LIT 2000: Introduction to Literature
Reading about Reading: How We Evoke Meaning
Spring 2016
Heather Fox
Instructor Information
Office: CPR 321
Office Hours:
Email: heatherfox@mail.usf.edu
Website: http://heatherafox.weebly.com/
General Course Information
This is a 3 credit hour course. It carries no prerequisites. It is offered through the Department of
English in the School of Humanities, College of Arts and Sciences. The course meets [time,
days] in [room location].
Introduction to Literature is part of the University of South Florida’s Foundation of Knowledge
and Learning Core Curriculum. It is a writing-intensive course that is certified for the
Humanities core area and for the following dimensions: Critical Thinking, Inquiry-Based
Learning, Ethical Perspectives, Creative and Interpretive Processes and Experience.
This is a Gordon-Rule 6A Communications course. Students in this course will engage in writing
as a “process,” which means employing strategies such as pre-writing, co-authoring, document
design, peer feedback, revising, and editing. Students will learn how to develop ideas and texts
that follow academic/disciplinary conventions for different contexts, audiences, and purposes.
An integral part of writing instruction is the opportunity to revise documents in response to
feedback, so students will be required to revise at least some course writing assignments
(including one major assignment) after receiving feedback from the instructor. At a minimum,
students will write 4500 words for this course. Students must achieve a proficiency level of at
least C- in the course in order to receive Gordon Rule Communication credit.
Students enrolled in this course may be asked to participate in the USF General Education
Assessment effort. This might involve submitting copies of writing assignments for review,
responding to surveys, or participating in other measurements designed to assess the FKL Core
Curriculum Learning Outcomes.
Course Description
This course will introduce students to the literary art forms of prose, poetry, and drama. Students
will read representative selections of these three genres by a wide range of authors from various
historical periods and cultural contexts. They will develop the tools for reading and writing
critically about literature through the application of close reading and various “schools” of
literary criticism. They will develop an understanding of the creative processes involved in the
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production of literature. And they will develop an understanding of what it means to be human
and humane through an appreciation of literature as an expression of the human spirit.
This course is about reading. Of course, we all have been reading for a long time, constantly
decoding and encoding combinations of letters, words, phrases, and sentences in order to relate
to the world around us. But how often do we think about our process of reading and the ways in
which that process produces a certain reading or enables us to evoke individualized meaning? In
thinking about my own process of reading, I recognize two things: First, I am particularly fond of
narratives which challenge previous assumptions about myself or my relationship to others.
These challenges often help to either confirm or alter my future readings of texts. Second, I
notice that many of the writers I admire began their careers as journalists. On the surface, this
seems insignificant; but, when we think about how a journalist writes a news story, we become
aware that the telling of any narrative begins with observing and listening. In this course, I invite
you to observe and to listen, in order to consider your own process of reading and how this
process contributes to reading and writing about literature. The syllabus is organized in a way
that privileges the process of reading through observing, listening, deconstructing,
reconstructing, and connecting. However, it should be understood that individual and collective
reading processes are not limited to these approaches or these overlapping categories. We will
learn through reading and rereading texts from several genres, including autobiography, prose,
poetry, drama, visual art, and musical performance. In order to share our discoveries, we will
engage in class discussions, group projects and discussions, and various writing exercises. We
will think closely about how understanding our processes of reading connect us to the human
experience.
Course Objectives
 To investigate the formal elements of literature such as plot, character, style, tone,
language, symbol, allegory, myth, imagery, figures of speech, themes, and staging, and
their function in the creative process of producing prose, poetry, and drama.
 To learn some of the major schools of literary criticism and to learn to develop your own
skills at literary analysis, both in writing and orally.
 To read a representative selection of prose, poetry, and drama from various cultural and
historical periods and to explore the relationship of these selections to these contexts.
 To explore and evaluate human values and ethics as they are expressed in literary texts.
 To evaluate the process or reading to evoke meaning in a variety of texts.
Student Learning Outcomes
 Students will demonstrate knowledge of the formal elements of literature by providing
correct definitions of formal literary terms and by using them correctly in analytical
writing and oral exposition. (General Education Core Objective A3).
 Students will demonstrate understanding of the selected major schools of literary
criticism by using them correctly in analytical writing and oral exposition. (General
Education Core Objectives C1, C2, C5).
 Students will demonstrate an awareness and understanding of the significance of the
cultural and historical contexts that produced the selected literary texts. (General
Education Core Objectives A3, B3, C4, D4).
 Students will correctly demonstrate how human values and ethics in literary texts inform
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the behavior of individuals in their stance before others and the world. (General
Education Core Objectives A3, B3, E2).
