Final Instructions. . .

1) ALL four essays must be rewritten AT LEAST ONCE and submitted by 12/10/2010. . .If you fail to complete this requirement, you cannot pass the course. . .

2) Submit your final portfolio by 11 am on 12/14/2010 (Exam period); email the following as attachments and label files as follows:

• Submit a final reflection that discusses what you have learned about your WRITING PROCESS as well as anything you can share about yourself as a writer. Label the file with your three initials and "reflection"—as in PLT.reflection.docx

• Submit your writing journal OR an explanation about why you chose NOT to maintain a journal. Label file with your three initials and "journal"— as in PLT.journal.docx

• Select and submit FINAL submissions of what you consider to be your THREE best essays; identify them in order with a brief note WHY. . .Label explanation with your three initials and "why"—as in PLT.why.docx

• Submit the LAST draft of E.4 separately for me to submit to the FYW committee. This MUST be labeled with your student ID number—as in 1234567.docx.

Harrison Bergeron

Harrison Bergeron, Kurt Vonnegut

Our Debate Culture

Our Debate Culture

Published Op-Ed, drafts shared in class

Here is the published final Op-Ed; you saw two drafts of this in class:

"Don't Ask, Don't Tell": There's a Reason Captain America Wears a Mask

FYW Dinner!

November 4, 2010

@ 6:oo

Trio Cafe

What do you know about your own faith?

Here is an interesting study about faith and religious knowledge:

Religious Literacy

May be a good source for essay 2. . .

Equity?

Does race matter? See the news article and study about race and school suspensions.

Submitting Essays: Guidelines

The FIRST time you submit EACH of your FOUR required essays, submit at least one draft and your "final" essay, and label the Word docs as follows:

• Draft: your initials, essay number with "DRAFT," date; for example (for me), PT.E1DRAFT.091410.doc (or they can end with "docx")

• First final document: PT.E1.091410.doc

• All rewrites: PT.E1RW.092110.doc, PTE1RW2.0928.10. . .etc

What is "good writing"? What is "good scholarly writing"?

Read this piece by Henry Giroux, "Racialized Memories and Class Identities"—Is this well written? How so?

Look on your course CD for the following files:

Decisions Writers Make.docx

Writing as a Young Scholar.docx

FYWRubricrevised.doc

Fred Jones pt 2, Ben Folds

Fred Jones Part 2
------Ben Folds

Fred sits alone at his desk in the dark
There's an awkward young shadow that waits in the hall
He's cleared all his things and he's put them in boxes
Things that remind him: 'Life has been good'
Twenty-five years
He's worked at the paper
A man's here to take him downstairs
And I'm sorry, Mr. Jones
It's time
There was no party, there were no songs
'Cause today's just a day like the day that he started
No one is left here that knows his first name
And life barrels on like a runaway train
Where the passengers change
They don't change anything
You get off; someone else can get on
And I'm sorry, Mr. Jones
It's time
Streetlight shines through the shades
Casting lines on the floor, and lines on his face
He reflects on the day
Fred gets his paints out and goes to the basement
Projecting some slides onto a plain white
Canvas and traces it
Fills in the spaces
He turns off the slides, and it doesn't look right
Yeah, and all of these bastards
Have taken his place
He's forgotten but not yet gone
And I'm sorry, Mr. Jones
And I'm sorry, Mr. Jones
And I'm sorry, Mr. Jones
It's time

Recommended works for choice reading

The Reader, Bernhard Schlink

The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood

The Road, Cormac McCarthy

Player Piano, Kurt Vonnegut

Revolutionary Road, Richard Yates

Manhood for Amateurs, Michael Chabon

Maps and Legends, Michael Chabon

Plagiarism?

From the Huffingtonpost

From The New York Times

Fall 2010 MWF Schedule

Fall 2010 MWF Schedule

Date	Class Focus
W 8/25	“A House of My Own,” Sandra Cisneros (http://summerfurmangrad.blogspot.com/2010/06/sandra-cisneros-house-of-my-own-house.html) Introduction to course, writing, ethics. . .Plagiarism (see post above)
F 8/27	Writing process, what makes good writing, assumptions about writing
M 8/30	Thoreau, Henry David. “Life without Principle.” (See online text linked on course blog: http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/transcendentalism/authors/thoreau/lifewithoutprinciple.html)
W 9/1	“Life” cont.
F 9/3	Writing workshop
M 9/6	Labor Day Holiday
W 9/8	Mill, John Stuart. “Chapter II: Of the Liberty of Thought and Discussion.” (See online text linked on course blog: http://www.bartleby.com/130/2.html)
F 9/10	Writing workshop
M 9/13	Kingsolver essays (choice)
W 9/15	Kingsolver essays (choice)
F 9/17	Writing workshop
M 9/20	E. 1 Initial Submission DUE
W 9/22	Batman: Year One
F 9/24	Dr. Mills/ Library 041
M 9/27	Discuss Batman Myth cont.
W 9/29	Discuss Batman Myth cont.
F 10/1	Writing workshop
M 10/4	Scholarly writing; citation and documentation; academic integrity (http://www.furman.edu/integrity/InformationforStudents.htm)
W 10/6	Writing Workshop
F 10/8	Writing workshop
M 10/11	E. 2 Initial Submission DUE
W 10/13	MIDTERM
F 10/15	FALL BREAK
M 10/18	Vertigo, DeSalvo
W 10/20	Vertigo cont.
F 10/22	Writing workshop
M 10/25	Vertigo disc groups
W 10/27	Workshop
F 10/29	Workshop
M 11/1	Workshop
W 11/3	E. 3 Initial Submission DUE
F 11/5	Writing workshop
M 11/8	Additional book choice due, discuss
W 11/10	Additional book choice, discuss
F 11/12	Style, Preface/ 1. Causes; Writing workshop
M 11/15	Style, 3. Cohesion
W 11/17	Style, 4. Emphasis
F 11/19	NO CLASS MEETING
M 11/22	E. 4 Initial Submission DUE
W 11/24	THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY
F 11/26	THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY
M 11/29	Style, 5. Coherence I, 6. Coherence II
W 12/1	Style, 7. Concision
F 12/3	Style, 8. Length, 9. Elegance
M 12/6	Style, 10. Usage
FINAL EXAM 12/14 8:30-11; HH 106

