Schedule

Assignment Schedule, Fall 2009

Literature and Composition | Professor Meehan

All assignments, reading and writing are due by class time on the date posted (unless otherwise indicated). For example, a blog entry should be posted by the beginning of class, not after, in order to get full credit. One exception will be writing projects that are due (electronic submission) by 8 pm on publication days.

Focal Point #1: Autobiographical Wreading

Week One: hidden intellectuals/hidden writers

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M 8/31

  • First Class: Autobiographies–yours, mine, ours

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W 9/2

  • Due: Reading: Birkerts, The Gutenberg Elegies (GE), introduction and chapter 1.
  • Consider: What is the premise of his book (the conversation we are entering)? Do you agree with any of his assumptions about reading or sympathize with the personal experiences that shape those assumptions? These are some things you can begin to consider as you interact with this book and start to think about your first glog due Friday.
    • You can set up your blog account by linking here to wordpress.com. Let me know in class if you have any problems. If you have a laptop, bring it to class and I can help you get set up.

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F 9/4

  • Due: Reading: Graff, “Hidden Intellectualism” (in They Say/I Say); Writing: first glog due–responding to the reading this week (posted to your blog)
  • Consider: Description of the “glog” assignment.
  • We will not be meeting as a class today. Instead, I invite/expect you to attend one of the sessions with the Graffs, the authors of They Say/I Say who will be visiting campus.
    • 10.30: Discussion for students in Writing Center about academic writing
    • 1.30: Discussion with students and faculty in Literary House about academic writing vs. creative writing
    • 3.30: Lecture in Litrenta Lecture Hall (in Toll Science Center): Demystifying the Academic Game

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Week Two: becoming a reader and writer

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M  9/7

  • Due: Reading: Birkerts, GE chatper 2 (or most of it, and finish rest for Wednesday)
  • Consider: How does Birkerts define reading? Which passage thus far do you find most and least compelling in the development of his argument? Why?

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W 9/9 | Machine Shop

  • Due: Reading: They Say/I Say: Preface, Introduction and chapter 1
  • Consider: Expand upon your Writing To-Do list. Consider my list of Strong Writing characteristics: which of these are strengths for you already? which are things you would like to strengthen?

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F 9/11

  • Due: Reading: Hayles, opening of Writing Machines (reserve); Writing: second Glog due.
  • Consider: How does Hayles’ experience with reading compare to your own, to Birkerts? Notice Hayles’ interest in the materiality of books and  in writing as a medium.

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Week Three: workshops

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M 9/14

  • Due: Reading: Birkerts, GE chapters 3-7 (read two chapters of your choice; be prepared to report to class on both).
  • Consider: Writing: begin to compost for first writing project; after reading through the assignment, begin to explore and experiment with what you might do. Can do this composting in your journal or on your blog.

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W 9/16

  • Due: Draft of essay.
    • Bring a print out of your draft to class (must be at least 2 pages, should be in paragraph form, not notes). For those wanting to revise directly on computer, bring your laptop (optional).
    • You must have a draft in class in order to attend this workshop; I will check at beginning.
  • Consider: Skip over the introduction, or most of it, in order to dig into the focal point for the essay–developing the significance of the experience you are writing about.

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F 9/18

  • Due: In class: editing workshop–have the latest version of your essay in hand to do some editing. The finished version of the essay is due by 8 P.M. in 2 places: blog and Blackboard.
  • Consider:

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Focal Point #2: Intertextual Wreading

Week Four: workshop of filthy creation

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M 9/21

  • Due: Reading: Frankenstein, through chapter IV (including Mary Shelley’s introduction)
  • Consider: notice all the reading and writing that goes on in the novel (something we will be focusing on); also notice the way the author describes the origins of this novel in her introduction.

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W 9/23 | Machine Shop

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F 9/25

  • Due: Reading: Frankenstein, through chapter XVI; Writing: Glog due.
  • Consider: for your glog, respond to the reading from this week (remember to have aspects of hear, notice, and wonder in your response). One thing you might consider–if you are in need of ideas: why are the typical Hollywood film versions of Frankenstein so different from the novel? Is this in fact a horror story?

