syllabus ENGL493 Seminar in Writing & Writing Studies:
The History of the Personal Essay
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LEE TORDA 310 Tillinghast Hall Bridgewater State University 508.531.2436 ltorda@bridgew.edu www.leetorda.com |
Fall 2016 Office Hours:
M/W 11:30-12:30 T 11:00-12:00 and by appointment. Need to make an appointment? Click here: https://goo.gl/3CqLfo |
7 SEPTEMBER 2016
W Introduction to the Class.
12 SEPTEMBER 2016
M READ: “Once More to the Lake” page 473 in Making Of. IN-CLASS: work on what makes good reader’s notes. Please read the assignment information for Reader’s Notes & Enhanced Reader’s Notes on our course website.
W READ: “Charade” page 22 in Best American. DUE: First official set of Reader’s Notes (on Charade). Read my Reader's Notes here.
19 SEPTEMBER 2016
M READ: “Hydriotaphia, Urn Burial; or, A Discourse of the Sepulchral Urns Lately Found in Norfolk” page 185 in Lost Origins. DUE: Reader’s Notes. IN-CLASS: Work on Enhanced Reader’s Notes. Please re-read that assignment on our course website. Read my Reader's Notes here: hydriotaphia._reading_journal.19_september_2016.docx
W READ: “This Old Man” and “65” page 9 and page 65, respectively, in Best American. DUE: Reader’s Notes.
26 SEPTEMBER 2016
M DUE: Workshop draft of first Enhanced Reader’s Notes. IN-CLASS: Work on good workshopping practice, explanation of narrative evaluations.
W DUE: Draft of First Enhanced Reader’s Notes to turn in to me (Please include your workshop draft(s) along with your finished draft. READ: “The Crooked Ladder” page 98 in Best American. IN-CLASS: Discussion of the 3.5 Experiment. Please come to class having read the assignment information on this website.
3 OCTOBER 2016
M Class will not meet. Online Discussion on Class Occasional Blog available off of the syllabus page for this class. POST TO DISCUSSION BOARD: Your five paragraph essay version of "The Crooked Ladder." Additionally, please read and respond to at least one other person's five paragraph essay. For complete instructions, see our Class Occasional Blog by clicking here.
W READ: "Late Victorians" page 756, "On Being an American" page 506 both in The Art of The Personal Essay. IN-CLASS: Discussion of Midterm Portfolio. Bring to class an academic essay that you wrote for another class--it doesn't have to be an English class but certainly can be.
10 OCTOBER 2016
M Class canceled for Columbus Day Holiday
W READ: "Reflections on Indexing My Lynching Book" page 172 in Best American. Also, "To Leave Your Mother Tongue. . . " available here. DUE: Reader's Notes. IN-CLASS: Work in-class on transitioning your essay into a personal essay rather than an academic essay.
17 OCTOBER 2016
M READ: Your groups selected essays from Best American Essays and introduction and forward. DUE: Reader's Notes. IN-CLASS: Discussion & sign up for Best American presentations. Please read the Best American assignment information on this website.
GROUP ONE
"A Man and His Cat" page 150
"Stepping Out" page 185
"My Grandma the Poisoner" page 162
GROUP TWO
"Strange Days" page 35
"A Vision" page 45
"A Loud Proof Room" page 156
GROUP THREE
"Difference Maker" page 72
"Scenes from Negroland" page 124
"A Message to the Twenty-First Century" page 31
GROUP FOUR
"My Daughter and God" page 56
"It Will Look Like a Sunset" page 208
"My Uniform" page 205
GROUP FIVE
"Arrival Gates" page 198
"Find Your Beach" page 192
"Smuggler" page 135
W READ: Handout on Creative Nonfiction (to be emailed on Tuesday AM). DUE: Reading Journal: For today's reading journal, I have a very specific prompt. For today's class we are reading about CNF/The Personal Essay and not examples of personal essays. Based on the reading: what have you learned about the genre? Does this make you think differently about the essays we've read so far?
24 OCTOBER 2016
M Midterm Portfolio Workshop. DUE: Draft of second set of Enhanced Reader's Notes for Workshopping.
W Time in class to work on midterm portfolio cover letter. Time in class to work with group on Best American presentations.
31 OCTOBER 2016
M DUE: Midterm Portfolio.
W
7 NOVEMBER 2016
M
W Class does not meet. Due to the Veteran's Day holiday on 11 November 2016, Wednesday is a Friday schedule of classes. Wednesday classes will not meet.
14 NOVEMBER 2016
M
W
21 NOVEMBER 2016
M
W
28 NOVEMBER 2016
M
W
5 DECEMBER 2016
M
W Final Portfolio workshop part one. DUE: Workshop draft of Critic-at-Large.
12 DECEMBER 2016
M Final Portfolio workshop part two: DUE: Draft of third and final set of Enhanced Reader's Notes. Evaluations.
