Final Announcements and Paper #4

 Just a few announcements as we end our journey in Composition 1: please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns at jgrasso@ecok.edu. 

1. Our class is technically over now (except for Paper #4--see below) so there are no more class meetings. 

2. All revisions are due no later than Friday, December 3rd (the week before finals). I won't accept any late revisions, so if you want to revise Papers 1-3, this is the time to do it.

3. Paper #4 is also due no later than Friday, December 3rd. Normal late policies will be in effect for this paper (see syllabus for details). 

FIGURING OUT YOUR GRADE

4. Since I don't post grades on Blackboard, you're more than welcome to e-mail me about your current grade. But remember, here's how to figure out your grade:

a, Papers #1-2 are worth 15 pts. On your rubric I told you how many points you got on these (so add both of them up).

b. Paper #3 is worth 10 points, so add you grade on this to the previous tally.

c. If you missed more than 4 classes, subtract 10 points from this tally.

d. In-Class and Daily Responses are worth 45 points. Add 45 to your tally.

e. BUT, If you missed more than 4 daily responses, subtract 10 points from this tally. If you missed more than 6 daily responses, subtract 15 points.

f. Right now, since we haven't turned in Paper #4, your grade is out of  85 points. So add up your tally and divide it by 85. That's your grade. 

So for example, let's say a student got 12/15 on Paper #1 and 9/15 on Paper #2, and 7/10 on Paper #3. That adds up to 28 points. The student didn't miss more than 4 classes, and didn't miss more than 4 daily responses. So their current grade is 73/85. Divide 73 into 85 and you get an 85 B (or .8588 technically). 

If you're not sure how many classes or responses you missed, feel free to e-mail me, since I keep a strict record of these. 

Good luck on Paper #4! The assignment is pasted below: 

Paper #4: The Allegory

For your fourth (and final!) paper, I want you to write a short allegory using the CENTRAL METAPHOR from the poems/songs in Paper #3. That’s why your Paper #3 was so important: I wanted you to get ‘inside’ each poem so you could see how the metaphors translated one experience in terms of another. So now you’ll do the same thing: write a story using Paper #3’s metaphor that can be read allegorically. This is NOT a poem, but a story told symbolically through figurative language and metaphors.

But here’s the catch: your allegory has to do at least ONE of the following:

• SETTING: set the story in the distant past OR the distant future
• CHARACTERS: tell the story using animals OR robots instead of people
• CONTEXT: tell the story from a different perspective: as a football game, or a chess match, or a college class, or a five-course meal at a fancy restaurant, etc.

REMEMBER, an allegory is defined as “a more or less symbolic fictional narrative that conveys a secondary meaning (or meanings) not explicitly set forth in the literal narrative.” So tell a story that starts IN THE MIDDLE, and is set in a different SETTING, or with different CHARACTERS, or through a different CONTEXT to create distance, and use METAPHORS to help us see it.

FOR EXAMPLE, we read the poem “Ithaka” (p.3) with its metaphor that “home is a journey, not a destination.” So imagine a story about cats who escape the pound looking for the garage they were all born in—but find other homes along the way. Or a story about a soccer team playing a game where they’re completely outmatched, and by not worrying about winning anymore, they play the best soccer of their lives (but still lose). Whatever you decide to do, make sure your reader can see that the story isn’t literal: it’s not really about cats or soccer matches. It’s about US and OUR LIVES, just told in a symbolic manner.

REQUIREMENTS

• 3-4 pages, double spaced
• Follows one of the 3 requirements above: Setting, Characters, Context
• Tells a story—doesn’t just summarize the meaning
• Uses metaphors in the story that hints at the CENTRAL METAPHOR for Paper #3
• DUE NO LATER THAN FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3^rd by 5pm!
• NOTE: All revisions are due on this date as well!

 

For Tuesday: Poems from "Home, Rest, and Final Voyages"

REMEMBER, Paper #3 is due next Thursday by 5pm [no class!] See the assignment sheet two posts down--and be sure to read it before you start the paper, to make sure you remember what you're being asked to respond to.

