English 487W, Senior Seminar Godzilla vs. Don DeLillo: Icons and Popular Culture in the Literary Mix Dinty W. Moore 102 Cypress Building Office phone: 949‐5154 Email address: dinty@psu.edu Office Hours: • Tues, 4 to 5 pm • Wed, 3 to 4 pm • Numerous other times by appointment COURSE GOALS AND DESCRIPTION ENGL 487W is the capstone course for Penn State Altoona English majors. The goals of capstone courses are: 1) to synthesize the learning that has been delivered in the major program; 2) to include a significant writing component; 3) to provide students with an opportunity to place themselves in a scholarly or professional context; 4) to provide a transition to post‐graduation goals, either academic or vocational; 5) to ensure significant individual interaction between student and professor. ENGL 487W is a seminar, which means we will enjoy a small, intimate classroom setting—and which also means that students share in the responsibility of generating and leading class discussion. Texts • Underworld by Don DeLillo • Kinky by Denise Duhamel • Angels in America, Part One: Millennium Approaches by Tony Kushner • The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break by Steven Sherrill • Anthony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare (Oxford Shakespeare Edition) • Love and Hydrogen by Jim Shepard • MLA Handbook (recommended) The Course Theme: Icons and Popular Culture This senior seminar will explore writing, most of it contemporary, which utilizes fictional pop icons – Godzilla, Barbie, the Minotaur – and actual people – Sinatra, John Updike, J. Edgar Hoover – as literary tropes. We’ll look at how authors have incorporated these real world characters into poems, short stories, the novel, essays, and possibly film. Students will be responsible for weekly writing assignments, a class discussion, an annotated bibliography, and a final project: scholarly or creative. The term “icon” has numerous definitions: 1. An image; a representation. 2. A representation or picture of a sacred or sanctified Christian personage, traditionally used and venerated in the Eastern Church. 3. An important and enduring symbol. 4. One who is the object of great attention and devotion; an idol. For the most part, we are concentrating on the third definition and fourth definition. Among the questions we’ll be considering for each text that we examine is: • How do the iconic figures function in the piece? Do they function differently than standard characters? • Is the use of an iconic figure a form of shorthand, a way to incorporate the readers’ preconceptions? • In what way or ways does the iconic figure relate to the theme or focus of the work? • Is the portrayal of the iconic figure accurate, inaccurate, half‐true? • Could a non‐iconic or purely fictional character have functioned in place of the iconic figure in the work? • Does the reader respond differently to the iconic figure than he/she might respond to a purely fictional or non‐iconic figure in the work? • To what extent is use of the iconic figure a gimmick? DAILY SYLLABUS FOR SPRING 2005 Subject to change due to snow days, professorial whim, or attacks by giant creatures. Jan 11 Course introduction Jan 13 DeLillo Underworld, pp. 1‐60 Jan 18* DeLillo Underworld, pp. 63‐150 / Weekly reading response due 1‐17 Jan 20 DeLillo Underworld, pp. 155‐366 Jan 25* DeLillo Underworld, pp. 371‐656 / Weekly reading response due 1‐24 Jan 27 DeLillo Underworld, pp. 661‐end Feb 1 Kinky / Weekly reading response due 1‐31 Feb 3 Kinky / Poetry Workshop Feb 8* Anthony & Cleopatra / Weekly reading response due 2‐7 Feb 10 Anthony & Cleopatra / final project discussion Feb 15* Angels in America / Weekly reading response due 2‐14 Feb 17 Angels in America Feb 22 Godzilla poems / Weekly reading response due 2‐21 Feb 24 Creative Writing Workshop Mar 1* Minotaur / Weekly reading response due 2‐28 Mar 3 Minotaur SPRING BREAK Mar 15 Final Project PROPOSALS DUE Mar 17* Reading Assignment to be Chosen by Class / POETRY PACKET DUE Mar 22* selections from Love and Hydrogen / Weekly reading response due 3‐21 Mar 24 selections from Love and Hydrogen Mar 29 Nonfiction Packet / Weekly reading response due 3‐28 Mar 31 No Class Apr 5 No Class / ANNOTATED BIBLIO DUE Apr 7 Project Workshop Apr 12 Project Workshop Apr 14 TBA Apr 19* Bigfoot Dreams / or film / Weekly reading response TBA Apr 21 Bigfoot Dreams / or film Apr 26 PRESENTATIONS Apr 28 Final Class Meeting *DISCUSSION LEADERS Jan 18: __________________________________ Jan 25: __________________________________ Feb 8: __________________________________ Feb 15: __________________________________ Mar 1: __________________________________ Mar 17: __________________________________ Mar 22: __________________________________ Apr19: __________________________________
ASSIGNMENTS Reading Responses 20% of final grade To enhance class discussion, you will write thoughtful responses to the readings on the dates indicated (before midnight). Responses posted to the Angel class discussion space [https://cms.psu.edu/] must be thoughtful, proofread, and substantive. Discussion Leading 10% of final grade On the dates indicated, one person will be responsible for leading us through a discussion of the salient issues raised by the readings. Thirty minutes or more of discussion. Icon Poetry Packet 10% of final grade Details provided as class develops. Have fun. Proposal for Major Research or Creative Project 10% of final grade Must be thoughtful, proofread, substantive, and specific. Annotated Bibliography 10% of final grade An annotated bibliography contains descriptive or evaluative comments on the sources. In other words, this list of sources provides all of the bibliographical details for a book or article, but it also briefly explains and summarizes the information and/or point of view of this source. Your Annotated Bibliography assignment will be keyed to your Major Research or Creative Project. Major Research or Creative Project 30% of final grade This is the capstone assignment for the course. Each student, working in consultation with the instructor, will a) develop an original research paper that addresses and investigates the readings, themes, and topics of this course, or b) develop an original creative project related to the themes of the course. There will be multiple stages of this assignment. Participation and