(tentative) syllabus ENGL489 Advanced Portfolio Workshop
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LEE TORDA, PHD Dean, Undergraduate Studies Associate Professor of English 200 Clement C. Maxwell Library 508.531.1790 “Let’s save pessimism for better times” --Eduardo Galeano (Who is Eduardo Galeano? ) |
Teaching Website: www.leetorda.com
[email protected] [email protected] www.leetorda.com Open Hours for students (office hours): By Appointment. Email me at [email protected] with times/days you'd like to meet, and I will respond within 24 hours. |
NOTE: ALL LINKS IN LIGHT BLUE ARE LIVE.
2 September 2026
Class Canceled (again, apologies)
9 September 2026
Delayed Introduction to the Course.
(last day to drop/add a class is 10 September 2026)
16 September 2026
DUE: Revise/Rethink proposal, hard copies to share with me. Short, in-class presentation of project “before” and proposed “after.” OVERVIEW: Interview with an author, Notes2theWorld, (if there is time) Reader's Notes Assignment. IN-CLASS: Letter writing, thinking about genre. BY THIS WEEKEND: Copies of your Revise/Rethink to your groupmates.
23 September 2026
READ: all of the Breaking News articles from Minnesota Star Tribune available on the Pulitzer Prize website by clicking here. All of the Local Reporting articles from the Connecticut Mirror & Pro Publica available on the Pulitzer Prize website by clicking here. The winning Feature Reporting from Texas Monthly available on the Pulitzer Prize website by clicking here.The winning Opinion Writing in the NYT available on the Pulitzer Prize website by clicking here. IN-CLASS: First small group workshops (revise/rethink). Make sure you’ve got two copies of your written comments–one for author and one for me. Also, if we don’t get to Reading Journals the week prior, in-class work on how to do reading journals.
Checklist for 23 September 2026
I thought if might be helpful to send a list of what is due this coming Wednesday. We are still in early days, and things that will feel normal and routine by December don't seem so now. And, also, I ended class in a bit of rush and did not take a moment to do this in class. Please also realize that as the semester goes on, I'll do this kind of thing less and less, but, for this Wednesday:
1) As is the case every week, you'll turn in your writer's notebook. Look at the description on the website (we went over it at great length in class) if you need the details. I know some folks turned one in and some didn't. Everyone should be turning this in this week.
2) Do the reading on the class syllabus: All of the Breaking News stories. All of the Local Reporting stories. There are a lot, but they are relatively fast and short. Read the Feature reporting piece--there is just one. And read a few (three is a good number) of the opinion writing pieces. All linked on the syllabus or you can just got to the Pulitzer website and you'll be able to find all of them there.
3) If you have not done so yet, make sure that your groupmates have a copy of your revise/rethink. Hopefully you figured how to make this happen when you met at the end of class on Wednesday.
4) Once you have your groupmates copies, you should read and comment on them. You should come to class with written comments for each member of your group. You should probably have in-text comments on the copy that you'll give back to your writer, but you should also have a 200-300 world "workshop letter." That summarizes the general idea of your comments. If you are struggling with how to write this, try to answer these two questions: what is working for you as a reader? What was not working for you--unnecessary, boring, confusing? Then, finally, what suggestions do you have for this writer to move this piece forward. That might include things you think might fix what is not working as well as suggestions/ideas for how to capitalize on the good things that are working. As you respond, do take into consideration the questions and concerns the writer has expressed to you--perhaps in your small groups but also in your You should expect to share those comments and discuss them in class. Remember that you need TWO COPIES of the comments. One you give to the writer and one you give to me so I can give you credit for the work.
Hope this helps you to keep everything straight. I'm really loving the letters you wrote. And I'm looking forward to seeing you all on Wednesday.
30 September 2026
READ: This article from The Yale Review “AI and the Future of Writing.” This article from The Chronicle of Higher Education "AI is Ruining Scholarship." Finally, This article "The Metacognitive Demands & Opportunities of Generative AI". LISTEN: to this podcast from Freakonomics “Can A.I Take a Joke?”. DUE: Reader's Notes, Writer's Notebook, to turn in to me. NOTES2THEWORLD post-it images posted to the Google Form available by clicking here.