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Week Five: finishing Frankenstein

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M  9/28

  • Due: Reading: Frankenstein, through chapter XXIII
  • Consider:

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W 9/30 | Machine Shop

  • Due: Reading: They Say/I Say, chapters 2 and 3
  • Consider: focus on the art of summarizing and quoting

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F 10/2

  • Due: Reading: finish novel +Glog: this time use your glog for your composting of the second writing project
    • include in your compost some initial response to a passage in the novel you will focus on, the “intertext” (link/copy it in if possible), a possible thesis (or at least your hypothesis at this point), and questions you have.
  • Consider:

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Week Six: workshops

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M  10/5 | initial draft

  • Due: Initial draft of your close reading–remember this should not be notes, should be around 2 pages of your initial attempt to translate your ideas and compost into paragraphs.
    • a draft is required for admission
    • bring laptop (if you have one)
  • Consider:

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W 10/7

  • Due: Further and Full Draft–where you close reading of text is being developed
  • Consider: no admission to workshop without a revised/second version of your draft

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F 10/9

  • Due: Second Writing Project due by 8 pm; will have editing workshop in class.
  • Consider: Submit your essay in two places:
    1. Blackboard: turnitin assignments–upload a copy for storage and safekeeping. If you are interested, you can check the originality reports.
    2. Your blog: create a category either for this project or for final versions of your projects. After you publish it on the blog, go back and check the formatting (clean up any format problems by going back in and editing); then include in a comment on that posting a brief self-reflection: identify something that you worked on for this essay that you feel is strong/improved; something that you would like to strengthen or improve or do more with (if you returned to this for the final project).

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Focal Point #3: Remediated Wreading

Week Seven: the medium is the massage/message

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M  10/12

  • Due: McLuhan and Fiore, The Medium is the Massage, approximately first half of book.
  • Consider:

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W 10/14 | Machine Shop

  • Due: Respond to Writing Group #2
  • Consider: Once again, read and comment upon the four projects from the following writers (you comments should focus on identifying strengths of the piece and where you could see the writer taking this in a revised version for the final project)
    • 12:30 class: Meagan C., Katie D., A.J. F., Graham K.
    • 1:30 class: Kong D., Danisha G., Lindsay H., Will H.

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F 10/16

  • Fall Break: no class

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Week Eight: thinking and writing in the age of remediation

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M   10/19

  • Due: Reading: finish The Medium is the Massage
  • Consider: As a way to get a better grasp of what McLuhan means by the assertion that “all media work us over completely” or massage us, think of an updated example from new media you are familiar with today. Be prepared to show us how it might support McLuhan’s thesis.

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W 10/21

  • Due: Reading: Walter Benjamin, “The Work of Art in the Age of its Technological Reproducibility” or Vannevar Bush, “As We May Think”
    • Meet in Beck Lab (lower level of library)
    • Make at least one comment on the essay on the social text site where you read it–something that interests you, perhaps a link you can make to something else we have read or discussed.
  • Consider: you will be reporting/presenting to class on the essay your read, what the authors say, how these views of remediation might apply to our study.

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F 10/23 [frankenstein play showing Friday and Saturday]

  • Due: “Frankenstein’s Futurity,” essay on Reserve in Blackboard.
  • Consider: what other films from recent years might fit the Frankenstein mold?

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Week Nine: filming frankenstein

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M  10/26

  • Due: Compost for third writing project: come in with a film chosen and specific scenes or elements of the film in mind (at least 2) that you can share with/show to the class for examples of how you will pursue a ‘media specific analysis’ of the film’s interpretation/remediation of the novel. Post your ideas/composting to your blog.
  • Consider: What are some key moments in the film that factor into how you understand/view the film’s interpretation of the novel–it’s critical vision? What are some specific aspects of those moments that seem to factor into that vision? Another way to put this: how does the medium of the film influence/massage the message of the film?

