Welcome to oureverydayuse! This site is designed for classroom use for my world literature students at the Art Institute of Philadelphia. The title of this blogsite is taken from one of my favorite short stories and one that we will read, "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker. In this short story, Walker examines the mother/daughter relationship and how the Johnson women in the story view the importance of their African American heritage. She does this by focusing on some Johnson family handmade heirlooms and how the two daughters, Dee and Maggie, perceive their use. Should we take hand-crafted family treasures--these works of art--and hang them on the wall to admire, or should we put them to everyday use? I selected this story for the title of this blog because I believe that literature, like all art, is an exploration of the human condition and is here for us to apply to our everyday lives. Good literature can and should be put to everyday use. The stories that I have selected for us to read and discuss this quarter are ones that I believe help us understand ourselves. Many of the stories deal with the creative process and how forces within us and forces outside of us often interfere with, and even destroy, the creative process. In addition to classroom discussion, this blogsite is here for you to share your thoughts about the literature that we will read during the next 11 weeks. Put it to everyday use!!

For more information about Alice Walker, check out this website http://www.luminarium.org/contemporary/alicew/