Writing with Power, Purpose and the Perfect Word
Instructor:
Contact:
Class Meetings:
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Course Description :
ENGL 3360 (W01) / April-June 2012
Meryl DePasquale mdepasquale@stkate.edu mdepasquale@stkate.edu
Saturdays 8:30am-12:00pm, Whitby Hall 318 half-hour before and after class, rm 318 or basement lounge
Dynamic writing involves analysis, creativity, careful attention to detail, and a passionate inner drive. This course is designed to assist intermediate writers in exploring, expanding and honing their skills. We will be reading essays grouped into the same categories as your assigned papers: personal writing, expository writing, and argumentative writing. In addition, you will be encouraged to explore some of your own interests through reading, making independent selections from Writer’s Presence, utilizing the library for research, and finally reading a book-length text of your own choosing for an individual presentation.
Your progress on the three assigned papers will be supported through interaction, collaboration, and critique. Writing workshops with peers and individual conferences with the instructor will provide opportunities for feedback on works-in-progress, intimate discussions of writing techniques and methods, and the sharpening of your own critical eye. In this class you will refine your abilities and become a versatile and confident writer.
Required Texts:
1.
The Writer’s Presence: A Pool of Readings edited by Donald McQuade and Robert
Atwan (6 th edition, Bedford / St. Martin’s)
2.
They Say, I Say: The Moves that Matter in Academic Writing by Gerald Graff and Cathy
Birkenstein (2 nd edition, Norton)
3.
A writing handbook. I recommend A Pocket Style Manual by Diana Hacker
Grade Distribution:
Personal Essay (5-7 pages)
Expository Essay (5-7 pages)
Argumentative Essay (8-10 pages)
Book Presentation
Online Discussion Board
Writing Workshops
Up to 100 points
Up to 150 points
Up to 200 points
Up to 100 points
Up to 300 points (15 points each)
Up to 90 points (30 points each)
Individual Conferences with Instructor Up to 60 points (20 points each)
Total Possible Points
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
930-1000 points
900-929 points
870-899 points
830-869 points
800-829 points
770-799 points
Up to 1000 points
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F
730-769 points
700-729 points
670-699 points
630-669 points
600-629 points
599 & below
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Attendance:
There is no substitute for being in class. Your attendance at each of our limited class meetings is crucial to your success. Workshops and conferences cannot be rescheduled or made up, regardless of the circumstances. One absence can be excused in the event of an emergency or sudden illness. However, any additional absences will result in your FINAL grade being lowered a FULL LETTER for EACH class missed (ex: a B+ becomes a C+). If you come to class late or leave early on two occasions it will count as an absence.
Classroom Conduct :
Any electronic devices (including cell phones) should be off and stowed away. I trust that you all as adults can figure out what is noisy and distracting to your fellow classmates and be respectful of others. If you have any questions about this you are welcome to discuss them with me.
Late Work:
Outlines and drafts are due in preparation for a workshop or conference and must be turned in exactly as described in the schedule. If you aren’t prepared for a workshop or conference because of missing/late work, you will lose the points for that workshop or conference. Final drafts of papers will lose 5 points for each day they are late. If you anticipate or experience trouble with meeting a deadline, I encourage you to speak with me beforehand and stay in communication.
Academic Dishonesty:
You are expected to do your own work. Any words/ideas in your writing assignments should be your own. Students caught plagiarizing will receive a zero on the assignment and the violation will be reported.
Personal Essay
:
5-7 pages, double-spaced, with 1 inch margins and a standard 12 point font. Outside sources are not required, but if used they must be properly cited. You may choose any topic that is closely linked to your own experiences and reflect upon these.
Expository Essay
:
5-7 pages, double-spaced, with 1 inch margins and a standard 12 point font. At least
3 sources are required and must be properly cited. Your sources may be selected from readings in Writer’s Presence, or you may choose to do outside research. In this paper your purpose will be more to inform upon a topic than to persuade. You may draw from personal experience in addition to your sources but this is not required.
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Argumentative Essay
:
8-10 pages, double-spaced, with 1 inch margins and a standard 12 point font. At least 6 sources are required and must be properly cited. Ideally one of your sources will be the book-length text you have chosen for your presentation. At least 3 of your sources should come from outside research and not Writer’s Presence. Your purpose for this assignment will be to persuade the reader of an opinion or point of view in regard to your topic. You may draw from personal experience in addition to your sources but this is not required.
Book Presentation :
You will pick one nonfiction book on a topic of your choosing (the book should be entirely new to you, something you want to read but haven’t had a chance to yet) to read on your own. Options include but are not limited to: creative nonfiction, memoir, history, biography, essay collections, journalism, and informative texts.