FYW Writing Assignments Fall 2010

[ ] Students will compose and submit four original essays* throughout the course (see Course Schedule); each essay must be submitted in multiple drafts that reflect significant revision as impacted by both peer and instructor input during the writing process. The four essays should fulfill the following broad, but essential, guidelines:

(1) Essay 1 should address topics and questions raised in either or both of the texts required by Thoreau and Mill. Issues and essay genre are the decision of each student, but should be considered through conferences with the professor. This foundational piece should consider the focus of this course: What is the “pursuit of happiness” for each individual? What role does liberty play in that pursuit? How does a person’s profession impact that pursuit? What is an ethical life? How does the pursuit of happiness by an individual impact the possibility of happiness for others in the broader community? OR, a focus of your choice.

(2) Essay 2 should be drawn from reading and considering the Batman myth. This piece should look at the ethical dilemmas raised in Bruce Wayne’s commitment to justice and his obsession with revenge. How does the Batman myth help us consider the role of material wealth in our pursuit of happiness and an ethical life? OR, a focus of your choice.

(3) Essay 3 should focus on DeSalvo’s Vertigo. OR, a focus of your choice.

(4) Essay 4 should deal primarily with additional reading of your choice. OR, a focus of your choice.

* REQUIRED: At least one of the major essays above must be a documented work; citations must be in APA format. Appropriate and sufficient sources for this requirement must be approved by the professor.

Conferences, Round 2

Conferences have been re-assigned. . .see list in class or email me to confirm.

Essential Elements of Effective Writing

Your essays are failing to show a purpose or plan for how you are expressing your ideas. Most of you are essentially arguing, but your arguments are simply a string of statements—thus not effective.

A pan must fulfill these concerns:

(1) How can you OPEN the piece to engage your reader and establish your FOCUS?

(2) How can you organize your support CLAIMS that reinforce your focus?

(3) What evidence do you provide for EACH MAJOR CLAIM?

(4) Do you provide the needed ELABORATIONS that help your reader connect the evidence to the claim and the claim to your focus?

I will continue to push you on FOCUS, CLAIMS, EVIDENCE, and ELABORATIONS. . .and you need to push me on what those are, how they can be more effective, and whatever you need to sharpen your understanding of organizing and developing a written argument.

Grades?

You will eventually receive grades on your essays as follows:

Content and Organization (C/O): 10 pts
Diction and Style (D/): 5 pts
Grammar and Mechanics (G/M): 5 pts
________________________________________

20 pts

20 A+
19 A
18 A-

17 B+
16 B
15 B-

14 C+
13 C
12 C-

11 D+
10 D
9 D-

8 below F

Drafting, rewriting, revising. . .what to do. . .?

After submitting your first draft in our FYW, you may be wondering what to do next. Here are some tips about revising and rewriting your work:

• Look over your draft and all of the comments I have offered to get an initial feel for the big picture—what are the strengths of your draft, what are the weaknesses?

• Rarely should you simply take that draft and "correct" what has been marked. Many times, you will be better starting on blank paper (or screen) to rewrite your essay. I believe after the first draft, a rewrite is often needed; then you are probably ready to take the second or third draft and revise that version.

• Do some additional brainstorming after the first draft. . .create an outline or diagram of what your draft accomplished. What is your focus? Your main points? Your evidence? What is your organizational pattern? What gives your essay life?

• Talke about your essay with someone and have other people read your work. Ask them what you have said. . .ask them for strengths and weaknesses.

• Focus your rewriting and revision on content and style until you achieve a draft you are sure is close to complete; then begin to edit, worrying about grammar and mechanics when you are ready to declare the work finished. There is no need to polish something that isn't valuable to begin with. . .

Batman

Here are some resources for looking at the history of the Batman character from DC Comics:

Outline of the Batman character

Batman Fan Site

Batman wiki from DC

Is Batman religious?

Religion in Batman: Year One

Discussion of The Dark Knight movie in salon.com

New artist for Detective Comics, J. H. Williams III

Conferences Week of 9/21/09

Monday (9/21) @ 2—Matt Solomon
Monday (9/21) @ 3—Alanna Gillis
Monday (9/21) @ 4—Kyle Sanders

Tuesday (9/22) @ 9—Rashaun Phillips
Tuesday (9/22) @ 9:30—Alex Lea
Tuesday (9/22) @ 10—Ada Bennett
Tuesday (9/22) @ 10:30—Eric Eaton
Tuesday (9/22) @ 1:30—Nikki Moss
Tuesday (9/22) @ 2:30—Patrick Farah
Tuesday (9/22) @ 3:30—Ben Mayberry

Wednesday (9/23) @ 2:30—Rhett Wallace

Thursday (9/24) @ 10:30—Mary-Pat Bradshaw