kind of audience do you hope to attract? Is there any other genre (non-science fiction) that you write in?

–While you were away, we worked on the exam. I’m not too sure how kids liked “West Side Story”. I think most find the singing a bit much. They seemed to enjoy the general story line. It was good for the girls who went to Quebec City for Drama Fest because they knew the basic story line and recognized some of the music. I’m glad I got to see it.

Ciao for now– G.S.

I guess I like science fiction…

Cheez-Whiz you ask good questions! I guess I like reading about situations completely out of the ordinary. Ordinary lifestyles bore me to bits.

Most of the time I write stories just for fun, but I’ve just started to write stories that make people think. “Leonardo Kirkmeister” = for instance, forces one to think about the possibility of Leonardo Da Vinci being extra-terrestrial.

My range of audience I guess is pretty general. I would like to hear reader’s responce to the story: what they thought of it, what they would change, etc.

Hmm! I just had an idea. I wonder, would it be possible to put a different author’s name and give the class a copy of “Leonardo Kirkmeister” and have them do a response. It might be interesting.

Although Sci-Fi is my favourite “genre”, I can write in other genres, but nothing ordinary. I tried once, but got so bored, the story got abandoned and thrown away. I just couldn’t help putting something totally weird right smack-dab in the middle of it.

I think the music (in West Side Story) is a bit much too. Maybe they could update it to modern city streets.