English 2150-HTRC
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10:20-12:05 PM
Location: 17 Lexington, room 303
Dr. Carina Pasquesi
7-290F-English Department
Carina.Pasquesi@baruch.cuny.edu
Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays,
12:30-2:30 PM or by appointment
“The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.”--Ludwig Wittgenstein
“Every society is really governed by hidden laws, by unspoken but profound assumptions on
the part of the people, and ours is no exception. It is up to the American writer to find out
what these laws and assumptions are. In a society much given to smashing taboos without
thereby managing to be liberated from them, it will be no easy matter.” --James Baldwin
Our central goal in English 2150 is to strengthen your critical thinking, reading, listening and
writing skills. To this end, we’ll analyze a wide range of texts through class discussion, in-class
writing, a course forum, oral presentations, peer review and formal essays. Our goal is to construct
focused, well-written arguments supported by textual evidence and analysis, while developing your
own voice and personal style in the process. You’ll learn how to effectively summarize and engage
others’ arguments as you articulate, organize, and support your own ideas. Writing is a way to learn.
That is, we don’t truly know what we think we know until we put it down on paper. By taking your
time and slowing down, reading and rereading, you’ll also become better close readers of texts and in
turn, better listeners. I’d like for you to leave this course speaking and writing with more
confidence, clarity, and eloquence.
The texts that we’ll analyze are not for the faint of heart, meaning that they may challenge you,
so I’d like for you to be open to engaging ideas that may differ from your own.
On independent thinking:
Independent thinking is synonymous with intellectual risk taking, meaning that in order to
come up with an original idea, you have to risk failure. That also means you have to put yourself in
the paper. Most of us don’t like to make ourselves vulnerable, which is why it’s often safer to go
along with what others have said instead of pushing ourselves past clichés, vague generalizations,
and platitudes. But no one has ever really learned anything by playing it safe. Courting failure takes a
great deal of courage. Writing to teach yourself something is like finding oneself in a darkened room,
not knowing how big the room is or where the light switch is (if there even is one).
Some questions to keep in mind as you work on your papers: Did you teach the audience
something new? Did you approach the issue from a fresh angle or reframe a prefabricated debate
that in turn generated new insights? Reading assignments and paper topics are meant to stimulate
your thinking so do not simply answer the topic questions but rather make the assignment your own
and take in it new, unexpected directions. Simply put, don’t be boring because you aren’t.
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It is important to remember that improving your writing takes patience and practice. Our
class meetings will provide you with time to work on your writing, but you’ll need to write on your
own regularly and revise your work in order to do well in the course.
**You must come to class and talk. These are crucial mechanisms for establishing trust and
solidarity in the classroom. This is a requirement and not a request. But the point isn’t
disciplinary; it’s to get you to develop solidarity and collaborative skills.**
After completing English 2150, students should be able to. . . .
1.
identify the key ideas and techniques used in a variety of articles, essays, and literary works,
and subject these works to logical analysis;
2.
undertake writing as a process requiring the outlining of ideas, multiple drafting, and revision
of complete essays;
3.
create an original and cogent thesis and develop an imaginative argument in unified and
coherent paragraphs;
4.
observe sentence boundaries, punctuate correctly, vary sentence structures, and employ the
conventions of standard English grammar and usage;
5.
engage with different genres of writing, including the short story, the novel, the essay,
poetry, and drama, and comprehend and use appropriate vocabulary in interpreting the material by
paying close attention to language and style;
6.
identify, analyze, and synthesize multiple sources as support for written arguments;
7.
gauge the value of different strategies for argumentation, including the use of counterarguments;
8.
produce researched essays that incorporate sources and that effectively evaluate multiple
(and even conflicting) points of view;
9.
avoid plagiarism and understand why it is unacceptable, at the same time learning how to
appropriately document your research and ideas;
10.
imagine the needs of one’s reader when writing in different rhetorical modes and social
contexts and take audience and occasion into account when writing.
