Reminders for Monday June 7th (last class)

For our last class, remember to bring

1. Final Draft of Essay #3: Researching Subcultures. Please include

• Cover Sheet (grading rubric)
• Final Draft with Works Cited Page/Bibliography
• Rough Draft
• Peer Reviews

2. Between Worlds textbook or photocopies of "In Groups We Shrink," "On Teenagers and Tattoos," and "Why Reality TV Is Good for Us." (You will need these articles to write your final exam.)

3. Weekly Moments Journal. I will be reviewing your journals during the final exam. Please make sure you have all 13--these are worth 10% of your final grade (e.g., the difference between a B and a C).

Assignments for Wednesday June 2nd

As announced in class today, please review the following three articles in preparation for your final exam:

1. "In Groups We Shrink" by Carol Tavris
2. "On Teenagers and Tattoos" by Andres Martin
3. "Why Reality TV is Good for Us" by James Poniewozik

Also, please complete Draft 1 of Essay #3: Researching Subcultures. Bring 3 copies to class on Wednesday.

Extra Credit Opportunity

What: Robert Hass and Brenda Hillman: A Reading

When: Saturday, May 29th, at 4:00pm

Where: Poets House, 10 River Terrace, New York, NY (see map here)

(part of Ecopoetic Futures, a series of events that examine poetry and the environment)

$7 for students

View a poem by Brenda Hillman here, and one by Robert Hass here (one of my favorites).

I hope to see you there!

Assignments for Wednesday May 12th

For Wednesday's class, please read the following articles from the textbook:

1. "In Groups We Shrink" by Carol Tavris (pg. 261)
2. "The Rights of the Born" by Anne Lamott (pg. 271)
   

Also, try to choose a topic for your research paper on subculture.

Discussion Board:
In what way(s) are these two articles in dialogue with one another? Can you apply the ideas expressed in "In Groups We Shrink" with the situation described by Anne Lamott in "The Rights of the Born"?

Assignments for Monday May 10th

For Monday's class, please read Chapter 13: Writing the Research Paper.

Also, please revise and proofread (and proofread again) Essay #2: Analysis of a Song. This is due Monday.

Discussion Board:

Post a comment in which you list at least five subcultures.

Assignments for Wednesday May 5th

For Wednesday's class, please read the following articles from the textbook:

1. Why Reality TV Is Good for Us by James Poniewozik (233 - 237)
2. When Reality TV Gets Too Real by Jeremy W. Peters (239 - 242)

Discussion Board:
Using examples from the two articles, discuss the pros and cons of reality television. In your opinion, what kind of an impact does reality TV have on American society?

Assignments for Monday May 3rd

For Monday's class, please bring 3 copies of Essay #2: Analysis of a Song (Draft 1). We'll be engaging in a peer assessment of each other's work, so come prepared to talk shop!

See you then.

Extra Credit Opportunity

Wednesday, May 5th, 7:00pm

Close Observations: The Poetics of Flora and Fauna

A Reading and Conversation with Diane Ackerman and Kimiko Hahn

$7 for students

(Poets House is located at 10 River Terrace in Battery Park City)

Conferences

Next week we will have midterm conferences instead of our normally scheduled class. Thanks in advance for arriving on time, and be sure to bring your weekly moments journal as well as your song for Essay #2.

Schedule:

Monday
8:00 - 8:10: Harrison
8:10 - 8:20: Johnnie
8:20 - 8:30: Chris
8:30 - 8:40: Martin
8:40 - 8:50: Mercy
8:50 - 9:00: Bobby
9:00 - 9:10: Hamida
9:10 - 9:20: Abdoulaye
9:20 - 9:30: Michael
9:30 - 9:40: Nisha
9:40 - 9:50: Matonya
9:50 - 10:00: Lucy
10:00 - 10:10: Robert

Wednesday
8:10 - 8:20: Rafelina
8:20 - 8:30: Leonard
8:30 - 8:40: Esmeralda
8:40 - 8:50: Jinrong
8:50 - 9:00: Daniel
9:00 - 9:10: Klaudia
9:10 - 9:20: Hector
9:20 - 9:30: Maciej
9:30 - 9:40: Victoria
9:40 - 9:50: Luis
9:50 - 10:00:
10:00 - 10:10: Sabrina

Assignments for Monday April 19th

For Monday's class, please read the following:

• Analysis of a Subject (pgs. 474-507)

Also, please add your comment to the discussion board for April 14th's class. (If you do this by Monday, you will receive full credit).

Speaking of credit, I will be offering extra credit to anyone who attends the poetry reading being held at John Jay College tomorrow (Thursday April 15th) at 6:30pm. Details below:

APRIL 15th, 2010 TURNSTYLE READING SERIES Turnstyle, a cross-genre MFA reading series, features the faculty and students of four CUNY graduate creative writing programs. Each evening, two faculty readers and eight second-year MFA creative writing students will read a mix of non-fiction, plays, fiction, andpoems.

FEATURING: Faculty readers: Pamela Laskin, Julie Agoos, Adam Berlin MFA student readers: Curtis Jensen, Danielle Davidson, Deonne Kahler,Stefanie Lipsey, Sunil Yapa, Maria Dilorenzo, Kevin MacDonald, Mardi Jaskot

LOCATION: John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Room 630, 899 Tenth Avenue (at 60th Street). Readings start at 6:30pm and are free and open to the public.

Co-sponsored by the Office of Academic Affairs, MFA in CreativeWriting Affiliation Group and Center for the Humanities.

Assignments for Wednesday April 14th

In connection to our class discussions of late, Luis alerted me to this article in the New York Times: Researchers Report Progress on E. Coli Test. Check it out!

