LIT 2000.007: Introduction to LiteratureReading about Reading: How We Evoke Meaning

Spring 2016: Tuesdays/Thursdays 2:00 – 3:15 p.m. in CPR 347Instructor: Heather Fox

Instructor InformationOffice Location: CPR 321Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:30-10:30 a.m., and by appointmentEmail: heatherfox@mail.usf.eduWebsite: http://heatherafox.weebly.com/

General Course InformationThis is a 3 credit hour course. It carries no prerequisites. It is offered through the Department of English in the School of Humanities, College of Arts and Sciences. The course meets Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:00-3:15 p.m. in CPR 347.

Introduction to Literature is part of the University of South Florida’s Foundation of Knowledge and Learning Core Curriculum. It is a writing-intensive course that is certified for the Humanities core area and for the following dimensions: Critical Thinking, Inquiry-Based Learning, Ethical Perspectives, Creative and Interpretive Processes and Experience.

This is a Gordon-Rule 6A Communications course. Students in this course will engage in writing as a “process,” which means employing strategies such as pre-writing, co-authoring, document design, peer feedback, revising, and editing. Students will learn how to develop ideas and texts that follow academic/disciplinary conventions for different contexts, audiences, and purposes. An integral part of writing instruction is the opportunity to revise documents in response to feedback, so students will be required to revise at least some course writing assignments (including one major assignment) after receiving feedback from the instructor. At a minimum, students will write 4500 words for this course. Students must achieve a proficiency level of at least C- in the course in order to receive Gordon Rule Communication credit.

Students enrolled in this course may be asked to participate in the USF General Education Assessment effort. This might involve submitting copies of writing assignments for review, responding to surveys, or participating in other measurements designed to assess the FKL Core Curriculum Learning Outcomes.

Course DescriptionThis course will introduce students to the literary art forms of prose, poetry, and drama. Students will read representative selections of these three genres by a wide range of authors from various historical periods and cultural contexts. They will develop the tools for reading and writing critically about literature through the application of close reading and various “schools” of literary criticism. They will develop an understanding of the creative processes involved in the production of literature. And they will develop an understanding of what it means to be human and humane through an appreciation of literature as an expression of the human spirit.

This course is about reading. We all have been reading for a long time, constantly decoding and encoding combinations of letters, words, phrases, and sentences in order to relate to the world around us. But how often do we think about our process of reading and the ways in which that process produces a certain reading or enables us to evoke individualized meaning? In this course, I invite you to observe and to listen, in order to consider your own process of reading and how this process contributes to reading and

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writing about literature. The syllabus is organized in a way that privileges the process of reading through observing, listening, deconstructing, reconstructing, and connecting. However, it should be understood that individual and collective reading practices are not limited to these approaches and that these categories may overlap. We will learn through reading and rereading texts from several genres, including autobiography, prose, poetry, drama, visual art, oral history, and musical performance. Individually, we will contemplate our responses to texts by thinking about how we read. In order to share our discoveries, we will engage in class discussions, group exercises and discussions, and various writing exercises. In this course, we will think closely about how understanding our processes of reading connect us to the human experience.

Course Objectives To investigate the formal elements of literature such as plot, character, style, tone, language,

symbol, allegory, myth, imagery, figures of speech, themes, and staging, and their function in the creative process of producing prose, poetry, and drama.

To learn some of the major schools of literary criticism and to learn to develop your own skills at literary analysis, both in writing and orally.

To read a representative selection of prose, poetry, and drama from various cultural and historical periods and to explore the relationship of these selections to these contexts.

To explore and evaluate human values and ethics as they are expressed in literary texts. To evaluate the process or reading to evoke meaning in a variety of texts.

Student Learning Outcomes Students will demonstrate knowledge of the formal elements of literature by providing correct

definitions of formal literary terms and by using them correctly in analytical writing and oral exposition. (General Education Core Objective A3).

Students will demonstrate understanding of the selected major schools of literary criticism by using them correctly in analytical writing and oral exposition. (General Education Core Objectives C1, C2, C5).

Students will demonstrate an awareness and understanding of the significance of the cultural and historical contexts that produced the selected literary texts. (General Education Core Objectives A3, B3, C4, D4).

Students will correctly demonstrate how human values and ethics in literary texts inform the behavior of individuals in their stance before others and the world. (General Education Core Objectives A3, B3, E2).

