You’re the Kind of Girl I Write Songs About By Daniel Herborn Book Summary: Tim is repeating the HSC, but he's more into music than studying. He is juggling playing in a band with handing in assignments and the music is winning. Mandy is taking a year off before she starts uni. Her problem is she doesn't really know what she wants to study, so she's working (sort of) and even by her own admission spends too much watching daytime TV and drinking tea with best friend Alice, with the tea being an excuse for talking lots. Tim and Mandy meet at a gig. The attraction is immediate, but they are both so shy and self-conscious, but over time they slowly, awkwardly, move toward each, meeting by coincidence, each unsure as to how the other feels. Set in the cafes pubs and dives of Sydney's Inner West You're The Kind of Girl I Write Songs About is a ballad to that time of your life when you are trying to work out who you are, what it is you want and what will it take to get you there. Curriculum Areas and Key Learning Outcomes: ISBN: 9780732299507 E-ISBN: 9781460703298 Notes by Rachel Ford ACELA 1564, ACELA 1565, ACELT 1640, ACELT1642, ACELT1774, ACELY1754, ACELT1814, ACELT1644, ACELY1757 Appropriate Ages: 14+ These notes may be reproduced free of charge for use and study within schools but they may not be reproduced (either in whole or in part) and offered for commercial sale. Page 1 Contents • Introduction • About the Author • Author Inspiration • Study notes on themes and curriculum topics: o o o o o • Pre-reading and reading strategies Literacy and language First-person narrative – limited Flashback Foreshadowing Themes o o o o o o o Identity and the challenges of standing on your own two feet Limbo Love Verbs and adjectives Year in review Before, during and after Key moments • Further questions for discussion • About the author of these notes These notes may be reproduced free of charge for use and study within schools but they may not be reproduced (either in whole or in part) and offered for commercial sale. Page 2 Australian Curriculum English: Year 10 • Understand how language use can have inclusive and exclusive social effects, and can empower or disempower people (ACELA 1564) • Understand that people’s evaluations of texts are influenced by their value systems, the context and the purpose and mode of communication (ACELA 1565) • Reflect on, extend, endorse or refute others’ interpretations of and responses to literature (ACELT 1640) • Identify, explain and discuss how narrative viewpoint, structure, characterisation and devices including analogy and satire shape different interpretations and responses to a text (ACELT1642) • Analyse and evaluate text structures and language features of literary texts and make relevant thematic and intertextual connections with other texts (ACELT1774) • Use comprehension strategies to compare and contrast information within and between texts, identifying and analysing embedded perspectives, and evaluating supporting evidence (ACELY1754) • Create literary texts that reflect an emerging sense of personal style and evaluate the effectiveness of these texts (ACELT1814) • Create imaginative texts that make relevant thematic and intertextual connections with other texts (ACELT1644) These notes may be reproduced free of charge for use and study within schools but they may not be reproduced (either in whole or in part) and offered for commercial sale. Page 3 • Review, edit and refine students’ own and others’ texts for control of content, organisation, sentence structure, vocabulary, and/or visual features to achieve particular purposes and effects (ACELY1757) Introduction You’re the Kind of Girl I Write Songs About is told through two different narrative viewpoints. Tim’s a young singer-songwriter with a guitar case full of songs and dreams of finding an audience to embrace his tunes. Mandy’s a music obsessive and a compulsive dreamer, longing for something more fulfilling than daytime TV and cups of tea with best friend Alice; something like the excitement and passion of rock and roll. When their eyes meet at a gig, sparks fly across a crowded room and hope burns in their hearts. But in a city of millions and a scene overrun with wannabes, can they ever get it together? Will Mandy’s nerves doom their romance before it ever starts? And where does the darkness in Tim’s songs come from? This is a tale of Sydney’s Inner West; of first love, crush bands and mix tapes; of the thrill of the night and what happens when the music stops. About the author Daniel Herborn studied Arts (English) at the University of Sydney and Law at the University of New South Wales. He has worked as a lawyer and public servant and his writing has appeared in The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The Sun-Herald, Mess + Noise, Time Out Sydney and many more. He lives in Sydney. Author inspiration With You’re the Kind of Girl I Write Songs About, I didn’t want to write about people who busted international crime rings or battled magical creatures in the seventeenth century. The characters that most interested me weren’t people that were incredibly brave or flawless but unknowable; instead I wanted to write about the kind of teenagers you might see when you’re getting a coffee on a Saturday morning or when you’re seeing a band on a Friday night. The kind