Discussion 10% of final grade CLASS POLICIES: Attendance A good part of your grade in this class depends on participation. Obviously, you must be in class to participate. But the most important reason why you must attend class regularly has nothing to do with your grade, but with the success of the class. Your insights are valuable to the rest of the class, your presence part of the dynamic of the class. If you are not here, the class suffers. It is your responsibility to discuss any absences with me. Absences that are not explained to me within one week of the absence will not be excused, no matter what documentation you may provide. Students who miss more then 3 classes without valid excuses will receive a 5% deduction of their final grade for each absence. Tardiness Repeated tardiness disrupts the entire class. If you are more than 5 minutes late for 3 classes, each additional tardiness will reduce your end of semester grade by 3 points. Participation Read the assigned material thoroughly, think about it, and be prepared to discuss it in class. (This is written in bold for a reason.) If you have trouble generating opinions on the spot during class discussion, come to class prepared with a question worth discussing. Late assignments will be dropped a letter grade for each day that they are late and will not be accepted more than one week late. Assignments may always be handed in early—in person or in my mailbox. I do not accept assignments over email. ANGEL Reading Responses will not be accepted late. Class cancellation: If class is going to be cancelled, I will leave a message on my office phone at 949‐5154 —
and I will post the news on the class cancellation website. Don DeLillo’s Advice on ACADEMIC INTEGRITY Academic integrity is the pursuit of scholarly activity in an open, honest and responsible manner. To read PSUʹs policies and procedures on Academic Integrity go to the following website: www.aa.psu.edu/academic/integrity.htm. The Universityʹs Code of Conduct states that all students should act with personal integrity, respect other studentsʹ dignity, rights and property, and help create and maintain an environment in which all can succeed through the fruits of their efforts. Talking over your ideas and getting comments on your writing from friends is NOT plagiarism. Taking someone else’s published or unpublished words and calling them your own IS plagiarism: a synonym is academic dishonesty. When plagiarism amounts to an attempt to deceive, it has dire consequences. So don’t give me work that someone else did unless you make that fact clear. For example, if you use clipart on a Web page in a project, then make sure you’ve told me you’ve used clipart. If you clearly break this rule, you’ll automatically fail the assignment; repeated offenses will cause you to fail the course. In addition—and perhaps more importantly—always obey licensing/usage requirements. Just because something’s on the Web doesnʹt mean it’s free. Any concrete work (a graphic, a piece of text, etc.) is automatically copyrighted as soon as it’s created. You’re not allowed to use it unless you’re explicitly given permission or unless your use conforms to “Fair Use” regulations (which we’ll discuss in class, but see http://fairuse.stanford.edu/). If a clipart site says that you can freely use their graphics as long as you provide a link back to their Website, you have to do that. If they say you can freely use the graphics provided you pay them $10, you must do so. CONSEQUENCES OF ACADEMIC DISHONESTY The instructor may assign an academic sanction ranging from a warning, to failure on an assignment or in the course, or to removal from the course. The instructor reports an academic sanction to the Office of Judicial Affairs, which keeps a record. Students can appeal academic sanctions to the Committee on Academic Integrity through the Office of Academic Affairs. In more serious cases of academic dishonesty, the Office of Judicial Affairs may apply disciplinary sanctions in addition to the academic sanctions. These may range from a warning to probation, suspension or expulsion from the University. An “XF” grade is a formal University disciplinary sanction that indicates on the studentʹs academic transcript that failure in a course was due to a serious act of academic dishonesty. (Policies and Rules for Students, Section 49‐20, and Academic Integrity Procedure G‐9.) English 487W Discussion Leader Assignment Each of you will prepare a handout and lead class discussion on the reading(s) assigned for a particular class period/week. Use the following guidelines to prepare your handout and plan class time. 1. Plan to use 30 minutes of class time. In order to prepare for your day, read the assigned reading(s) one week ahead of your scheduled day. This will give you time to plan. 2. Prepare a 1‐2 page handout (word‐processed) that allows you to accomplish the following tasks: • Provide a brief background statement about the author, novel/play/poetry/story collection. To do this, you will need to conduct some research into the work itself, as well as into the life of the author. I do not expect you to cover all salient issues, but I do expect you to provide a brief overview. This section of your handout can be in outline form. You can prepare lecture notes that are more detailed, and provide that information to us orally on the day of your presentation. Additional suggestions for your handout: • Provide a series of discussion questions that will provoke more than yes/no or I agree/I don’t agree kinds of responses from the class. Feel free to discuss the work in question solely or to relate it to work we have already discussed. See the questions on page two of this syllabus for further ideas, but do not feel that you must limit your discussion to these examples. • To highlight one or two central ideas in the reading(s), you could include 1‐2 direct quotes. Keep the use of quotes to a minimum. If you do include them, provide the citation and page numbers. 4. Prepare a 30‐minute group discussion that you will lead us through during class‐time. You aren’t expected to cover every major point of the readings. Instead, plan questions for us to respond to and/or interesting connections for us to explore. Do not read your handout to the class! Use the time to present the class something/anything that gets us thinking and talking.