7 October 2026
READ: This article "The Technical Communicator as Artist: Rhetorics, Aesthetics, and Form in the Workplace" , This article "Sorry but no sorry: The use and effects of apologies in airline webcare responses to NeWOM messages of flight passengers". This Blog article on Medium "The best Technical Writing examples from professionals" and this Blog "Unlocking Value: Understanding the importance in Technical Writing. WATCH: This TEDx Talk "How to Write Less but Say More | Jim VandeHei (CEO of Axios)" DUE: Reader's Notes, Writer's Notebook to turn in to me. NOTES2THEWORLD post-it images posted to the Google Form available by clicking here. IN-CLASS: Discussion of Final Project and what you need to do about it in the Final Portfolio.
14 October 2026
ONLINE CLASS. I'm away at a conference.
READ: TBA poetry selections in Pushcart Prize Collection. Read, also, This Article "A 2026 Survey of Poets " from The London Magazine. DUE: Reader's Notes, Writer's Notebook to turn in to me. NOTES2THEWORLD post-it images posted to the Google Form available by clicking here.
Also, FINAL WORKSHOP TIME in small groups.
21 October 2026
DUE: Midterm Portfolios with Revise/Rethink. Mini-presentations of Final Project ideas (be ready to get feedback in class). NO Writer's Notebook. NOTES2THEWORLD post-it images posted to the Google Form available by clicking here.
Overview of Professionalization Presentations. Sign up in Class.
28 October 2026
NOTES2THEWORLD post-it images posted to the Google Form available by clicking here.
4 November 2026
NOTES2THEWORLD post-it images posted to the Google Form available by clicking here.
11 November 2026
Veteran’s Day Observed. No classes.
18 November 2026
NOTES2THEWORLD post-it images posted to the Google Form available by clicking here.
25 November 2026
Start of Thanksgiving Holiday. No evening Classes (all day classes meet).
2 December 2026
NOTES2THEWORLD post-it images posted to the Google Form available by clicking here.
9 December 2026
Initial discussion of NOTES2THEWORLD assignment reflection (Due in Final portfolio).
16 December 2026 Final Exam Period. Red Chair Dinner.
2 September 2026
Class Canceled (again, apologies)
9 September 2026
Delayed Introduction to the Course.
(last day to drop/add a class is 10 September 2026)
16 September 2026
DUE: Revise/Rethink proposal, hard copies to share with me. Short, in-class presentation of project “before” and proposed “after.” OVERVIEW: Interview with an author, Notes2theWorld, (if there is time) Reader's Notes Assignment. IN-CLASS: Letter writing, thinking about genre. BY THIS WEEKEND: Copies of your Revise/Rethink to your groupmates.
23 September 2026
READ: all of the Breaking News articles from Minnesota Star Tribune available on the Pulitzer Prize website by clicking here. All of the Local Reporting articles from the Connecticut Mirror & Pro Publica available on the Pulitzer Prize website by clicking here. The winning Feature Reporting from Texas Monthly available on the Pulitzer Prize website by clicking here.The winning Opinion Writing in the NYT available on the Pulitzer Prize website by clicking here. IN-CLASS: First small group workshops (revise/rethink). Make sure you’ve got two copies of your written comments–one for author and one for me. Also, if we don’t get to Reading Journals the week prior, in-class work on how to do reading journals.
Checklist for 23 September 2026
I thought if might be helpful to send a list of what is due this coming Wednesday. We are still in early days, and things that will feel normal and routine by December don't seem so now. And, also, I ended class in a bit of rush and did not take a moment to do this in class. Please also realize that as the semester goes on, I'll do this kind of thing less and less, but, for this Wednesday:
1) As is the case every week, you'll turn in your writer's notebook. Look at the description on the website (we went over it at great length in class) if you need the details. I know some folks turned one in and some didn't. Everyone should be turning this in this week.
