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War of the Worlds

The original New York Times headline on the wave of mass hysteria caused by a broadcast of a dramatization of H. G. Wells’s fantasy, “The War of the Worlds.”

I’ve decided to do my research project on the 1938 broadcast by Orson Welles of The War of the Worlds. It was performed the night of October 30, 1938 and aired over the Columbia Broadcasting System radio network. The broadcast was an adaptation of H. G. Wells‘ novel The War of the Worlds, and it caused a mass hysteria.

Click below to listen to the original Mercury Theatre production.

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Why am I doing this? Simple. Teachers who actually write — teachers like me — are often adept at hiding the hard work writing requires. Often when teachers share their writing with their students, it’s only after extensive revision that’s been done out of sight of the students. Of course, this idea is not unique to me. A former professor of mine, Ron Strahl of the South Basin Writing Project, calls it the “Grecian Urn Approach.” It’s the idea that if a teacher shows his students a Grecian urn, all polished and beautiful, that they’ll be able to make their own Grecian urns. This approach is doomed to failure. It simply doesn’t work.

This is why I’ve decided to write a research paper along with my students. Writing, almost literally in front of them, will let them see that the process of writing is challenging for even “experienced writers.” I also hope to encourage and inspire them to do their best.