Note for Summer Camp: This one week class meets daily and will require some dedicated reading time. This is NOT a good choice for reluctant readers (though it can be a good choice for avid consumers of audiobooks). See the attached article and its very good argument for binge-reading.

Fall Scheduling: Because it is very hard to predict what will happen regarding physical schools, I am scheduling classes as parent requests come in. If you don't see a section of a class you want, please let me know when you would like it and I'll do my best to accommodate you.

The Great Gatsby has so frequently been proclaimed The Great American Novel that it's almost a punch line. F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda  (Fitzgerald's muse and the inspiration for Daisy Buchanan, Gatsby's great obsession) led lives as dramatic--and tragic--as many of his characters. Considered icons of the Roaring Twenties, they rose high, lived large, and fell hard.

When The Great Gatsby was first published in 1925, it was considered a failure:

“. . .  F. Scott Fitzgerald, living high in France after his early success, cabled Max Perkins, his editor at Scribners, and demanded to know if the news was good. Mostly, it was not. The book received some reviews that were dismissive (“F. SCOTT FITZGERALD’S LATEST A DUD,” a headline in the New York World ran.)  . . .  For a writer of Fitzgerald’s fame, sales were mediocre—about twenty thousand copies by the end of the year. Scribners did a second printing, of three thousand copies, but that was it, and when Fitzgerald died, in 1940, half-forgotten at the age of forty-four, the book was hard to find.

The tale of Fitzgerald’s woeful stumbles—no great writer ever hit the skids so publicly—is suffused with varying shades of irony, both forlorn and triumphal.”*

*Read the whole article here:
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/05/13/all-that-jazz-3

It's now estimated that the short novel has sold over 27 million copies—currently at a pace of about a half-million annually. Among other concerns, the story explores issues of class, identity, obsession, decadence, privilege, and the dark side of the American Dream. By turns sharp and luscious, this novel is a deeply insightful (and still timely) portrayal of humanity—and inhumanity.

In our study of the novel, supplemental materials (articles, videos, etc.) will provide background and enrichment for our reading. 

For each day’s reading assignment, we will begin reading and discussing the first chapter in class. 
The remaining chapters are homework and should be read before the next class. 

For each chapter, students will be expected to write a short journal entry that includes a reaction to/thoughts on/questions about the chapter.

Monday
Introductions, expectations, historical context, and important literary concepts.
The final project will be introduced and options discussed. Projects may be designed by each student or chosen from a list provided and might include research, essay writing, creative writing, painting, drawing, sculpture, music, performance, etc. 
We will start reading chapter 1 together.
To be read by tomorrow’s class: Chapters 1, 2, & 3
Tuesday
Discussion and sharing of selected journal observations. 
To be read by tomorrow’s class: Chapters 4, 5, & 6
Wednesday
Discussion and sharing of selected journal observations. 
To be read by next tomorrow’s Chapters 7 & 8
Thursday
Discussion and sharing of selected journal observations. 
To be read by tomorrow’s class: Chapter 9 
Discussion and sharing of selected journal observations.
Friday
Discussion and sharing of selected journal observations. Students will present their projects to the class.