11.
read and respond to texts carefully, critically, and imaginatively
12.
reflect on your own development as readers, writers, and thinkers
Course Policies
 All essays must be typed with pages numbered, given original titles, use 12-point font,
follow MLA conventions for formatting and documentation and submitted via
Blackboard’s SafeAssign.
 All students are advised to retain two contacts from the class in case of emergencies or
absences.
 All assignments are expected on due date even when you may be absent.
 All students are expected to participate in class and online discussions.
 All cell phones are to be set in silent mode. In case of emergency, take your call outside
of the classroom.
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In order for you to be successful in this course, you need to
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Attend class regularly and on time.
Prepare for class by doing all of your reading and writing assignments carefully.
Participate actively and respectfully in class activities and discussions.
Stay in communication with me and ask me questions if my instructions or comments are
unclear to you.
Make use of my office hours and the Writing Center (8-185;
http://writingcenter.baruch.cuny.edu/)
Course Requirements
1. Papers (75%). You will write three formal essays and one research project:
Critical Narrative: 15%
Critical Analysis of one text: 15%
Critical Analysis of two texts: 20%
Research Project: 25%
Essays must be titled and double-spaced, with one-inch margins and twelve-point font. You must
submit your essays via Blackboard’s SafeAssign. I will distribute the paper topics well in advance of
the paper’s due date. The topics that I will propose are meant to stimulate your thinking--do not
simply answer my topic questions.
In order to pass this course, you must fully complete and turn in all three formal essays and the
research project on the due dates noted on the reading schedule.
2. Regular attendance, class participation, student leads, in-class writing, revision work and
forum postings (15%). I will devote a lot of time to in-class writing and discussion, so come
prepared to write and talk. Your participation is essential to your success in the course and our
productivity as a group. Students who want all 15% will come to every class and make an effort to
engage with others in a respectful and thoughtful manner in discussion.
Student Leads: Each class, one student will be responsible for a short, informal lead in response to
the reading assignment. Leads are meant to be conversation starters and should be no more than ten
minutes long.
Be sure to speak with me if you are unclear about how I assess class participation or want to
know what your participation grade is during the semester. If you miss any more than three
classes, you will not pass the course.
Throughout the semester, you will complete in-class writing assignments and contribute writing to
our course forum. For our forum, you will often engage your classmates’ postings. Keep in mind
that your in-class and forum writings could be developed into longer, formal essays.
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4. Oral Presentation (10%). During the semester, each student will do an oral presentation about
one of the three essays or research projects—the student gets to choose which essay.
Late Work and Plagiarism
It is essential that you turn in your papers on time. Unless you have asked me for an extension and
have been granted one, well in advance of the due date, late papers will be penalized one full letter
grade and will not be accepted more than one week after the due date. Do not ask me for an
extension the day the paper is due—come speak to me before the due date.
Any writing you turn in must be your own, and any language or ideas from another source must be
properly cited. You must attribute paraphrase as well as direct quotation. If you are uncertain whether or
not you are plagiarizing, come and ask me. If you plagiarize, you will receive an F on the paper and may
fail the course. All instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Chair of the English
Department and the Dean of the University. Students should consult the Baruch College Academic
Dishonesty Policy and Procedure Handbook for specific regulations and procedures related to academic
integrity. For more information on Baruch College’s honesty policy:
http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/academic/academic_honesty.htm
Simply put, plagiarism is illegal, cowardly and could ruin your academic career.
Incomplete Grades: The final grade of Incomplete will be given only in extreme and fullydocumented circumstances and in accordance with Baruch’s guidelines.
College Policy on Differently-Abled Students
Baruch College is committed to making individuals with disabilities full participants in its programs,
services, and activities through compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and with
the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. It is the policy of Baruch College that no otherwise
qualified individual with a disability shall be denied access to or participation in any program, service, or
activity offered by the university. Individuals with disabilities have a right to request accommodations. If
you require any special assistance or accommodation, please let me know as soon as you can, ideally
during the first three weeks of the semester.