General Course Requirements
This course uses an inquiry-based approach to instruction, in which your participation in both
class and group discussions is essential to learning. Occasionally, I may lecture on biography,
sociohistorical context, genre, or theory; but the majority of the class will be comprised of
exercises and discussions designed to connect your individual process of reading to our class’s
collective process of how we read and write about literature. In preparation for each class, you
must demonstrate evidence of active reading. This evidence will include observations and
questions about the text. Class texts may be found in The Norton Introduction to Literature,
Jhumpa Lahiri’s Unaccustomed Earth, and Pdfs in Canvas Modules each week. Unless otherwise
stated, you will be required to bring printed copies of the texts we are reading and discussing to
class. Each week you will be required to post to our course’s blog, Writing about Reading. The
assignments for the blog posts are listed in the syllabus and will be discussed in class at the
beginning of the week. Your blogs will form the basis for your reflective synthesis project,
which will replace the final exam. Additionally, you will be required to write one Very Short
Paper and one Short Paper. These literary analysis papers must be revised in response to peer
review and instructor feedback. Finally, you must attend an individual conference with your
instructor near the beginning of the semester and complete a self-evaluation near the middle of
the semester.
Required Texts
The Norton Introduction to Literature, Portable Edition. 11th ed. Ed. Kelly J. Mays. New York:
W. W. Norton, 2013.
Lahiri, Jhumpa. Unaccustomed Earth. New York: Vintage Books, 2008.
PDF documents in Canvas.
Students with Disabilities
Students in need of academic accommodations for a disability may consult with the office of
Students with Disabilities Services to arrange appropriate accommodations. Students are
required to give reasonable notice prior to requesting an accommodation. Contact SDS at 9744309 or www.sds.usf.edu. For more information about student responsibilities related to
disability accommodations, see http://www.asasd.usf.edu/Students.htm
Academic Grievance Procedures
If a serious issue or conflict arises, the student should first make an attempt to reach a
satisfactory resolution with the course instructor. It the instructor and student are unable to
resolve the situation to their mutual satisfaction, the student may, within three weeks of the
incident, file a letter of notification with Dr. Joyce Karpay, the Assistant to the Chair of the
English Department.
Academic Integrity
Students attending USF are awarded degrees in recognition of successful completion of
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coursework in their chosen fields of study. Each individual is expected to earn his/her degree on
the basis of personal effort. Consequently, any form of cheating on examinations or plagiarism
on assigned papers constitutes unacceptable deceit and dishonesty. Plagiarism is defined as
“literary theft” and consists of the unattributed quotation of the exact words of a published text,
or the unattributed borrowing of original ideas by paraphrase from a published text. On written
papers for which the student employs information gathered from books, articles, web sites, or
oral sources, each direct quotation, as well as ideas and facts that are not generally known to the
public at large, or the form, structure, or style of a secondary source must be attributed to its
author by means of the appropriate citation procedure. Only widely known facts and first-hand
thoughts and observations original to the student do not require citations. Citations may be made
in footnotes or within the body of the text. Plagiarism also consists of passing off as one’s own
another person’s work in part or in total.
A student who submits a plagiarized assignment will receive an “F” with a numerical value of
zero on the assignment, and the “F” shall be used to determine the final course grade. The
instructor has the right to assign the student a grade of F or FF (the latter indicating dishonesty)
in the course. An “FF” grade assigned to indicate academic dishonesty is reflected only on
internal records and prevents the student from repeating the course using the Grade Forgiveness
Policy. If a student who has been accused of academic dishonesty drops the course, the student’s
registration in the course may be reinstated until the issue is resolved. A student who is suspected
of cheating may not drop a course to avoid a penalty.
See http://www.usg.usf.edu/catalogs/0809/adadap.htm for USF’s definitions of plagiarism and its
policy on academic honesty. Consult with me if you have any questions about these issues.
The University of South Florida has an account with an automated plagiarism detection service
(Turn It In) which allows instructors to submit student assignments to be checked for plagiarism.
I reserve the right to submit assignments to this detection system. Assignments are compared
automatically with a huge database of journal articles, web articles, and previously submitted
papers. The instructor receives a report showing exactly how a student’s paper was plagiarized.
Attendance Policy
Each student uniquely contributes to our class reading experience and his/her absence detracts
from that experience. Nonetheless, unforeseen circumstances sometimes occur and necessitate a
student’s absence. In LIT 2000, students are allowed up to two absences for any reason. Three or
more absences will result in a penalty to the final grade. Please be aware that this policy does not
distinguish between “excused” and “nonexcused” absences. Additionally, class exercises cannot
be made-up. As a general rule, if you miss a class, you also miss the work associated with the
class.
Please respect your classmates and instructor by getting to class on time. Frequent late arrivals
and/or early departures will be recorded as an absence.