General Course RequirementsThis course uses an inquiry-based approach to instruction, in which your participation in both class and group discussions is essential to learning. Occasionally, I may lecture on biography, sociohistorical context, genre, or theory; but the majority of the class will be comprised of exercises and discussions designed to connect your individual process of reading to our class’s collective process of how we read and write about literature. In preparation for each class, you must demonstrate evidence of active reading. This evidence will include observations and questions about the text. Class texts may be found in The Norton Introduction to Literature, Jhumpa Lahiri’s Unaccustomed Earth, and PDFs in Canvas Modules each week. Unless otherwise stated, you will be required to bring printed copies of the texts we are reading and discussing to class. Each week you will be required to post to our course’s blog, Writing about Reading. The assignments for the blog posts are listed in the syllabus and will be discussed in class at the beginning of the week. Your blogs will form the basis for the Synthesis Project, which will replace the final exam. Additionally, you will be required to write one Very Short Paper and one Short Paper. These literary analysis papers must be revised in response to peer review and instructor feedback. Finally,

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you must attend one individual conference with your instructor during the semester and complete a course and self-evaluation near the middle of the semester.

Required TextsThe Norton Introduction to Literature, Portable Edition. 11th ed. Ed. Kelly J. Mays. New York: Norton, 2014.

Lahiri, Jhumpa. Unaccustomed Earth. New York: Vintage Books, 2008.

PDF and etext documents in Canvas (must be printed, unless indicated otherwise)

Students with DisabilitiesStudents in need of academic accommodations for a disability may consult with the office of Students with Disabilities Services to arrange appropriate accommodations. Students are required to give reasonable notice prior to requesting an accommodation. Contact SDS at 974-4309 or www.sds.usf.edu. For more information about student responsibilities related to disability accommodations, see http://www.asasd.usf.edu/Students.htm

Academic Grievance ProceduresIf a serious issue or conflict arises, the student should first make an attempt to reach a satisfactory resolution with the course instructor. It the instructor and student are unable to resolve the situation to their mutual satisfaction, the student may, within three weeks of the incident, file a letter of notification with Dr. Joyce Karpay, the Assistant to the Chair of the English Department.

Academic IntegrityStudents attending USF are awarded degrees in recognition of successful completion of coursework in their chosen fields of study. Each individual is expected to earn his/her degree on the basis of personal effort. Consequently, any form of cheating on examinations or plagiarism on assigned papers constitutes unacceptable deceit and dishonesty. Plagiarism is defined as “literary theft” and consists of the unattributed quotation of the exact words of a published text, or the unattributed borrowing of original ideas by paraphrase from a published text. On written papers for which the student employs information gathered from books, articles, web sites, or oral sources, each direct quotation, as well as ideas and facts that are not generally known to the public at large, or the form, structure, or style of a secondary source must be attributed to its author by means of the appropriate citation procedure. Only widely known facts and first-hand thoughts and observations original to the student do not require citations. Citations may be made in footnotes or within the body of the text. Plagiarism also consists of passing off as one’s own another person’s work in part or in total.

A student who submits a plagiarized assignment will receive an “F” with a numerical value of zero on the assignment, and the “F” shall be used to determine the final course grade. The instructor has the right to assign the student a grade of F or FF (the latter indicating dishonesty) in the course. An “FF” grade assigned to indicate academic dishonesty is reflected only on internal records and prevents the student from repeating the course using the Grade Forgiveness Policy. If a student who has been accused of academic dishonesty drops the course, the student’s registration in the course may be reinstated until the issue is resolved. A student who is suspected of cheating may not drop a course to avoid a penalty.

See http://www.usg.usf.edu/catalogs/0809/adadap.htm for USF’s definitions of plagiarism and its policy on academic honesty. Consult with me if you have any questions about these issues.

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The University of South Florida has an account with an automated plagiarism detection service (Turn It In) which allows instructors to submit student assignments to be checked for plagiarism. I reserve the right to submit assignments to this detection system. Assignments are compared automatically with a huge database of journal articles, web articles, and previously submitted papers. The instructor receives a report showing exactly how a student’s paper was plagiarized.

Attendance PolicyEach student uniquely contributes to our class reading experience and his/her absence detracts from that experience. Nonetheless, unforeseen circumstances sometimes occur and necessitate a student’s absence. In this section of LIT 2000, students are allowed a maximum of two absences for any reason. Three or more absences will result in a penalty to the final grade. Please be aware that this policy does not distinguish between “excused” and “nonexcused” absences. Additionally, evidence of active reading assignments and class exercises cannot be made-up. As a general rule, if you miss a class, you also miss the work associated with the class.

