Note: I try to adapt each schedule to a given section’s strengths and weaknesses so this schedule might (and probably will) change a bit as we move throughout the semester. Naturally, I’ll always inform the class of changes but it's a good idea to check this schedule fairly regularly.
Week 1:
Monday,
June 18: Introductions, syllabus, etc. Read “How to Become a Writer"
by Lorrie Moore. Perform “Bedroom” writing exercise in class. Watch the "School of Life" short film and "The Gun."
Tuesday, June 19: Discuss “Blood of Dresden” by Kurt Vonnegut, and Tom Wolfe excerpt. Two page Journal #1 due on any/all of the assigned readings so far. Don’t just talk about the readings in general; give me specific lines/phrases/word choices that you liked/disliked. Note: I will accept journals either printed or via email as a doc or docx. Perform Single Event writing exercise in class. Share exercises on a voluntary basis.
Wednesday, June 20: Discuss Thoreau excerpt, “Living like Weasels,” and “You Can’t Kill the Rooster.” Journal #2 (over Sedaris) due in class. Listen to some audio files of Sedaris stuff. Perform Nature and Childhood Exercises in class. Time permitting, share writing exercises aloud. Discuss Creative Nonfiction assignment.
Thursday, June 21: Discuss "WQED, Channel 13: Programming Guide" by Ann Claycomb, "Vitamin M" by Jehanne Dubrow, "Somebody Else's Genocide" by Sherman Alexie, and the excerpts from Bill Bryson. Journal #3 due. Share some writing exercises in class. Sign up for conferences. Note: since we have a bigger class than usual, which creates a lot of logistical problems, I decided to just meet with you one-on-one and give you some feedback. So bring a good, working draft of your Creative Nonfiction piece to your conference. All conferences will be held in my office, RB 246, just upstairs.
Friday, June 22: Conferences IN MY OFFICE instead of regular class.
Week 2:
Monday, June 25: Conferences IN MYOFFICE instead of regular class.
Tuesday, June 26: Regular class resumes. Journal #4 due. Discuss “Bullet in the Brain” and “A Perfect Day for Bananafish,”as well as Vonnegut's 8 Rules for Writing. Watch the “Bullet in the Brain” short film in class. Discuss Fiction assignment. Perform Metaphorical Form Exercise in class.
Wednesday, June 27: Journal #5 due. Discuss"Harrison Bergeron" and "Pretty Mouth and Green My Eyes." by J.D. Salinger. Watch the short films in class. Perform Vicarious Protagonist Exercise in class. Discuss your short story assignment.
Thursday, June 28: Journal #6 due. Discuss the flash fiction pieces. Discuss “Cathedral.” Share one of your recent exercises with the class, time permitting. Perform the Dialog Gesture Exercise in class.
Friday, June 29: Journal #7 due. Discuss Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants” and “The Killers.” Food for thought: what about Hemingway's use of racist language in "The Killers?" Do you notice any patterns or possible reason for it? Is it justified? Listen to some audio files of Hemingway’s stuff in class. Watch an adaptation of Hemingway's "The Old Man and the Sea."
Week 3:
Monday, July 2: Journal #8 due. Discuss "A Good Man is Hard to Find" by Flannery O'Connor, "Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned" by Wells Tower (also listen to the audio file in class), and "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson.Possibly listen to “The Man in the Well” by Ira Sher in class. Do the Point of View Exercise. Sign up for conferences to discuss rough drafts of your short story. On your own, read and/or listen to "Howl" by Allen Ginsberg. I decided to offer a choice between "Dead Poets Society" and "Howl" so I'd like your votes during conference.
Tuesday, July 3: Conferences IN MY OFFICE.
Wednesday, July 4: No class
Thursday, July 5: Conferences IN MY OFFICE.
Friday, July 6: Conferences IN MY OFFICE instead of regular class. Note: I've amended/simplified the adaptation assignment; instead of a big group project (which would take a bit too long with this many students), I'd like you to individually write out a script for one scene. It can be a scene adapted from one of the stories or nonfiction pieces we have read, or something of your own. In preparation for this, take a look at “While the Auto Waits” by O. Henry and “The Death of the Hired Man” by Robert Frost (both adapted by Walter Wykes). Specifically, pay attention to how the stage adaptations draw from the original text. There's also a free program you might want to use at http://celtx.com. In terms of deadlines, I'll let you have until the portfolio is due; just include your script with everything else.
