tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60783127529314902172024-03-07T21:30:49.956-06:00Stranger than FictionYour gateway to an array of fascinating Nonfiction Blogs.Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745167749128309461noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078312752931490217.post-42178759530858872792017-12-05T13:38:00.001-06:002017-12-05T13:38:01.718-06:00Reading for Wednesday: A Visit to the Hacker HouseThe results are in, and with nineteen votes (one apparent abstention), the clear favorite for tomorrow's reading assignment is <a href="https://www.salon.com/2016/12/24/hacker-house-blues-my-life-with-12-programmers-2-rooms-and-one-21st-century-dream-2/">"Hacker House Blues: My Life with 12 Programmers, 2 Rooms, and One 21st-Century Dream," by David Garczynski </a>(originally published at <i>Salon</i> almost a year ago). This was Jan's selection for his summer-reading essay, so let's all thank him for bringing it to our attention. Read it for tomorrow, and come to class with some thoughts and observations to discuss (no formal notebook assignment).Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745167749128309461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078312752931490217.post-72078667911460474662017-12-01T14:28:00.000-06:002017-12-01T14:29:12.859-06:00Poll No. 2 for December 6 Reading<br />
Please vote in the <a href="https://goo.gl/forms/tby7yun8AaOGZFFI3">run-off poll</a> for our December 6 reading selection (responses will be accepted through the weekend; the winning essay will be announced on Monday).<br />
<br />
Links to the selections listed are included below, in my November 27 blog post.Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745167749128309461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078312752931490217.post-55281329811323441822017-11-30T12:22:00.000-06:002017-11-30T14:41:21.367-06:00Feedback on Your Portfolio Reflection (in Progress)<br />
Choose a partner, if possible, someone you've worked with on peer-editing one of your essays this semester (if not, that's okay too). Take about 20 minutes to read their draft reflection and to respond to the following questions on their draft (questions 1-3) and on your own draft or in your notebook (question 4):<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>What was the most interesting and/or surprising part of this draft reflection?</li>
<li>What did you want to hear more about?</li>
<li>List between one and three questions you were left with after reading this draft.</li>
<li>Did reading this draft make you think of anything you want to add to your own reflection? If so, make a note of it in your notebook or on your own reflection.</li>
</ol>
Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745167749128309461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078312752931490217.post-17097403260571437112017-11-27T14:03:00.001-06:002017-11-27T14:04:45.304-06:00Your Choice of Readings for Tuesday, and a Poll to Determine Next Wednesday's AssignmentPlease read <i>one</i> of the following essays for tomorrow, and answer these questions in your notebook:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.gq.com/story/george-saunders-on-dubai">"The New Mecca,"</a> by George Saunders<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>How does Saunders depict himself, as an outsider to Dubai, throughout the essay? What uses does he make of his own inexperience and confusion in order to explore his subject?</li>
<li>What specific detail(s) about Dubai circa 2005 stand(s) out to you after reading this essay? Which incident or episode made the strongest impression on you, and why?</li>
<li>Consider this essay as a piece of writing: what are its strengths? Is there anything you would suggest to improve it?</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/12/19/the-secret-life-of-time">"The Secret Life of Time,"</a> by Alan Burdick<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>How does Burdick use personal experience to get into the abstract philosophical ideas the essay is exploring? Is this an effective technique?</li>
<li>Which of the many philosophical and psychological ideas about time and how we experience it resonated most strongly with you, and why? Is your individual experience as a time-bound entity reflected in this essay at all?</li>
<li>Consider this essay as a piece of writing: what are its strengths? Is there anything you would suggest to improve it? </li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
* * *<br />
<br />
Please fill out a <a href="https://goo.gl/forms/LjaRenP2thhFRBgW2">poll</a> to indicate your preferences for our reading assignment on Wednesday, December 6. The options, all drawn from your summer-reading selections, are listed below, with links. Please complete this survey by the end of the day Wednesday, November 29.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/07/10/shakespeares-cure-for-xenophobia">"Shakespeare's Cure for Xenophobia,"</a> by Stephen Greenblatt<br />
<a href="https://www.theplayerstribune.com/harry-arter-for-my-daughters/">"The Waves,"</a> by Harry Arter<br />
<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/onward-and-upward-in-the-garden/the-lost-art-of-stealing-fruit">"The Lost Art of Stealing Fruit,"</a> by Charlotte Mendelson<br />