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W 10/28

  • Due: Draft of Project 3–full draft, including a section where you are closely and specifically reading the text of the film. Post your draft to blog.
  • Consider:

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F 10/30

  • Due: Third project due at 8 pm. Post to your blog and submit to Blackboard.
  • Consider: Editing workshop: we will focus on ways of being more specific with the medium of language.

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Focal Point #4: Digital Wreading

Week Ten: the body of the text

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M   11/2

  • Due: Reading: Patchwork Girl, initial reading(s)–spend at least 30 minutes with it.
  • Consider: Be patient; observe and make note (in notebook–for reference in class) to what the reading experience is like. My suggestion is that the difficulty and difference of this reading experience (from any book you have read) is part of what this text is about. Bring your laptop and text to class (for those that have a laptop)

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W 11/4

  • Advising Day: no class

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F 11/6

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Week Eleven: back to birkerts

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M  11/9

  • Due: Reading: Birkerts, GE chapter 8 “Into the Electronic Millenium” + spend some more time with PG
  • Consider:

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W 11/11

  • Due: Respond to Writing Group #3 (post a comment to each essay, suggesting a place the author could expand and revise if they were to go back to this for the final project). Bring in a copy of your third, most recent essay (print or electronic)–we will be doing some work with it in class.
  • Consider: writing groups
      • 12.30 section: Erin, Emily, Alex S., Max
      • 1.30 section: Alan, J.D., Marissa, Amy

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F 11/13

  • Due: Reading: Birkerts, GE, chapter 11, “Hypertext” + Glog [posting] [bring laptop/PG to class if possible]
  • Consider: what would Birkerts say about PG? what (at this point) would you say in response?

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Week Twelve: Stitching Patchwork Girl together

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M   11/16

  • Due: Reading: Shelley Jackson, “Stitch Bitch” [linked here]
  • Consider: use her insight to go back into PG–anything open up?
    • You might also check out (not required) here hypertext autobiography: My Body
    • again, bring text (and computer) to class

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W 11/18

  • Due: Will not meet. Instead, come to my lecture at the Lit House on Tuesday 11/17 at 4. The subject is how the American writer Ralph Waldo Emerson thinks about writing
  • Consider: I will be in my office Wednesday for open conference time. Stop by for a visit.

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F 11/20

  • Due: They Say/I Say, chapters 4-10 + in notebook, practice some of the templates using Birkerts, Hayles, Jackson, etc–that is, the kind of things you will be doing with the next writing project.
  • Consider:

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Week Thirteen: Tying it all together

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M   11/23

  • Due: Further reading of Patchwork Girl
  • Consider:  Meet in Beck lab in the library and bring PG with you.

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W 11/25

  • Thanksgiving: no classes

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Week Fourteen: workshops

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M   11/30

  • Due: Reading, Birkerts, “Coda” (last chapter of the book)
  • Consider:

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W 12/2

  • Due: Revision workshop: full draft due in class and posted to blog.
  • Consider:

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F 12/4

  • Due: Fourth Writing Project due; editing workshop (bring laptops)
  • Consider:

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Week Fifteen: final project/further wreading

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M  12/7 | Machine Shop

  • Due: Respond to Writing Group #4; Compost for Final Project (update your to-do list)
  • Consider: Meet with writing group for conference with me in the classroom at these times:
    • 12.30:
    • 12.45
    • 1.00:
    • 1.15:
    • 1.30:
    • 1.45:
    • 2.00:
    • 2.15:

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W 12/9 [last class]

  • Due: Revision Workshop–bring in stuff to work on:  the essay you are revising + wherever you are in the revision/new draft.
  • Consider:

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Final Project

  • Due: Monday December 14 by 11.59 pm
  • Consider: you will be posting your portfolio to your blog (create a final project/portfolio category) and submitting the link (post in a comment) to the Class Magazine, Progenies.

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