For Tuesday, read the following poems:

* McKay, "The Tropics in New York," p.49

* Lazarus, "The New Colossus," p.50

* Bronte, "Home," pp.50-51 

* Dunbar, "Anchored," p.52

* Rossetti, "Up-Hill," pp.55-56

* de la Mare, "The Listeners," pp.56-57

* Dickinson, "The Chariot," p.58-58

Answer TWO of the following:

Q1: The poem, "The New Colossus" was written to accompany a pedestal on the Statue of Liberty, and refers literally to the Statue itself, which was one of the first things glimpsed by immigrants coming to the New World. What metaphors or imagery does she use in this poem to help translate the experience of America for the immigrant? What does she want them to 'see' America as (besides a statue, of course!). 

Q2: The last three poems are explicitly about the experience of death, and what this might mean to the world of the living. How do they try to translate something of the experience for the reader (discuss at least one of them). Do you find it consoling/hopeful, or dark/pessimistic? 

Q3: "Anchored" is another poem by the famous poet, Paul Dunbar, who also wrote "Sympathy" and "Ships That Pass in the Night." How does this poem also share something of the same theme as those poems? What separates the speaker from the "sweeter life afar"? 

Q4: Who are "The Listeners" in the poem of the same name? At first it seems like they're the invisible spirits of the house, who ignore the Traveler's knocking. Yet could the Traveler be the one who is dead? Any clues in the poem and the metaphors themselves? 

For Tuesday: "Sea, Rail, and Sky" (poems below)

SORRY--the questions didn't post on Thursday, and I apologize for missing this! You'll find them below...

READ the following poems: "Sea-Fever, Exaltation is in the Going, Exiled, All Day I Hear the Noise of Waters, From the Shore, Ships That Pass In the Night, Travel, I Like To See It Lap the Miles, Taking the Night Train, Night Journey, Window, High Flight, The Journey is Everything, Sympathy

Answer TWO of the following:

Q1: Why do so many poems use the metaphor of  "night journey" in their poems? How does traveling through the night help us see/experience life in a different way? Use at least one of these poems to explain this. 

Q2: Dunbar's poem, "Sympathy," is one of the most quoted American poems in the 20th century, with its familiar refrain, "I know why the caged bird sings!" What is being compared to a "caged bird" in this poem? Who might identify with the bird's song/experience? Clues in the poem itself?

Q3: Why do you think so many poems are drawn to water as a metaphor for human experience? How does it lend itself to many other interpretations? Consider a poem like "All Day I Hear the Noise of Waters," which states, "I hear the noise of waters/Far below,/All day, all night, I hear them flowing/To and fro." How does this relate to the way many of this poems talk about (or observe) the "water" all around them?

Q4: Some poems play a guessing game with the reader, and refuse to tell them outright what the subject of the poem actually is. Only be deciphering the clues in the poem (and the metaphor) can we guess its secret identity. For example, what is the poem "I like to see it lap the miles" actually about? And why might it resemble a horse to the poet? 

Paper #3: The Abstract

 

Your next assignment is in two parts: Paper #3 (Abstract) and Paper #4 (Allegory). I’ll talk more about Paper #4 in a few weeks. But here’s a hint: writing Paper #3 will give you everything you need to write Paper #4. That’s why I’m calling it an “abstract,” since an abstract is usually a summary or statement of a given work. I’m basically making you think about the conversation which will inform your final paper.

THE ABSTRACT: From our book Songs for the Open Road, I want you to find 2-3 poems that seem to use the same general or specific metaphor. Don’t just write about poems that talk about death, or time, etc., but a specific way they talk about time. For example, both “The Sacred” (p.12) and “Pennsylvania Station” (p.38) talk about cars and train stations as churches. The poets describe each one in terms of something holy, which helps people go on pilgrimages to find themselves and attain peace. Discuss how your poems translate these metaphors into a real experience of life. Don’t just summarize them; help us see the way each poem uses specific words, images, and ideas to alter our perspective through the metaphor. ALSO, explain why you find this metaphor meaningful…how do you relate to this metaphorical concept?

