Welcome everyone! I look forward to working with you.
Here is the portion of my Syllabus you're interested in. The grading and the work. Be forewarned we will be using this line-up/schedule as a guide. It will change!!
We will be reading published stories and learning from them, line by line, what makes good writing. You will be expected to write comments about the stories on your blogs and arrive to class prepared for the discussions. You will be expected to produce your own original story and contribute to the classroom discussion of your peer’s work.
Much of the value of our time together depends upon your active, thoughtful presence.
Text:
Check the blog (http:// fictionforms4605.blogspot.com) for stories, otherwise:
*Handouts
*THE NORTON ANTHOLOGY OF SHORT FICTION, shorter seventh edition
*READIING LIKE A WRITER, A Guide for People Who Love Books and For Those Who want to Write Them, Francine Prose
*THE ART OF FICTION, John Gardner
*ON WRITING, Stephen King
*The Elements of Style, eds. William Strunk and E.B. White.
Requirements and Grading
Grades will be based on (in order of importance): 1.--the quality of the work you do as a writer and as a reader (and) 2.--the commitment you make to the material--that is, the energy and dedication with which you participate in class, on verbal and written assignments, etc. Each exercise and story will involve several drafts (“The art of writing is re-writing.”) --Sean O'Faolin).
Because one of your goals is to become your own best reader, you'll do honest, critical self-evaluations of your work. Expect unannounced quizzes. ALL out-of-class work must be typed (double spaced). Attendance is crucial. Late work will be penalized but is better than no work. Attendance at River City Writers Series Readings earn you extra credit.
Project: an original story/writing portfolio (40 %)
Quizzes (did you read the stories assigned) (10 %)
Blog (25 %)
Participation (25 %)
All work must be new and not submitted for any other class or project, past or current. Plus/minus grading is in effect. Any form of plagiarism will result in an F for the course.
Students are responsible for checking their memphis.edu email accounts and keeping up with the class blog and their own blog.
Attendance policy: Missing more than 3 sessions, unexcused, will result in a grade no higher than C. If you miss a class, you are responsible for material covered and assignments given.
Conferences: All students are encouraged to visit the instructor during office hours for a conference at least once during the semester.
Schedule (This will change)
January 13 Introductions. Class blog, how it’ll all work.
Margaret Atwood, “Why Do You Write?”
January 18/20 Richard Bausch, “Letter to a Young Writer”
Close Reading: Word by word, line by line
“A Good Man Is Hard to Find,” Flannery O’Connor
“Royal Beatings,” by Alice Munro
“What is Real?” Alice Munro, Norton Anthology, pg 866
January 25/27 Sentences, “If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know this is good writing.”
“The Lady with the Dog,” Anton Checkhov
“Letter to D.V. Grigorovich, March 28, 1886,” Anton Chechhov
Feb 1/3 Paragraphs, Mavis Gallant’s “The Ice Wagon Going Down the Street,” and Jhumpa Lahiri’s, “Interpreter of Maladies
February 7/8 “Fourteen Feet of Water in My House,”by Allan Gurganus
River City Writers Series presents Allan Gurganus
Reading, Feb. 7th at 8 p.m., University Centre Bluff Room
Interview, Feb. 8th at 10:30am, Patterson 456
February 10/ Dialogue, “Hills Like White Elephants,” Ernest Hemingway
“1-900,” by Richard Bausch
“An Interview,” Ernest Hemingway, pg 856, Norton Anthology
Frederick Busch on “Hills Like White Elephants”, Norton pg. 893
February 15/17 Character, “Girl,” Jamaica Kincaid
“An Ex-Mas Feast,” by Uwem Akpan
Begin Story/workshop
Februaary 22/24 Now, “Alone,” by Yiyun Li (New Yorker, 20 under 40)
“Tapka,” by David Bezmozgis, (New Yorker, 20 under 40)
March 1/3 Revision“What We Talk About When We Talk About Love,” Raymond Carver
“The Art and the Craft of Revision,” Joyce Carol Oates, Norton, pg. 869
Stories
March 2/3 River City Writers Series presents Dorothy Allison
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