The Art of Revision: Writing for Clarity - 08C:160:SCA
Spring 2013
Time and location:
Tuesdays 3:30 – 6:00 p.m.
220 North Hall
Instructor:
Ben Mauk (benjamin-mauk@uiowa.edu)
Mailbox/office: 102 Dey House.
Office hours by appointment in Dey House.
Course supervisor:
Lan Samantha Chang. 102 Dey House. 319-335-0416.
REQUIRED TEXTS
All required texts provided by instructor. Readings will be available in Dey House at least one week in
advance of class.
RECOMMENDED TEXTS
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
Exercises in Style by Raymond Queneau
American Heritage College Dictionary
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Revision is a way of seeing, or rather re-seeing, what a potential piece of work is and wants to be; of
achieving a different perspective from that of the writer of the initial draft; of having the courage to either
kill the lines you love, or risk everything for them; of developing a sense of narrative and aesthetic
shapes, and learning to abuse them; of discovering the words on the page anew every time, whether the
second or eleventh or hundredth. We will use this class to develop an improved understanding not only of
various drafting and revision techniques, but of the writing life in general.
We will engage in the close reading and analysis of selected short fiction, essays, craft manuals, letters,
poems, and novel excerpts. We will read pairings of work by Elizabeth Bishop and Rainer Maria Rilke,
Ovid and Auden, Donald Barthelme and George Saunders, Junot Diaz and James Baldwin, Lydia Davis
and Italo Calvino, and many others. We will write many short creative pieces, and revise some of them.
We will listen to music and watch cartoons.
COURSE EXPECTATIONS
For you: Each class I expect you to arrive having completed all readings and any assignments due that
day. I expect you to engage fully with the material under discussion and to put thought and effort into
your assignments. You should expect to work for two to three hours outside class for every in-class hour,
which amounts to five to seven-and-a-half hours of outside work every week.
For me: I will provide you with the information necessary to complete every assignment in this class. You
should never be surprised by my expectations for your work. I will make myself available to you for
individualized help or to address questions, concerns or criticism about the course. You are not graded on
the quality of your fiction, but rather on your commitment to the work and to our class community.
It’s important to remember that everyone in this class has a right to be heard, even if you disagree with
what's being said. Consider how your comments might be heard by someone of a different religion,
political persuasion, class, race, gender, sexual orientation, etc.
GRADING POLICY
If your participation shows enthusiasm, and your assignments suggest dedication and improvement—you
will earn an A. If you are engaged with the material, participate in class and demonstrate dedication to
your assignments (with occasional slip-ups but no pattern of difficulty), you will earn a B. To earn a C
you will need to do average college-level work, in-class and on the page. A grade of D or F represents
work below college-level.
Participation (attendance and engagement)
Writing exercises
Workshop letters
Reading quizzes
Portfolio
40%
20%
20%
10%
10%
PARTICIPATION
This is a participation-based seminar, not a series of lectures. Come to each class prepared to ask several
questions, comment frequently, express your opinion, and engage with other students about the reading
material—regardless of your own feelings of comprehension or assessment of the work. Please bring
coffee, food, or whatever you need to stay awake and engaged.
We meet only 15 times this semester. Because of the participatory nature of the class, it is crucial that you
are always in attendance. If you are absent, you will lose participation points—a letter grade will be
docked from your participation grade for every unexcused absence. No exceptions. Your FOURTH
unexcused absence will result in a FAIL. You do get one free excused absence—for any reason. After
that (barring illness) there are no excused absences in this class. I’m not interested in being arbiter of
what is and isn’t fair or being forced to weigh my sympathies against your attendance record. If you must
be absent, be respectful: in an emergency, notify me of your absence via e-mail and in advance of class.
For planned absences let me know in week one or as soon as possible. If you are ill, you must go through
the university self-reporting channel with the Registrar—and you must make up any missed work.
Do not arrive late or leave early. Any tardiness is a half-absence. More than 20 minutes late is a full
absence. Disrespectful activities (sleeping, checking cell phone in class, assorted rudeness) will result in
your being marked absent. Note that you cannot participate without bringing to class the reading material,
due assignments, etc.
READING
If you do not read widely, and challenge yourself in the process, then your perspective on the world—and
your ability to document that perspective on the page—will be severely limited. Read assignments more
than once for comprehension. Quizzes will constitute a regular feature of class.
ASSIGNMENTS AND PORTFOLIO
Every week you will have some sort of creative/critical assignment due. These are graded not on aesthetic
or narrative accomplishment, but rather on completeness (I will ask: “Is this finished?”) and correctness
(i.e. incoherence, bad grammar/spelling, other signs of rushed work). If the work is a mess or unfinished,
you will receive 50%. All submitted work must have never appeared before in any creative writing class.
At the end of the semester you will submit a portfolio of all assignments from the semester, including new
revisions to selected creative assignments. Details of the portfolio will be discussed before Thanksgiving
break. Portfolios are due in the final class, on Tuesday, May 7. Late submissions will not be accepted.
WORKSHOP LETTERS
We will go over the requirements for these letters in class, but be forewarned: they are a significant part of
your grade. As a member of our little community, you owe it to your peers and to yourself to dedicate
time and energy to the close reading of others’ work.