<a href="https://www.guernicamag.com/woven/">"Woven,"</a> by Lidia Yuknavitch<br />
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/06/opinion/sunday/ai-weiwei-how-censorship-works.html">"How Censorship Works,"</a> by Ai Weiwei<br />
<a href="https://www.guernicamag.com/my-lost-body/">"My Lost Body,"</a> by Christina Crosby<br />
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/28/magazine/28lives-t.html">"Shirt-Worthy,"</a> by David Giffels<br />
<a href="https://www.believermag.com/issues/200505/?read=article_burt">"Welcome to the almost Cult-Like Fan-World of American Women's Pro Basketball,"</a> by Stephen Burt<br />
<a href="https://www.salon.com/2016/12/24/hacker-house-blues-my-life-with-12-programmers-2-rooms-and-one-21st-century-dream-2/">"Hacker House Blues: My Life with 12 Programmers, 2 Rooms, and One 21st-Century Dream,"</a> by David Garczynski<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745167749128309461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078312752931490217.post-856025869039414422017-11-27T12:29:00.000-06:002017-11-27T14:29:36.443-06:00The Final PortfolioThe culmination of your writing work all semester will take the form of your final writing portfolio, a selection of your strongest work supplemented with some reflection, revision history, and commentary. This will be graded as a culminating assignment, and will comprise 40 percent of your semester grade for the course.<br />
<br />
The guidelines for the Portfolio are available for perusal and download <a href="https://uofi.box.com/s/dg2u699dqy05ijsklhyt0x7fc0fbhopp">here.</a>Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745167749128309461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078312752931490217.post-23837648959674721522017-11-17T13:14:00.000-06:002017-11-17T14:46:43.821-06:00Sarah Vowell's "Trail of Tears"Sarah Vowell's essay "What I See When I Look at the Face on the $20 Bill," which we read a few weeks ago as an example of an "information plus" essay, originated as a radio essay for <i>This American Life</i>, "Trail of Tears," which aired on July 3, 1998. The interviews with people she meets along the trip were in fact recorded for this radio essay, and you can hear the voices of her sister Amy, the tour guides, and others, which later appeared in quotation in the published essay. The story of the Vowell sisters and their road trip to retrace the Trail of Tears took up the whole episode, and you can listen to the complete audio version of her essay <a href="https://m.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/107/trail-of-tears">here.</a>Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745167749128309461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078312752931490217.post-16199712315129462362017-11-15T13:53:00.003-06:002017-11-15T13:53:39.426-06:00New and Final Syllabus! And Multimedia Project!<a href="https://uofi.box.com/s/72yh06hf6bvo5eytt0ejfd0bcd80muwk">Here</a> is the fourth and final installment of the syllabus for this course.<br />
<br />
And the detailed assignment of the Multimedia Project can be accessed <a href="https://uofi.box.com/s/3tmfjx9np8i476a1o81izfulquptsgsz">here</a>.Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745167749128309461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078312752931490217.post-89285589703993251182017-11-10T12:49:00.002-06:002017-11-10T12:49:53.732-06:00"This Is Water" in-class work<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Work
for David Foster Wallace’s “This is Water”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Individual work (15 minutes):<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">In
your notebook, I asked you to write about which passages you would choose to
include in a hypothetical short film based on this commencement speech. Look at
those passages and draw from them three major themes or idea categories that
you would want to hit on in this hypothetical film. Also in your notebook, list
them in short phrases (no more than ten words; a single word is fine) and
choose a one- or two-sentence quotation that you think illustrates each of them
especially well. Spend about five minutes on this.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Now
shift gears for ten minutes, putting the film idea on hold and writing in
response to this prompt: David Foster Wallace says “In the day-to-day trenches
of adult life, there is actually no such thing as atheism. There is no such
thing as not worshiping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is <i>what
</i>to worship.” What do you worship now, as a not-yet-adult, and how do you
feel about that? And what do you aspire to worship as an adult, five years out
of college or so, and beyond? (It’s okay if the two are the same. It’s also
okay if either or both answers might make you look good––or bad––in the eyes of
others. Try not to judge your own answers too much; just be as honest as you
can).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Fifteen
minutes of group work:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Back
to the film idea. Get into groups of three or four and share your ideas
about a film based on “This Is Water,” which passages you would want to
include, what ideas or themes you would want to highlight, and what visual
