English 309:001--Introduction
to Nonfiction
Fall 2003*W 4:30-7:10 PM*Rob. A125
Office--Rob. A423*Office Hours--MW 9:30-10:30 AM & by appt.*Phone 703-993-1273*My
homepage
INTRODUCTION TO NONFICTION is the first course
in the sequence of 300, 400, and 500 level courses in the English major
for serious students of nonfictional prose writing. In ENGL 309 we will
read and discuss some excellent short works of memoir, personal essay,
and feature journalism. All the readings will be springboards to writing;
we'll do in-class and homework exercises, plus several longer pieces. All
of your writing will constitute a portfolio that you will build through
the semester. We will also take advantage of the annual "Fall
for the Book" literary festival (Sept. 15-20), which includes panels,
readings by noted writers, workshops, and many other activities. We will
also take advantage of our writing program's fall semester schedule of
readings by visiting writers.
The world of nonfiction is broad and many-featured;
there is room within it for almost any writerly ambition or desire, as
long as that ambition or desire includes the goal of telling the truth
as the conscientious writer sees it. The overarching term is "nonfiction"--that
is, writing that deals in perceptions, people, and events that are "not
made up" by the writer. (We might call it "reality writing.") The writer
and reader of nonfiction share the tacit understanding that the work strives
for accuracy, even if the product sometimes falls short of this goal and
even though we humans are always limited in what we can know. Nonfiction
writers have at hand the many tools of the fiction writer--dialogue, shifts
in point of view, sensual description, and on and on--thus, the adjective
"creative" is added; but the nonfiction writer always strives to earn the
reader's trust that the persons and places of the work are real (though
sometimes we have to change the names) and the events indeed happened.
I have two major goals for you in this course: first,
to help you improve your ability to tell truth through your writing, by
using varied techniques and by using the tools of research; second, to
give you practice in diverse styles and genres of nonfiction, as you work
toward identifying your own favorite subjects and modes of writing.
I will expect you in this course to develop greater maturity in your prose
and your greater self-awareness as a writer.
SCHEDULE OF CLASSES
Aug. 27 Introductions--"Biography"exercise; begin "difficult truth" exercise;
begin writer's notebook.
Sept. 3 The Personal Essay--"Writing about yourself, really" (Have read
(FG) Hampl's"Parish Streets," Lopate's "Portrait of My Body," Sanders'
"The Singular First Person," Stanton's "Zion," and Stanton's "On Writing
Zion." From 3M, have read "Beginnings" vignettes by Stone, Conroy,
Calisher, Welty, Dillard, Goodwin, Naylor. Bring in revision of notebook
exercise on "difficult truth" for workshop.
Sept. 10 Observing with All Senses--exercise; have read (FG) Dillard, "Living
like Weasels" and "To Fashion a Text"; from 3M, "Beginnings" vignettes
by Gill, Settle, and Shreve, and "First Love" vignettes by Brown, Gurganus,
Castedo. Discuss plans for "Fall for the Book." Submit brief proposal online
for "personal truth" essay.
Sept. 17 Placeand Memory, Place and Action--exercises; have read (FG)
Chavez, "Independence Day, Manley Hot Springs, Alaska"; Iyer, "Where Worlds
Collide"; Lamy, "Life in Motion"; Lott, "Brothers"; from 3M, "First Love"
vignettes by Dove, Kittredge, Smith. Brief discussion of "Fall for the
Book."
Sept. 24 Bring in draft of "personal truth" essay for workshop (have four
copies). In second half of class, we'll discuss the following: Segments
and Other Odd Shapes--have read, from FG, Griffin, "Oval"; Morano,"The
Queimada"; Willard, "The Friendship Tarot"; from 3M, "Illusions" vignettes
by Paley, Moon, Wideman.
F Sept. 26 Last day
to drop classes without Dean's permission
Oct. 1 Revised draft of "personal truth" essay (plus first draft and "change"
reflection) due at beginning of class. Discussion topic: "Writing Speech"--the
Interview Article; have read handout profile, "Chasing Beauty," Hearne's
"Can an Ape Tell a Joke?" (FG), and 3M vignettes by O'Brien, Griffith,
McMillan, Tan. Talk by and Q.-and-A. with guest writer Meryle Secrest.
F Oct. 3 NOTE--send to me by this date your email proposal (1-2 paragraphs)
for interview-based biographical essay. Specify subject, rationale, your
angle, and interview setting.
Oct. 8 Interview progress reports. Talk by and Q.-and-A. with guest writer
Scott Berg.
Oct. 15 No class meeting.
Between Oct. 15 and 20, email me progress reports on interview research
and writing.