2) Do the reading on the class syllabus: All of the Breaking News stories. All of the Local Reporting stories. There are a lot, but they are relatively fast and short. Read the Feature reporting piece--there is just one. And read a few (three is a good number) of the opinion writing pieces. All linked on the syllabus or you can just got to the Pulitzer website and you'll be able to find all of them there.
3) If you have not done so yet, make sure that your groupmates have a copy of your revise/rethink. Hopefully you figured how to make this happen when you met at the end of class on Wednesday.
4) Once you have your groupmates copies, you should read and comment on them. You should come to class with written comments for each member of your group. You should probably have in-text comments on the copy that you'll give back to your writer, but you should also have a 200-300 world "workshop letter." That summarizes the general idea of your comments. If you are struggling with how to write this, try to answer these two questions: what is working for you as a reader? What was not working for you--unnecessary, boring, confusing? Then, finally, what suggestions do you have for this writer to move this piece forward. That might include things you think might fix what is not working as well as suggestions/ideas for how to capitalize on the good things that are working. As you respond, do take into consideration the questions and concerns the writer has expressed to you--perhaps in your small groups but also in your You should expect to share those comments and discuss them in class. Remember that you need TWO COPIES of the comments. One you give to the writer and one you give to me so I can give you credit for the work.
Hope this helps you to keep everything straight. I'm really loving the letters you wrote. And I'm looking forward to seeing you all on Wednesday.
30 September 2026
READ: This article from The Yale Review “AI and the Future of Writing.” This article from The Chronicle of Higher Education "AI is Ruining Scholarship." Finally, This article "The Metacognitive Demands & Opportunities of Generative AI". LISTEN: to this podcast from Freakonomics “Can A.I Take a Joke?”. DUE: Reader's Notes, Writer's Notebook, to turn in to me. NOTES2THEWORLD post-it images posted to the Google Form available by clicking here.
7 October 2026
READ: This article "The Technical Communicator as Artist: Rhetorics, Aesthetics, and Form in the Workplace" , This article "Sorry but no sorry: The use and effects of apologies in airline webcare responses to NeWOM messages of flight passengers". This Blog article on Medium "The best Technical Writing examples from professionals" and this Blog "Unlocking Value: Understanding the importance in Technical Writing. WATCH: This TEDx Talk "How to Write Less but Say More | Jim VandeHei (CEO of Axios)" DUE: Reader's Notes, Writer's Notebook to turn in to me. NOTES2THEWORLD post-it images posted to the Google Form available by clicking here. IN-CLASS: Discussion of Final Project and what you need to do about it in the Final Portfolio.
14 October 2026
ONLINE CLASS. I'm away at a conference.
READ: TBA poetry selections in Pushcart Prize Collection. Read, also, This Article "A 2026 Survey of Poets " from The London Magazine. DUE: Reader's Notes, Writer's Notebook to turn in to me. NOTES2THEWORLD post-it images posted to the Google Form available by clicking here.
Also, FINAL WORKSHOP TIME in small groups.
21 October 2026
DUE: Midterm Portfolios with Revise/Rethink. Mini-presentations of Final Project ideas (be ready to get feedback in class). NO Writer's Notebook. NOTES2THEWORLD post-it images posted to the Google Form available by clicking here.
Overview of Professionalization Presentations. Sign up in Class.
28 October 2026
NOTES2THEWORLD post-it images posted to the Google Form available by clicking here.
4 November 2026
NOTES2THEWORLD post-it images posted to the Google Form available by clicking here.
11 November 2026
Veteran’s Day Observed. No classes.
18 November 2026
NOTES2THEWORLD post-it images posted to the Google Form available by clicking here.
25 November 2026
Start of Thanksgiving Holiday. No evening Classes (all day classes meet).
2 December 2026
NOTES2THEWORLD post-it images posted to the Google Form available by clicking here.
9 December 2026
Initial discussion of NOTES2THEWORLD assignment reflection (Due in Final portfolio).
16 December 2026 Final Exam Period. Red Chair Dinner.