Requirement Summary
Three formal essays and research project
75%
5
Attendance, class discussion, in-class writing, revision
work and forum postings
Oral Presentation
15%
10%
Blackboard and Baruch email
All class assignments, our course forum and announcements are posted on Blackboard. As stated
above, you will submit your papers using Blackboard’s SafeAssign. Check your Baruch email and
our Blackboard page daily for changes and updates. I’m serious, check them! Access to your Baruch
email and our Blackboard page are crucial to your success in this course.
Reading and Assignment Schedule
All reading assignments are posted on Blackboard. You must bring the reading assignment to every
class. If you do not bring the reading assignment to class, you will receive an F for participation that
day. In college, bringing your books to class is a base-level requirement, like a restaurant having
clean silverware.
The reading assignment listed next to each date is the assignment that we will discuss and write
about in class on that date. I expect you to read and reread the assignment closely before class. As
you read, be sure to annotate (mark up) the text.
1/29
Introduction to Course
Review of class requirements and objectives; discussion about using Blackboard and SafeAssign;
posting on our class discussion forum; accessing Baruch email
Critical and Imaginative Reading and Writing (engaging diverse texts)
Different ways to approach a text; playing Peter Elbow’s “believing game” and putting oneself in the
writer’s shoes; asking oneself, “What do I have to believe to be true in order to accept the writer’s
argument?”; being open to ideas that may be different from one’s own; aiming to reframe a stale or
prefabricated debate or make the issue one’s own; the importance of risk taking in thinking and
writing; not being boring, cliché or vanilla in thinking or writing--avoiding “Hallmark card” or
“after school special” thesis statements.
Dialogue
The importance of dialogue in discussion and writing; learning how to properly enter the
conversation: Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein’s “They say…/I say” composition model; stating
your ideas as a response to others; understanding that you are part of a larger conversation/public
sphere; identifying an argument’s major assumptions and assertions, evaluating its supporting
evidence and crafting a response that fully engages the argument--again, “They say…” and I say in
response: “yes/no/okay/but/and/yet.”
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2/3
The Language of Intoxication: Kendrick Lamar’s “Swimming Pools” (BB); Moira Egan, “Bar
Napkin Sonnet #11”; Li Po, “Drinking Alone with the Moon” (BB); Kenneth Koch, “To High
Spirits” (BB)
Developing one’s voice--academic writing does not mean setting aside one’s own voice;
demystifying using the “I”; everyday encounters with dialogue, writing and engaging others’ ideas
2/5
Visual analysis of photographs by Diane Arbus, William Eggleston and David LaChapelle. What
is a visual analysis? How is analyzing a visual medium different from a text-based medium? The
importance of considering medium, technique, size, composition, space, color, light and shadow.
Remembering that even in a purely visual analysis, one still needs to craft a thesis and support one’s
main claim with evidence and analysis.
2/10
Kurt Vonnegut, “How to Write with Style” (BB)
Introduction to Dynamic Criteria Mapping (DCM); 2150 Paper Revision Checklist; MEAL Plan
for writing strong paragraphs
summary verses analysis (more analysis, less summary; avoid writing a book report)
2/12
No classes, Lincoln’s birthday
2/17
paper #1 draft work; meet in computer lab
2/19
How to Think Counter-Intuitively, Generate Fresh Insights and Reframe a Stale
Debate/Conversation
Dan Savage, Savage Love column (BB)
DCM draft workshop for paper #1
Workshop student drafts together as a class. We will discuss and revise the drafts using Bob Broad’s
Dynamic Criteria Mapping, also known as organic writing assessment, instead of a conventional
rubric. DCM requires that we come up with our own assessment, as a class, about what we value in
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writing. In addition to the givens, like a strong thesis, well-developed paragraphs, evidence/analysis
and few grammatical mistakes, we consider elements like humor, originality, risk-taking and
ambitious vision for the paper (even if ultimately the writer does not fully pull off what she/he set
out to do).
For DCM, we begin our discussion of each draft by focusing on what we like about the paper
instead of opening with or focusing solely on the negative. We will focus on what the student needs
to do to improve the paper but that comes after we discuss the paper's strengths. We will continue
to revisit and revise our DCM list throughout the semester.