Week 4:
Monday, July 9: Watch "Howl" or "Dead Poets Society." Discuss Poetic Terminology and Schools of Poetry readings off the blog, as well as the assignment for Poem #1 (you may choose from the different exercises at the beginning of the packet). Watch some poetry videos.
Tuesday, July 10: Journal #9 due. Begin poetry discussion. Discuss “Oranges,” "Waiting," "The White Museum," “Windchime,” “Woodwork Redemption,” and “The Lanyard.” Distribute copies of Poem #1 to the class. On your own, read all student poems and make some constructive comments on each one.
Wednesday, July 11: Workshop Poem #1.
Thursday, July 12: Finish workshopping Poem #1.
Friday, July 13: Journal #10 (your final journal) due in class. Discuss "Traveling Through the Dark," "Speaking American," “Blues for Cleveland”, “Sex and Death”, “Soldiering”, “The Conversation”, "Fixation," “Suicide Song,” and “The Call.” In-class exercise that will take the place of Poem #2 (an imitation of Albert Goldbarth's "Library").
Week 5:
Monday, July 16: Distribute copies of Poem #2. Discuss “First Motor Vehicle Fatality in America”, “Woodwinds”, “Lawrence”, "The First Dream," "Shoveling Snow with Buddha," "By Their Works," “Read This Poem from the Bottom Up” and “Petroglyphs.” Time permitting, discuss the Sample Prose-Poems.
Tuesday, July 17: Workshop Poem #2.
Wednesday, July 18: Finish workshopping Poem #2. Distribute copies of Poem #3 (you can also substitute a flash piece for this).
Thursday, July 19: Workshop Poem/Flash #3.
Friday, July 20: Wrap-up. Finish workshopping Poem/Flash #3.
Portfolios due either on Friday, or via email by Saturday evening.
WHAT SHOULD BE IN YOUR PORTFOLIO:
-Bedroom Exercise
-Single Event Exercise
-Nature Exercise
-Childhood Exercise
-Metaphorical Form Exercise
-Vicarious Protagonist Exercise
-Dialog Gesture Exercise
-Point of View Exercise
-Your Creative Nonfiction Piece
-Your Short Story
-Your 3 Poem/Flash Pieces (either marked up copies or clean print-offs are fine)
-Your 1 scene script/adaptation
-At least 2 MAJOR REVISIONS of previous piece
-A Table of Contents
Everything should be clearly labeled. Also, remember that your "major revisions" should reflect some serious thought and effort, not just changing a few words. Note: I'll also accept additional revisions as extra credit (just label them "Extra Credit"). I'd like revisions to be placed next to the originals in the portfolio, please.
Thursday, July 12: Finish workshopping Poem #1.
Friday, July 13: Journal #10 (your final journal) due in class. Discuss "Traveling Through the Dark," "Speaking American," “Blues for Cleveland”, “Sex and Death”, “Soldiering”, “The Conversation”, "Fixation," “Suicide Song,” and “The Call.” In-class exercise that will take the place of Poem #2 (an imitation of Albert Goldbarth's "Library").
Week 5:
Monday, July 16: Distribute copies of Poem #2. Discuss “First Motor Vehicle Fatality in America”, “Woodwinds”, “Lawrence”, "The First Dream," "Shoveling Snow with Buddha," "By Their Works," “Read This Poem from the Bottom Up” and “Petroglyphs.” Time permitting, discuss the Sample Prose-Poems.
Tuesday, July 17: Workshop Poem #2.
Wednesday, July 18: Finish workshopping Poem #2. Distribute copies of Poem #3 (you can also substitute a flash piece for this).
Thursday, July 19: Workshop Poem/Flash #3.
Friday, July 20: Wrap-up. Finish workshopping Poem/Flash #3.
Portfolios due either on Friday, or via email by Saturday evening.
WHAT SHOULD BE IN YOUR PORTFOLIO:
-Bedroom Exercise
-Single Event Exercise
-Nature Exercise
-Childhood Exercise
-Metaphorical Form Exercise
-Vicarious Protagonist Exercise
-Dialog Gesture Exercise
-Point of View Exercise
-Your Creative Nonfiction Piece
-Your Short Story
-Your 3 Poem/Flash Pieces (either marked up copies or clean print-offs are fine)
-Your 1 scene script/adaptation
-At least 2 MAJOR REVISIONS of previous piece
-A Table of Contents
Everything should be clearly labeled. Also, remember that your "major revisions" should reflect some serious thought and effort, not just changing a few words. Note: I'll also accept additional revisions as extra credit (just label them "Extra Credit"). I'd like revisions to be placed next to the originals in the portfolio, please.
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