of teenager that I knew, and the kind I was. I wanted the story to be intimate and real and relatable. I think of first-person narration as the most intimate type of narration; you hear the story in the words of the main characters and you see the moments of doubt and vulnerability that they have that nobody else in the story sees. These notes may be reproduced free of charge for use and study within schools but they may not be reproduced (either in whole or in part) and offered for commercial sale. Page 4 I think one reason why young adult fiction is read so widely is that everyone has been that age where you’re definitely not a kid any more (you suddenly have real responsibilities and difficult decisions to make), but at the same time you’re not quite an adult either and there’s a lot about your life that is very strange and new to you. It’s a time when there’s so much change going on, and that’s both thrilling and terrifying. I wanted to write about relationships at this time, how, on one hand, it’s super exciting to meet someone amazing, but there’s also the possibility of getting hurt. Another thing that interested me about relationships at this age is how hard it can be to figure out how to be with someone else when you’re still not quite sure of who you are yourself. I also wanted to write about music and the role it plays in these characters’ lives: how it inspires them when they need it, how it consoles them when they’re sad and how, at other times, it’s just a soundtrack to their messy, beautiful lives. Study notes on themes and curriculum topics Pre-reading and reading strategies You’re the Kind of Girl I Write Songs About tells the story of Tim and Mandy. It is written in first-person narrative, with chapters alternating between the two characters, as Daniel Herborn uses internal monologue and reflection to drive the story. Activities: As a whole class, read only the first line for each protagonist, Tim and Mandy. Discuss your expectations of each of these characters and record these expectations to be used later in the study of the novel. After reading the whole novel, return to the list of expectations and compare them to how the class now feels about the characters, and what the class has learnt about the characters. After reading each chapter, make a summary of the descriptive language and what this reveals to the reader using the chart at the end of these notes. Literacy and language You’re The Kind of Girl I Write Songs About is an example of young adult fiction. Young adult fiction can be identified by some specific characteristics, including: • • • expressing the thoughts, feelings and challenges young adults face involving the unique interest of young people showing the young adult’s first venture into the adult world These notes may be reproduced free of charge for use and study within schools but they may not be reproduced (either in whole or in part) and offered for commercial sale. Page 5 • • problem-solving by young adults – while adults can help and advise the young adults, the young adults themselves must solve any problems they come across using precise and concise language to move the story along at a quick pace Activity: Working in small groups, choose one of the characteristics of young adult fiction as identified above and discuss the following: • • • Does the group think the characteristic is a fair and accurate representation of young adult fiction? What would they add or change to the description (if anything)? How is the characteristic expressed in the text? Find and discuss two to three examples. Write a short paragraph on their chosen characteristic to share with the rest of the class. For example: You’re the Kind of Girl I Write Songs About is indicative of young adult fiction because it explores Mandy’s and Alice’s changing friendships as they move from school to post-school life. It also explores the ways these two characters are developing and becoming aware of themselves as individuals beyond the school setting. Both Mandy and Alice struggle with incidents from their past (Mandy’s mum leaving her family and Alice’s break-up with Liam) and these have a profound impact on the two of them developing as adults. Extension: Working in the same groups, students complete the following tasks: • • • Identify the characteristic of young adult fiction in another novel studied by or familiar to the students. Compare and contrast how each of the authors create young adult fiction using any graphics organiser of the students’ choice. Write an additional paragraph about the comparative text and share the paragraph with the class. These notes may be reproduced free of charge for use and study within schools but they may not be reproduced (either in whole or in part) and offered for commercial sale. Page 6 For example: The Intern by Gabrielle Tozer is also indicative of young adult fiction because it too explores the challenges young people face when they move from adolescence to adulthood. In this example, Gabrielle Tozer explores how the protagonist Josie’s sense of self and her loyalties change as she moves from being a child in high school, to a young adult trying to make a contribution to the world and to her family. Josie feels she has responsibilities to her family since her father left them, but she finds this harder and harder