Ideally the book will be closely linked with your argumentative paper. You will give a 10-15 minute presentation to the class during our final meeting. These presentations should not summarize the book like a book report, but instead focus on a writing-related issue that interested you as you read. Feel free to draw from concepts we’ve discussed in class. Include a visual AND interactive element to your presentation (ex: handout, video, audio, image, writing prompt, Q&A, etc).
Online Discussion Board
:
Initial messages on the Discussion Board should range from 100-200 words in length. Short initial messages won’t receive full points. Replies to peers can be a couple sentences to a paragraph, depending upon the demands of the topic at hand.
Replies are part of the DB grade. Late initial messages can receive partial credit through Thursday. After Thursday late messages as well as replies cannot receive any points because they have missed the conversation with other students.
Writing Workshops :
You will have an opportunity to get feedback from 2 of your peers on an early draft or outline for each of your papers. Likewise, you will expand your learning by critiquing and editing your peers’ drafts. In order to participate in the workshop you must come prepared with two typed copies of your draft/outline. If you are absent or unprepared on a workshop day you will lose the points for that workshop. There is no way to recreate this experience or make it up.
Conferences with Instructor
:
You will sign up for conference slots ahead of time. Like workshop, you must be present on time and prepared with the drafts/outlines requested in order to receive the points for your conference. This is a chance to discuss your writing with me in greater detail, so please make the most of the opportunity by taking notes and bringing up any questions or struggles you are having.
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Outlines:
When an outline is due it should include two typed paragraphs (from any place in the essay), as well as an outline of the paper’s basic structure with any salient details (examples, descriptions, quotes, etc). There should be enough information represented on the page for the reader to form a clear picture of the direction in which your paper is headed.
Drafts:
Some students bring their work through several drafts before their final draft, others do only one or two. When a draft is due it is meant to be an early, in-progress version of the paper. You should have a COMPLETE draft, but if your draft is unfinished you may include notes about the ending. Remember that receiving feedback will be more useful the further you have developed your ideas.
Class Meeting #1 (April 14 th 8:30-12):
Introductions and discussion of the syllabus. Brainstorming for Personal Essay.
th
st
Read:
Marie Arana “Ghosts/Pishtacos” Writer’s Presence p. 22
Bernard Cooper “A Clack of Tiny Sparks” Writer’s Presence p.75
Rita Dove “Major Steps” Writer’s Presence p.99
Richard Ford “A City Beyond the Reach of Empathy” Writer’s Presence p.110
Discussion Board:
1. Respond to ANY of the following questions from “Ghosts/Pishtacos” that appeal to you: What expectations of this essay did the title generate for you?
To what extent  and it what specific ways  did your understanding of the title change after you read the essay? As you reread Arana’s essay, you might pay particular attention to the ways in which Arana invokes ghosts, or the idea of ghosts. How does she thread the notion of ghosts throughout the piece? What, from Arana’s childhood and adult perspectives, are the meanings of ghosts?
Post by: Tuesday April 17 th
Respond to 2-3 peers by: Thursday April 19 th
2. Respond to ANY of the following questions from “A City Beyond the Reach of Empathy” that appeal to you: In paragraph 2, Ford uses the metaphor of a
“keyhole” to describe his efforts at finding adequate language to describe the personal  and civic  devastation inflicted on New Orleans. What specific compositional strategies does Ford use to develop this metaphor and to
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create a structure for his essay? How does Ford try to “make sense” of what happened in  and to  New Orleans? What role(s) do memory and photographs play in Ford’s essay? What are the effects of his saying “But so much for memory now” (paragraph 13)? What prompts him to “turn off the
TV”? How do these decisions anticipate  and reflect  the final paragraph of his essay? Please be as specific as possible.
Post by: Tuesday April 17 th
Respond to 2-3 peers by: Thursday April 19 th
Writing Assignment: Outline for Personal Essay (2 printed copies)
Due Date: Saturday April 21 st in class
Class Meeting #2 (Saturday April 21 st 8:30-12):
We will discuss a variety of ways that writers’ can use stories in personal essays.
You will have a chance to get feedback from your peers on your outline in small workshop groups. The expository essay assignment will be introduced and we will do some brainstorming in class.
Read:
Meghan Daum “Toy Children” Writer’s Presence p.83
George Orwell “Shooting an Elephant” Writer’s Presence p.203
Jerald Walker “Scattered Inconveniences” Writer’s Presence p.265-269
Discussion Board:
3. Respond to ALL of the prompts and questions from “Scattered
Inconveniences”: First, make note of your personal reactions directly after reading the essay. Why do you think you feel the way you do? Then, read
“The Writer at Work” on p.269 and compare your thoughts about Walker’s reflections on writing his essay with your initial response. Do Walker’s points about racism and paranoia change your reading of his essay in any way?