Oct. 22 Bring in draft of interview article (four copies) for workshop.
In second half of class, we'll begin "feature journalism"project. Have
read (FG) Tompkins, "At the Buffalo Bill Museum, June 1988." Between Oct.
22 and 28, work on your feature journalism proposal. Identify popular or
specialized publication venues, print or online, to which you'd like to
direct your essay.
Oct. 29 Revised draft of interview article (plus first draft and change
reflection) due in class. Bring, for workshopping, your feature journalism
proposal (300-600 words, 4 copies). Specify subject, possible sources,
your angle, and specific publications that include articles such as that
you are proposing. In the second half of the class, we'll visit Innovation
Hall 222 to search a few databases that may be useful in your research
for the feature article.
Nov. 5 "Feature" progress update and "Integrating Research" exercise. Have
read (FG) Cliff, "History as Fiction, Fiction as History" and 3M vignettes
by Lord, Bradley (123), Phillips, Elizabeth Spencer, Scott Spencer. Pay
particular attention to how these and other writers we've studied integrate
their varied source material.
Nov. 12 Sentence Style exercises. Have read (3M) vignettes by O'Brien,
Garrett (166), Griffith. "Feature" progress update. Plan contents of final
portfolio. Practice the "Reflective essay."
Nov. 19 Draft of feature article due for workshop (four copies). Update
reports on final portfolios. Choose title for class anthology. Begin "read-around"
of selected essays.
Nov. 19-23 Send as
Word Attachment to me (cthaiss@gmu.edu) and to Todd Imus (timus@gmu.edu)
the revised draft of the essay (personal truth, profile, or feature) you
wish to have included in the ENGL 309 anthology. Follow these format guidelines:
-
12-point Times New Roman font
-
Standard margins (Word default setting--at least one-inch margin on
left)
-
Your name at top right
-
Essay title centered two spaces below
-
Body of essay single-spaced
-
DO NOT insert page numbers!
Special thanks to Todd Imus for preparing the print copies and to Camila
Jones for designing the cover!
Nov. 26 Thanksgiving Holiday. No class.
Dec. 3 Complete "read-around" of selected essays. Revised draft of feature
article (plus first draft and "change" reflection) due in class as part
of final portfolio. Course evaluations. Distribution of anthologies.
BOOKS AND MATERIALS
Robert L. Root, Jr., and Michael Steinberg, eds. The Fourth Genre: Contemporary
Writers Of/On Creative Nonfiction. 2nd Ed. New York: Longman, 2002.
PEN/Faulkner
Foundation. Three Minutes or Less: Life Lessons from America's Greatest
Writers. New York: Bloomsbury, 2000.
Rather than require you to purchase additional books, I will expect you
to make photocopies (for our one-time use) of drafts of your essays for
our workshop sessions.
Your portfolio should be kept in a simple two-pocket folder. (If you have
a website, you may ask me about keeping your portfolio online. If you don't
have a website, but would like to build one, here are some technical
instructions you might use. For more support and instruction, check
out the services of the STAR center in Johnson 311.)
Keep your writer's notebook in a separate two-pocket folder (online option
also possible).
PARTICIPATION
Your full and active participation in all events of the course is key to
your success and that of the class. In-class exercises, critique workshops
on drafts, and analytical discussions of assigned readings will all be
evaluated in your participation grade, which is worth 25% of your final
grade. That means that each day's attendance and participation is worth
just under 2% of your final.
Missed exercises may not be made up.
CAVEAT: You will not receive credit for any longer essay (personal truth
essay, interview-based article, feature project), if you have not been
present for the workshop on drafts of that essay or if you have not handed
in on-time the proposal or the draft of that essay. "On time" means in
class at the beginning of class.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. Exercises (part of participation grade)
I will regularly ask you to write in class to practice stylistic techniques
or approaches to subject matter. Many of these are listed on the syllabus,
but I may ask you at any time to try out a particular technique in writing.
Often I will follow the writing exercise with a request to present these
to members of the class. These are informal, low-pressure, and (I trust)
enjoyable events, but they are nonetheless important to the growth of writers.
You should keep all exercises, some of which I'll look at, in your working
portfolios.
2. Writer's Notebook (part of final portfolio grade)
During the first week, I'll ask you to begin keeping a notebook in which
to make at least one entry per week and in which you'll collect items and
observations of interest to you as a writer. I will expect you to make
brief analytical and/or creative entries (1/2 page to a page) in response
to all assigned readings. For a given class, I may ask that your notebook
entry be of a specific character. (For example, during the Fall for the
Book festival, Sept. 15-20, your entry will summarize and comment on, at
a minimum, two events you took part in.) You should regard your notebook
as practice space and as a seedbed for ideas for your longer essays. Bring
your notebook to any conferences you set up with me. I'll not read your
notebook in its entirety, but I will ask that you include in your final
portfolio eight pages of what you regard as your best or most interesting
notebook writing, plus your commentary on the Fall for the Book events.