OR, you can use 2-3 poems and songs from anywhere in the world, as long as they develop the same general metaphor and you can clearly show this connection. Using our book is easier, since the poems are all there, and we’re going to discuss the majority of them. But if you have other poems or songs that are meaningful to you, and that you feel can better contribute to this assignment, be my guest.

Remember, the more you analyze these poems and understand how they develop their shared metaphor, the easier Paper #4 will be to write! (hint, hint).

REQUIREMENTS:

• No page limit, as long as you write something meaningful
• Find 2-3 poems or songs that share a similar metaphor or theme
• Discuss the metaphor/theme clearly in your paper: don’t just say “these two poems both talk about death in different ways.”
• Explain why this metaphor is meaningful to you and your experience

ABSTRACT DUE THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11^th BY 5pm [no class that day]

For Tuesday: Selected Poems from Songs for the Open Road (see below)

For Tuesday's class, I want you to read the following poems:

* "The Land of Beyond," pages 8-9

* Roadways," pages 9-10

* Highway," page 11

* The Sacred," page 12

* The Road Not Taken," page 13

* "Acquainted With the Night," page 14

* "The Negro Speaks of Rivers," page 15

* "Escapist--Never," page 18

Then, choose ONE of them to answer the following questions:

Q1: What is the controlling metaphor of the poem? For example, is it something like, "life is like a dream," or "a car is like your soul," etc.? Explain how the poem develops this basic metaphor through one of the lines of the poem. Why does this change the way we understand or experience this basic metaphor?

Q2: Discuss a line in the poem that doesn't make immediate sense. Or, a line that seems to mean one thing, but after re-reading it, could also mean something else. Explain how we might read and understand this line, and what makes the line confusing or ambiguous (with more than one meaning). 

For Thursday: Songs for the Open Road: Poems below...

On Tuesday, we discussed how common figurative language is in our society, and how almost everything we say and think contains a metaphor. Here's a brief refresher for those who either missed class or accidentally "dozed off" (to use one of the metaphors we discussed!).

1. Everyday speech is made up of metaphors, because we can't think abstractly. We need to place concepts such as time, sleep, love, death, belief, etc., into concrete terms that relate to something we do know. A metaphor (or simile) puts one things into terms of another to make the unknown knowable, or to suggest another aspect of this idea. 

2. For example: "I fell asleep," "I woke up." Both are metaphors. You don't "fall" asleep, since you can fall asleep sitting up, standing up, or simply laying down. "Falling" is a metaphor that explains the process of "going" to sleep...you feel like you're free falling into a state of unconsciousness. When you wake up, you feel like you're rising "up" into consciousness. Both are metaphors that explain a strange, abstract process that we otherwise wouldn't have words for.

3. Other common ones (see if you can get these): "Can I borrow your time?" "I have time to kill." "Life's a bitch," "No, love's a bitch." "I am SO over him." "Your school called looking for you." "Table #3 wants his check." 

4. Since all of these metaphors are so common, we no longer recognize them as poetry. So what poetry does is make NEW metaphors out of old ideas, so we can see the world through a new lens or perspective. One of the most common metaphors that poetry likes to play with is: "Life is a Journey." Most of the poems in this collection use this general metaphor to create hundreds of new poems that suggest new ways to understand what life is, how we live it, and what the purpose of living truly is.

READ THE POEMS ON PAGES 1-7 FOR THURSDAY, THEN CHOOSE ONE POEM TO ANSWER ALL THREE QUESTIONS:

Q1: Discuss an interesting metaphor in the poem that makes you see one thing/idea in terms of something very different. How does it work, and what makes it so new or interesting for you?

Q2: How does this poem use the idea "life is a journey" in a new or interesting way? How do we see life, growing old, dying, or exploring new things in terms of something different? Does the poem make you more hopeful about life, or more pessimistic about life? 

Q3: Poems are songs, meant to be read aloud and sometimes, even set to music and sung (song lyrics are also poems, though we rarely read them without the music). If this poem were a song, what kind of music would it be? How would this kind of music help us 'hear' the meaning of the song? 

