Ransdell’s English 107+ Daily Syllabus
Fall ‘10
It’s your responsibility to read the syllabus on a daily basis, finish appropriate
assignments, and bring your materials (homework/essays/books) to class. (“For
class” means “prepare this before you come to class.”)
Assignments are in O. Henry Prize Stories unless otherwise noted. I might need to
modify the syllabus, so if you miss a class, consult a classmate for updates.
*Note that it’s especially important to come on time and prepared on workshop days
since you’ll receive points for gathering comments from your classmates.
NB: Since computers can crash and flash drives can slip away, remember to save all
your work in a couple of places.
Essay 1 (Textual Analysis): Life in a Crazy World
T 8/24 Introduction. We’ll do In-Class Writing #1 in class.
W 8/25 For class: Read these passages from the Student’s Guide: 3-10, 15-19, and skim
(read quickly) Chapter 2, ps. 31-51. Please bring your book to class. Also bring a copy of
“The Ransom of Red Chief.” http://www.online-literature.com/o_henry/1041/ We will
start reading it in class.
R 8/26: For class: Finish reading “The Ransom of Red Chief.” For Homework #1,
describe two small, interesting cultural artifacts that you own and explain why they’re
important to you (postcard, photograph, statuette, toy, etc). Choose one artifact from back
“home” and one from UA or Arizona/US. For full credit, type at least 400 words and
BRING your homework to class. Also bring your artifacts so that you can share them
with classmates. (NOTE: Handwritten work NOT accepted for homework assignments.)
T 8/31 For class: Read John Edgar Wideman’s “Microstories” (364-378). In class we’ll
do ICW #2.
W 9/1 For class: Read William Trevor’s “The Woman of the House” (158-173). For
Homework #2 (400+ words), record some of your thoughts about the story and/or address
some of the following: Who is the story about? What is Trevor’s point? How would you
characterize the two painters? What are some repeated images and what do they mean?
For full credit, type at least 400 words and bring a hard copy to class.
R 9/2 For class: Read Jess Row’s “Sheep May Safely Graze” (93-114). We’ll do ICW #3
in class.
T 9/7 For class: Read at least the first half of Damon Galgut’s “The Lover” (289-313).
W 9/8 For class: Finish reading “The Lover.” For Homework #3, explain some of your
ideas about the overall meaning of the story and/or answer some of the following: Why
does the narrator have to always keep traveling? What does he hope to accomplish? Is he
successful? In what ways can you relate to his dilemmas?
**After class we will walk to Marroney Theatre so that you can buy your ticket to
Dracula if you haven’t already.
R 9/9 For class: Read Chapters 2, 3, and 4 of the “International Student Handbook.” Also
skim 77-102 and 288-290 from the SG.
Buy your ticket to Dracula today if you haven’t already done so. Since the performances
on Oct 10th and 11th are cheaper, those tickets will sell out.
T 9/14 For class: Read chapters 6, 11, 12, 13, and 14 from the “International Student
Handbook.”
W 9/15 For class: Read 103-116 and 164-170 in the SG. Start your essay by writing the
introduction and the outline or first body paragraph.
R 9/16 Read chapters 15, 16, (optional, geared to Chinese speakers) and 17 (not optional)
of the “International Student Handbook” before drafting at least a couple of pages of your
essay. Bring two copies of the results to class. Double space your work so that your
material is easy for your classmates to read. At the top of the page, label these copies 1A
and 1B. Include today’s date and an underlined space for your classmates to write their
names. You can earn up to 10 points for workshopping your drafts.
Example: Draft 1A, Date 9/16, graded by Johnny Troublemaker.
In class: to get full credit, ask your classmates to carefully read your entire draft,
comment on each page, provide an end comment, and sign their names at the top of the
first page. No name= no points for you. Note that making strategic use of your
classmates’ comments should help you write a stronger paper that earns a higher grade.
T 9/21 For class: Finish drafting your essay and bring two copies to class. Label them 2A
and 2B and include today’s date and a space for your classmates’ names. (Worth up to 10
points.) Also bring Rules for Writers; we’ll review punctuation rules.
W 9/22 For class: Carefully edit your essay and bring two copies to class. Label them 3A
and 3B and include today’s date/space for names. (10 points.) Also bring RFW.
R 9/23 For class: FINISH YOUR ESSAY. Be prepared to hand in your final version,
your initial draft, drafts I wrote on, drafts your peers wrote on (clearly labeled 1A, 9/16,
graded by So-and-So, etc.), and any other documents that illustrate your writing process
for this essay. To be on the safe side, be sure to make an electronic back-up copy of your
essay. In class we'll do ICW #4. We’ll also discuss Unit Two.
Essay 2 (Reader-Response): Life and Death
T 9/28 For class: Read Alice Munro’s “Some Women” (379-400).
W 9/29 For class: Reread any parts of “Some Women” that you found confusing. For
Homework #4 (400+ words), explain some of your reactions and/or answer some of the
following: How would you characterize the narrator? How would you characterize old
Mrs. Crozier? How can you explain the last line of the story?
R 9/30 For class: Read Ron Rash’s “Into the Gorge” (351-363). In class we’ll do ICW
#5. We’ll also discuss pop culture.
T 10/5 For class: For Homework #5 (400+ words), explain about your favorite horror
films or monster stories. Why do you enjoy these texts? What makes them popular? In
what ways are they useful rather than merely entertaining? (If you do not like such texts,
think of friends who do and model your homework assignment on their reactions.)