strategies you might use to bring them to life (as well as music, typography,
special effects, and any other tools filmmakers have at their disposal). Agree
on a rough and preliminary vision, and create a fewer-than-120-word pitch for a
short film, along with a working title. Record your group members’ names, your
pitch, and your working title in this <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1h6vacIEXzyK0XvYytqMMWW4kAJQC9lWfMnMlwjVwCgY/edit?usp=sharing">Google Doc</a>. (The title can’t
be “This Is Water.” Come up with your own!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745167749128309461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078312752931490217.post-88028073545256921842017-11-09T13:11:00.001-06:002017-11-09T13:11:10.384-06:00"This Is Water" audioAn audio recording of David Foster Wallace delivering the 2005 commencement address at Kenyon College can be accessed <a href="https://webmail.illinois.edu/owa/redir.aspx?C=1Bp1Q4u9GqAZbyu8jtcFTPSmSzN5xF0a-FB2MWzlpC1HKXCQoyfVCA..&URL=https%3a%2f%2fwww.youtube.com%2fwatch%3fv%3d8CrOL-ydFMI">here.</a> It's worth listening to in full, to get a sense of Wallace's tone and style, and to hear it as a speech delivered to an audience on a specific occasion.Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745167749128309461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078312752931490217.post-31499518545514719122017-11-07T13:55:00.001-06:002017-11-07T14:06:35.754-06:00Listing Your Information<br />
For the "Information Plus Reflection" essay, you need, as always, to cite your sources. All of the formal research you've done should be documented in a Works Cited list (MLA style), giving complete bibliographic information for every source. In addition to this bibliography, you should also compile a list of all of the types or categories of information that has been incorporated into the essay, old and new--stuff you already knew but were drawing on when you wrote the essay, and stuff you specifically sought out and learned to enhance and develop this essay. Especially be sure and include elements that contributed to the final draft, but which it didn't make sense to cite as a formal source (e.g. casual conversation that wasn't an "interview," childhood memories, stuff you know from taking U.S. History). <br />
<br />
Some examples of these lists from previous Nonfiction Writing classes can be viewed <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/14uo5GAztU4AKXJ1cf3m-aAE6CMFa5-Fj63X15Hd1RKk/edit">here.</a>Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745167749128309461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078312752931490217.post-71418080960169117132017-11-07T12:50:00.000-06:002017-11-07T12:50:12.726-06:00One-Syllable Writing<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Write on one of the
following prompts for ten minutes using only one-syllable words: <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Describe your ideal
day of summer break, or your ideal snow day</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Choose a value that
is important to you and explain why you cherish it</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Tell the story of a
time you were crushed by a turn of events or a piece of news</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Write anything
that’s in your head that you’re moved to write about at this moment</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745167749128309461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078312752931490217.post-72487090680093032982017-10-30T13:30:00.000-05:002017-10-30T15:21:39.539-05:00Whittemore and Erdrich Activities<div class="MsoNormal">
First, 5 minutes of individual work: Write a paragraph in
response to <i>one </i>of the following:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">Lo</span>ok over the writing you did in response to the
“my name” prompt from earlier in the semester. Imagine you’ve been asked to
turn it into a brief information-plus-reflection essay. You’ve just read “The
Names of Women,” and are required to incorporate at least one quotation or
detail from that essay into your own essay. Which would you choose and why? How
might you use it in your hypothetical essay? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Imagine that Katherine Whittemore has been asked
to make this essay more personal in order to revise it for a different audience
and/or context than the one it was originally written for. What advice would
you give her on possible ways to make the essay more personal in its focus? What do you think she might add, considering
the kind of expertise and ideals she likely has that you can glean from reading
the essay? What areas of this essay seem to have room for or possible segues to
more personal narrative or reflection?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Next,<span lang="EN"> you'll do
some collective searching, writing, and commenting in a group of two or three
for about 15 minutes:</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">With the first
two of the following three tasks, you can change the sentences radically, but
try as much as possible not to change the meaning of the sentences or phrases
within them. Work with the words from the original as much as you are able.