3. "Personal Truth" Essay (20% of final grade)
During the first month of the course we will concentrate on that varied
nonfiction genre known as the personal essay. We will read and analyze
a good number of these by some excellent writers, and we'll do exercises
and notebook entries to get a feel for this ever-more-popular and important
genre. Your essay (at least 1300 purposeful words) will be on a topic of
your choice, perhaps an event, relationship, or important place in your
life, and among your goals for this essay will be your presentation of
a "personal truth or truths" that have emerged for you in regard to this
subject. We start with this essay because the persistent, disciplined pursuit
of personal honesty that marks the best writing in this genre also marks
most successful creative nonfiction.
4. Interview Article (20% of final grade)
During the second month, and building on the first month's work, we will
focus on how we understand and present other people in our nonfiction.
This particular essay uses the interview as the primary source of data,
and so we will study interviewing and look at some well-done interviews
to help that process. But the interview will not be your only source of
background data; you'll need to cultivate rich observation and you'll need
to bring in data from other sources to fill out your picture. Again, your
goal will be not only to present another person, but to reach a personal
truth or truths that shows your reader the importance to you of studying
this person. At least 1300 purposeful words.
5. Feature Article (20% of final grade)
Building on the first two projects and the various readings and exercises
of the course, this essay requires you to integrate a variety of source
material toward elucidating a personal truth or truths, or to substantiate
your point of view on an issue of interest to others. The focus of this
essay need not be you or another person; this is your opportunity to branch
out into other nonfiction genres. Your goals for this article will
be determined by the subject, the genre, the type of audience you wish
to address, and typical periodicals that might publish workof the type
you are creating. Since this will be a research-based essay, we will devote
some time to research sources and techniques. At least 1500 purposeful
words.
6. Final Portfolio (15% of final grade)
During the semester, you should keep a "working portfolio" of exercises,
proposals, and drafts (in addition to your writer's notebook). Like the
writer's notebook, the working portfolio will be both an ongoing archive
of your work and a source of inspiration for current and new projects.
The
final portfolio, due the last day of class, will be a winnowing
of your portfolio to your best work of the semester, for my consideration.
The portfolio process gives you one more chance to revise earlier work
on the personal truth and profile essays, plus an opportunity to present
your most interesting and proficient work from your notebook. The final
portfolio will include the following items:
a. reflective essay on the contents of your portfolio and your growth as
a writer during the semester (max. 500 words)
b. the three longer essays you have written, revised, including a brief
statement of how you have improved each piece (max. 300 words); include
the previous revised draft of each essay
c. the best eight pages of entries from your writer's notebook, plus the
summary/commentary you wrote for the notebook about the Fall for the Book
events.
The process of creating the final portfolio will give you practice in the
decision-making of writers as they ready their work for publication or
for graduate school applications, grant applications, job interviews, etc.
The final portfolio puts your best foot forward, so its appearance, as
well as its content, should demonstrate your professionalism and your style.
GRADES
Grading standards
are as follows (grades to be determined at the discretion of the instructor):
A = outstanding work:
among the specific virtues, full, active, cooperative, and imaginative
participation in all activities, exercises, and projects of the course;
prose that consistently demonstrates the characteristics of effective nonfiction,
as manifest in our readings and as we develop them throughout the course;
B = very good work:
full, active, and cooperative participation in all activities, exercises
and projects; prose that almost always demonstrates the characteristics
of effective nonfiction;
C = satisfactory work:
full, cooperative participation in all activities, exercises, and projects;
prose that, with revision, almost always demonstrates the principles of
effective nonfiction;
D = almost satisfactory
work: almost full, usually cooperative participation in all activities,
exercises, and projects: prose that, with revision, usually demonstrates
the principles of effective nonfiction;
F = unsatisfactory
work: inconsistent participation in activities, exercises, and projects;
or prose that, with revision, still fails to demonstrate consistent application
of the principles of effective nonfiction.
I will give pluses
and minuses according to GMU policy.
NOTE: A written project
will receive an F if a student does not participate in every phase of the
development of the project.
NONFICTION LINKS
This part of the page for ENGL 309:001 is always under construction. I'll
be adding useful links throughout the course, and ask that you bring to
my attention good sites that you discover in your searches.
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