Shelley Reid .

English 309
Introduction to Nonfiction Writing


Course Schedule

Fall 2008  --  TR 10:30-11:45 
Professor E. Shelley Reid

 

 

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Reading assignments are from Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (AVM), Writing True (WT), The Writer on her Work (WoW), Best American Magazine Writing 2005 (BMW), and Best American Essays 2005 (BAE).

Some readings will be available online (in the public web or through a GMU database) and some are posted on our Blackboard site (Bb), which you can access from http://courses.gmu.edu . All bibliographic information about these readings is posted in Bb on the "Reading List."

Reading and writing assignments are due at the start of the scheduled class period unless otherwise noted. 

       
       

Date

Class topics

Reading Due This Class

Writing Due This Class

   

A26

Writing Block; Introducing writers, setting goals

A28

Readers' Block;  Syllabus Q&A;    Story Potluck; Annotation yoga

WT:  p. 24-5

WoW: Atwood, 150

Bb: Macrorie and Lamott

Reader's Prep Card: Fan, Player, Analyst, Skeptic, Learner

1-page story, 2 copies

       

S2

WB; Six Short Lessons: moving day, little green ball, some people, fruit jello, pink houses, inner three-year-old

 

WT:  Chapters 1-3; + Liu, 234 or Gilb, 287

WoW: Hogan, 77; Erlich, 175

AVM: Ch. 1

 

Annotation (photocopy/printout)

Initial Learning Goals (paragraph+grid)

S4

RB; Writing Workshop 1: Description/Place

 

WT:  pp. 80-84 + Chapter 6

WW#1 Draft (copies w/Guides; Commentary)

Reader's Prep Card

 

 

S9

WB; Finding a center;
The Rhetorical Triangle vs.
The Five Paragraph Essay

WoW:  Hampl, 21; LeGuin, 210

BAE: Levy, 121

(See Bb "Reading List" for bibliog. info)

3x3 Log + Response OR Comp. Analysis

S11

RB; Writing Workshop 2: Memory/Reflection

WT:  Simic, 271 or Steinbach, 275

AVM: Ch. 2

WW#2 Draft (copies w/Guides; Commentary)

Reader's Prep Card

     

Date

Class topics

Reading Due This Class

Writing Due This Class

     

S16

WB; Information-plus: Beyond Webcams & Wikipedia

WT: Chap. 9

Online: Frayne, "Lightning"

(See Bb "Reading List" for bibliog. info)

S18

RB; Writing Workshop 3: Report/Profile

Meet in Innovation 327

BMW:  Smith, 121

(See Bb "Reading List" for bibliog. info)

AVM:  Ch. 5

WW#3 Draft (copies w/Guides; Commentary)

Reader's Prep Card

       

S23

WB; Writing for real; scope & angle

WT: Chapter 10

Bb: Lorde OR Online: Wilson, "Apocalypse"

Reading Analysis OR 3x3 Log + Response

S25

RB; Letter Potluck; beyond text

Meet in Innovation 327

BMW, BAE, or WoW: Readers' Choice 1

AVM:  Ch. 9

Letter(s)

Reader's Prep Card

 

       

S30

Writing for the right brain, blending modes and styles

WT: Chapter 8

BMW:  Kamp, 265

BAE:  Sedaris, 195

 

02

RB; Writing Workshop 4: Review/Multi/J (online option)

AVM: Ch. 11

WW#4 Draft (copies w/Guides; Commentary)

Reader's Prep Card

 

       

O7

WB; Sussing out stakeholders; blending voices

WT: Kidder, 309

Online:  Gessert, "Orgy of Power"

Optional: Proposal consultations

09

RB; Psych: reaching distant and resistant readers

BMW, BAE, or WoW: Readers' Choice 2

AVM:  Ch. 14

Reader's Prep Card

Schedule Proposal Conferences

   

O14

NO CLASS: Fall Break

 

O16

Writing Workshop 5:  Change
(online option)

WT:  Callahan p. 219, Weineke p. 255

WW#5 Draft (copies w/Guides; Commentary)

       

O21

No Class:  Conference Break

WT:  Chapters 4 & 7; Miller, 340

BMW: Jones, 3

First Portfolio and Proposal Due at Conference

O23

WB Revision Workout 1: Macro

Meet in Innovation 328

       
       

 

Class topics

Reading Due

Writing Due

       

O28

RB; Seeing the heart of the matter; shifting the scope

BAE:  Sacks, 161

Online: Kesselheim, "A Day in the Life"

AVM: Ch. 15

Research Plan

Reader's Prep Card

 

O30

Revision Workshop A (online option)

Revised Draft A (Guide, commentary)
Post Draft to Wiki

       

N4

RB; Rebuilding:  structures, genres, forms

WT: Walker, 210; Legler, 289

AVM: Ch. 17 OR 19

Reader's Prep Card

N6

WB; Revision Workout 2: Macro/micro

Meet in Innovation 328

Peer Review Review

(PRR Responses due by Saturday noon)

 

N11

RB; Beginnings & endings; pacing & flow; "what else?"

BMW:  Wolcott, 333

Online: Long, "Genome Tome"

AVM:  Ch. 20

Target/Model assignment

Reader's Prep Card

Set up conferences

 

N13

Revision Workshop B (online option)

Revised Draft B (Guide, commentary)

Post to Wiki; Find a writing handbook

 

N18

Conference Break:  No class

 

 

 

N20

WB; "Style" and "voice"

WT:  Chapter 5, Fuller, 369

BAE:  Florey, 31

Grammar Guru assignment

Bring your handbook

     

N25

Revision Workshop C (in-class): Editing and proofreading

(Re-)Revised Draft (Guide? Commentary?)

N27

NO CLASS

     

D2

RB: Faves; Building a portfolio; Share-around part 1

Optional: 2 copies, 1-3 pp for sharing

D4

WB: Next?; Looking forward;
Share-around part 2

Optional: 2 copies, 1-3 pp for sharing

Final Portfolios Due by Wednesday, December 10, 5:00 p.m.

 

 

 

Last updated August 2008.Email Shelley Reid