Welcome to the Course

Welcome to blog for Dr. Grasso's two sections of Freshman Composition I, at 9:30 and 12:30 on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  This blog is your resource for assignments, handouts, and announcements, and should keep you connected to class so you never have to ask the dreaded question, "did we do anything last class?"  

So what is Freshman Composition all about?  This is a class where we not only write, but discuss how to read the various texts of our culture, whether these are photographs, advertisements, gender roles, fashion, food, or television.  The goal of this class is to make you realize that nothing is simple or obvious; everything can be read on a deeper (or perhaps, more engaged) level, which changes what we see and how we respond to it.  As a writer, I want you to realize that everything you write has a built-in audience, so that any piece of writing contributes to an on-going conversation, many of them hundreds of years old.  Ideally, you will leave this class with an increased ability to enter into these conversations, and be able to see the hidden 'texts' that inform everything we see and do--particularly those things that make up the abstract concept known as culture.  

Be sure to buy our one book for class, The Writer's Presence, which is available at the ECU Bookstore. We'll start using it next week.  Otherwise, consult the syllabus for questions about the class and other information.  Feel free to e-mail me at jgrasso@ecok.edu as well.  I look forward to teaching you this semester!