Please respect your classmates and instructor by getting to class on time. Frequent late arrivals and/or early departures will be recorded as absences.

Late work (other than class exercises and active reading evidence due to an absence) will be penalized one letter grade for every 1-24 hours the assignment is late. Electronic submissions will be documented through Canvas. Paper assignments must be submitted to my mailbox in the English department (CPR 358) or directly given to me in my office (CPR 321). Late work will not be accepted after 72 hours past the assignment deadline.

Students who anticipate the necessity of being absent from class due to the observation of a major religious observance must provide notice of the date(s) to the instructor, in writing, by the second class meeting. Should an examination or the due date for an assignment fall on one of these dates, I will make arrangements with you for a make-up exam or an alternate date for submission of written work.

Additionally, please alert me in advance regarding documented absences for court imposed legal obligations (jury duty, court subpoena, etc.), military duty, or USF athletics’ participation.

Technology RequirementLIT 2000 requires consistent access to the Internet, Canvas, word processing, a laptop, and a printer. Not having access to a computer will not be an acceptable excuse for not having checked the syllabus for homework or not having checked your USF email for class announcements. Additionally, this course requires students to regularly print Pdf documents in Canvas. As a resource, USF students have access to free printing (up to $2.50 a day) and computer use in the library, campus computer labs, and the Marshall Center.

Email Good Practice PoliciesYour instructor regularly checks her email and responds within 48 hours. Emails will be answered Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Please check the syllabus and Canvas Modules before asking questions about assignments, since questions may have already been addressed through course communications. Additionally, you may use the Canvas People link to email a classmate. It is good practice to establish an email link with a fellow classmate in your each of your classes for assignment clarification, instructions missed due to an absence, or other procedural questions.

When sending an email to an instructor, students should use the following procedure: Always use your USF email or Canvas account.

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Be sure to note the reason for the email in the subject heading. Example: “appointment request” Begin the email with a professional greeting (such as “Dear”) and end the email with an

appropriate salutation before signing your name (such as “Sincerely”). Professional emails to instructors are not text messages. It is important to write in complete

sentences, following grammar, punctuation, and capitalization rules. Any attached documents must be sent as Word docs or PDFs.

Other Good Practice PoliciesA positive learning environment is important for students and instructors. Please observe these “good practice” policies as common courtesies, which apply to the classroom as well as other work environments:

Turn off or silence cell phones before class begins. Ask for your instructor’s permission and guidelines before using your laptop in class. Provide constructive criticism to help peers improve their work. Disrespectful or disruptive

behavior and comments will not be tolerated, online or in-person. Submit academic-appropriate work. Any work with intentionally inflammatory or offensive

material is unacceptable. Ask when you feel that an assignment or procedure requires further clarification. If your

individual concerns cannot be adequately addressed in class, visit your instructor during her office hours or make an appointment.

Ask permission prior to recording class lectures or discussions. Students are not permitted to sell notes or tapes of class lectures.

When possible, become involved in your college community. Your instructor will post announcements about lectures and readings throughout the semester, but you can also use this link to stay informed (http://webcal.forest.usf.edu/cal/main/showEventList.rdo).

If any behaviors interfere with instruction, whether in the classroom or online, your instructor will then follow Disruption of Academic Process policies from the USF Handbook.

Our Literature ClassroomIn a literature course, readings and/or discussions about readings may make us feel uncomfortable at times. Literature has the capacity to produce strong (often emotional) responses because, like other art forms, it constructs a message to convey to its audience(s), a message which often relates to contemporary concerns even if the text was written in another century. As we investigate these messages and how they are conveyed through a process of inquiry and discussion in the literature classroom, individual responses to texts may feel intensified when other students disagree with our ideas. It is all right to disagree, but disagreements must be presented without belittling or attacking others’ perspectives. The college experience encourages us to think about our relationships to the world in new ways, in order to contextualize and/or reevaluate our sense of identity. It is important that we allow ourselves the space to think critically about texts and their messages. It is important that we begin a practice of questioning assumptions so that we are better prepared to address the relationships between our perspectives of experience and how those perspectives are constructed throughout our lives. It is important that we question messages and how they work to connect or disconnect us from one another.