Late work (other than classwork due to an absence) will be penalized a letter grade for every 124 hours the assignment is late. Electronic submissions will be documented through Canvas.
Paper assignments must be submitted to my mailbox in the English department (CPR 358) or
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directly given to me in my office (CPR 321). Late work will not be accepted after 72 hours past
the assignment deadline.
Students who anticipate the necessity of being absent from class due to the observation of a
major religious observance must provide notice of the date(s) to the instructor, in writing, by the
second class meeting. Should an examination or the due date for an assignment fall on one of
these dates, I will make arrangements with you for a make-up exam or an alternate date for
submission of written work.
Additionally, please alert me in advance regarding documented absences for court imposed legal
obligations (jury duty, court subpoena, etc.), military duty, or USF athletics’ participation.
Technology Requirement
LIT 2000 requires consistent access to the Internet, Canvas, word processing, a laptop, and a
printer. Not having access to a computer will not be an acceptable excuse for not having checked
the syllabus for homework or not having checked your USF email for class announcements.
Additionally, this course requires students to regularly print Pdf documents in Canvas. As a
resource, USF students have access to free printing (up to $2.50 a day) and computer use in the
library, campus computer labs, and the Marshall Center.
Email
Your instructor regularly checks her email and responds to most emails within 48 hours. Emails
will be answered Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. In order to lessen wait time for email
responses, please be sure to check the syllabus and Canvas Modules before asking questions
about assignments. Oftentimes, students’ questions have already been addressed through course
communications. Additionally, you may use the Canvas People link to email a classmate. It is
good practice to establish an email link with a fellow classmate in your each of your classes for
assignment clarification, instructions missed due to an absence, or other procedural questions.
When sending an email to your instructor, you should use the following procedures:
 Always use your USF email or Canvas account.
 Be sure to note the reason for the email in the subject heading. Example: “appointment
request”
 Begin the email with a professional greeting (such as “Dear”) and end the email with an
appropriate salutation before signing your name (such as “Best,” or “Sincerely”).
 Professional emails are not text messages. It is important to write in complete sentences,
following grammar, punctuation, and capitalization rules.
 Any attached documents should be sent as Word docs or pdfs.
Good Practice Policies
A positive learning environment is important for students and instructors. Please observe these
“good practice” policies as common courtesies, which apply to the classroom as well as other
work environments:
 Turn off or silence cell phones before class begins.
 Ask for your instructor’s permission and guidelines before using your laptop in class.
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Provide constructive criticism to help peers improve their work. Disrespectful or
disruptive behavior and comments will not be tolerated, online or in person.
Submit academic-appropriate work. Any work with intentionally inflammatory or
offensive material is unacceptable.
Ask when you feel that an assignment or procedure requires further clarification. If your
individual concerns cannot be adequately addressed in class, visit your instructor during
her office hours or make an appointment.
Ask permission prior to recording class lectures or discussions. Students are not
permitted to sell notes or tapes of class lectures.
When possible, become involved in your college community. I will post announcements
about lectures and readings throughout the semester, but you can also use this link to stay
informed (http://webcal.forest.usf.edu/cal/main/showEventList.rdo).
If any behaviors interfere with instruction, whether in the classroom or online, your
instructor will then follow Disruption of Academic Process policies from the USF
Handbook.
Student Resources
USF Writing Center: http://www.lib.usf.edu/writing/
USF Library: http://www.lib.usf.edu/
USF Digital Media Commons: http://www.lib.usf.edu/digital-studio/
Plagiarism Information: http://fyc.usf.edu/Policies/Plagiarism%20Main.aspx
Students with Disabilities Services: http://www.asasd.usf.edu/
USF Counseling Center: http://usfweb2.usf.edu/counsel/
USF Advocacy Program: http://www.sa.usf.edu/ADVOCACY/page.asp?id=72
Emergency Plans
In the event of an emergency, it may be necessary for USF to suspend normal operations. During
this time, USF may opt to continue delivery of instruction through methods that include but are
not limited to Canvas, Elluminate, Skype, e-mail messaging and/or an alternate schedule. It’s the
responsibility of the student to check for communication from their instructor and / or the
university.
Grading
Participation, Preparation, and Class Exercises
Weekly Blog Posts
Very Short Paper
Short Paper
Peer Review
Reflective Synthesis
Conference
Midsemester Self-Evaluation
15%
25%
10%
20%
10%
10%
5%
5%
A grade of “I” will be awarded only in the case of a medical or family emergency and, in
conjunction with University policy, only when a small portion of the student’s work is
incomplete and only when the student is otherwise earning a passing grade.
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Students may not take this course S/U.
