INTD 105 spring 2012 “We’ll always have Paris “
Dr. Anne Lutkus Lutkus@geneseo.edu
TR 8:30 Newton 206
Office Welles 218D Office hours Th 10 am, W 2 pm or by appointment
“We’ll always have Paris” Humphrey Bogart’s character Rick to Ingrid Bergman’s
Ilsa in the 1939 movie classic Casablanca
“Good Americans, when they die, go to Paris” attributed to Oscar Wilde
“I just hate to leave this darling Paris, though. Longer I stay, better I like it. Everyone
in our neighborhood, too, and we have become such good friends. I must say, I do
love French people and had no idea they would be as they are. I thought the women
would all be tiny little things, too chic for words; and the men pinching everybody
and little, too. I was not prepared for this wonderful, earthy, human, sweet, gay,
naturalness. Cozy, is the only word that expresses my feelings.” Julia Child, in a
letter to a friend, 1953
INTD 105 is a writing course. You will write several very short pieces early in our
time together and you will work up to a longer more formal paper. This particular
section will have Paris as its subject. Most of our considerations will begin from
some American writers’ reactions to and reflections on the city of Paris. We will
look at some legends about or impressions of Paris and aim to end up with some
sense of what Americans and Parisians think of and hope for “their” city. Those of
you who read French may be able to share other notions from “real Parisians” and
we will all be the richer for it.
All sections of INTD 105 share the following learning outcomes for students:
1. The ability to read significant texts carefully and critically, recognizing
argumentative positions and stylistic strategies.
2. The ability to write sustained, coherent, and persuasive arguments on
significant issues that arise from the content at hand.
3. The ability to write clearly, following conventions of Standard English.
Required texts: Americans in Paris, edited by Adam Gopnik
(There should be a copy on reserve in Milne Library)
Elements of Style, Strunk and White ( 4th edition recommended)
All assigned readings must be done in advance of the class for which they are listed
so that we may base class discussions on a common—prepared—experience. The
readings are listed for the day they will be discussed in class. Readings are from the
Gopnik anthology unless otherwise indicated.
JANUARY
17 Paris is…We will watch the 1959 classic French film Le Ballon rouge.
We’ll talk about our notions of Paris and images we have from other films.
19 Bring Strunk and White’s Elements to class.
In preparation for class go to the Louvre official website and surf around to see what
its mission statement is, what exhibits are current get some sense of the history of
the museum.
24 Read Harriet Beecher Stowe, pp. 97-106, Amer. in Paris
26 Read Frederick Douglass, pp. 166-187, Amer. in Paris
and a later visitor, James Baldwin, pp. 284-293, Amer. in Paris
31 Jazz in Paris——in class writing and listening.
Read Sidney Bechet, pp. 532-538.
FEBRUARY
2 Library assignment—float until Milne tells us when it’s scheduled
Paper #1 due today. Write 2-3 pages to persuade the donor of the Lutkus Louvre
grants to award you the scholarship which will allow you to spend a week working
in the Louvre Museum in Paris. Explain why you must study a particular work or
collection in the Louvre. (Not the Mona Lisa or Winged Victory or Venus—there are
always huge crowds around those works). Your purpose should be fairly serious
although it can be quite personal.
7 Naughty Paris? Read RH Davis, pp. 174-181, Amer. in Paris
9 Early visitors to Paris. Read Thomas Jefferson, pp. 14-18; Benjamin Franklin,
pp. 1-6. If time permits we will read a selection from Stacey Schiff’s book on
Franklin in Paris.
14 Read Gouverneur Morris’ “Diary of the French Revolution,” pp. 19-28 and
Thomas Paine, “Shall Louis XVI Have Respite, pp. 29-31
16 Read James Fenimore Cooper, pp. 69-75 and Nathaniel Parker Willis, pp. 60-69
21 Poets’ Paris You will prepare the poetry selections in the Gopnik’s anthology
(EE Cummings, Elizabeth Bishop, Richard Wilbur) and poems by Ashberry and
Updike which will be handed out. Each of you will be responsible for presenting one
of the poems in class.
23 Read Henry James, “Occasional Paris,” pp. 128-140
28 Songs about Paris
Paper #2, Write 3-4 pages describing a must-see place in Paris. You’ll be assigned
a site. Your audience is a fairly sophisticated traveler who reads the NYTimes .
Be sure to mention why the site is important, what historical relevance it may have
and what delights it offers the modern visitor. NOT a research piece although you
will likely need to gather information to make your case.