Student ResourcesUSF Writing Center: http://www.lib.usf.edu/writing/USF Library: http://www.lib.usf.edu/USF Digital Media Commons: http://www.lib.usf.edu/digital-studio/ Plagiarism Information: http://fyc.usf.edu/Policies/Plagiarism%20Main.aspxStudents with Disabilities Services: http://www.asasd.usf.edu/USF Counseling Center: http://usfweb2.usf.edu/counsel/

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USF Advocacy Program: http://www.sa.usf.edu/ADVOCACY/page.asp?id=72

Emergency PlansIn the event of an emergency, it may be necessary for USF to suspend normal operations. During this time, USF may opt to continue delivery of instruction through methods that include but are not limited to Canvas, Elluminate, Skype, e-mail messaging and/or an alternate schedule. It’s the responsibility of the student to check for communication from their instructor and / or the university.

GradingParticipation, Preparation, and Exercises 15%Weekly Blog Posts 25%Very Short Paper 10%Short Paper 20%Synthesis Project 15%Peer Reviews 10%Conference and Mid-Semester Evaluations 5%

A grade of “I” will be awarded only in the case of a medical or family emergency and, in conjunction with University policy, only when a small portion of the student’s work is incomplete and only when the student is otherwise earning a passing grade.

Students may not take this course S/U.

Letter grades, including plus and minus grades, will be converted to points according to the Grade Point Average grading system, as follows: A+ (97–100) 4.00 B+ (87–89.9) 3.33 C+ (77–79.9) 2.33 D+ (67–69.9) 1.33A (94–96.9) 4.00 B (84–86.9) 3.00 C (74–76.9) 2.00 D (64–66.9) 1.00A– (90–93.9) 3.67 B– (80–83.9) 2.67 C– (70–73.9) 1.67 D– (60–63.9) 0.67 It is up to each student to check on his or her grade deduction due to lateness or absences. Remember that your final percentage in the Canvas gradebook will not reflect deductions due to lateness or absences. If any student has missed enough class work to prevent him or her from successfully completing the course requirements,(i.e. has failed to turn in one or more major assignments or acquired enough absences to impact their final grade by one whole letter grade), instructors will recommend that the student drop the course.

Participation, Preparation, and Exercises (15%)In preparation for each class, you will be required to actively read the assigned text(s). This includes primary and secondary and/or supplementary reading materials. Evidence of your active reading includes writing notes in the margins about your observations and questions, highlighting or underlining significant lines, and looking up unfamiliar words in a dictionary. Specific guidelines will be outlined for active reading during the first week of class. You will be required to come to each class with active reading “evidence” and this will constitute a large portion of your preparation grade. Additionally, there will be other in-class and out-of-class exercises as part of our work together. Finally, you will be expected to remain fully-engaged during class and group discussions.

Writing about Reading Blog Posts (25%)

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Thinking closely about how we learn is just as important as thinking about what we learn. Therefore, this course has developed a blogging space for examining the process of reading. You should think of each post as a personal narrative on your reading experiences in this course. Each student will design his/her own password-protected blog, and each blog assignment will relate to the week’s focus. These posts will include written text, as well as other media, such as photographs, videos, etc. The assignment for each blog post will be briefly outlined beneath each week’s heading in the course schedule. However, since most of these posts require explanation and may begin as a class exercise, it is important not to work ahead on this assignment.

Writing about Reading blog posts are designed as a specific kind of reflective assignment, which will serve to trace a student’s learning about his/her own process or reading. Posts should not be written as text messages or Facebook posts. For the purposes of this course, students should carefully proofread and revise posts like any other academic assignment. In fact, I strongly suggest that you compose and edit in Word and, then, copy and paste your work in the blog. Each week, blog posts will be due no later than Sunday at 11:59 p.m. Blog posts will receive full credit if they fully-respond to each week’s assignment and follow usage and style rules for academic writing. Each post will be worth 20 points.

Very Short Paper (10%)Students will choose one poem from a list of poems provided by the instructor. These poems will not have been discussed in class previously. Students will actively read and reread the poem, as we have practiced in class. While reading, students should think carefully about what they observe and hear, underline significant words or phrases, write notes and questions in the margins, and look up unfamiliar words and/or context. In other words, students should respond to the following questions: What does this poem say; What does this poem mean, and What is the significance of its meaning. After identifying one line or phrase in the poem that evokes the most significant meaning for the reader’s understanding of the poem, students will construct a verifiable argument about the poem using textual evidence to support a main claim. No secondary readings will be necessary for this assignment. Students will submit a rough draft electronically to Canvas AND a paper copy in class of 800 words for peer review and instructor feedback. Paper copies of rough drafts must include a copy of the text with evidence of active reading. Using peer and instructor feedback, students will revise the paper and submit a final draft of 1,000-1,200 words. Canvas and paper final draft submissions will be accompanied by a cover page (100-150 words), which explains how the student’s understanding of the poem evolved through a process of rereading and writing about it. The Very Short Paper assignment will be graded using the following rubric:

Very Short Paper Rubric

Minimum Assignment Requirements to Receive a Grade

A copy of the text with evidence of active reading (for first draft) or process of reading cover letter (second draft)

Significant revision between first and second drafts, using peer and instructor feedback.

Literary Analysis50%

The literary analysis demonstrates a process of reading and rereading. One line, phrase, or word is identified and used to construct a focused reading of the poem. This reading is supported by a sufficient amount of textual evidence (quotes and paraphrase) and developed by response, in order to thoroughly address what the poem means and the significance of that meaning. The paper privileges specific textual support and response-based reasoning over general summary-based reasoning when constructing and developing its argument.

Focus 25%

The paper asserts an argument (thesis) about the significance of the poem’s meaning, and this argument is clearly identified in the introduction. Subsequent body paragraphs use evidence and response to support and develop this argument.

Structure15%

The essay guides the reader through the process of a critical reading. It is comprised of an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The introduction provides

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context and identifies a thesis. Body paragraphs use clearly-stated, argumentative-based topic sentences. The conclusion emphasizes the significance of the thesis in terms of the essay’s development of evidence and response.

Form and Mechanics10%

The paper is effectively written with little to no notable errors in usage and style.

Direct quotes and paraphrased text are cited using parenthetical documentation in MLA format. The essay includes a Works Cited page (one source).

Short Paper (20%)Students will choose one literary text from a list provided by their instructor. These texts will not have been discussed in class previously. Like the Very Short Paper, students will begin by actively reading and rereading the chosen text in order to determine what it says, what it means, and how its meaning is significant to the reader. However, unlike the first paper assignment, students must also use two secondary readings. These readings may include critical essays on theoretical approaches, literary analysis, and/or historical and cultural context and may be acquired using the USF Library MLA International Bibliography database. Short Papers should make appropriate use of relevant formal literary terms, use MLA parenthetical documentation for citing sources, and include a Works Cited page. Students will submit a rough draft (electronically to Canvas) of 1,000 words for peer review. Additionally, students are encouraged to make an appointment with their instructor in order to address any questions or concerns during the writing process. Using peer feedback, students will revise the paper and submit a final draft of 2,000-2,500 words. Canvas and paper final draft submissions will be accompanied by a cover page (100-150 words), which explains how the student’s understanding of the text evolved through a process of rereading and writing about it. The Short Paper will be graded using the following rubric:

Short Paper Rubric

Minimum Assignment Requirements to Receive a Grade

The paper includes both a close reading of one primary text and two secondary texts.

A copy of the text with evidence of active reading AND process of reading cover letter.

Significant revision between first and second drafts, using peer feedback.Literary Analysis60%

The literary analysis demonstrates a process of reading and rereading, beginning with a close reading of a primary text and developed by secondary readings. Both the primary and secondary texts are used as evidence to support a focused reading of the text. Evidence is thoroughly-developed in terms of the essay’s argument about the significance of the text’s meaning through response. The paper privileges argument over summary, using specific textual support. Relevant formal literary terms are used appropriately.

Focus 20%

The paper asserts an argument (thesis) about the significance of the text’s meaning, and this argument is clearly identified in the introduction. Subsequent body paragraphs use evidence and response to support and develop this argument.

Structure10%

The essay guides the reader through the process of a critical reading. It is comprised of an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The introduction provides context and identifies a thesis. Body paragraphs use clearly-stated, argumentative-based topic sentences. The conclusion emphasizes the significance of the thesis in terms of the essay’s development of evidence and response.

Form and Mechanics10%

The paper is effectively written with little to no notable errors in usage and style.

Direct quotes and paraphrased text are cited using parenthetical documentation in MLA format. The essay includes a Works Cited page (three sources).

