Through unique and sometimes disturbing subject matter and presentation, many artists intentionally shock or jolt their audiences by creating "alien" texts that differ drastically from the typical approach. Ironically, the author’s attempt to alienate his readers can actually produce the opposite effect; people can unite as a result of their common experiences of alienation. In this unit, we will examine artists who purposefully craft their works to achieve certain effects, violate the status quo, and challenge their audiences to gain new perspectives. Through exposure to unique methods of presentation in diverse media, students will be inspired to adopt more creative approaches to writing and will be permitted to rebel in a constructive way. We will read works by John Barth, Donald Barthelme, Raymond Carver, and Franz Kafka as well as examine art by Norman Rockwell, Mark Rothko, M.C. Escher, and more. Each story contains discussion questions relating to content and style for exploration in small groups. Students will be encouraged to discuss their own feelings of alienation and may be comforted to discover that their classmates share similar experiences. For each story, the individual student will reflect on a related topic in journal form. In the final project, students will be able to choose from four writing prompts. They can conduct research and analysis of works by other artists and writers who employ innovative techniques or they can create and analyze their own non-traditional work.