MARCH
1 Mavis Gallant, mycourses, “The Taste of a New Age” pp. 161-175
A more modern Paris
6 Read Edward Steichen, pp. 190-198
8 Photographers’ Paris
SPRING BREAK
20 From David McCullough’s The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris read part of
the introductory chapter, pp. 3-11, and chapter 3 on Morse, pp. 61-101. mycourses
22 Leaf through John Russell’s Paris to look at pictures of Paris through the ages.
The well-illustrated book is on reserve in Milne.
27 Read a chapter in the exhibition catalog for a show that was at the Museum of
Fine Arts in Boston and the Metropolitan Museum in NYC, Americans in Paris 18601900. Read pp. 11-55
29 The Steins Collect Read the introduction to the catalog for the exhibition
currently at the Metropolitan Museum, NYC, pp. 21-47, mycourses
Read Gertrude Stein, pp. 374-385
APRIL
3 Paris 2012
5 Paper #3 due. Consideration of the American artists in Paris and Parisian art in
the US. This is the obligatory research paper. Students will have refined their topic
in consultation with the course instructor.
Each student will outline his/her paper for the edification of the class.
10 Paris and the World Wars Read Edith Wharton on Paris during WWI, pp. 211225; James Thurber’s arrival in Paris after WWI, pp. 51-531
12 WWII and the Occupation of Paris . Read Occupation and A Little Tour of Paris,
both by Graham Robb, mycourses
17 GREAT DAY no class
19 Read the introduction pp. 3-9, and pp. 87-113 in Gopnik’s The Table Comes First,
mycourses and Naomi Berry’s article on “Paris’s Haute Chocolaterie,” mycourses
24 Read F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “Babylon Revisited”, pp. 345-364
Answer questions in preparation for class.
26 Read from Ernest Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast, pp. 328-334.
That book, published posthumously in 1964, ends with this sentence:
“This is how Paris was in the early days when we were very poor and
very happy.”
MAY
1 Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris Viewing of the recent film.
Paper #4 is due— Analyze and engage with some of the issues raised by Gopnik’s
chapter . 2-3 pages.
3 Final exam 8-11 a.m.
Library evaluation sessions with Milne librarians
Conclusion of the film. Students will write a
2-3 page appreciation and analysis of the film, based on questions handed out in
class.
Please note: SUNY Geneseo will make reasonable accommodation for persons with
documented physical, emotional or learning disabilities. Students should notify the
Director in the Office of Disability Services (Tabitha Buggie-Hunt, Erwin 105
tbuggieh@geneseo.edu) and the faculty of any needed accommodations as early as
possible in the semester.
The general principles for grading college writing are available at
http://writingguide.geneseo.edu We will discuss some of their suggestions in the
course of the semester but you are welcome to peruse these pages at your leisure.
You are encouraged to take advantage of the help available to you in the College
Writing Learning Center. Our very talented tutors can help you but will not write
your papers for you.
You may also make an appointment with me or stop after class if you have questions
and concerns
EVALUATION FOR THIS COURSE
Paper # 1
10%
Paper #3
25 %
Paper #2
Paper # 4
15%
15%
Class participation 35%
You are required to submit two drafts of papers 2, 3 and 4. The first drafts
will receive comments and an interim grade.. Papers will be ”corrected” with
suggestions for improvement and references to Strunk & White. You are expected
to proofread your papers—do not depend on Spellcheck for it does not know
everything about usage.
All papers should be submitted in hard copy. Please doublespace the papers and
print them in 12-point type.
Late papers will not be accepted without an amazing excuse. . All papers are due by
the end of class on the day assigned. They will be returned as promptly as possible.
Students must submit all assigned papers to be eligible for a passing grade.
CLASS PARTICIPATION
The INTD 105 classes are thought of as writing communities. You have
common goals and common means organized around a subject concerning which
you will often have individual ideas and reactions. As a member of a community you
have the obligation to be present and attentive to the work of the group. This
attentive presence is not simply placing your body in your seat and turning off your
cell phones, pagers and laptops. It IS those things but it is also your careful
consideration of what others write and say. At the least you must come to class,
discuss the readings and the film clips and engage with what your classmates have
to say about what you’ve read and seen. In the peer review sessions you will
respond honestly and helpfully to your classmates’ writing. There will be short—
very short—in-class writing assignments which are also part of the class
participation. Those assignments will arise from the context of our readings and