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Synthesis Project (15%)Using blog posts from Writing about Reading, students will reflect on their understanding of their process of reading from the beginning of the semester through the end of this course. The Reflective Synthesis should draw upon excerpts from the reader’s most meaningful posts throughout the semester and should connect those excerpts to a clearly-stated argument (thesis), which traces and organizes the key components of a student’s understanding of his/her process of reading throughout the semester. This culminating project will comprise the final post to the Writing about Reading blog and will replace the final exam. The Synthesis Project, therefore, should not be a reiteration of previous experience but should use elements from past blogs as evidence to support and develop an argument. In addition to blog posts, students may use a variety of other class writings, including (but not limited to) discussion notes, paper assignments, primary and secondary course texts, and/or other writing exercises completed during this course. The Synthesis Project should be 1,000-1,500 words and must be submitted electronically to Canvas AND posted to the blog site. Paper copies are not required for this assignment.

Peer Review (10%)Students will be required to complete two peer reviews for this course: one for the Very Short Paper and one for the Short Paper. The instructor will assign each student a peer’s paper to review. The reviewer (and not the reviewee) will be graded. Peer reviews that follow usage and style standards for academic writing and respond to the work using thorough responses, including (but not limited to) the use of specific examples from the paper to support suggestions, will receive full credit. Peer reviews should follow Good Practice Policies.

Conference and Midterm Evaluations (5%)Students will be required to attend one conference with their instructor during the semester. This appointment will last 10-15 minutes and may not be made-up or rescheduled for credit. Students must sign up for this appointment in advance via Canvas Collaborate. Additionally, students will be required to complete a course and self-evaluation in Canvas near the midpoint of the course. The purpose for this is to help the instructor and her students identify successes and possible areas for improvement before the end of the semester in order to help students best achieve their academic goals for this course.

End of Semester Course EvaluationsNear the end of the semester, your will receive a university-generated request to complete an online course evaluation. These evaluations are anonymous and are used to assess the teaching of this course so that future adjustments may be made in order to best meet the learning needs of the students.

Course Schedule*This course schedule is a flexible plan and is subject to change throughout the semester.Readings from the textbook are identified as (Norton) and readings found in Canvas Modules are identified as (PDF). PDFs must be printed, unless otherwise noted in the syllabus. Use Canvas Modules for the most up-to-date reading and exercise assignments. Time may not always allow for all of the readings to be discussed in class. These readings will be used in exercises or paper assignments.

Week 1: Observing Reading MemoriesWriting about Reading Reading Memories: Post reading memory (250-300 words).

Tuesday, Jan. 12Course and SyllabusRick Bragg, “Redbirds,” Prologue to All Over but the Shoutin’ Reading Memories Exercise

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Thursday, Jan. 14 *Bring laptops and textbooks to class.Readings:

Patricia Strong, Preparing for an Inquiry-Based Course Edgar Dale, “The Critical Reader” Frederick Douglass, from Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave (1845),

chapters 6 and 7 Billy Collins, “Introduction to Poetry” Lawrence Ferlinghetti, “Constantly Risking Absurdity” Julia Alvarez, “Poetry Makes Nothing Happen”? Li-Young Lee, “Living with Her,” “Mnemonic,” and “Persimmons”

Week 2: Observing PerspectiveWriting about Reading What I See: Post photograph and observations (150-200 words).

Tuesday, Jan. 19Readings:

Eudora Welty, “A Memory” Katherine Anne Porter, Introduction to A Curtain of Green Margaret Atwood, “This is a Photograph of Me” and “Death of a Young Son by Drowning” Emphasis on the Text and New Criticism

Thursday, Jan. 21Readings:

Susan Glaspell, Trifles Elaine Showalter, “Susan Glaspell” in “The Golden Morrow,” A Jury of Her Peers Historical and Ideological Criticism; Feminist Criticism; New Historicism

Week 3: Observing in a Different LightWriting about Reading What You See and What You Might Not Have Seen [two parts]: (1.) Describe your observations at the USF Contemporary Art Museum, using your observation recordings handout. (2.) Describe observations you may have missed, based on peer response in the class exercise. (200-250 words)

Tuesday, Jan. 26Assignment Due: USF Contemporary Art Museum Observations Sheet Readings:

Emily Dickinson, “She dealt her pretty words like Blades,” “Tell all the Truth but tell it slant,” “Because I could not stop for Death,” “Wild Nights—Wild Nights!” (Norton, pp. 671-74), “There’s a Certain Slant of light”

William Carlos Williams, “This Is Just to Say,” “The Dance,” “The Red Wheelbarrow” Ezra Pound, “In a Station of the Metro”

Thursday, Jan. 28Conference Sign-Ups Readings:

Poetry: Reading, Responding, Writing Writing about Literature-Paraphrase, Summary, Description William Faulkner, “A Rose for Emily”

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Week 4: Observing to Record and ReportWriting about Reading Taking Stock of Observations: Reflect on your observations about your process of reading the texts in this course so far. What has confirmed and/or challenged your initial assumptions about how you read? Reference at least two specific course readings in your post. (250-300 words)

Tuesday, Feb. 2 Readings:

Writing about Literature – The Writing Process: Getting Started - Drafting Herman Melville, Bartleby the Scrivener

Thursday, Feb. 4Readings:

Rebecca Harding Davis, Life in the Iron Mills

Week 5: Listening to a Process of ReadingWriting about Reading Hearing the Reading Process: Post a summary of the most significant observations about your process of reading after the class exercise (150-200 words).

Tuesday, Feb. 9 ***No reading assignment due before class.Assignment Due: Very Short Paper rough drafts. Submit to Canvas AND in-class (paper copy).Readings (in class):

Excerpts from Samuel Beckett, “Cascando,” Cascando, Words and Music: A Piece for Radio, and Act without Words

Grant Stephan-Brook, Samuel Beckett’s Radio Plays

Thursday, Feb. 11Assignment Due: Peer Reviews submitted electronically in Canvas before 11:59 p.m.Readings:

Writing about Literature – The Writing Process: Revising and Editing Mary Oliver, “Wild Geese,” “Alligator Poem,” “The Lilies Break Open Over the Dark Water” Helen Chasin, “The Word Plum” and “Joy Sonnet in a Random Universe” Gerard Manley

Hopkins, “Spring and Fall” William Shakespeare, “My Mistress’ Eyes Are Nothing Like the Sun” Edna St. Vincent Millay, “Women have loved before as I love now” and “I will put Chaos into

fourteen lines” Structuralism

Week 6: Listening to VoicesWriting about Reading Listening to a Voice: Post your written response to our class reading exercise (word count will vary but should be at least 150 words).

Tuesday, Feb. 16Readings:

Eudora Welty, “Where Is the Voice Coming From?” Casey Cep, “A Murder in Deep Summer” Ernest J. Gaines, from A Lesson Before Dying, chapters 1-2 Claude McKay, “If We Must Die” and “The White House” African American and Ethnic Literary Studies

Thursday, Feb. 18

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Assignment Due: Very Short Paper (submitted electronically to Canvas AND paper copy in class)Readings:

Walt Whitman, from Song of Myself “I Celebrate Myself and Sing Myself” and “I Hear America Singing”

Langston Hughes, “I, Too” T. S. Eliot, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”

Week 7: Listening to How Voices Tell ItWriting about Reading Oral Histories, Part I: Record the history of a significant reading event in your life. This record must be different from your Reading Memories post but may include an experience in this course or a previous reading experience. Post recording to blog. If desired, you may provide a transcript.

Tuesday, Feb. 23Readings:

James E. Seaver, from A Narrative of the Life of Mrs. Jemison, chapters 1-3 Zitkala-Ša, “Impressions of an Indian Childhood” and “The Schooldays of an Indian Girl” from

American Indian Stories Cathleen Cahill, Introduction from Federal Fathers and Mothers: A Social History of the United

States Indian Service, 1869-1933

Thursday, Feb. 25USF Library, Special Collections: Oral Histories

Week 8: Deconstructing What We See and HearWriting about Reading Oral Histories, Part II: Report on your Oral History Project. Begin your post with a title, which includes the name of the speaker and the primary purpose and/or argument of his/her telling of his/her story. Deconstruct what you observe about what you hear in terms of perspective and historical context? How do your previous reading experiences affect the way you understand this person’s oral history? What have you learned about your process of reading from listening to and analyzing oral histories?

Tuesday, Mar. 1Assignment Due: Midterm Course and Self Evaluations Readings:

Wallace Stevens, “Anecdote of the Jar,” “The Idea of Order at Key West,” “Not Ideas About the Thing but the Thing Itself”

Robert Frost, “Design” and “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” Elizabeth Bishop, “Sestina” Writing about Literature – Elements of the Essay

Thursday, Mar. 3Assignment Due: Short Paper Proposal + Evidence of Active ReadingReadings:

Guy De Maupassant, “The Jewelry” Deconstruction Writing about Literature – The Research Essay

Week 9: Deconstructing Representations Writing about Reading Deconstructing Reading: Choose one text from our readings this week and focus on one scene from that text. Sketch the scene and upload a picture of it to the blog. Then,