W 10/6 For class: Readings TBA.
R 10/7 For class: Readings TBA. We’ll do ICW #6 in class.
NOTE: See UA’s production of Dracula on Sunday 10/10 or Monday 10/11.The play
should last about two hours, including a 15-minute intermission.
T 10/12 For class: For Homework #6, record your reactions to the play. For example:
what was it like to see a live performance? Did other members of the audience have the
same reactions you did? How does this play compare to others you might have seen?
How does it compare to film versions you’ve seen of similar stories? What are some
aspects of the play you most enjoyed? How did the director/actors create atmosphere? If
you were the director, what changes might you have made and why? Note: this
homework assignment is worth 30 points. Write 600+ words and staple your play stub to
your sheet.
W 10/13 For class: Read 290-292 in the SG. Start your essay by writing the introduction
and the outline or first body paragraph.
R 10/14 For class: Begin drafting your essay. Bring two copies to class. Label these
copies 1A and 1B and include today’s date/underlined space. You can earn up to 10
points for workshopping your drafts as long as your peers provide margin comments and
end comments and sign their names.
Note that October 15th is the last day to drop with a “W.”
T 10/19 For class: Finish drafting your essay and bring two copies to class. Label them
2A and 2B and include today’s date and an underlined space. (Worth up to 10 points.)
Also bring Rules for Writers.
W 10/20 For class: Prepare a final draft of your essay and bring two copies to class.
Label these copies 3A and 3B and add today’s date and an underlined space. (Worth up
to 10 points). Also bring Rules for Writers.
R 10/21 For class: FINISH YOUR ESSAY. Be prepared to hand in your final version,
your initial draft, drafts I wrote on, peer drafts (clearly labeled 1A, 10/14, graded by Soand-So, etc.), and any other documents that illustrate your writing process for this essay.
In case of emergency, make a back-up copy of your essay. In class we'll do ICW #7.
We’ll also discuss Unit Three.
Essay 3 (Contextual Analysis): Life with Friends and Family
T 10/26 For class: Read Peter Cameron’s “The End of My Life in New York” (266-280).
W 10/27 For class: Read Daniel Alarcón’s “The Bridge” (174-205).
R 10/28 For class: For Homework #7, explain some of your reactions to “The Bridge”
and/or reflect on the following: What is the meaning of family? What are some of the
problems with family? What makes it hard/easy to get along with family members in
general? What makes it hard/easy to get along with your own family members? What
have you learned about “family” now that you are at the UA?
T 11/2 For class: Read Brad Watson’s “The Visitation” (139-157). We will do ICW #8 in
class.
W11/3 For class: Read SG 178-83 and 191-197. In class we will start watching a film.
R 11/4 For class: For Homework #8, record some of your reactions so far. (400+ words)
Freewrite, and/or answer some of the following: What do you think of the characters?
Which can you relate to and in what ways? What are their biggest motivations? What are
their biggest problems? What do you think will happen to them? What do you want to
happen to them and why? What suggestions would you have made to them? (400 words)
T 11/9 For class: Skim SG 191-203. For Homework #9, consider the stories we’ve read
this semester. How might you make connections among them? (400+ words) On a
separate piece of paper, write three trial thesis statements that you might choose from to
write your third essay.
W 11/10 For class: Skim SG 293-298. Start your essay by writing the introduction and
the outline or first body paragraph.
R 11/11 Veteran’s Day—NO class! 
T 11/16 For class: Begin drafting your essay. Bring two copies to class. Label these
copies 1A and 1B and include today’s date and an underlined space. You can earn up to
10 points for workshopping your drafts as long as your peers provide margin comments
and end comments and sign their names.
W 11/17 For class: Prepare a new draft and bring two copies to class. Label them 2A and
2B and include today’s date and an underlined space. (Worth up to 10 points.) Again,
bring Rules for Writers.
R 11/18: Study 53, 54, and 55a in Rules for Writers and incorporate sources into your
draft accordingly. Bring your draft and RFW to class. We’ll also discuss how to create a
Works Cited page.
T 11/23 Class cancelled for conferences.
W 11/24 Class cancelled for conferences.
R 11/25 Class cancelled—Thanksgiving! 
T 11/30 Prepare a final draft of your essay and bring two copies to class. Label these
copies 3A and 3B and include today’s date and an underlined space. (10 points). Also
bring Rules for Writers.
W 12/1 For class: FINISH YOUR ESSAY. Be prepared to hand in your final version,
your initial draft, drafts I wrote on, peer drafts (signed and labeled), and any other
documents that illustrate your writing process for this essay. Provide a photocopy of
sources you used in your essay unless we read/viewed them in class. Otherwise you will
lose credit. Make an electronic back-up copy of your essay just in case. In class we'll do
ICW #9 and discuss the final exam.
Final Exam: Revision and Reflection: My Life as a Writer
R 12/2 For class: Decide which essay to use for your final exam and make a list of
changes you can make to improve it. Bring your essay and your list to class.
T 12/7 For class: Draft your Reflection Essay and bring two copies to class. You’ll want
to gather as much advice from your peers as possible.
W 12/8 For class: Editing workshop. Edit your Reflection Essay and bring two copies to
class.
R 12/9 “Dead Day” No class. Remember to spend time editing your essays!
ANY OUTSTANDING WORK MUST BE SUBMITTED BY THE MORNING OF THE
FINAL EXAM.
F 12/10 FINAL EXAM due 9-10 a.m. Place: TBA