See You Next Week: Tuesday, Oct.19th

REMEMBER that Paper #2 is due today by 5pm! The assignment sheet is on the blog, but you can also click here: https://grassocomp1.blogspot.com/2021/10/paper-2-assignment-curriculum-of-travel.html

No class on Thursday since it's FALL BREAK, but we'll be back the following class day, on Tuesday, to start the second part of the course. We'll be looking at metaphors of travel, and how poetry can change how we understand the concept of travel and how it can affect (and improve) our writing. 

Be sure you  have the book Songs for the Open Road: Poems of Travel and Adventure for next week. You don't have to read anything for Tuesday, but I'll give you a reading assignment for the following Thursday.

Let me know if you have any questions! Enjoy the break...

No Class Tomorrow: Unexpected Cancellation !

 Class,

A meeting I had scheduled tomorrow was forced to move up to tomorrow morning, and I have to miss our class to attend it. Therefore, I'll go ahead and CANCEL TOMORROW'S CLASS (sob!) and let you start working on your paper! :) 

I won't make you do the in-class writing I had planned for today, but instead, I have a few exercises to help you start the paper (listed below). Feel free to respond to any of these as a way of starting your paper 'in the middle,' since each one would be a great way to start writing and introduce the conversation. Remember Paper #2 is due next Tuesday, and NO CLASS on Tuesday, since the paper is due, so you get 3 days off! (since Fall Break starts on Thursday--lucky!). Let me know if you have any questions since I should be back in town by around 2 or 3. 

INTRODUCTION EXERCISES (optional, and you DON'T have send them to me--they're designed to get you writing 'in the middle' on Paper #2):

• Option #1: In the essay, "My Own Private Iceland," Chayka writes, “We need to rehumanize tourists and tourism as the other and realize that we are also tourists. Tourism is part of our society” (71). What would you say to someone who also argued that "the best students are also tourists, both in the world and in life"? 
• Option #2: In Budd's essay, "The Volunteer's Dilemma," he suggests that volunteer tourism is “an international sin,” bound up in the “white-savior complex” (50). Imagine that you just bought your plane ticket to go to Africa (or someplace similar) to do volunteer work for a semester. How would you respond to this accusation? 
• Option #3: In Anderson's essay, "Rick Steves Wants to Set You Free," he quotes Steves as saying, "fear...is for people who don't get out very much" (17). Use this quote to explain why you feel that traveling is an essential part of getting an education. How does it teach you not to be as afraid of the world outside your door (and the people who live there)? 
• Option #4: Some writers have suggested that airplane travel is one of the greatest contributors to global warming, and have suggested we boycott air travel altogether. Yet if he did, this would make much tourism impossible. What do you think is the greater 'good': to see the world or save the planet? 

Good luck and I'll be around for questions and concerns. Otherwise, see you after Fall Break the Tuesday after next Tuesday. I'll send you a reminder about class on the blog and via e-mail.

For Tuesday: Chayka, "My Own Private Iceland" (pp.61-77)

NOTE: Be sure to see the Paper #2 assignment BELOW this one! It's due the Tuesday after next Tuesday (Oct.12th).

Answer TWO of the following:

Q1: What does the author mean by "overtourism" and why is this an actual problem, even for countries that rely on tourism to bolster their economy? Why does it affect Iceland in particular?

Q2: The idea of authenticity vs. inauthenticity is similar to ideas of beauty that Jones discussed in her essay, "Such Perfection." Is "authenticity" a universal quality, or is it subjective? Do popular places become less attractive? Is this why the barista at then of Jones' essay says, "It's nice for the tourists...But I'm accustomed to the view and prefer others" (110). 

Q3: What does Chayka mean when he writes, "Countries and cities must constantly perform their identities in order to maintain the flow of tourists" (69)? How can anyone "perform" their identity, since performing suggests acting. Is the very idea of tourism somehow inauthentic? And what might it mean that tourists prefer inauthentic 'authentic' experiences? 

