Macaluso 1
Macaluso
AP English Literature and Composition
Summer 2013
Summer Reading
Please begin your summer reading by sitting down with On Writing: A Memoir of the
Craft by Stephen King. This beautiful, engaging, funny, pointed text sheds light on the
craft which we will spend the year studying. I share it with you in the spirit of having an
inside view into what it is, what it feels like, to be a writer of fiction. What can you take
away from the text? Give me your top ten most resonant thoughts from Mr. King,
discussed and cited properly.
Next, you will read several short stories and a volume of poetry. You may work on these
readings in any order you choose, however before you do so read the below
:
In The Bedford, read pages 2063 up to “choosing a topic” on page 2067- From
this section, consider some strategies which you can adopt and utilize each time
you sit with a text. I expect you to use some combination of the techniques to
make your summer reading an active, valuable experience.
Prose:
Reading short prose gives you the opportunity to read the texts MORE THAN ONCE.
Use the techniques discussed in The Bedford (2063-2067) to give a close reading to
each story below. An AP teacher, and an AP exam reader, can spot Sparknote
“thought” from a mile away, so be forewarned. In The Bedford, read:
o “A Rose for Emily” by W. Faulkner (also read Perspective on 98-99 when
you finish the story). Respond to three questions of your choosing from
numbers two through nine in the “Considerations for Critical Thinking and
Writing” section.
o “Clothes” by C.B. Divakaruni. Respond to three questions of your
choosing from numbers two through seven in the “Considerations for
Critical Thinking and Writing” section.
o “Miss Brill” by K. Mansfield. Respond to three questions of your choosing
from numbers two through ten in the “Considerations for Critical Thinking
and Writing” section.
o “A & P” by J. Updike
Macaluso 2
Poetry:
Horoscopes for the Dead: Poems by Billy Collins (available on Amazon.com and
bookstores- a Kindle edition is also available)
o As you prepare to read Collins’ volume of poetry (and you must read the
WHOLE book, not just a few poems), please also read the following
sections of The Bedford which will help you establish an informed
approach to the reading of poetry:
 pages 701-709
 pages 720-721
 pages 748-750
 from the list on pages 1014-1016 consider questions 1, 2, 3, 7, and
8 in relationship to Collins’ poems. Please cite at least six poems in
your discussion of the above.
In September, as soon as the first or second day of school (I’m serious):
You will take an AP Literature and Composition style multiple choice test on the
four short stores.
You will write one or two AP Literature and Composition style essays based on
the summer reading work.
I will collect some portion of the work I’ve asked you to do over the summer. Be
prepared for anything.
Finally:
Please read the text They Say, I Say: The Moves that Matter in Academic Writing. It is
an invaluable resource which expresses my expectations for your writing. I expect you
to come into the class with that understanding.
Suggested:
It is to your benefit to pick up a copy of 5 Steps to a 5: AP English Literature, 2012-2013
Edition by Estelle Rankin and Barbara Murphy. Read through it, become familiar with
the types of questions on the AP Lit test, and develop a plan for preparing for the test.
I will check my email, omacalus@westex.org, periodically throughout the summer, but
will be unavailable during the last week of the summer. If you have questions, shoot me
an email and be patient- I will get back to you!