Weeks 17 & 18: Ex-Basketball Player

This week we read Ex-Basketball Player, by John Updike. The students and I diagrammed the stanzas of the poem to examine how Updike structures his story. Then, the students picked their own characters, their own story and used Updike's structure to write the poem. Here are some great examples:

From Ms. Gonzalez's Class:

Ex-Soccer Player
by Jenny Romero

Karlov Avenue walks past
an elementary school lot, still
walks 2 blocks away from
the school, then stops, cuts
off in a restaurant and walks
1 block more, to Karlov & 28th
Avenue. The Three Brothers
Carwash building, it's on
a corner facing south, and there
is where most days, you'll find
Antonio, who helps Ruben out.

Antonio always sees cars, sponges
and hoses. Their hands always
going so fast, he always makes O's
on the windows to clean them. He
also plays with sponges--more of a
soccer type.

Once Antonio played for the
high school team, the Red Bulls.
He was so good, in fact he was the
best player on the team. In twenty-
five minutes he'd already have
kicked 2 goals in a row. He was
the only one that the team
trusted in kicking goals. Antonio loved
the ball and the ball loved him, too.
His feet were like wild cheetahs.

He never learned the meaning
of a car wash, he just cleaned
the cars as if nothing and makes
the cars spotless as if he was
playing with the ball. When he
cleans cars he just plays with
the windows.

Poem
by Marnee O.

Stewart Avenue will do the trick,
Just go ahead until you hit 12th street,
Make a right turn 'til you see Samroad,
Then you'll see Jimenez Hospital
And there you'll find Dr. Higgenson.

He's right there in the tall, sad building
With sick people everywhere
Passing nurses and doctors attending
Illed patients.

He once played in an underground band,
He was happy playing guitar and
singing. He would impact everyone
With his amazing chords and his
Sweet angel voice.

No he's grumpy and sad. Of course
He feels some comfort in helping people out,
Although he wanted to become a star.
He checks in patients and operates,
He sings to his patients and they applaud.

In off-work time he teaches kids to sing
And play. He makes a song shows
it to them. He imagines they are
his screaming fans.

Poem
by Sara B.

Fernando walks down Cermack Avenue,
past the high school. A little further
there's a power plant, and even further by
Marin Luther King Drive, 1/2 block
to the north, there's a door
in front of a street, covered up.

Where he works you must wear a suit.
No slppy dressing and the food
is very expensive, if you have a lot
of money, sit down and eat.
But be aware that it is very
expensive.

Fernando used to work in a factory
doing plastic carpets and other things,
fixing machines and making them
work faster. At the end of his
shift he already had six machines
working fine and neat.

Fernando picks up cups from tables
and cleans up all the mess, he serves
drinks at this job, it is very hard:
With all his experience with machines
he is used to caring for non-living things
not for people.

Fernando reads outside on
the stairs while petting the dog.
The dog may bite but he takes the risk.
Outside, while he is looking at the cars
he imagines all the machines he fixed,
working perfectly.

From Ms. Formisano's Class:

Tony
by Aniceto D.

Cicero Street past the gamestop lot
Bends with the trolly tracks and lights shut off
Before it has a chance to go to A. U. Wright.
Cicero Avenue Gamestop store
Is right next to Office Depot and there
you will find Tony, who sells video games.

Full of video games and magazines,
Eight on a side, all kinds of video games,
The green, black, and gray boxes.
Some counters have PS2 and PSP games,
Game Informer magazines on the register,
And features of all new games.

He used to play professional football,
He was good, in fact, the best. In '54
He scored more than 40 touchdowns,
A county record, still. The ball loved Tony,
I saw him make 4-5 in one game.
His feet were like wild cheetahs.

He sells games, magazines, and trades games
As a gag. He trades an X-Box game
But most of us remember anyway.
His hands are big and nervous on the cash register,
It makes a difference to the football, though.

Tony goes to La Chiquita and eats some tacos,
Delicious and great, he eats Tacos,
Smokes thick cigars, drinks Agua de Orchata.
Tony seldom says a word to Rosa, just nods.
Tony imagines a thick jalapeno
Is a small football.

Ken
by Servando R.

Passing through Pulaski or Kedzie,
right past the stoplight,
driving into the parking lot, into Walgreens,
getting out of the car and putting on his uniform,
Ken begins his day at his lame job.

Signs filling the entire store,
Sales happening, leaving,
Ken saying, "That'll be $25.38 for
that pair of shoes."
All alright except for a little boy crying
over the toy he didn't get.

Ken remembering his loyalty to the Don,
never getting caught or suspected,
always on the move, patrolling, inspecting,
never on his own supply, always giving
to some broke guy.

Ken watches his cashier
stand with ease,
never knowing when he's gonna mess up.
He tries to count the change he gives back,
but realizes since 7th grade he's
never quite understood math.

After work Ken goes to his mom's
basement (where he lives).
Feeling tired, he goes to his closet
opens the secret door never seen,
and disects the animals he
catches, on his screen.

Ken never had anything or anyone,
always spends his time alone,
he imagins life as a movie star,
like Johnny Depp he wants
star in a pirate film.

Rapper
by Patty E.

His work is in a
studio with people
and more people who
are perfection.

The life of the rapper
is great because he
has a nice house,
cars, and money.
That is great.

His work is writing
songs or making up
raps so we can
listen to the songs.

He could work in
a different place,
even the city of
the famous rappers.

From Mr. Lukas's Class:

Adrian
by Andrew Y.

Adrian works in Oak Park,
near the bowling alley. He goes
to work in his car. He goes
past the bowling alley, right
to the factory.

The factory he works at
is filled with many
different sized boxes as
well as cranes, fans, desk
chairs, metal and machinery.

Adrian used to be a center fielder
on a baseball team. His arm was like
a rocket. He can catch anything.
And every at bat was a homerun.

At work all he does
is sit in the crane and
lift really heavy ofbects.
He works on the assembly
line and works with paper.

After work he rides to Jewel
and buys some beer. Then he goes
home and plays poker with
his family. With the kings, queens,
and jacks, he pictures defensive
players while he's at bat.

Poem
by Omar A.

There he was, going to
work ,the best soccer player
in the world. Driving downtown
to work he sees a soccer
stadium. He gets to his work
which is a sports store
that's right on the corner
next to a music store.

He goes in the
store and gets right to
work. He gets a soccer
ball and starts to do
tricks, his boss sees him
and tells him, "go back to
work."

He sees a guy in the store,
he goes and helps him out.
The guys tells him he's seen
him before.

Ex-Football Player
by Dulce C.

Walking toward work Juan see
Discount World at Drake and
Semskey's next to it. He sees
and Elotero at the corner across the
street.

At work he sees people walking
in, ordering meat, picking out the
fruit and checking out.

He once played football for his high school.
Everyone remembers when he would
tackle other players. He remembers
himself making the winning touchdown
eight times. He would jump up and make
the catch and the crowd went wild.

He works at the meat section.
He cuts the meat, he separates
the good and the bad.