Q4: The essay opens with the author's experience looking at the northern lights in a room where he has a perfect view, without a snowmobile, and without wearing a jacket. It's convenient and only cost him $20. Why is this one of his best experiences in Iceland? How might this be his response to the naysayers who say that Iceland has become a victim of "overtourism"? 

Paper #2 Assignment: A Curriculum of Travel

English 1113

Paper #2: A Curriculum of Travel

INTRO: For our second conversation paper, I want you to become part of a ‘real world’ conversation about travel, one that could actually impact you here at ECU. Imagine that ECU, like many other universities, wants to institute a mandatory one semester travel-abroad requirement. This states that you have to spend at least one semester studying or serving in another country as part of your normal tuition. The idea behind this is that travel will help you become “a citizen of the world” (Steves), assist you in your personal “search for meaning” (Budd), and help us participate “in the illusion of another life” (Chayka).

PROMPT: The university has invited you, a first-year student, to weigh in on the discussion: should the class of 2025 be the first class to have this international requirement? In this paper, you’ll have to make a recommendation, responding to the conversation of travel as we’ve discussed in class. Your audience is other students who don’t yet know the conversation of travel and why they should care (or support) your views. How can you explain to them why it matters? Some questions to consider are:

• Does travel make you a better person? Who thinks so?
• Is travel an essential part of anyone’s “education?”
• Is travel a way to ‘give back’ to the world as a first-world country?
• Is it fair to make travel part of an already jam-packed curriculum? Is it more important for some majors than others?
• Could travel help you find your major and calling in life? Or would it simply delay your graduation?
• Is travel too dangerous and/or irresponsible in the age of COVID and climate change? Why contribute to more “overtourism”?
• How have your own experiences of travel shaped your response to this question?

SOURCES: You should use at least TWO primary sources from our book both to help illustrate the conversation and/or to provide NAYSAYER responses. Remember the Naysayer is the person who has another point of view than yours. If you think travel is important, think of people who might not agree with you and why (and some of our essays might offer this perspective). Similarly, if you’re against travel as part of the curriculum, why might people like Steves and Budd disagree? Or any of our previous authors? Additionally, you should use at least TWO secondary sources to help expand your conversation. These should be outside articles about travel, college, careers, COVID, climate change, etc. We’ll talk about finding sources in class on Thursday.

REQUIREMENTS

• At least 3-4 pages double-spaced, though you can do more
• Must use at least 2 primary and 2 secondary sources
• Use of a Naysayer as part of your conversation
• All sources cited according to MLA format with a Works Cited page
• Due TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12^th by 5PM

For Tuesday: Budd, “The Volunteer’s Dilemma” (pp.49-60)

 

NOTE: The Paper #1 Conference Schedule is in the post BELOW this one, or you can click here: Freshman Composition I (Fall 2021): Travel and Culture: For Next Week: Paper #1 Conferences (grassocomp1.blogspot.com)

Answer TWO of the following for next Tuesday’s class:

Q1: Though volunteerism has a long and celebrated history, Budd says that lately it has become “an international sin,” bound up in the “white-savior complex” (50). What does this mean? How could helping people in less-developed countries have a dark side?

Q2: In many ways, Budd agrees with many of the ideas espoused by Rick Steves in Sam Anderson’s essay that we read last week. According to Budd, why does he travel and participate in volunteerism? Why does he see it, like Steves, as a way to “rearrange your cultural furniture” (5)?

Q3: How do the Kenyans themselves feel about Calvary Zion and its volunteers? Do they share the global critics’ concerns, or is this a case of white people/outsiders speaking for the natives?

Q4: What do you think Budd wanted to get across in this essay, considering that he, himself, volunteers at Calvary Zion? Is he trying to expose its secret history? Support it? Do you think he will return in the future—and would he encourage other people to volunteer?

For Next Week: Paper #1 Conferences

 NOTE: Please let me know if you need to change or miss your conference time, and we can arrange a new one. Remember that all conferences are in my office Horace Mann 348, right next to our classroom. The door will be open, so please walk right in if I don't see you. 