Letter grades, including plus and minus grades, will be converted to points according to the
Grade Point Average grading system, as follows:
A+ (97–100) 4.00
A (94–96.9) 4.00
A– (90–93.9) 3.67
B+ (87–89.9) 3.33
B (84–86.9) 3.00
B– (80–83.9) 2.67
C+ (77–79.9) 2.33
C (74–76.9) 2.00
C– (70–73.9) 1.67
D+ (67–69.9) 1.33
D (64–66.9) 1.00
D– (60–63.9) 0.67
It is up to each student to check on his or her grade deduction due to lateness or absences.
Remember that your final percentage in the Canvas gradebook will not reflect deductions due to
lateness or absences.
If any student has missed enough class work to prevent him or her from successfully completing
the course requirements,(i.e. has failed to turn in one or more major assignments or acquired
enough absences to impact their final grade by one whole letter grade), instructors will
recommend that the student drop the course.
Mid and End of Semester Teacher Evaluations
In the middle of the semester and during the last three weeks of the semester, your instructor will
ask you to complete an online teacher evaluation. These evaluations are used to assess the
teaching of this course so that future adjustments may be made in order to best meet the learning
needs of the students.
Class Participation, Preparation, and Exercises (15%)
In preparation for each class, you will be required to actively read the assigned text(s). This
includes primary and secondary and/or supplementary reading materials. Evidence of your active
reading includes writing notes in the margins about your observations and questions,
highlighting or underlining significant lines, and looking up unfamiliar words in a dictionary.
Specific guidelines will be outlined for active reading during the first week of class. You will be
required to come to each class with active reading “evidence” and this will constitute a large
portion of your preparation grade. Additionally, there may be in-class and out-of-class exercises
as part of our work together. Finally, you will be expected to remain fully engaged during class
and group discussion.
Writing about Reading Blog Posts (25%)
Thinking closely about how we learning is just as important as thinking about what we learn.
Therefore, this course has developed a blogging space for examining the process of reading. You
should think of each post as a personal narrative on your reading experiences in this course.
Each week, students will be required to post to Writing about Reading, our course’s blog:
lit2000.blogspot.com. Each student will have his/her own password protected page, and each
blog assignment will relate to the week’s focus. These posts will include written text, as well as
other media, such as photographs, videos, etc. The assignment for each blog post will be briefly
outlined underneath each week’s heading in the course schedule. However, since most of these
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posts require explanation and will often begin as a class exercise, it is important not to work
ahead on this assignment.
Writing about Reading blog posts are designed as a specific kind of reflective assignment, which
will serve to trace a student’s learning about his/her own process or reading. Posts should not be
written as text messages or Facebook posts. For the purposes of this course, students should
carefully proofread and revise posts like any other academic assignment. In fact, I strongly
suggest that you compose and edit in Word and, then, copy and paste your work in the blog.
Each week, blog posts will be due no later than Saturday at midnight. Blog posts will receive full
credit if they fully respond to each week’s assignment and follow usage and style rules for
academic writing. Each post will be worth 25 points.
Very Short Paper (10%)
Students will choose one poem from a list of poems provided by the instructor. These poems will
not have been discussed in class previously. Students will actively read and reread the poem, as
we have practiced in class. While reading, students should think carefully about what they
observe and hear, underline significant words or phrases, write notes and questions in the
margins, and look up unfamiliar words and/or context. In other words, students should respond
to the following questions: What does this poem say; What does this poem mean, and What is the
significance of its meaning. After identifying one line or phrase in the poem that evokes the most
significant meaning for the reader’s understanding of the poem, students will construct a
verifiable argument about the poem using textual evidence to support their claim. No secondary
readings will be necessary for this assignment. Students will submit a rough draft electronically
to Canvas AND a paper copy in class of 800 words for peer review and instructor feedback.
Paper copies of rough drafts must include a copy of the text with evidence of active reading.
Using peer and instructor feedback, students will revise the paper and submit a final draft of
1,000-1,200 words. Canvas and paper final draft submissions will be accompanied by a cover
page (100-150 words), which explains how the student’s understanding of the poem evolved
through a process of rereading and writing about it. The Very Short Paper assignment will be
graded using the following rubric:
Very Short Paper Rubric
Assignment
Requirements
Literary Analysis
50%
Focus
25%
Structure
15%
The following are minimum requirements for receiving a grade: The paper
demonstrates a close reading of the poem and adheres to the word count.
Submissions include evidence of active reading (rough draft) or process of reading
cover letter (final draft). Final drafts are revised significantly, using peer and
instructor feedback.
The literary analysis demonstrates a process of reading and rereading. One line,
phrase, or word is identified and used to construct a focused reading of the poem.