to do as she works as an intern away from home and begins to experience the challenges and rewards of standing on your own two feet. First-person narrative – limited is used in the novel. The limited first-person perspective means the reader is limited to the same knowledge as the protagonist. First-person narrative can help the reader to make a stronger emotional connection to the protagonist and the challenges they experience in the text. However, because we are hearing directly from the protagonist, they can sometimes seem selfinvolved. In this case, the author will use other devices, especially a companion or confidant, to help the reader stay connected to the protagonist. Daniel Herborn helps the reader to make strong emotional connections to the characters through an extensive use of internal monologue. Activities: • • • • Choose one section of the narrative and rewrite it in the third-person. Working in pairs, the students use a ‘think, pair, share’ strategy (or similar) to identify how the change in narrative point of view changes the interpretation of and reactions to the text. Brainstorm the people that Tim confides in and what he tells each of these people. Choose one example and rewrite the conversation from the three narrative styles listed below. Once each narrative style has been written, share the work with another person in the class and discuss how each has a different effect on the reader. o First-person narrative from the confidant’s point of view o Third-person narrative – limited o Third-person narrative – omniscient Daniel Herborn uses dialogue and internal monologue to drive the story. In small groups, discuss how you as a reader respond to this take. Give examples where you were engaged with the characters and their story. If appropriate, give examples where you as the reader did not connect with the story. Tim’s and Mandy’s internal monologues often include metaphors and similes e.g. ‘one-two punch’ (page 13) and ‘dreamlike walk’ (page 15). In small groups, discuss the use of metaphors These notes may be reproduced free of charge for use and study within schools but they may not be reproduced (either in whole or in part) and offered for commercial sale. Page 7 and similes and what these reveal about Tim and Mandy as individuals. Flashback is a device where the protagonist or narrator thinks back on a key event that occurred in the past, usually one that has an effect on the present. Flashback is a very effective device for providing the reader with backstory. In You’re The Kind Of Girl I Write Songs About, the use of flashback helps the reader understand the characters’ histories and how these histories effect the characters’ actions and choices in the present. Activity: Choose one of Tim’s flashbacks and one of Mandy’s flashbacks. For each flashback, identify what the flashback tells the reader about the past and how it is linked to the present and/or future. Foreshadowing indicates to the reader what is going to happen in the story. It is used as a hook to keep the reader engaged, as the reader wants to see if what they have predicted comes true. Foreshadowing doesn’t always have to be used in relation to the protagonist; it can be used in relation to other characters as well. For example: Plus, I think he feels kind of sorry for me and the last thing I want is anyone feeling sorry for me. It might be completely justified but I don’t want it. (page 25) In the quote above, the reader gets the sense that Tim has had a significant, perhaps tragic, event occur in his life that his teacher is aware of. The reader also gains a greater understanding of the importance of independence to Tim. At this stage in the text, the reader knows that Tim lives with his uncle, but they don’t know why. This adds to the foreshadowing as the reader will begin to predict what they think has happened to Tim’s parents, why he is so independent and how this will shape his future. Activity: • In small groups, students discuss the following: o Why do authors use foreshadowing? o What did you imagine or predict in the story as you came across examples of foreshadowing? How did these compare to the actual resolution in the story? o Do you think an author would be able to tell a story without using foreshadowing? Justify your answer. These notes may be reproduced free of charge for use and study within schools but they may not be reproduced (either in whole or in part) and offered for commercial sale. Page 8 • After completing their initial reading, students skim the novel for moments of foreshadowing. The students should list each of these events and discuss, in small groups, what they thought each event would mean, what eventuated in the story and how this affected them as a reader. Themes Identity and the challenges of standing on your own two feet Discovering who you are, resisting the pressure from your family and other significant people to be what they think you should be, learning to follow the advice of your family and trusted friends, and learning to stand on your own two feet are important themes in young adult fiction. Activities: • Choose one character. Skim through the text and identify how they overcome the pressure they face from their families and significant others to become who they want to be. • Choose one character. Skim through the text and identify