DEADLINES AND LATE WORK
Assignments are due at the beginning of class on the date listed next to the assignment in the syllabus. If
your story is being workshopped, you must bring it to class one full week before—which is to say, the
Tuesday before—your scheduled workshop. You can pick up your copies of the workshop stories by
Wednesday afternoon, in order to read them and write your workshop letters in advance of class. We’ll go
over this process together. Always ask me if you have any questions!
You will never receive full credit for late work, even if your excuse is a good one. The penalty is one
letter grade for every day after the due date. Late work should be submitted to my mailbox in the Dey
House. Please note on the assignment the date of submission. If you anticipate difficulty with any
deadline you must contact me well in advance. “My computer/hard drive crashed” is not an excuse.
PLAGIARISM
Plagiarism means borrowing another person's specific words or ideas, wholly or in part, without giving
proper credit. This includes but is not limited to: turning in an assignment written by someone else;
paraphrasing a passage from another work without crediting; using information from any reference source
(including on the Web and especially including Wikipedia) without crediting; and generally failing to use
proper citations and a works cited page. When in doubt, cite. Penalties for plagiarism include academic
probation, suspension, and expulsion. I will penalize guilty assignments with a grade of 0, and will report
any plagiarism case to the head of the department and the academic dean.
Administrative Home
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is the administrative home of this course and governs matters such as
the add/drop deadlines, the second-grade-only option, and other related issues. Different colleges may have
different policies. Questions may be addressed to 120 Schaeffer Hall, or see the CLAS Academic Policies
Handbook.
Electronic Communication
University policy specifies that students are responsible for all official correspondences sent to their University
of Iowa e-mail address (@uiowa.edu). Faculty and students should use this account for correspondence
(Operations Manual, III.15.2. Scroll down to k.11).
Accommodations for Disabilities
A student seeking academic accommodations should first register with Student Disability Services and then
meet privately with the course instructor to make particular arrangements. See www.uiowa.edu/~sds/ for more
information.
Academic Honesty
All CLAS students have, in essence, agreed to the College's Code of Academic Honesty: "I pledge to do my
own academic work and to excel to the best of my abilities, upholding the IOWA Challenge. I promise not to
lie about my academic work, to cheat, or to steal the words or ideas of others; nor will I help fellow students to
violate the Code of Academic Honesty." Any student committing academic misconduct is reported to the
College and placed on disciplinary probation or may be suspended or expelled (CLAS Academic Policies
Handbook).
CLAS Final Examination Policies
The date and time of every final examination is announced during the fifth week of the semester; each CLAS
student will receive an email from the Registrar stating the dates and times of the student's final exams. Final
exams are offered only during the official final examination period. No exams of any kind are allowed
during the last week of classes. All students should plan on being at the UI through the final examination
period.
Making a Suggestion or a Complaint
Students with a suggestion or complaint should first visit with the instructor (and the course supervisor), and
then with the departmental DEO. Complaints must be made within six months of the incident (CLAS
Academic Policies Handbook).
Understanding Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment subverts the mission of the University and threatens the well-being of students, faculty, and
staff. All members of the UI community have a responsibility to uphold this mission and to contribute to a safe
environment that enhances learning. Incidents of sexual harassment should be reported immediately. See the
UI Comprehensive Guide on Sexual Harassment for assistance, definitions, and the full University policy.
Reacting Safely to Severe Weather
In severe weather, class members should seek appropriate shelter immediately, leaving the classroom if
necessary. The class will continue if possible when the event is over. For more information on Hawk Alert and
the siren warning system, visit the Public Safety web site.
Cell Phones and Computers
Keep your cell phones off. Not on vibrate, not on silent. Off. Leave your laptops at home. Neither of these
technologies is required or welcome in my class.
And Last But Not Least
Assignments/readings are due on the day they are listed on the syllabus, which is subject to change at my discretion.
1/22 Week 1: Introductions
Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird (excerpts) (40 pages)
Walter Benjamin, “Post No Bills” (1 page)
Due: None
1/29 Week 2: On Details; Learning to See
Francine Prose, “On Details” (11 pages)
Elizabeth Bishop, “One Art” with drafts from Edgar Allen Poe and … (12 pages)
Brett Candish Miller, “Elusive Mastery: The Drafts of Elizabeth Bishop’s ‘One Art’” (9 pages)
TBD
Due: Description assignment
2/5 Week 3: Sentences, Language, Effect
Ethan Canin, “Smallness and Invention” (10 pages)
Wells Tower, “The Brown Coast” (Everything Ravaged and Paris Review version) (40 pages)
Chris Offutt, “The Eleventh Draft” (6 pages)
Due: Wells Tower assignment
2/12 Week 4: Structure and revision, part one
Flannery O’Connor “The Geranium” and “Judgment Day” (30 pages)
Due: FIRST DRAFT
2/19 Week 5: Structure, part two
Donald Barthelme, “The School” (3 pages)
George Saunders, “The Perfect Gerbil” (10 pages)
George Saunders, “Pastoralia” (50 pages)
Due: Workshop letter for “Pastoralia”