Also label your two sentences with the names of your group members:</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 42.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -24.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN">1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN">Take
one of the longest sentences from either of these essays and break it into two
sentences, then then post it in this <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hRlsNhKhtD7E7XXHp7uke7ReRZ3R_pETUJ5rGSmSdzE/edit?usp=sharing">Google Doc</a>. When you post it, please:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN">List
your group members’ names</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN">Identify
the “Original sentence” with that label and the first three or four words, an ellipsis,
and the last three or four words. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN">Label
the new sentences “Broken up.”</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 42.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 42.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -24.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN">2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN">Then
take two relatively short sentences that are next to each other and turn them
into one sentence. Label the new sentence “Combined” and post it, after
identifying the “Original sentences” their first three or four words, an ellipsis,
and their last three or four words.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 42.0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 42.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -24.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN">3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN">Now,
as a group, judge whether the broken up or combined sentences you created are
better, worse, or about the same as the originals, and briefly comment on this
in the doc. Label it “Comment.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">Then, back to some
individual work: when your group has finished its sentence work, answer the
following questions in your notebook (5-10 minutes):</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">1. Do
you feel like you learned anything from the sentence breaking-up/combining
exercise above? If so, what? </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">2. What, if anything, do these short essays seem to you to have in common with one
another?</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745167749128309461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078312752931490217.post-41284971320156622662017-10-26T13:47:00.000-05:002017-10-26T13:51:09.885-05:00Procrastination Revisited<br />
In our poll of your procrastination habits at the start of the semester, this class's self-scores clustered in the high-mids, around 6 or 7 on a scale of 1 to 10. We had one 3, two 4's, three 5's and three 6's, five 7's (and a 7.5), two 8's, one 9 and one 10.<br />
<br />
Recall your own self-score, and in your notebook, reflect on your procrastination level for your writing in this course so far, and then specifically for your work on Essay 3 to this point. Have you been more or less involved in the writing process, or more or less involved in procrastination of the unhealthy variety? Discuss and reflect.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
When you're done reflecting on the writing process and procrastination, write for at least ten minutes on the following prompt:<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">You can't go to college. For whatever reason, it's not an option. What do you do with the next ten years of your life?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745167749128309461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078312752931490217.post-22409871734194236762017-10-24T13:37:00.000-05:002017-10-24T13:38:16.078-05:00Prompts for "The Apple"<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14pt;">In your notebook (10 minutes)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14pt;">1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14pt;">Do you like apples? If so: name your favorite
variety and describe it in detail. Try to use both descriptive language and
metaphorical language to create a vivid sensory portrait of this variety. (If
you like apples but don’t have a favorite variety, vividly describe in detail
your Platonic ideal of an apple, flavor- and texture-wise.) If not, describe in
as much detail as possible why not.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14pt;">2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14pt;">Look through the apple chapter and find:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 14pt;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14pt;">Two facts that were new to you and struck you
as interesting or important<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 14pt;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14pt;">One big idea or revelation that came from
your reading this chapter<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14pt;">3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14pt;">Think of a “coevolutionary” relationship you
have with some plant or animal (see Pollan [p. xiv] in the “Introduction”
photocopy if you need to be reminded what he means by “coevolution”). Describe that relationship and the effect it
has on your life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">In small groups (6-8 minutes):<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Share the new facts and
revelations that you gleaned from the apple chapter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Look at the chapter and the
photocopied sources page. What do you notice about the combination of different
kinds of information Pollan blends, what he does with the information, and how
he shares his sources in the notes? Try to come up with at least two specific
observations. Each of you should write a concise summation of these
observations in your notebook in your own words.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745167749128309461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078312752931490217.post-47196836230138265052017-10-19T21:57:00.000-05:002017-10-19T21:57:01.081-05:00"The Spirit of the Million Man March" and "The Botany of Desire"<br />
Michael Pollan's <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1Uehy70cgnueE8yNHZadTl2Q28/view">Introduction</a> to <i>The Botany of Desire</i> is available for viewing and download. Read this for Friday, October 20, and instead of the usual notebook questions, <span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 12pt;">articulate the basic premise for Pollan’s book.