Would you agree with his statement that a writer’s job is to “go easy on morals, lessons, and ‘points’” and “tell a good story”? Why or why not?
Post by: Tuesday April 24 th
Respond to 2-3 peers by: Thursday April 26 th
4. Choose EITHER “Toy Children” OR “Shooting an Elephant” and respond to
ALL of the prompts and questions: Reflect on what kind of “work” the story does in the essay. How exactly does the narrative illustrate a point or philosophical perspective? Do you think the writer has been too direct about his/her point? Too indirect? Why or why not? What kind of “work” do you want the story or stories that you tell in your own personal essay to do?
Post by: Tuesday April 24 th
Respond to 2-3 peers by: Thursday April 26 th
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Writing Assignment: Draft of Personal Essay (upload online)
Due Date: Saturday April 28 th before midnight no class meeting this week
Read:
David Sedaris “Me Talk Pretty One Day” Writer’s Presence p.235
choose any essay from the “Personal Writing” section that you were not assigned
Siri Hustvedt “Eight Days in a Corset” Writer’s Presence p.434
Hanna Miller “American Pie” Writer’s Presence p.479
Discussion Board:
5. Respond to ALL of the prompts and questions from the essay that you chose: What are 1-3 examples of descriptions or comparisons from the essay that you found particularly effective? Quote and properly cite them. Why did these descriptions or comparisons stand out to you? What larger role do these descriptions or comparisons accomplish in the essay?
Post by: Tuesday May 1 st
Respond to 2-3 peers by: Thursday
6. “Me Talk Pretty One Day,” “Eight Days in a Corset,” and “American Pie” all employ humor. Chose ONE example from TWO of the three essays and compare/contrast the writers’ use of humor. How are their writing styles different and/or similar? What purpose does humor have in each example?
Quote and properly cite the examples.
Post by: Tuesday May 1 st
Respond to 2-3 peers by: Thursday May 3 rd
Writing Assignment: Outline for Expository Essay (1 printed copy)
Due Date: Saturday May 5 th in individual conference
Class Meeting #3 (Saturday May 5 th 8:30-12):
We will meet as a class from 8:30-9:30. From 9:30-12 I will meet with each of you individually for conferences. Please come during your scheduled time. Prepare some questions about your personal essay to ask me during conference and bring your outline for the expository essay to show and discuss.
Read:
George Orwell “Politics and the English Language” Writer’s Presence p.510-522
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Calvin Trillin “A Traditional Family” Writer’s Presence p.545
“Preface” and “Introduction” They Say, I Say p.xvi-15
“I Take Your Point” and “What’s Motivating this Writer?” They Say, I Say p.141-155
Discussion Board:
7. Taxonomy is about definition and classification. A biological example would involve identifying the differences between a butterfly and a moth, and then grouping all butterfly species into different categories. In the taxonomy of ideas, a writer wields tremendous power; he/she can redefine or reclassify key concepts and debates. In “Politics and the English
Language,” how do you believe that Orwell has used this power? What is motivating him? How are Orwell’s methods and goals with taxonomy similar or different to Trillin’s in “A Traditional Family”?
Post by: Tuesday May 8 th
Respond to 2-3 peers by: Thursday May 10 th
8. Think about your personal essay, and look ahead to the topics you plan to address in your expository and argumentative essay. Somewhere across those three papers there is (or will be) an idea (or set of ideas) that you’ll need to define and/or classify, using the power of taxonomy. Write a short paragraph that explains what concepts you’ll be working with specifically.
Why is taxonomy necessary in this case? How do you plan to wield that power in your essay?
Post by: Tuesday May 8 th
Respond to 2-3 peers by: Thursday May 10 th
Writing Assignment: Final Draft of Personal Essay (upload online)
Due Date: Saturday May 12 th before midnight no class meeting this week
Read:
“Part 1: They Say” They Say, I Say p.19-51
Stephen Budiansky “The Physics of Gridlock” Writer’s Presence p.311
Jon Gertner “The Futile Pursuit of Happiness” Writer’s Presence p.397
James McBride “Hip-Hop Planet” Writer’s Presence p.463
William Speed Weed “106 Scientific Claims and a Truckful of Baloney” WP p.579
Discussion Board:
9. Return to the quotations you used in discussions #5 and #6. After reading
“The Art of Quoting” (ch#3 in They Say, I Say), choose one of those previous quotations that you feel you could have integrated, introduced, explained, or related to your own text more effectively. Revise the paragraph that includes
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the quotation and paste your revision here, along with a few sentences detailing why you made the changes you did.
