Shelley Reid .

English 309
Introduction to Nonfiction Writing


Course Schedule

Spring 2008  --  MW 12:00-1:15 
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 posted on the Library's Electronic Reserve page (E-Res), which you can access from http://oscr.gmu.edu (password="_____") and some will be posted on our WebCT siteWebCT (), which you can access from http://courses.gmu.edu .

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

   

J23

Writing Block; Introducing writers, setting goals

       

J28

Readers' Block; Reading as a writer;    Story Potluck; Annotation yoga

WT:  p. 24-5

WoW: Atwood, 150

E-Res: Macrorie and Lamott

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

1-page story, 2 copies

       

J30

WB; Noticing (for) writing: little green ball, jello, & some people
** Meet in IN 317 **

 

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

 

Annotation (photocopy/printout)

Initial Learning Goals (paragraph+grid)

       
       

F4

RB; Writing Workshop 1: Description/Place

 

WT:  pp. 80-84 + Chapter 6

WoW: Hogan, 77; Erlich, 175

AVM: Ch. 1

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

Reader's Prep Card

 

 

F6

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

WoW:  Hampl, 21; LeGuin, 210

BAE: Levy, 121

3x3 Log + Response or Reading Analysis

       
       

F11

RB; Writing Workshop 2: Memory/Reflection

WT:  Simic, 271 or Steinbach, 275

AVM: Ch. 2 & 3

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

Reader's Prep Card

 

F13

WB; Researching as a writer
** Meet in IN 317 **

WT: Chap. 9

       
       

Date

Class topics

Reading Due This Class

Writing Due This Class

       

F18

RB; Writing Workshop 3: Report/Profile

BMW:  Smith, 121

AVM:  Ch. 5 & 6

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

Reader's Prep Card

       

F20

WB; Writing for real; scope & angle

WT: Chapter 10

WebCT:  Anthony or Lorde

Reading Analysis or 3x3 Log + Response

       
       

F25

RB; Letter Potluck; beyond text
Meet in IN 317

BMW, BAE, or WoW: Readers' Choice 1

AVM:  Ch. 9, 19 (also see WebCT vid link)

Letter(s)

Reader's Prep Card

 

       

F27

Writing for the right brain, blending modes and styles

WT: Chapter 8

BMW:  Kamp, 265

BAE:  Sedaris, 195

 

       
       

M3

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

AVM: Ch. 11

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

Reader's Prep Card

 

 

M5

WB; Sussing out stakeholders; blending voices

WT: Kidder, 309

WebCT:  Orr

Optional: Proposal consultations

 

Spring Break

       

M17

RB; Psych: reaching distant and resistant readers

BMW, BAE, or WoW: Readers' Choice 2

WT:  Callahan p. 219, Weineke p. 255

AVM:  Ch. 13 & 14

Reader's Prep Card

     

M19

Writing Workshop 5:  Change
(online option)

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

Schedule Proposal Conferences

       
       

M24

WB Stone Soup: reread, resee, retune, (re)research, revise
Meet in IN 317

WT:  Chapters 4 & 7; Miller, 340

BMW: Jones, 3

First Portfolio and Proposal Due at Conference

M26

No Class:  Conference Break

       
       

Class topics

Reading Due

Writing Due

       

M31

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

BAE:  Sacks, 161

Online: Kesselheim, Audubon May '07

AVM: Ch. 15

Research Plan

Reader's Prep Card

 

A2

Revision Workshop A (online option)

Revised Draft A (Guide, commentary)

       
       

A7

RB; Rebuilding:  structures, genres, forms

WT: Walker, 210; Legler, 289

AVM: Ch. 17

Reader's Prep Card

     

A9

WB; Revision calisthenics
Meet in IN 317

Peer Review Review

(PRR Responses due by Saturday noon)

 

 

A14

RB; Beginnings & endings; pacing & flow

BMW:  Wolcott, 333

AVM:  Ch. 20

Target/Model assignment

Reader's Prep Card

Set up conferences

 

A16

Revision Workshop B (online option)

Revised Draft B (Guide, commentary)

Find a writing handbook

 

 

A21

Conference Break:  No class

 

 

 

A23

WB; "Style" and "voice"

WT:  Chapter 5, Fuller, 369

BAE:  Florey, 31

Grammar Guru assignment

Bring your handbook

     
     

A28

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

(Re-)Revised Draft

     

A30

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

Optional: 2 copies, 1-3 pp for sharing

     
     

M5

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

Optional: 2 copies, 1-3 pp for sharing

 Final Portfolios Due by Friday, May 9, 5:00 p.m.

 

 

Last updated January 2008.Email Shelley Reid