how they are supported by their families and significant others to become who they want to be. • Choose one quote from one of the characters about the struggle they face in becoming adults. Use the quote as the inspiration for a piece of prose about the struggles the student is experiencing themselves or the struggles someone they know is experiencing. Limbo In Catholic theology, limbo is a speculative reference to the space next to hell where the souls who died with original sin went. In a modern sense, limbo has less of a religious connotation and refers to being either physically or psychologically suspended between two places. Tim, Mandy, Alice, Sebastian and Heather all experience forms of psychological limbo in the novel, a time when they are transitioning between one phase in their life and another. Daniel Herborn uses a number of devices to show the characters’ transitions through the phase of limbo. One of these devices is the use of metaphor, for example: Work grinds past, too busy to call it quiet, but busy enough for time to pass quickly. (page 30) In this example, the inexact nature of time, and the way it ‘grinds’, not only tells the reader what is happening in Mandy’s day, but it is a metaphor for how Mandy feels about her life at that point in time. Mandy’s life is inexact, it is not progressing and at the same time it is not going backwards. These notes may be reproduced free of charge for use and study within schools but they may not be reproduced (either in whole or in part) and offered for commercial sale. Page 9 Activity: • Working in small groups, students discuss the following: o What does it mean to be in limbo? o In what places/situations do you experience the state of limbo, for example: school, waiting for public transport, being at the airport etc.? o Discuss how each of these places creates a sense of limbo. o Discuss why you think limbo exists in real life. o Identify the moments that the characters experience limbo in the text. o Evaluate and discuss how the state of limbo affects the characters’ motivations, actions and emotions. Love The theme of first love, the realisation that your high-school crush is not in fact your first true love, and learning from the mistakes of parents or significant adults in regards to relationships are all themes in young adult fiction. The ‘fictionalised’ and ‘fantasy’ aspects of love are also juxtaposed with the messy and complicated realities of love and dating. Daniel Herborn represents a different point of view on love to the traditional, romanticised version of love that can be represented in a young adult fiction novel. This is demonstrated to the reader from their early encounters with Tim. five magic words … ‘‘Would you sign my tits?’’ (page 3). This initial revelation about Tim’s idea of romance is juxtaposed with his behaviours and reactions to meeting and dating Mandy. This transition reveals that Tim is more complex and romantic than the reader first expects. Activities: • In small groups, read the quote above and complete the following activities: o What was your reaction to Tim’s declaration of romance? o What does your reaction reveal about you and your perceptions of love and romance? o What does the language used in the quote tell a reader about Tim’s personality? • Discuss the ways love is explored in the text. • Choose one character other than Tim or Mandy and complete the following tasks: o Skim the text and list all of the times the character has a romantic interaction. o Map out the romantic interactions for the character and describe the effect this has on tension, character development and plot development in the text. These notes may be reproduced free of charge for use and study within schools but they may not be reproduced (either in whole or in part) and offered for commercial sale. Page 10 Discuss the effect this character’s romantic journey has on the reader, for example, is the reader pleasantly or unpleasantly surprised, are they angry at the character, are they hopeful for the character? o Write one scene from the mapping exercise from the point of view of the chosen character. o Exchange the scene with another member of the class and edit the work for content, organisation, sentence structure and vocabulary. o Rewrite the scene using the feedback from the editing process. Compare Alice’s realisation that Liam is not her ‘great love’ with another character in a different novel that the students are familiar with. For example: o • ‘Liam called me the other night,’ Alice says. ‘He talked to me for an hour and it was … it was great, Mandy. It was like he’d never left. I said goodnight to him but I couldn’t stop thinking about him. Then I drove over to his house to surprise him, but I could see there was … I could see someone else in his room. Another girl.’ She leans back against my bookshelf, which is full of books that looked amazing at the bookshop but which I haven’t had the time or inclination to read yet. Her soft blonde hair falls across her face and I look to see that she isn’t crying. She isn’t, but she’s trying really hard not to, which is even worse. (pages 216 – 217) In this scene we see that Alice has realised, through a tragic revelation, that Liam is not going to reunite with her. Alice is portrayed as a soft, slightly quirky character, so to see Alice not cry in this situation seems at odds with her personality. It may be foreshadowing a potential problem in the future or a significant transition in Alice’s personality. We also see in this scene that Mandy is not entirely sure how to help and support Alice. Being the same age, and experiencing her first real love, Mandy is not herself experienced with dealing with heartbreak beyond the break-up of her parents’ relationship. [From Gabrielle Tozer’s The Intern] Apparently – surprise, surprise – I wasn’t fine with the whole Jameshaving-a-girlfriend scenario after all. I couldn’t bear the thought of going to the apartment because James would be there, probably with Summer in tow – and no amount of cheap beauty goodies could distract me from that any more. In my mind, I saw them cuddling on the couch, feeding each other at the dinner table and splashing each other in the tiny bathtub. I couldn’t face them until it was closer to bedtime and I could feign tiredness and crash out straight away on the sofa. And so, instead of facing the dream couple head-on, I took advantage of being alone and These notes may be reproduced free of charge for use and study within schools but they may not be reproduced (either in whole or in part) and offered for commercial sale. Page 11 pretended I was one of the lucky few paid to strut around the Sash office. It was fun, cleared my head and relaxed me. (p. 129) In this scene we can tell that Josie has begun to recognise the strength of her feelings for James. We also see how active her imagination is as she creates a series of activities in her mind about James and Summer for which she has no evidence. Whilst hiding at the Sash office may not be the most adult way for Josie to address her problems, we can see her maturity growing as she recognises that staying there does put her in a good mental frame of mind. Adverbs and adjectives Working in pairs, students choose one of the minor characters in the novel and complete the following tasks: • • • Sitting opposite each other, brainstorm adverbs to describe the character. For example, if discussing Alice, students may use words such as: o Thoughtfully o Literately o Passionately o Quirkily o Genuinely Students then use adjectives to describe the same character. For example, if discussing Alice, students may use words such as: o Attractive o Slender o Intelligent o Humble o Eclectic etc. In their pairs, the students choose three adverbs and the three adjectives that they believe most accurately reflect their minor character. Year in review Using the information from the activity above (‘verbs and adjectives’) or working with a new character, working in small groups, the students complete the following tasks: These notes may be reproduced free of charge for use and study within schools but they may not be reproduced (either in whole or in part) and offered for commercial sale. Page 12 • • • • Choose one character in the novel and list all of the major events that occur for the character including any positive, negative and potential events. For example, if listing the events for Alice these may include: o Starting university o Breaking up with Liam o Meeting Justin o Mandy getting a boyfriend, Tim o Going on anti-depressants o Creating her own book for university Arrange the events in chronological order. Discuss the importance of each of the events from the point of view of the character and the point of view of the reader. Discuss how each of the events advance the story. Extension: Continuing in the same groups, students imagine they are creating a ‘year in review’ for the character either for social media, or for a surprise birthday party or any other relevant event. Students source the images for and create the year in review and share these with the other members of the class. Before, during and after The students choose their three favourite scenes from the text. For each of these scenes, the students imagine and sketch out what they think happens ‘before’ each of the chosen scenes and ‘after’ each of the chosen scenes. The students choose one of the scenes they have created from the first part of the activity. Using this scene they complete one of the following activities: • • Imagine what happened before the new ‘before’ scene and after the new ‘after’ scene. Sketch out the ideas and write the additional material. Imagine an alternate ‘before’ scene and an alternate ‘after’ scene. These alternate scenes should be as different from the original scenes as possible. For example, if the original ‘after’ scene ends in the demise of a character, then the new scene should end in the success of that character. These notes may be reproduced free of charge for use and study within schools but they may not be reproduced (either in whole or in part) and offered for commercial sale. Page 13 After writing the material, the students swap their work with another member of the class. The students edit each other’s work in terms of content, organisation, sentence structure and vocabulary. After receiving their edited material, the students rewrite the scenes. Key moments Divide the students into groups. Allocate each group one of the key moments from the text (see below). In the groups, the students complete the following tasks: • • • • Find the moment in the novel. Identify what happens before and