2/24
A.M. Homes, “A Real Doll” (BB)
Focus on critical approaches to literature, how to do a rigorous close reading and read literature
open-mindedly and imaginatively; discussion of literary terms (e.g. allusion, genre; irony; theme;
mood; metaphor; simile; point-of-view; suspension of disbelief)
Paper #1: Critical Narrative due via Blackboard’s SafeAssign by midnight
2/26
“A Real Doll” and Dan Savage column discussion continued
3/3
In-class film viewing, Happiness (dir. Todd Solondz, 1998)
3/5
In-class film viewing and discussion, Happiness, continued
Focus on the specific ways in which one analyzes and writes about a primarily visual medium like
film (coming back to our earlier visual analysis of photographs). Engage two reviews of the film
(BB)
3/10
Laura Kipnis, “Love in the 21st Century” (BB) and A.M. Homes, “Adults Alone” (BB)
Focus on Kipnis’ use of rhetorical devices; strength of the argument; use of evidence and analysis;
definition of key terms; tone; attitude; audience; use of humor
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3/12
Robin Hustle, “What Prostitutes, Nannies and Nurses Have in Common: Emotional Labor” (BB)
Focus on Hustle’s use of rhetorical devices; strength of the argument; use of evidence and analysis;
definition of key terms; tone; attitude; audience; reframing an issue/debate; generating new insights
Analyze a job that you have/had that required what sociologist Arlie Russell Hochschild terms
emotional labor in relation to Hustle’s argument.
3/17
DCM in-class workshop for Paper #2: Critical Analysis of One Text
3/19
John Franklin Stephens, “Open Letter to Ann Coulter” (BB); Lupe Fiasco, “Bitch Bad” (BB); Louie
C.K., opening monologue to “Chewed Up” (in-class viewing)
Focus on tone, voice, attitude, rhetorical strategies, genre, audience; the various ways in which each
writer uses anger, humor, and/or generosity as a rhetorical technique in addressing various forms of
social injustice; the re-signification (or not) of historically offensive terms; language as fluid; debates
about meaning; the importance of word choice. How are these texts in conversation with one
another?
Paper #2: Critical Analysis of One Text due via Blackboard’s SafeAssign by midnight
3/24
Wayne Kostenbaum, Humiliation web series (in class)
They Say/I Say/summary/analysis/audience/purpose
3/26
Junot Diaz, “Miss Lora” (BB); Samuel Delany interview with Diaz at Lannan Foundation podcasts;
Diaz, guest DJ, National Public Radio’s Alt Latino
3/30
Etgar Keret, “Fatso” (BB)
In preparation for our library class: MLA review; discussion about final research paper; locating
and assessing secondary sources; strategies for coming up with a research topic given our shared
texts, Blackboard forum posts and in-class discussions and writing
4/2
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Paper #3: Critical Analysis of Two Texts draft work; meet in computer lab
4/7
No class, spring break
4/9
No class, spring break
4/14
DCM in-class workshop for Paper #3: Critical Analysis of Two Texts
4/16
Mandatory Library Instruction Class (meet in library)
Paper #3: Critical Analysis of Two Texts due by midnight via Blackboard’s SafeAssign
4/21
Review of our library instruction class; identifying and incorporating secondary sources; in
addition to scholarly sources, understanding the importance of engaging sources that are part of our
public sphere dialogue from periodicals like The New York Times, The New Yorker, Slate, Salon,
Believer, The Guardian and National Public Radio
4/23
Analyze sample student research projects from previous 2150 classes and begin work on Reflective
Annotated Bibliography for research project
4/28
Work on Reflective Annotated Bibliographies
4/30
Final paper draft work; meet in computer lab
5/5
Final paper draft work; meet in computer lab
5/7
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In-class research project peer review work
Reflective Annotated Bibliography for research project due via Blackboard’s SafeAssign by
midnight
5/12
DCM in-class workshop for research projects
5/14
Meet in classroom; remaining oral presentations
Wednesday, May 20: Final paper due via SafeAssign by midnight
*I reserve the right to change this syllabus at any time.