Sum it up in your own words </span><i style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 12pt;">and</i><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> quote
a moment where he sums it up himself.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 12pt;">* * *</span><br />
<br />
On Wednesday in class, we listened to an episode of the <i>Historically Black</i> podcast, <a href="https://player.fm/series/historically-black-1318939/the-spirit-of-the-million-man-march">"The Spirit of the Million Man March."</a> As you listen, please take note of the following:<br />
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Two detailed memories that Kamille Washington shares<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Two detailed memories that B. T. Washington shares<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">At least two moments of reflection from either or both
voices<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">At least one historical fact or bit of information from
either or both voices<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Two historical facts or bits of information from
another source (narrator Keegan Michael Key or other voices the podcast
quotes)</span></li>
</ul>
Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745167749128309461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078312752931490217.post-72913995040511603942017-10-11T14:30:00.001-05:002017-10-11T14:30:33.685-05:00Some FM's for ReferenceAs Catherine Prendergast reminds us, Nonfiction Writing is <i>not</i> a course in the arcane rules of English grammar and usage--you might have noticed that we haven't yet diagrammed a single sentence, although I have given some general reminders and overviews of a few common issues of punctuation and usage. Much of your sense of a sentence's "correctness" will be instinctual for you, as a native speaker and reader of English: you can <i>hear</i> a subject-verb disagreement when you read a sentence aloud. A sentence fragment <i>sounds</i> and <i>feels</i> incomplete.<br />
<br />
We want to make sure that our final drafts are as correct and clear as possible, in terms of grammar and punctuation, because we don't want to inhibit the reader's ability to understand what we're saying, and we don't want to look dumb. As part of the editing and revision process, you should attend to grammar, and if you're not sure what the rule is, <i>look it up.</i> We don't order a specific "manual" for Nonfiction Writing, although there are plenty of books out there that could serve as useful resources (and they all contain basically the same information). There are also now a number of easy online resources you can consult, when need be, to clear up confusion about rules and usage: search <a href="http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/grammar-girl">Grammar Girl</a>, consult the University of North Carolina's handy <a href="http://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/">Tips and Tools</a>, or browse Purdue University's <a href="https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/">Online Writing Lab (OWL)</a>.Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745167749128309461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078312752931490217.post-57169677735769399002017-10-11T11:29:00.002-05:002017-10-11T11:29:36.339-05:00New Syllabus, New Essay AssignmentAs we embark on the second quarter, a new <a href="https://uofi.box.com/s/grscgz7z1zsi3poordfs4oywa02orbvp">syllabus</a> has been provided to chart our course through the first week of November. During this time, you will be working on the next <a href="https://uofi.box.com/s/74ee37gd25m85nkeo2tfssmqduhwmfrp">essay</a>, which will be an informative/research-based personal essay.Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745167749128309461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078312752931490217.post-27492406010314173332017-10-10T13:06:00.002-05:002017-10-11T14:06:54.612-05:00The His'er Problem, UpdatedIn preparation for tomorrow's class, please read <a href="https://uofi.box.com/s/t4uip0vyg5g6s99iafr6ztbn1ursuql3">"How to Avoid Grammar Mistakes: RTFM, Baby," by Catherine Prendergast</a>. Just read it--no need to complete the notebook questions for this one. (A late addition to the new syllabus.)<br />
<br />
* * *<br />
<br />
<b>Today's prompt (small-group work):</b><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 16px;">
You are interns for a small online magazine that focuses on language and culture. Your boss wants you to write a casual but informed 600-word piece on gender-nonspecific language in the twenty-first century. It should introduce the basic issue of gender specific language and give a very brief bit of history (feel free to use Anne Fadiman as one historical source), and it should end by offering readers advice on and/or range of options for how to approach gender nonspecific language.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 16px; margin-left: 0.25in;">
Begin by making a list of places where you might find information about this––this can include print and online resources, but also any other information source you could access within a small budget (for example, contacting experts or commenters in any number of fields or areas by phone, email, etc.)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="font-size: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 16px; margin-left: 0.25in;">
Then spend a few minutes trying to find two or more sources to check for basic information that you can use to begin to shape the very first draft of your piece.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="font-size: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 16px; margin-left: 0.25in;">
Create a rough outline for the piece you envision (including references to any information you intend to gather from more time-intensive means like interviews).</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="font-size: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 16px; margin-left: 0.25in;">
If you have time, write the first couple of paragraphs.</div>
Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745167749128309461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078312752931490217.post-76924039006132991142017-10-05T13:05:00.000-05:002017-10-05T13:06:06.456-05:00Directed Writing: Reconstructed ConversationAs you come to the final stages of the writing process for your second essay, let's review some of the insights you gained by reflecting on your process for the first essay. Click <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TLaZPjWJW8ps0wX5_VKbRODdknoAYEi27_W1HUsITWU/edit?usp=sharing">here</a> to access the Google Doc (now in read-only mode!) where you shared some of those insights.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