This reading is supported by a sufficient amount of textual evidence (quotes and
paraphrase) and developed by response, in order to thoroughly address what the
poem means and the significance of that meaning. The paper privileges specific
textual support and response-based reasoning over general summary-based
reasoning when constructing and developing the argument.
The paper asserts an argument (thesis) about the significance of the poem’s
meaning, and this argument is clearly identified in the introduction. Subsequent
body paragraphs use evidence and response, which directly relates to the thesis.
The essay guides the reader through the process of a critical reading. It is comprised
of an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The introduction provides
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Form and Mechanics
10%
context and identifies a thesis. Body paragraphs use clearly-stated topic sentences to
develop the thesis further. Evidence and response serve to support this development.
The conclusion emphasizes the significance of the thesis in terms of the essay’s
development of evidence and response.
Evidence is integrated into body paragraphs through the use of context and
transitions. Direct quotes and paraphrased text are cited using parenthetical
documentation in MLA format. The paper is effectively written with little to no
notable errors in usage and style.
Short Paper (20%)
Students will choose one literary text from a list provided by their instructor. These texts will not
have been discussed in class previously. Like the Very Short Paper, students will begin by
actively reading and rereading the chosen text in order to determine what it says, what it means,
and how its meaning is significant to the reader. However, unlike the first paper assignment,
students must also use two secondary readings, including theoretical approaches and/or historical
and cultural context in class documents and other primary texts discussed in class in order to
fully develop their close readings. Short Papers should make appropriate use of relevant formal
literary terms, use MLA parenthetical documentation for citing sources, and include a Works
Cited page. Students will submit a rough draft (electronically to Canvas and a paper copy in
class) of 1,000 words for peer review and instructor feedback. As part of the rough draft paper
submission, students must include evidence of active reading. Using instructor and peer
feedback, students will revise the paper and submit a final draft of 2,000-3,000 words. Canvas
and paper final draft submissions will be accompanied by a cover page (100-150 words), which
explains how the student’s understanding of the text evolved through a process of rereading and
writing about it. The Short Paper will be graded using the following rubric:
Short Paper Rubric
Assignment
Requirements
Literary Analysis
50%
Focus
20%
Structure
20%
The following are minimum requirements for receiving a grade: The paper includes
both a close reading of a primary text and a minimum of two secondary texts. The
paper adheres to the word count and includes a Works Cited page. Submissions
include evidence of active reading (rough draft) or process of reading cover letter
(final draft). Final drafts are revised significantly, using peer and instructor
feedback.
The literary analysis demonstrates a process of reading and rereading, beginning
with a close reading of a primary text and developed by secondary readings, such as
theoretical approaches and/or sociohistorical context. Both the primary and
secondary texts are used as evidence to support a focused reading of the text.
Evidence is thoroughly developed in terms of the essay’s argument about the
significance of the text’s meaning. The paper privileges specific textual support and
response-based reasoning over general summary-based reasoning when constructing
and developing the argument. Relevant formal literary terms are used appropriately.
The paper asserts an argument (thesis) about the significance of the poem’s
meaning, and this argument is clearly identified in the introduction. Subsequent
body paragraphs use evidence and response, which directly relates to the thesis.
The essay guides the reader through the process of a critical reading. It is comprised
of an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The introduction provides
context and identifies a thesis. Body paragraphs use clearly-stated topic sentences to
develop the thesis further. Evidence and response serve to support this development.
The conclusion emphasizes the significance of the thesis in terms of the essay’s
development of evidence and response.
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Form and Mechanics
10%
Transitions connect multiple ideas relating to the thesis. Evidence is integrated into
body paragraphs by identifying and contextualizing the sources prior to introducing
direct quotes and paraphrase. Direct quotes and paraphrased text are cited using
parenthetical documentation in MLA format. A Works Cited page directly follows
the essay and adheres to MLA format. The paper is effectively written with little to
no notable errors in usage and style.
Peer Review (10%)
Students will be required to complete two peer reviews for this course in Canvas: one for the
Very Short Paper and one for the Short Paper. The instructor will assign each student a peer’s
paper to review. The reviewer (and not the reviewee) will be graded. Peer reviews that follow
usage and style standards for academic writing and respond to the work using thorough
responses, including (but not limited to) the use of specific examples from the paper to support
suggestions, will receive full credit. Peer reviews should follow Good Practice Policies.