For Wednesday's class, please read the following articles from your textbook:

1. Race Is a Four-Letter Word by Teja Arboleda (120-124)
2. An Identity Reduced to a Burka by Semeen Issa and Laila Al-Marayati (124-128)
3. Three Ways of Meeting Oppression by Martin Luther King Jr. (279-282)
4. Comparison and Contrast (454-460)

Discussion Board:
How would you describe Teja Arboleda's racial ethnic identity? How is this different from his cultural identity? How does he distinguish between the two? Finally, how would you describe your own racial ethnic identity, and does this identity differ from your cultural identity? In what ways?

Assignments for Monday April 12th

For Monday's class, please read the following:

• Chapter 12: Analysis (pgs. 468 - 474)
• "Why Does Monsanto Patent Seeds?" by E. Freeman
• "As Patent Ends, a Seed's Use Will Survive" by Andrew Pollack

Discussion Board:

After reading the chapter on analysis and the two articles from the Web, post a comment in which you discuss your opinion on the issue of seed patenting. Is it fair for a company like Monsanto to declare ownership over a seed in the way that a company like Microsoft declares ownership over software? Is that a logical analogy? Why or why not?

Assignments for Wednesday April 7th

For Wednesday's class, please read the following:

• Chapter 10: Writing to Persuade (pgs. 404 - 422)

Discussion Board

Peter Singer believes that all animals--non-human and human--should be treated with equal consideration. Post a comment in which you compare and contrast your own definition of equality with Peter Singer's.

Assignments for Monday April 5th

For Monday's class, please read the following:

1. Chapter 9: Revising an Essay (pgs. 381 - 403)
2. All Animals Are Equal by Peter Singer (handout)

Also, remember to complete your final draft of Take-Home Essay #1: Evaluative Response.

Discussion Board:

The philosopher Peter Singer contends that all animals--human and non-human--are equal. What does he mean by "equal"? How does he support his argument? What are your feelings on the subject?

(Post your response in the comments section below.)

Assignments for Wednesday March 24th

For Wednesday's class, please complete your first draft of Essay #1: Evaluative Response.
(Be sure to bring 3 copies.)

Assignments for Monday March 22nd

For Monday's class, please read the following articles from our textbook:

1. Evaluative Response (Pgs. 438 - 443)
   
2. Chapter 7: Getting Started (pgs. 329 - 350)
3. Chapter 8: Organizing and Drafting an Essay (pgs. 360 - 380

Additionally, be sure to review the four article choices for take-home essay #1. They are:

1. Who's Cheap by Adair Lara (pg. 68)
2. When Reality TV Gets too Real by Jeremy W. Peters (pg. 239)
3. The Myth of the Latin Woman by Judith Ortiz Cofer (pg. 172)
4. Tilling a New World by Bill McKibben (pg. 276)

Discussion Board:
Which of the four articles do you intend to write your essay on? What about this article captures your interest? What makes it stand out from the others?

(Please post your response in the comments section below.)

Assignments for Wednesday March 17th

For Wednesday's class, please read:

1. Chapter 8 (pgs. 351 - 360)
2. 'Diabesity,' A Crisis in an Expanding Country by Jane E. Brody (pg. 204)
3. Six Rules for Eating Wisely by Michael Pollan (pg. 214)

Discussion Board:

According to the articles by Jane E. Brody and Michael Pollan, what significant changes need to occur in the way Americans are eating today? How can we realize (or create) such changes?

(Post your responses in the comments section below.)

Recommended Poetry Event...

One of my favorite poets, Rae Armantrout, will be discussing the art of the lyric next week Tuesday at Poets House. The event starts at 7:00pm and costs $7 for students. See details here: Lyric Persuasions: A Conversation with Rae Armantrout & Norman Fischer

I hope to see some of there! (Extra credit will be given.)

Assignments for Monday March 15th

For Monday's class, please read

1. Getting the Most from Your Reading (pgs. 2-6)
2. My Son, My Compass by Jana Malamud Smith (8-11)
3. On Teenagers and Tattoos by Andres Martin (24-27)

There are no questions for the discussion board this week; however, make sure to post your first Weekly Moments entry to the posting below.

Weekly Moments Journal

After watching the short film, "Moments," by Will Hoffman, think back over the last week. Now freeze, in your mind, a single moment. What makes it stand out from the millions of other moments you've experienced this week? What colors, textures, and sounds define this moment for you? Try to describe every detail, paying special attention to the infinitesimal (the very small): What did the ground feel like beneath your feet? What did his voice sound like when he said that thing that hurt, made you smile, or made you turn and walk away? Your moment might be something monumental or very simple. It's your choice. Don't get bogged down by explanation. Try to capture the moment as you felt it.

Each week, I'd like you to capture at least one moment from your life to portray in your journals. At midterm, I'll collect your journals to ensure that you've been keeping up, and at the end of the semester I'll collect them again to configure your grades (journals are worth 10% of your final grades).

For a participation point, I'd like all of you to post your first journal entries in the comments section of this post. I've already posted one of mine to be referenced as an example. Please add yours by next Tuesday, February 9th by noon. As a rule, weekly journal entries will be expected each Tuesday.

So ... what do you do?

What is that thing that you participate in and contribute to that makes you you?


Note: To post your response, click on the "comments" link below. Then, type your response in the text box. Comment as "Name/URL." Type in your name, but leave the URL field blank. Lastly, click "post comment."

Welcome to English 101!

The syllabus for this course can be found on Blackboard under Course Documents.

Stay tuned for more posts in the near future!