after the moment. Identify the effect of the moment on the rest of the novel (how does this moment propel the action, and motivate or demotivate the character). Students share their findings with the rest of the class. The rest of the lyrics I can’t really make out, but those lines just make the song for me. (page 19) ... they seem to be members of a tribe I haven’t been initiated into ... (page 29) I guess it seems weird to write a song about someone I don’t know, but that’s kind of what songs are: they’re secrets made public. (page 38) I allow myself to think a ridiculous thought (page 88) ... suddenly and disconcertingly conscious of everything, not knowing where to put my hands or where to look. (page 90) Maybe it should be hard when your dreams brush up against reality. (page 93) All you need is hate. (page 97) Sometimes I think that the difference between the happiest people and the most miserable bastards is only one thing: the ability they have to control their memories. (page 105) Sometimes heaven is the closest thing to hell. (page 203) Further questions for discussion These notes may be reproduced free of charge for use and study within schools but they may not be reproduced (either in whole or in part) and offered for commercial sale. Page 14 It is really hard to forget people. Even people you’ve barely met. (page 37) Discuss the challenges that people face in differentiating between fantasy and reality. In the discussion consider why one can be more appealing to a character than the other. Also discuss why authors use the challenges of fantasy and reality as a catalyst for change/motivation in their novels. As a character, Mandy is constantly engaged in self-sabotaging behaviour, reflecting the behaviour of many people of her generation. (anon) Discuss Mandy’s self-sabotaging behaviour. Is this behaviour conscious, unconscious or a mixture of both? Does Mandy’s behaviour reflect the behaviour of many people of her generation, as the quote implies? Justify the response. Discuss the significance of the swimming pool no longer being available to Mandy and Tim. Start with the question ‘What does the swimming pool symbolise?’ I’d love to rewrite my history so it’s like a mixtape of moments from tonight. (page 105) In small groups, write a summary for one of the characters in the novel as if their lives are a mixtape. Discuss what songs you would use, the significance of the songs and any other related information. Extension: Create the mixtape and play it for another group without telling them who the tape is about. Ask the groups to make a guess as to who they think the mixtape has been written for and justify their choice. ‘My reports always said I was “conscientious”. That’s what teachers write when you never talk in class.’ (page 169) Divide the class into four to six groups. Allocate each group a character from the book. The groups write school reports for their allocated character, one for the start, middle and end of the book and one that predicts how the character will be in six months’ time. After writing the reports, the students share them with the class. The class should discuss any areas of the reports that they agree with or disagree with and justify their opinions. Working in small groups, or on their own, the students skim the book and list all of the songs and bands mentioned in a two-column table: one column for the songs they know and one column for the songs that they don’t know. The students choose three to five songs/bands from each column and listen to the These notes may be reproduced free of charge for use and study within schools but they may not be reproduced (either in whole or in part) and offered for commercial sale. Page 15 song mentioned or one of the band’s songs. As they listen to the song, the students should complete a Y chart or similar graphics organiser that helps them to describe their reactions to the song. This is it. These are the moments you live for. (page 340) As a class, discuss the ending to the book. The discussion should focus on how satisfied they feel with the ending, if the ending is what they predicted and what they imagine will happen to the characters in the future. About the author of these notes Rachel Ford began her professional career as a teacher after completing a double degree in Arts and Teaching. Rachel also has a Master of Education and a Master of Business Administration (Executive). Rachel has worked as a publisher in Melbourne and Sydney. She currently lives in Sydney where she works as a marketing manager, freelance writer and freelance publisher. These notes may be reproduced free of charge for use and study within schools but they may not be reproduced (either in whole or in part) and offered for commercial sale. Page 16 Worksheet Chart First Line Mandy: I always enjoy a bit of drama of breakfast. Language Witty: Sarcasm, exaggeration, tongue in cheek Revelation This shoes us a number of things about Mandy. She has a well-developed sense of humour. It also reveals the kind of house that she lives in, alerting the reader to potential drama in her domestic life. These notes may be reproduced free of charge for use and study within schools but they may not be reproduced (either in whole or in part) and offered for commercial sale. Page 17
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