•  Read some of the other “Mastectomy Poems” in The Crack in Everything that focus on different stages in Ostriker’s experience with the surgery, such as “The Bridge” (which chronicles her pre-op experience) and “Normal” (which depicts her struggle to adapt to the loss of a breast). Compare these other poems to “Mastectomy” in an essay, focusing on what Ostriker says about the different stages that women go through when they must deal with breast cancer and a mastectomy.

•  Write a poem or short story about the speaker’s life and attitude toward the surgery and her body ten years after the operation.

•  Interview women who have undergone a mastectomy and present a PowerPoint presentation on your findings about their experiences and views...