W Last Day of Fall Classes. DUE: Final Portfolio. You will have time in class to write your final portfolio cover letter.
FINAL EXAM PERIOD
Portfolios returned
W Introduction to the Class.
12 SEPTEMBER 2016
M READ: “Once More to the Lake” page 473 in Making Of. IN-CLASS: work on what makes good reader’s notes. Please read the assignment information for Reader’s Notes & Enhanced Reader’s Notes on our course website.
W READ: “Charade” page 22 in Best American. DUE: First official set of Reader’s Notes (on Charade). Read my Reader's Notes here.
19 SEPTEMBER 2016
M READ: “Hydriotaphia, Urn Burial; or, A Discourse of the Sepulchral Urns Lately Found in Norfolk” page 185 in Lost Origins. DUE: Reader’s Notes. IN-CLASS: Work on Enhanced Reader’s Notes. Please re-read that assignment on our course website. Read my Reader's Notes here: hydriotaphia._reading_journal.19_september_2016.docx
W READ: “This Old Man” and “65” page 9 and page 65, respectively, in Best American. DUE: Reader’s Notes.
26 SEPTEMBER 2016
M DUE: Workshop draft of first Enhanced Reader’s Notes. IN-CLASS: Work on good workshopping practice, explanation of narrative evaluations.
W DUE: Draft of First Enhanced Reader’s Notes to turn in to me (Please include your workshop draft(s) along with your finished draft. READ: “The Crooked Ladder” page 98 in Best American. IN-CLASS: Discussion of the 3.5 Experiment. Please come to class having read the assignment information on this website.
3 OCTOBER 2016
M Class will not meet. Online Discussion on Class Occasional Blog available off of the syllabus page for this class. POST TO DISCUSSION BOARD: Your five paragraph essay version of "The Crooked Ladder." Additionally, please read and respond to at least one other person's five paragraph essay. For complete instructions, see our Class Occasional Blog by clicking here.
W READ: "Late Victorians" page 756, "On Being an American" page 506 both in The Art of The Personal Essay. IN-CLASS: Discussion of Midterm Portfolio. Bring to class an academic essay that you wrote for another class--it doesn't have to be an English class but certainly can be.
10 OCTOBER 2016
M Class canceled for Columbus Day Holiday
W READ: "Reflections on Indexing My Lynching Book" page 172 in Best American. Also, "To Leave Your Mother Tongue. . . " available here. DUE: Reader's Notes. IN-CLASS: Work in-class on transitioning your essay into a personal essay rather than an academic essay.
17 OCTOBER 2016
M READ: Your groups selected essays from Best American Essays and introduction and forward. DUE: Reader's Notes. IN-CLASS: Discussion & sign up for Best American presentations. Please read the Best American assignment information on this website.
GROUP ONE
"A Man and His Cat" page 150
"Stepping Out" page 185
"My Grandma the Poisoner" page 162
GROUP TWO
"Strange Days" page 35
"A Vision" page 45
"A Loud Proof Room" page 156
GROUP THREE
"Difference Maker" page 72
"Scenes from Negroland" page 124
"A Message to the Twenty-First Century" page 31
GROUP FOUR
"My Daughter and God" page 56
"It Will Look Like a Sunset" page 208
"My Uniform" page 205
GROUP FIVE
"Arrival Gates" page 198
"Find Your Beach" page 192
"Smuggler" page 135
W READ: Handout on Creative Nonfiction (to be emailed on Tuesday AM). DUE: Reading Journal: For today's reading journal, I have a very specific prompt. For today's class we are reading about CNF/The Personal Essay and not examples of personal essays. Based on the reading: what have you learned about the genre? Does this make you think differently about the essays we've read so far?
24 OCTOBER 2016
M Midterm Portfolio Workshop. DUE: Draft of second set of Enhanced Reader's Notes for Workshopping.
W Time in class to work on midterm portfolio cover letter. Time in class to work with group on Best American presentations.
31 OCTOBER 2016
M DUE: Midterm Portfolio.
W
7 NOVEMBER 2016
M
W Class does not meet. Due to the Veteran's Day holiday on 11 November 2016, Wednesday is a Friday schedule of classes. Wednesday classes will not meet.
14 NOVEMBER 2016
M
W
21 NOVEMBER 2016
M
W
28 NOVEMBER 2016
M
W
5 DECEMBER 2016
M
W Final Portfolio workshop part one. DUE: Workshop draft of Critic-at-Large.
12 DECEMBER 2016
M Final Portfolio workshop part two: DUE: Draft of third and final set of Enhanced Reader's Notes. Evaluations.
W Last Day of Fall Classes. DUE: Final Portfolio. You will have time in class to write your final portfolio cover letter.
FINAL EXAM PERIOD
Portfolios returned