Guest Lecturer Clayton Stromberger and Free Minds student Lucia Williams read A Midsummer Night's Dream

Last month Free Minds students focused their energy on reading, writing about, and embodying the words of Shakespeare. They started with the sonnets, staging roundtable readings with UT professors John Gonzalez and Patricia Garcia, tapping out the beat of iambic pentameter on the tabletop, and translating the famous "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" into modern English. Later, guest lecturer Clayton Stromberger stopped by to discuss A Midsummer Night's Dream and help students practice blocking, word emphasis, and other techniques for bringing the Elizabethan prose to life. The unit culminated with a field trip to the UT campus on September 30 to see A Midsummer Night's Dream performed by the Actors from the London Stage. Many students brought parents and children, sisters and boyfriends. For some, it was their first time on the UT campus. "UT is a big thing in Texas, and being able to go on the campus and be like other students and be a part of that world, it was a really great experience," said one student. "When you expose yourself to something like that, you open up to a new world. You see how others live."

We have some exciting events and classes planned this fall for Free Minds alumni. The first master class will be on Tuesday, October 26. Domino Perez, a UT professor of English and former Free Minds faculty (2008-09), will share chapters from her book on La Llorona, the Weeping Woman, a haunting figure of Mexican oral and literary traditions. From a ghost who haunts the riverbank to a murderous mother condemned to wander the earth after killing her own children in an act of revenge or grief, the Weeping Woman has evolved within Chican@ imaginations across centuries, yet no truly comprehensive examination of her impact existed until now. In this master class, Domino will delve into the intriguing transformations of this provocative icon.

Planning is underway for future master classes with UT professors Evan Carton and Tiffany Gill. Alumni, stay tuned for more opportunities to get involved in the future!

Free Minds is grateful to Mixer Design Group for treating Free Minds students and their children to four dinners this semester with their donation of an H-E-B gift card.

Would you like to treat Free Minds to dinner?  We need help buying food for the Fall 2010 semester! Please consider buying a gift card at H-E-B, Central Market, or Whole Foods, or ordering a meal from your favorite local restaurant. $90 will buy dinner for one class session, $720 will pay for a month of dinners for 20 adults and 15 children. Your gift will help us nourish students' bodies while they nourish their minds.