assignments ENGL493 Seminar in Writing & Writing Studies:
The History of the Personal Essay
Reader's Notes/Enhanced Reader's Notes
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Overview (Daily Reader's Notes): It has been my experience of late that students are sometimes reluctant to do the reading if they feel like they can get away with not doing this. While I expect this from my first year students, I am always saddened to know that this is the sentiment of some senior English Majors as well.
But, if you can't beat them: Reader's Notes serve as a measure of accountability to insure that the reading gets done and that class can run as it should. At the same time, it rewards students who do the work of the class by valuing your reading in tangible ways (your final grade).
Reader's Notes are 2 pages, double-spaced and typed documents that summarize and analyze the reading for the day in our class. You do not need to do two pages for each essay, but two pages for ALL of the reading for the day. If you want to write more, I don't object, but don't feel like writing more will improve your grade necessarily. I want you to write thoughtful things not a lot of words.
Here is what I want to see you writing and thinking about in the documents:
That's a lot of stuff to jam into two pages, and there were will be days in class where we read multiple essays. So you may find that you focus largely on one or two essays and only mention another--but you should make sure that I can tell that you have read all of the essays for the day.
These are informal documents. I will not be considering correctness of flair in your writing. You should think of comments on Notes as a conversation between you and me. If I'm not commenting in some capacity, it means I'm bored or just don't know what to say. But you shouldn't think of comments as punitive. These are also working documents in class, meaning that you should expect that at least some of your classmates will be reading your Notes.
Nuts & Bolts
Overview (Enhanced Reader's Notes): As the name implies, three times this semester you will take a set of Reader's Notes and expand and revise them into a more formal review/critique of one or more essay. The first Enhanced Notes will be on an essay we all read and write about. We'll do the work of drafting as a class so you can get a clear sense of what is expected of you.
After that, you will revise and expand two more sets of Notes. Which of your Notes you revise is up to you, though you will be required to do one set before midterm (for inclusion in the midterm portfolio) and one set after (for inclusion in the final portfolio). You should select Notes that you have an interest in expanding and have things to say about. If you think there is a set of Notes that you want to revise, let me know and I will comment on those Notes with an eye towards your revision. I, too, will occasionally suggest to you that you consider expanding a particular set of Notes--ones that I think have particular promise. If we are getting close to midterm or the end of the semester and you still don't have your Notes selected for the Enhanced project, let's sit down and talk about how to fix that.
Some Guidance in moving daily Notes to Enhanced Notes:
But, if you can't beat them: Reader's Notes serve as a measure of accountability to insure that the reading gets done and that class can run as it should. At the same time, it rewards students who do the work of the class by valuing your reading in tangible ways (your final grade).
Reader's Notes are 2 pages, double-spaced and typed documents that summarize and analyze the reading for the day in our class. You do not need to do two pages for each essay, but two pages for ALL of the reading for the day. If you want to write more, I don't object, but don't feel like writing more will improve your grade necessarily. I want you to write thoughtful things not a lot of words.
Here is what I want to see you writing and thinking about in the documents:
- What is the main argument of the various essays--what is the point, what is the theme, what does the author want you to know from reading the essay?
- How does the authors make their point? What is their methodology for convincing you? Do they tell a story? Report facts? Both? Do they use format an structure? Is it one giant metaphor? That kind of thing.
- What are the limitations of their arguments? What are they leaving out in order to make their point?How are they manipulating the reader? What fails to convince you?
- Finally, what do these essays say about the age, the era, the cultural moment they were written in? What does the writer seem to be commenting on or critiquing?
That's a lot of stuff to jam into two pages, and there were will be days in class where we read multiple essays. So you may find that you focus largely on one or two essays and only mention another--but you should make sure that I can tell that you have read all of the essays for the day.
These are informal documents. I will not be considering correctness of flair in your writing. You should think of comments on Notes as a conversation between you and me. If I'm not commenting in some capacity, it means I'm bored or just don't know what to say. But you shouldn't think of comments as punitive. These are also working documents in class, meaning that you should expect that at least some of your classmates will be reading your Notes.
Nuts & Bolts
- Single space your name and date in the upper left corner of your Notes.
- No need for a title.
- Typed, double-spaced, two pages in a reasonable font (10 or 12 point). Reasonable (1 inch) margins.
Overview (Enhanced Reader's Notes): As the name implies, three times this semester you will take a set of Reader's Notes and expand and revise them into a more formal review/critique of one or more essay. The first Enhanced Notes will be on an essay we all read and write about. We'll do the work of drafting as a class so you can get a clear sense of what is expected of you.
After that, you will revise and expand two more sets of Notes. Which of your Notes you revise is up to you, though you will be required to do one set before midterm (for inclusion in the midterm portfolio) and one set after (for inclusion in the final portfolio). You should select Notes that you have an interest in expanding and have things to say about. If you think there is a set of Notes that you want to revise, let me know and I will comment on those Notes with an eye towards your revision. I, too, will occasionally suggest to you that you consider expanding a particular set of Notes--ones that I think have particular promise. If we are getting close to midterm or the end of the semester and you still don't have your Notes selected for the Enhanced project, let's sit down and talk about how to fix that.
Some Guidance in moving daily Notes to Enhanced Notes:
- The questions I'd want you to consider for the Enhanced Notes are the same as the ones I've outlined for the daily Reader's Notes.
- You might elect to focus on one essay from a set of Notes, but are not obligated too.
- You are not required to include outside criticism in the Enhanced Notes. This is a sharp focus on explication.
- Enhanced Notes are more formal than daily Notes. I will consider your writing and the strength of your argument.
- Title Enhanced Notes as you would an essay.
- Enhanced Notes should be about 5 pages and no more than 7 pages long. Double-spaced of course, reasonable size font and margins.