* * *</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And now, today's directed writing prompt:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 16px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Using reconstructed direct quotation, re-create a conversation where you:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="font-size: 16px; margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 14pt;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Learned something important about your family (or a member of your family) that you didn’t know before</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-size: 16px; margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 14pt;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Learned something important about a friend that you didn’t know before</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-size: 16px; margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 14pt;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Figured out something significant about yourself that you weren’t fully aware of</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-size: 16px; margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 14pt;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Suddenly found yourself liking or respecting someone more, or less.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="font-size: 16px; margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 14pt;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Got some news that either made your day or ruined your day.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 16px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Choose two of the options above and write a brief dialogue where you re-create that conversation. Feel free to invent dialogue for yourself and for the other person, but be sure all the dialogue is true to the spirit of the conversation as you remember it. Each dialogue should fill at least one page and no more than two pages of your notebook.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 16px;">
* * *</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 16px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Spend as much time on this as you need for the remainder of the period. If you finish, you can work on editing your essay in progress.</div>
</div>
Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745167749128309461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078312752931490217.post-2805141629277266862017-10-04T12:52:00.000-05:002017-10-04T12:53:07.338-05:00Prompts for "What I See When I Look at the Face on the $20 Bill"<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 16px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">In your notebook (5 minutes):</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 16px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Did you find the ending of Sarah Vowell’s essay to be satisfying or not? Why or why not? Be as specific as you can.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 16px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">If you have time: Did this essay seem a good length, or is it too long? If you felt it was too long, try to identify two or more areas you would cut.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">* * *</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 16px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">In groups of 3 or 4 (8 minutes):</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 16px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Imagine Sarah Vowell’s process in collecting information for “What I See when I Look at the Face on the $20 bill”:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 16px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 16px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">What research do you think she did for this essay apart from the road-trip with her sister?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 16px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">What strategies and tools do you imagine she used to collect information during her trip?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 16px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 16px;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">If you have time, find as many different kinds of information as you can in this essay and label each. Everyone should have three already listed in your notebook, so start by collecting those, then see if there are any you may have missed.</span></div>
Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745167749128309461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078312752931490217.post-59241578280039082742017-10-04T10:05:00.002-05:002017-10-04T12:52:39.505-05:00New Notebook PromptsAs we move into the second quarter, you will be developing your own "information plus" essay--a personal essay that incorporates research and conveys information along with personal narrative and reflection. Sarah Vowell's "What I See When I Look at the Face on the $20 Bill" will be our first example of an essay in this category, and starting with today's reading there are a new set of nightly notebook questions:<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: -.25in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: -.25in; margin-top: 0in;">
1. Identify at least three different kinds of
information in this essay, noting where you find each (either by page number,
paragraph number, or first few words of the paragraph) and giving each kind of
information a label (memory, learned and retained info, scholarly research,
popular cultural/casual research, primary source research, interview, personal
experience, etc.). Feel free to make up a label if you need to.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: -13.5pt; margin-top: 0in;">
2. Comment
on whether its information elements work to make the essay stronger or more
compelling. (For example: Does the information in this essay seem useful and
necessary? Is it incorporated smoothly, in a way that feels organic, or does
they essay seem to have noticeable shifts? Does the blend of information and
personal elements––narrative, reflection, memory, etc.––seem satisfying and
well balanced?)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
<span lang="EN">3. Choose one of the following:</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="a">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN">Identify your favorite sentence (by