Post by: Tuesday May 15 th
Respond to 2-3 peers by: Thursday May 17 th
10. Respond to ANY of the following questions from “The Physics of Gridlock” that appeal to you: In Stephen Budiansky’s insightful analysis of what causes traffic jams, he establishes polar differences between the research of
“practical-minded Americans” and the “theoretically inclined Germans”
(paragraph 1), between American civil engineering and German physics.
What are the specific strategies Budiansky uses as a writer to develop this fundamental competition between ways of solving theoretical and real-world problems? Which approach to science does Budiansky seem to favor, or is he able to remain nuetral? In effect, would you characterize Budiansky as being more interested in science as theory or practicality? Explain. In supporting your response, comment on the tone of Budiansky’s essay and his use of irony.
Post by: Tuesday May 15 th
Respond to 2-3 peers by: Thursday May 17 th
Writing Assignment: Draft of Expository Essay (2 printed copies)
Due Date: Saturday May 19 th in class
Class Meeting #4 (Saturday May 19 th 8:30-12):
We will discuss a variety of ways that writers’ can use examples in expository essays. You will have a chance to get feedback from your peers on your draft in small workshop groups. The argumentative essay assignment will be introduced and we will do some brainstorming in class.
Read:
“Yes / No / Okay, But” and “And Yet” They Say, I Say p.55-77
Joseph Epstein “The Perpetual Adolescent” p.366
choose any essay from the “Expository Writing” section that you were not assigned
Discussion Board:
11. What is your opinion of the cause and effect relationships put forth in
Epstein’s “The Perpetual Adolescent”? Choose a specific area of the essay that you will focus on. In your response, make use of 2 or more of the templates from chapters #4 and #5 in They Say, I Say.
Post by: Tuesday May 22 nd
Respond to 2-3 peers by: Thursday May 24 th
12. What essay did you choose to read from the “Expository Writing” section?
What about that essay was particularly interesting to you and why? Pick one
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technique that you noticed the writer using that you feel would be particularly useful to you in your own expository essay and explain why.
Include a short quotation from the writer in your response.
Post by: Tuesday May 22 nd
Respond to 2-3 peers by: Thursday May 24 th
Writing Assignment: Final Draft of Expository Essay (upload online)
Due Date: Saturday May 26 th before midnight no class meeting this week
Read:
“Skeptics May Object” and “So What? Who Cares?” They Say, I Say p.78-101
Barbara Ehrenreich “Family Values” Writer’s Presence p.669
Nora Ephron “The Boston Photographs” Writer’s Presence p.676
Michael Pollan “What’s Eating America” Writer’s Presence p.800
Martin Luther King Jr. “Letter from Birmingham Jail” WP p.730-748
Discussion Board:
13. Respond to ANY of the following questions from “Family Values” that appeal to you: Ehrenreich uses her own impressions and experience as evidence in her argument. How might the essay read if it were argued in more objective terms (historical facts, statistics, etc.)? What sorts of examples does she use to make her point? What examples can you think of that are contrary to hers (counterexamples)? Contrast the type of evidence used by Ehrenreich with that used by Calvin Trillin in “A Traditional Family”
(page 545).
Post by: Tuesday May 29 th
Respond to 2-3 peers by: Thursday May 31 st
14. Do some preliminary writing for your argumentative essay. First, establish why your claims matter, using at least one of the templates from ch#7 in They Say, I Say. Then, plant a naysayer in your text, using at least one of the templates from ch#6.
Post by: Tuesday May 29 th
Respond to 2-3 peers by: Thursday May 31 st
Writing Assignment: Outline for Argumentative Essay (1 printed copy)
Due Date: Saturday June 2 nd in individual conference
Class Meeting #5 (Saturday June 2 nd 8:30-12):
We will meet as a class from 8:30-9:30. From 9:30-12 I will meet with each of you individually for conferences. Please come during your scheduled time. Prepare some
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questions about your argumentative essay to ask me during conference and bring your outline to show and discuss.
Read:
“Part 3: Tying It All Together” They Say, I Say p.105-138, ch#8-10
Terry Tempest Williams “The Clan of One-Breasted Women” WP p.890 choose any essay from the “Argumentative Writing” section that you were not assigned research and read sources for your argument paper
Discussion Board:
15. Respond to ANY of the following questions from “The Clan of One-
Breasted Women” that appeal to you: Consider the role of language in
William’s essay. Do you see instances of what might be termed “Orwellian doublespeak”? If so, where? What effects is Williams trying to achieve? Does she successfully use pen and paper as “weapons” as she says is her intention?