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deconstruct your process of reading of that scene. How does your initial reading compare/contrast to our class’s collective reading experience of that same scene? (250-300 words)

Tuesday, Mar. 8Assignment Due: three source summariesReadings:

Katherine Anne Porter, “The Grave” Katherine Anne Porter, “I Must Write from Memory”

Thursday, Mar. 10 Readings:

Tillie Olsen, “I Stand Here Ironing” Charlotte Perkins Gilman, “The Yellow Wallpaper” Charlotte Perkins Gilman, “Why I Wrote the Yellow Wallpaper” Biographical Criticism

Spring Break: March 14-18

Week 10: Reconstructing What We Deconstruct Writing about Reading No blog assignment this week. Work on Short Paper.

Tuesday, Mar. 22 Assignment Due: Short Paper rough drafts (paper copies only).

Thursday, Mar. 24Readings:

Writing about Literature – Quotation, Citation, and Documentation Gabriel García Márquez, “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”

Week 11: Reconstructing as a Mapping ProcessWriting about Reading Mapping Reading Experiences: Create a map representation of your reading experience, charting significant reading experiences that have influenced how you read. There should be 5-10 points on your map, but its design is up to you. You may choose to sketch this map and upload a picture of it to the blog; or you may choose to use electronic mapping software and post the link to your blog. All maps should be accompanied by a brief description (3-5 sentences).

Tuesday, Mar. 29Assignment Due: Short Paper final drafts (submit electronically to Canvas AND paper copy in class)Readings:

Wilfred Owen, “Strange Meeting” Tim O’Brien, “The Things They Carried” and “The Ghost Soldiers”

Thursday, Mar. 31Readings:

Robinson Jeffers, “The Deer Lay Down Their Bones” Natasha Trethewey, “Pilgrimage” and “Myth” Adrienne Rich, “Diving into the Wreck,” “At a Bach Concert,” and “What Kind of Times Are

These”

Week 12: Connecting to the Self

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Writing about Reading Reader Response: Post reading response exercise. Download or cut/paste a copy of the one of the following short texts (available in Norton) into a Word doc: Jamaica Kincaid’s “Girl” or William Wordsworth’s “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud.” Either use a different color ink or font to differentiate between your words and the text. Word counts will vary.

Tuesday, Apr. 5Readings:

Kate Chopin, “The Story of an Hour” Sylvia Plath, “Lady Lazarus” and “Barren Woman” Emphasis on the Receiver and Reader-Response Criticism

Thursday, Apr. 7Readings:

Anton Chekhov, “The Lady with the Dog” Psychoanalytic Criticism

Week 13: Connecting through Sociohistorical ContextsWriting about Reading Ethnography Project: Upload a video or recording which situates a reading experience ethnographically. This may be a personal reading experience or a reading experience you observe. In other words, capture the cultural context of a reading experience. Describe what you “capture” in 100-150 words.

Tuesday, Apr. 12Readings:

Zora Neale Hurston, Color Struck Zora Neale Hurston, selections from Mules and Men Harlem Renaissance

Thursday, Apr. 14Readings:

August Wilson, The Piano Lesson

Week 14: Connecting through EmpathyWriting about Reading Patterns: After rereading your blog post from Week 11 (Reader Response) and scanning the semester’s posts, identify 3-5 broad categories of response. In other words, how do you best (or most often) connect to the reading of a text? What kinds of patterns emerge in your process of reading? (250-300 words).

Tuesday, Apr. 19Readings:

Jhumpa Lahiri, “Once in a Lifetime” from Unaccustomed Earth, Part Two: Hema and Kaushik

Thursday, Apr. 21Readings:

Jhumpa Lahiri, “Year’s End” from Unaccustomed Earth, Part Two: Hema and Kaushik

Week 15: Connecting EnvironmentWriting about Reading Reading Environment: Describe your most productive reading “environment.” This may be a physical or a psychological space. This may be an actual or an imaginary space. What is it about this “environment” that makes it conducive to reading? (150-200 words). Add a photograph or representative illustration to this post.

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Tuesday, Apr. 26Readings:

Jhumpa Lahiri, “Going Ashore” from Unaccustomed Earth, Part Two: Hema and Kaushik

Final Exam WeekAssignment Due: Synthesis Project (submitted to Canvas by Tuesday, May 3 rd at 11:59 p.m .)

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