Reflective Synthesis (10%)
Using blog posts from Writing about Reading, students will reflect on their understanding of
their process of reading from the beginning of the semester through the end of this course. The
Reflective Synthesis should draw upon excerpts from the reader’s most meaningful posts
throughout the semester and should connect those excerpts to a clearly-stated argument, which
traces and organizes the key components of a student’s understanding of his/her process of
reading throughout the semester. This culminating project will comprise the final post to the
Writing about Reading blog and will replace the final exam. The Reflective Synthesis, therefore,
should not be a reiteration of previous experience but should use elements of past blogs as
evidence to support and develop the argument. In addition to blog posts, students may use a
variety of other class writings, including (but not limited to) discussion notes, paper assignments,
primary and secondary course texts, and/or other writing exercises completed during this course.
The reflective synthesis should be 1,000-1,500 words and must be submitted electronically to
Canvas. Paper copies are not required for this assignment.
Conference (5%)
Students will be required to attend one conference with their instructor near the beginning of the
semester.
Midsemester Self-Evaluation (5%)
Students will be required to complete a brief self-evaluation in Canvas near the midpoint of the
course. The purpose for this is to help students identify successes and possible areas for
improvement before the end of the semester in order to help students best achieve their academic
goals for this course.
Course Schedule
*This course schedule is a flexible plan and is subject to change throughout the semester.
Readings from the textbook are identified as (Norton) and readings found in Canvas
Modules are identified as (PDF). PDFs must be printed, unless otherwise noted in the
syllabus.
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Week 1: Observing Reading Memories
Writing about Reading Reading Memories: Post reading memory (250-300 words).
Tuesday
Introduce:
 Course and Syllabus
 Writing about Reading Blog
Rick Bragg, “Redbirds,” Prologue to All Over but the Shoutin’ (PDF, print copy not required)
Exercise: Reading Memories
Thursday
Introduce:
 Patricia Strong, Preparing for an Inquiry-Based Course (PDF, print copy not required)
 Edgar Dale, “The Critical Reader” (PDF, print copy not required)
 Active Reading Preparation Requirements for LIT 2000 (PDF, print copy not required)
Read before Class:
 Frederick Douglass, from Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave
(1845), chapters 6 and 7 (PDF or USF library etext)
 Billy Collins, “Introduction to Poetry” (PDF)
 Li-Young Lee, “Living with Her” (PDF), “Mnemonic” (PDF), and “Persimmons”
(Norton)
Week 2: Observing Perspective
Writing about Reading What I See: Post photograph and observations (150-200 words).
Tuesday
Read before Class:
 Eudora Welty, “A Memory” (PDF)
 Katherine Anne Porter, Eudora Welty and A Curtain of Green (PDF, print copy not
required)
 Margaret Atwood, “This is a Photograph of Me” (PDF) and “Death of a Young Son by
Drowning” (Norton)
Thursday
Introduce: USF Contemporary Art Museum Observation Assignment (3821 USF Holly Dr., 10
a.m. - 5 p.m.). Observation sheet due Week 3, Tuesday.
Read before Class:
 Susan Glaspell, Trifles (Norton)
 Elaine Showalter, “Susan Glaspell” in “The Golden Morrow,” A Jury of Her Peers (PDF,
print copy not required)
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Week 3: Observing in a Different Light
Writing about Reading What You See and What You Might Not Have Seen [two parts]:
Describe your observations at the USF Contemporary Art Museum, using your observation
recordings handout. (200-250 words)
Tuesday
Due: USF Contemporary Art Museum observations
Read before Class:
 Emily Dickinson, “She dealt her pretty words like Blades,” “Tell all the Truth but tell it
slant,” “Because I could not stop for Death,” “Wild Nights—Wild Nights!” (Norton),
“There’s a Certain Slant of light” (PDF)
 William Carlos Williams, “This Is Just to Say,” “The Dance,” “The Red Wheelbarrow”
(Norton)
Thursday
Introduce:
 Very Short Paper assignment. Rough Draft due Tuesday, Week 4.
 Conference Sign-Ups for Week 3. Students should come to conferences with a copy of
the poem selection for Very Short Paper, evidence of active reading, and any assignment
questions.
Read before Class:
 Writing about Literature-Paraphrase, Summary, Description (Norton)
 William Faulkner, “A Rose for Emily” (Norton)
Week 3: Observing to Record and Report
Writing about Reading Taking Stock of Observations: Reflect on your observations about
your process of reading the texts in this course so far. What has confirmed and/or challenged
your initial assumptions about how you read? Reference at least two specific course readings in
your post. (250-300 words)
Tuesday
Read before Class:
 Writing about Literature – Getting Started, Planning (Norton)
 Herman Melville, Bartleby the Scrivener (Norton)
Thursday
Read before Class:
 Rebecca Harding Davis, Life in the Iron Mills (etext)
 Writing about Literature – Drafting (Norton)
Week 4: Listening to a Process of Reading
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Writing about Reading Hearing the Reading Process: Post a summary of the most significant
observations about your process of reading after the class exercise (150-200 words).
