Instructor: Julie Barak
Office: T4 Office
Phone: 248-1072 Home Phone: 257-0457
Office Hours: MWF 10:00-11:00, 2:00-3:00
E-Mail: [email protected]
Course Goals: 1) To develop a writing habit. 2) To practice several skills and techniques that are helpful in various stages of the writing process: pre-writing, drafting, revising, and editing. 3) To develop the ability to respond helpfully, analytically, and critically to the writing of others -- both peers and professionals. 4) To learn to accept and to respond in writing and through re-writing to others' comments about your work.
Course Methods/Description: The course is designed as a writing/reading workshop. We will spend most of our days in class writing, reading our writing out loud, and discussing that writing. We will also read and discuss the work of several published writers. In order to be a successful member of this class, you must be prepared to write daily in and out of class, to read your work out loud to small groups of your classmates and to the class as a whole, to comment thoughtfully on the writing of others and to accept others' comments about your own work. Participation in all of these activities is required from all members of the course. If you opt not to participate in the writing, sharing, or responding, you will fail the class. Writing is a craft we can learn. It is also a means of exploring ourselves, our relationships with others and with our world. Writing is a mind-expanding, exciting, risky business. Let's all take up the challenge of living a writer's life this semester. It will be worth the effort!
Required Texts and Other Expenses:
Journals: At least two hours of writing outside of class each week in two separate Journals.
Journal #1 -- One hour each week should be spent responding to Natalie Goldberg's book, Writing Down the Bones. You can divide this time up into any increments you like -- 4 quarter hour sessions, 2 half hour sessions, 1 one hour session. You can do it long hand, you can do it on the computer. You must, however, record the date and the beginning and ending time of each session on the top of the paper you save in your journal. Each week choose a new chapter from Goldberg's book and write for one hour in response to it. Experiment in the ways she encourages you to experiment. Try new stuff, play around with words and ideas. Save all your journals in one of the manilla folders, labeled with your name, your e-mail address, our class name and section number.
Journal #2 -- Another hour each week should be spent trying out the techniques we will be learning in class. Spend an hour doing timed free-writing, loop writing, reorganizing, developing theme, working with details, etc. Mostly this means that you will begin this hour with a piece of writing you started in class and you will "work with it" or "play with it" trying out the different pre-writing, drafting, revising, and editing techniques we learn in class. Record the date, the beginning and ending times of your writing sessions, and the technique you're experimenting with at the top of the page. Save all these journals in another manilla folder with your name, your e-mail address, our class name and section number on it. Each journal is worth 15% of your grade.
Two Portfolios:
A midterm portfolio consisting of four "packets." Each "packet" should contain the current draft of one essay of three or more typed pages, all previous drafts of that essay, and all comments about the draft returned to you by the instructor or your peers -- in that order. On top of each packet should be a short letter addressing your thoughts on the draft. What does it still need? What's been bugging you about this draft? What stages has it gone through? Whose comments have been most helpful and why? The midterm portfolio is worth 30% of your grade.
A final portfolio consisting of 2 packets, each containing one finished essay, all the drafts that have lead up to it, all the comments about the draft returned to you by the instructor or your peers, in that order. On top of each packet will be a letter discussing your reasons for selecting this essay as a representation of your work for the semester and the process you've gone through to get the essay in the shape it's in. The final portfolio is worth 30% of your grade.
Final Exam: The last week of class will be spent writing an essay, in class, that puts into practice all the skills we've been working on all semester. I'll tell you more about this when I know more about it myself. This exam is worth 10% of your grade.
Attendance and Participation: You must come to class and participate in all the activities of the class in order to do well in the class. Because I know that life is complicated, I allow everyone in the class 3 unexcused absences. That means that you can not show up three times during the semester without any consequences. After three absences, penalties begin to accrue, however. More than three absences will adversely affect your grade in the following manner: If you have a "B" in the class, but you've missed four classes, your grade will drop to an "B-". If you miss five classes, it will drop to a "C+". Miss six, and your grade is a "C". Miss seven, and you're looking at a "C-", and so on. If you have any questions about this policy, let me know. I stick very firmly to it; I apply it without exceptions.
Aug. 20 Wednesday Introduction
Aug. 22 Friday Pre-Writing -- Life Line
Aug. 25 Monday Allison, 1-12
Aug. 27 Wednesday Pre-Writing --
Aug. 29 Friday Essay due to Julie. Must be typed, double spaced. Must include
writer's note.
Sept. 01 Monday Allison 12-32
Sept. 03 Wednesday Pre-Writing --
Sept. 05 Friday Essay due to peers. Must include writer's note.
Sept. 08 Monday Allison 32-71
Sept. 10 Wednesday Drafting --
Sept. 12 Friday Journals due. In-class reading of excerpts.
Sept. 15 Monday Allison 71-end
Sept. 17 Wednesday Drafting --
Sept. 19 Friday Essay due to instructor. Must be typed, double spaced.
Must include writer's note.
Sept. 22 Monday O'Brien 1-72
Sept. 24 Wednesday Drafting --
Sept. 26` Friday Essay due to peers. Must include writer's note.
Sept. 29 Monday O'Brien 73-127
Oct. 01 Wednesday Drafting --
Oct. 03 Friday Journals due. In-class reading of excerpts.
Oct. 06 Monday O'Brien 127-155
Oct. 08 Wednesday Revision --
Oct. 10 Friday Midterm Portfolios due.
Oct. 13 Monday Midterm Break
Oct. 15 Wednesday Midterm assessment
Oct. 17 Friday Return Portfolios. Midterm assessment.
Oct. 20 Monday O'Brien 175-205 Oct. 22 Wednesday Drafting Oct. 24 Friday Essay due to Julie. Must be typed, double spaced. Must include writer's note.
Oct. 27 Monday O'Brien 201-end
Oct. 29 Wednesday Revision --
Oct. 31 Friday Essay due for class work. Must include writer's note. (Julie
out of town.)
Nov. 03 Monday Research
Nov. 05 Wednesday Revision --
Nov. 07 Friday Journals due. In class reading of excerpts.
Nov. 10 Monday Research
Nov. 12 Wednesday Editing --
Nov. 14 Friday Essay due to instructor. Must be typed, double-spaced. Must
include writer's note.
Nov. 17 Monday Research
Nov. 19 Wednesday Editing --
Nov. 21 Friday Essay due for class work. Must include writer's note.
Nov. 24 Monday Final Portfolio due. Journals due. Nov. 26 Wednesday Thanksgiving break Nov. 28 Friday Thanksgiving break
Dec. 01 Monday Exam
Dec. 03 Wednesday Exam
Dec. 05 Friday Exam Portfolios returned.
Dec 10 8:00-9:50 Self-assessment, learning letter, course evaluation due