Why or why not? Previously you read George Orwell’s “Politics and the
English Language” (p.510). Would you expect Orwell to approve or disapprove of the political purposes to which Williams puts language? Why?
Post by: Tuesday June 5 th
Respond to 2-3 peers by: Thursday June 7 th
16. In the argumentative essay that you chose to read, look for the different ways the author uses metacommentary. Use the templates on p.135-137 in
They Say, I Say as a guide. Include 2-3 examples (for instance transitional phrases, sentences that elaborate, or sentences in which the writer sums up what he/she has been saying). How do you think the author’s use of metacommentary enhances (or harms) his/her writing? What specific techniques or ideas from ch#8 through #10 in They Say, I Say will be particularly helpful for you on your argumentative essay? Why?
Post by: Tuesday June 5 th
Respond to 2-3 peers by: Thursday June 7 th
Writing Assignment: Draft of Argumentative Essay (exchange by email)
Due Date: Saturday June 9 th before 8:30am
Class Meeting #6 **ONLINE CHAT** (Saturday June 9 th 8:30-12):
Prepare some questions for your peers that you have about your argument paper before class. From 8:30-9:30 the entire class will meet in a chat room on D2L. You will have received a draft of your workshop partners’ argument papers before class, and you will have between 9:30-10:30 to read those drafts and prepare some notes.
At 10:30, you will meet your workshop partners in a different chat room designated only for your group. I will drop into these chat rooms from time to time to see how the conversation is flowing and offer some suggestions. Budget 15-20 minutes of
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time to discuss each paper. Workshops should end between 11:15 and 11:30. As soon as your workshop is over, please send me a short email describing how it went.
Read:
“The Data Suggest” and “Analyze This” They Say, I Say p.156-192
Gerald Graff “Hidden Intellectualism” They Say, I Say p.198-205
Deborah Tannen “Agonism in the Academy” They Say, I Say p.214-220 research and read sources for your argument paper
Discussion Board:
17. After reading about the differences when writing for the sciences vs. writing for the social sciences in They Say, I Say, what are your dominant impressions about these fields? Where do you see your own writing (present and future) falling along this divide? Does one field appeal to you more strongly than another? Why do you think you feel the way you do?
Post by: Tuesday June 12 th
Respond to 2-3 peers by: Thursday June 14 th
18. Gerald Graff and Deborah Tannen offer two very different criticisms of academic writing and thought, and propose alternative approaches. What is your reaction to their arguments? Take a moment to reflect on your own cultural and educational background, and the ideas, expectations, and opinions about intellectual life that that background has created.
Post by: Tuesday June 12 th
Respond to 2-3 peers by: Thursday June 14 th
Writing Assignment: New Draft of Argumentative Essay (upload online)
Due Date: Saturday June 16 th before midnight no class meeting this week
Read: the book you have chosen for your presentation
Discussion Board:
19. As you gear up for your presentation next week, what do you anticipate will be the most difficult part? General anxieties are okay here, but please also include a specific issue that relates to the book/topic that you have chosen. What ways have you thought of addressing this specific challenge?
Post by: Tuesday June 19 th
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Respond to at least 2-3 peers by: Thursday June 21 st
Writing Assignment: Notes for Presentation (1 printed copy)
Due Date: Saturday June 23 rd in individual conference
Class Meeting #7 (Saturday June 23 rd 8:30-12):
The entire class period will be devoted to individual conferences. Please come during your scheduled time. Prepare some questions about your argument paper to ask me during conference and bring your presentation notes to show and discuss.
Discussion Board:
20. This is our last discussion board and will provide a space for you to articulate your final thoughts. First, prepare 2-3 questions that you would like to put before your classmates. These questions can relate to the coursework or be about writing in general and/or its relevance to our day-to-day lives (if any). Next, write a short paragraph beneath your questions that includes any reflections you would like to share about your time in the class. Finally, in the comments answer at least ONE of the questions that EACH of your classmates has asked, including your own.
Post by: Tuesday June 26 th
Respond to **ALL** peers by: Thursday June 28 th
Writing Assignment: Final Draft of Argumentative Essay (upload online)
Due Date: Saturday June 30 th before midnight
Class Meeting #8 (Saturday June 30 th 8:30-12):
This is our last class meeting and will include your presentations. Please come prepared with any materials you require. Any technology needs should be discussed with me ahead of time. Good luck!
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