Tuesday ***No reading assignment due before class.
Due: Very Short Paper rough drafts. Submit to Canvas AND in-class (paper copy).
Introduce: Peer Review. Peer Reviews due Thursday at midnight in Canvas.
Read in Class:
 Writing about Literature-Revising (Norton)
 Excerpts from Samuel Beckett, “Cascando” [poem], Cascando [drama], Words and
Music: A Piece for Radio, and Act without Words (etext and PDF, print copy not
required)
 Grant, Stephan-Brook, Samuel Beckett’s Radio Plays (etext)
Thursday
Due: (midnight) Peer Reviews. Electronic submission to Canvas.
Read before Class:
 Mary Oliver, “Wild Geese,” “Alligator Poem,” “The Lilies Break Open Over the Dark
Water” (PDF)
 Helen Chasin, “The Word Plum” (Norton) and “Joy Sonnet in a Random Universe”
(PDF, print copy not required)
 Gerard Manley Hopkins, “Spring and Fall,” “God’s Grandeur,” “Pied Beauty” (Norton)
Week 5: Listening to Voices
Writing about Reading Listening to a Voice: Post your written response to our class reading
exercise (word count will vary but should be at least 150 words).
Tuesday
Read before Class:
 Eudora Welty, “Where Is the Voice Coming From?” (PDF)
 Ernest J. Gaines, from A Lesson Before Dying, chapters 1-2 (PDF)
Read in Class:
 Claude McKay, “If We Must Die” (PDF) and “The White House” (Norton)
Thursday
Read before Class:
 Walt Whitman, from Song of Myself “I Celebrate Myself and Sing Myself,” “Facing
West from California’s Shores” and “I Hear America Singing” (Norton)
 T. S. Eliot, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” (Norton) and “Preludes” (PDF)
Week 6: Listening to How Voices Tell It
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Writing about Reading Oral Histories, Part I: Record the history of a significant reading event
in your life. This record must be different from your Reading Memories post but may include an
experience in this course or a previous reading experience. Post recording to blog. You do not
need to provide a transcript.
Tuesday
Introduce: Oral History Project Assignment. Meet in library, special collections on Thursday.
Read before Class:
 James E. Seaver, from A Narrative of the Life of Mrs. Jemison, chapters 1-3 (etext)
 Zitkala-Ša, “Impressions of an Indian Childhood” and “The Schooldays of an Indian
Girl” from American Indian Stories (etext)
Thursday
USF Library, Special Collections: Oral Histories
Week 7: Deconstructing What We See and Hear
Writing about Reading Oral Histories, Part II: Report on your Oral History Project. Begin
your post with a title, which includes the name of the speaker and the primary purpose and/or
argument of his/her telling of his/her story. Deconstruct what you observe about what you hear in
terms of perspective and historical context? How do your previous reading experiences affect
the way you understand this person’s oral history? What have you learned about your process of
reading from listening to and analyzing oral histories?
Tuesday
Introduce:
 Self-Evaluations. Due Thursday in Canvas.
 Short Paper Assignment. Proposal and active reading evidence due Thursday. Rough
draft due Thursday, Week 8.
Read before Class:
 Writing about Literature – Elements of the Essay (Norton)
 Wallace Stevens, “Anecdote of the Jar” (Norton), “The Idea of Order at Key West”
(PDF), “Not Ideas About the Thing but the Thing Itself” (PDF), “The Reader” (PDF)
 Robert Frost, “Design” and “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” (Norton)
Thursday
Due:
 (9 a.m. to Canvas) Self-Evaluation
 Short Paper proposal + evidence of active reading
Introduce: Paper copies of two body paragraphs and introduction (or introduction outline) due in
class on Tuesday.
Workshop: Short Paper Proposal
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Read before Class:
 Guy De Maupassant, “The Jewelry” (Norton)
 Writing about Literature – The Research Essay (Norton)
Week 8: Deconstructing Representations
Writing about Reading Deconstructing Reading: Choose one text from our readings this week
and focus on one scene from that text. Sketch the scene and upload a picture of it to the blog.
Then, deconstruct your process of reading of that scene. How does your initial reading
compare/contrast to our class’s collective reading experience of that same scene? (250-300
words)
Tuesday
Due: two body paragraphs for Short Paper and introduction (or introduction outline)
Introduce: Source Summaries assignment. Summarize three of the secondary sources used in the
Short Paper rough draft. (50-100 words each) Due Thursday.
