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assignments ENGL226 Writing About Writing: AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Need to be in touch with me? 
LEE TORDA
310 Tillinghast Hall
Bridgewater State University
508.531.2436
ltorda@bridgew.edu
www.leetorda.com
FALL 2013 Office Hours
Monday & Wednesday: 3:30 to 4:30
Tuesday: 2:00 to 3:00
and by appointment.
Every semester that I assign this project, students complain about it. But, at the end of the semester, students almost always say that they feel that they learned more from this experience than they could have imagined. Additionally, some students have found mentors, help with publication, and advice and guidance on graduate schools and careers. Not every student will strike gold that way, but some of you will. By the end of the semester, you are responsible for interviewing an author of your choosing on the writing life. You will need to do a short write up, a summary of sorts, that hits the highlights of what you learned about making a living as a writer.

The hardest part of the assignment is getting an author to commit to an interview. You can try for a famous author if you want. Some simply won't do it. But I've seen students come away with some big scores--two years ago someone got an interview with Jodie Picoult. However you feel about her writing, she is a very busy, best-selling author, and she still agreed to an interview.  You can't use a published interview or an FAQ from an author's website to stand in for an interview. You must have either a face-to-face, phone, or email conversation.

Many authors do have websites, and that is a good way to be in touch with them. You should probably send them the link to this course's website so that they know you aren't some creep trying to do something shady. You can cc me on emails if you think that helps. Published but not necessarily hugely famous authors are often good bets. You can do a BSU faculty member if you absolutely want to, but I'd prefer something with farther reach. You are not restricted to any particular genre. Anyone who calls him  or herself a writer--a technical writer, a grant writer, a journalist, a screenplay writer, a greeting card writer, a novelist, a poet, whatever--is fine. If you have worries about who you are picking, just ask me. I'll certainly tell you.

On the day the interview is due, the last class before the portfolio is due, please come to class with a 2 to 3 page summary of your conversation--hit the high points of the interview. Please, also and if possible,  bring any notes or emails you have from the experience to turn in to me. Be prepared to present for about two minutes to your classmates on what you learned from your author.

Some things you might cover in your summary/presentation:The thing the writer said that you didn't expect;Things the writer said that either validates or contradicts stuff we talked about in class or stuff you just generally thought about writing;Things you learned about the writing life--the money involved, health insurance, literary prizes, joy, misery, success, publication.

If you cover all that, you'll be in good shape for two to three pages.

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  • Home
  • ENGL 226 policies
    • 226 Discussion Board space
    • ENGL 226 syllabus
    • ENGL 226 PORTFOLIO
    • ENGL 226 PARTNER INTERVIEW MINI-PAPER
    • ENGL226 READING JOURNALS (assignment)
    • 226 BLOG INFORMATION
    • ENGL 226 Writing Studies Timeline Project
    • ENGL 226 Professional Writing Project
    • ENGL 226 SUPER FAST CAREER PRESENTATIONS
    • ENGL 226 Writing As Art
  • Previously Taught Classes
    • ENGL 301 >
      • ENGL 301 SYLLABUS >
        • PARTNER INTERVIEW ENGL 301
      • ENGL 301 Discussion Board When We Need it
      • ENGL 301 PORTFOLIOS
      • ENGL 301 READING JOURNALS (assignment)
      • ENGL 301 INTERVIEW WITH A TEACHER (assignment)
      • ENGL 301 BOOK CLUB (assignment)
      • ENGL 301 FLASH MENTOR TEXT MEMOIR (assignment)
      • ENGL 301 RESEARCH IN TEACHING DIVERSE POPULATIONS (assignment) >
        • ENGL 301 RESEARCH IN TEACHING DIVERSE POPULATIONS (instructions & sample annotations)
      • ENGL 301 ASSIGNMENT DESIGN (assignment)
    • ENGL102 >
      • ENGL 102 Class Discussion Board
      • ENGL102SYLLABUS
      • ENGL102 PORTFOLIOS/Research Notebook
      • ENGL102 ASSIGNMENT: Class Profile Page
      • ENGL102 ASSIGNMENTS: Reading Journals
      • ENGL102 ASSIGNMENT: OVERVIEW OF RESEARCH PROJECT >
        • ENGL102 ASSIGNMENT: POSITIONING YOURSELF
        • ENGL102 ASSIGNMENT: Locating & Evaluating part I
    • ENGL 202 BIZ Com >
      • ENGL 202 Business Writing SYLLABUS
    • ENGL 227 INTRO TO CNF WORKSHOP
    • ENGL 298 Second Year Seminar: This Bridgewater Life
    • ENGL406 RESEARCH IN WRITING STUDIES
    • ENGL 493 THE PERSONAL ESSAY
    • ENGL 493 Seminar in Writing & Writing Studies: The History of First Year Composition >
      • ENGL 493 Assignments: Annotated Bibliography & Presentation
    • ENGL 511 Reading & Writing Memoir
    • DURFEE Engl101
  • BSU Homepage