quotation and page number) and briefly articulate one or two things you
think make the sentence strong. <o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ol>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<ol start="2" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="a">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN">Describe the voice of the writer in
some specific detail. How do you feel about this writer’s voice?</span></li>
</ol>
</ol>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745167749128309461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078312752931490217.post-58824441602302650992017-09-26T13:05:00.002-05:002017-09-26T13:05:54.102-05:00Aphorisms: An Optional Prompt for TodayIf you've already got an idea for your argument essay, you may spend this whole class period developing this idea and working on your draft.<br />
<br />
If you're still searching for something to delve into, see if this prompt helps lead you to a topic worth arguing about:<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">A couple of weeks ago, we discussed aphorism as a rhetorical strategy in an argument essay: the author frames a debatable claim as if it were a truth universally acknowledged, in the form of a succinct statement or assertion, sweeping in scope. Some examples from our readings this semester include Fitzgerald ("in a real dark night of the soul it is always three o'clock in the morning, day after day") and Stevenson ("There is no duty we so much underrate as the duty of being happy"). Robert J. Zimmer, president of the University of Chicago, opens his personal statement in an aphoristic vein: "Questioning, not deference, is the route to clarity."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Think of an aphorism you've encountered before in your life, and contemplate it critically. Do you believe it? Do you agree with its assumptions? Does it reflect something important about your experience in life? Or does it seem to you misguided, simplistic, or otherwise wrong? Write a couple of paragraphs sorting through your thoughts about this aphorism, and see if a position emerges that might become the basis for a more extensive argument.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
Here are some examples of well-known aphorisms, if you can't think of one off the top of your head:<br />
<br />
"That which does not kill me makes me stronger" (Friedrich Nietzsche)<br />
<br />
"Comparison is the thief of joy" (attributed to Theodore Roosevelt)<br />
<br />
"If you want a thing done well, do it yourself" (attributed to Napoleon)<br />
<br />
"Melancholy is an appetite no misery satisfies."<br />
<br />
"Life's tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late."<br />
<br />
"The slope contains many wonders not found at the summit" (Marty Rubin)<br />
<br />
"We find comfort among those who agree with us; growth among those who don't."<br />
<br />
"It's better to die on your feet than live on your knees" (Emiliano Zapato)<br />
<br />
"Absolute power corrupts absolutely" (attributed to Lord Acton)<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">OR</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Compose your own aphorism, either using a familiar one as a point of departure, or to sum up and articulate an idea or "truth" that you have gained from your own experience. Try to express your idea as compactly and succinctly as possible--make it "quotable"--and then write a paragraph or two illustrating or elaborating on your original aphorism.</span>Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745167749128309461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078312752931490217.post-88626126800974871282017-09-25T13:53:00.000-05:002017-09-25T13:53:21.527-05:00Today's Group Work: Admissions CommitteeIn groups of three or four, consider the seven personal statements by college presidents in light of the following two categories/activities:<br />
<div style="font-size: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px;">
1.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Choose the three essays that seem most like argument essays to you, the ones that seem to make a debatable point. For each of these three essays, identify a sentence that you think is the best candidate for a thesis statement.</div>
<div style="font-size: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px;">
2.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Imagine that your group is the admissions committee for an elite graduate program for college administrators seeking an advanced certificate in Social and Emotional Learning. Excellent writing skills are one of the criteria for admission. Other qualities the committee is looking for are strong leadership abilities, good critical thinking skills, and emotional intelligence. </div>
<div style="font-size: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-size: 16px;">
You have a group of seven finalists, all of whom have been deemed equal in every respect (graduate school transcripts, publications, service to their universities, etc.) and now you must choose which two candidates to admit based on the writing samples you have before you. Who would your committee choose, and how would you justify this choice?</div>
Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745167749128309461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078312752931490217.post-33181734960394503192017-09-21T12:52:00.001-05:002017-09-21T13:58:08.069-05:00Revising the words of college presidents<br />
Let's see if we can suggest any improvements to some sentences by the authors of personal essays number 2 and 3. Choose <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1x7bN6Wu7cfCbjz7fmUoTXIEy02yts-kER_GxPj6TO48/edit?usp=sharing">one of these sentences</a> from each essay (#2 and #3), and work out a revised version of the sentence in your notebook. When you're satisfied with it, enter it onto the Google Doc.Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745167749128309461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078312752931490217.post-58050836596168180472017-09-21T11:01:00.000-05:002017-09-25T13:53:50.952-05:00Essay 2: Personal Essay that Makes an ArgumentThe <a href="https://uofi.box.com/s/r8pv0b9y7x8guzi7f43axjzjof5o0qmr">second essay</a> was assigned in class last Friday, September 15. This time, you will be writing a personal narrative that also makes and defends an argument: the draft is due in class for a peer-edit session on Friday, September 29, and the final draft is due via Google Doc by 9:00 PM Monday, October 9.Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745167749128309461noreply@blogger.com0