Workshop: body paragraphs
Read before Class:
 Katherine Anne Porter, “The Grave” (PDF)
 Katherine Anne Porter, “I Must Write from Memory” (PDF, print copy not required)
Thursday
Due: three source summaries
Workshop: bibliography mining
Read before Class:
 Charlotte Perkins Gilman, “The Yellow Wallpaper” (Norton)
 Charlotte Perkins Gilman, “Why I Wrote the Yellow Wallpaper” (etext, print copy not
required)
Week 9: Reconstructing What We Deconstruct
Writing about Reading No blog assignment this week. Work on Short Paper final draft.
Tuesday *No reading assignment due before class.
Due: Short Paper rough drafts. Electronically submitted to Canvas and in class (print).
Introduce: Peer Reviews assigned in Canvas. Due Thursday at midnight.
Workshop: subclaim notecards + skeleton exercise
Read in Class:
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
Adrienne Rich, “Diving into the Wreck,” “Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers,” “At a Bach Concert,”
“History” (Norton)
Thursday
Due: (midnight) Peer Reviews in Canvas
Workshop: Quotation, Citation, Documentation
Read before Class:
 Writing about Literature – Quotation, Citation, and Documentation (Norton)
 Gabriel García Márquez, “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” (Norton)
Week 10: Reconstructing as a Mapping Process
Writing about Reading Mapping Reading Experiences: Create a map representation of your
reading experience, charting significant reading experiences that have influenced how you read.
There should be 5-10 points on your map, but its design is up to you. You may choose to sketch
this map and upload a picture of it to the blog; or you may choose to use electronic mapping
software and post the link to your blog. All maps should be accompanied by a brief description
(3-5 sentences).
Tuesday
Reminder: Short Paper final drafts due Thursday.
Read before Class:
 Tim O’Brien, “The Things They Carried” (PDF)
 Wilfred Owen, “Strange Meeting” (Norton)
Thursday
Due: Short Paper Final Drafts. Submit electronically to Canvas AND in class (print copy).
Read before Class:
 Robinson Jeffers, “The Deer Lay Down Their Bones” and “Vulture” (PDF)
 Natasha Trethewey, “Pilgramage” and “Myth” (Norton)
 Elizabeth Bishop, “Sestina” and “Exchanging Hats” (Norton); “At the Fishhouses” (PDF)
Week 11: Connecting to the Self
Writing about Reading Reader Response: Post reading response exercise. Download or
cut/paste a copy of the one of the following short texts (available in Norton) into a Word doc:
Jamaica Kincaid’s “Girl” or William Wordsworth’s “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud.” Either use
a different color ink or font to differentiate between your words and the text. Word counts will
vary.
Tuesday
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Introduce: Reader Response blog exercise.
Read before Class:
 Kate Chopin, “The Story of an Hour” (Norton)
Thursday
Read before Class:
 Sylvia Plath, “Lady Lazarus” and “Barren Woman” (Norton)
 Toni Morrison, from A Mercy, pp. 139-158 (PDF)
Week 12: Connecting through Sociohistorical Contexts
Writing about Reading Ethnography Project: Upload a video or recording which situates a
reading experience ethnographically. This may be a personal reading experience or a reading
experience you observe. In other words, capture the cultural context of a reading experience.
Describe what you “capture” in 100-150 words.
Tuesday
Read before Class:
 Anton Chekhov, The Cherry Orchard (etext)
Thursday
Read before Class:
 Zora Neale Hurston, Color Struck (etext, print copy not required)
 Zora Neale Hurston, selections from Mules and Men (etext, print copy not required)
Week 13: Connecting through Empathy
Writing about Reading Patterns: After rereading your blog post from Week 11 (Reader
Response) and scanning the semester’s posts, identify 3-5 broad categories of response. In other
words, how do you best (or most often) connect to the reading of a text? What kinds of patterns
emerge in your process of reading? (250-300 words).
Tuesday
Introduce: Reflective Synthesis. Due to Canvas by Tuesday of Final Exam week.
Read before Class:
 James Joyce, “Araby” (Norton)
Thursday:
 Jhumpa Lahiri, “Once in a Lifetime” from Unaccustomed Earth, Part Two: Hema and
Kaushik
Week 14: Connecting Environment
Writing about Reading Reading Environment: Describe your most productive reading
“environment.” This may be a physical or a psychological space. This may be an actual or an
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imaginary space. What is it about this “environment” that makes it conducive to reading? (150200 words). Add a photograph or representative illustration to this post.
Tuesday
Read before Class:
 Jhumpa Lahiri, “Year’s End” from Unaccustomed Earth, Part Two: Hema and Kaushik
Thursday
Read before Class:
 Jhumpa Lahiri, “Going Ashore” from Unaccustomed Earth, Part Two: Hema and
Kaushik
Week 15: Final Exam Week
Due: Reflective Synthesis. Submitted to Canvas by Tuesday (midnight)
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