TUESDAY                                    THURSDAY (same times as at left)

9:30 Brody                                    Oladoton 

9:40 Jeffery                                   Grace

9:50 Cristal                                    Trey

10:00 Bailey                                   Laney

10:10 Chandler                               Payton

10:20 Tyler I.                                  Deesa

10:30 Jazlyn                                   Sadie

10:40 Garry                                    Tristin

10:50 Kylie

11:00 Donovan

11:10 Derik                                    Alec

11:20 Byron R.                               Michael

11:30 Shian                                   Brittany

11:40 Lilly                                     Sienna

11:50 Ahlyra                                 Byron C.

12:00 Deserae                               Elijiah

12:10 Lane                                    Malechi

12:20 Kendra                                Alexander 

1:30 Dylan 

1:40 Sierra

2:00 Matthew 

For Tuesday: Anderson, "Rick Steves Wants To Set You Free" (pp.1-19)

NOTE: Remember that Paper #1 is due Thursday by 5pm! You can turn it in late, but you lose ten points for every day it's due for a maximum of two days (a zero after that). So after 5pm to 5pm Friday is one day, and then Friday to Saturday is two days. As I say, it's always better to turn in a rough draft rather than nothing at all...but the more you write, the easier it is to revise (turning in a single paragraph won't help you or me revise the paper!).

Answer TWO of the following:

Q1: Rick Steves is a self-professed missionary of travel, and he claims that travel "wallops your ethnocentricity" and "carbonates your experience" and "rearranges your cultural furniture" (5). How does travel do this, and why might he believe that Americans in particular are in dire need of walloping, carbonation, and rearranging? 

Q2: How does the author seem to feel about Steves as a person? He writes that Steves is "a combination of preacher, comedian, salesman, life-hacker, professor, and inspirational speaker" (7). Does he think Steves is a bit too much? Is he slightly making fun of him? Or is he also taken in by the Rick Steves gospel? Explain what makes you think so.

Q3: Many people find Steves' message a form of "liberal propaganda" and some go so far as to claim he's "anti-American." Why does he claim the opposite, that his programs are actually "American-loving"? 

Q4: Steves tells our author that "Fear...is for people who don't get out very much" (17). Why does Steves and the essay argue that travel is a way to confront and cure many of our cultural fears? Why would he also claim that the people who are most fearful (and angry) are the ones who travel the least? 

NOTE: If you're interested in watching Rick Steves do what he does best, you can watch some of his travel shows on You Tube here: https://www.youtube.com/user/ricksteves

For Tuesday: Morris, "My Father's Land" (pp.186-200)

NOTE: Remember that this is our own class this week, and we'll also be signing up for conferences for Paper #1 as well--so you don't want to miss! If you do miss, please let me know so I can get you into a conference time. The conferences will occur in a few weeks after I've graded the paper--see the course schedule for details.

Answer TWO of the following:

Q1: Even though Morris grew up in America, her father kept Jamaica alive for her through the language, the food, and the music. But she still wants to go there as an adult so she can "learn to see it through  my father's eyes" (187). According to the essay, what couldn't she see about Jamaica without going there? How does the place change her "composite view" of Jamaica? Does it become more beautiful--or more 'ugly'? (to use terms from Jones' essay). 

Q2: Morris gives us a brief history lesson in her essay, and would probably argue that you can't understand the 'conversation' of Jamaica without learning some of its history. Why does she feel this history is important? And why is it often ignored in the tours of the island, which focus on a "tourist fantasy of sun, sand, and sex" (190)?

Q3: The tour guide takes great offense to Morris' questions about the history of the estate, and says, "Americans always come here and want to make things personal...Slavery finished a long time ago; there is no point in crying about the past. Nobody want to talk about that anymore" (196). Is it wrong to make the past personal? Do you think Morris is trying to impose her own American viewpoint on Jamaican  culture? How does her father--who is Jamaican--feel about this?

Q4: Morris also writes that "Black history in the Americas is fleeting and ephemeral. It slips through one's hands like water" (192). Why is Morris' own history "like water"? Why is it so hard to hold and examine? Related to this, why does she also say "slavery produced a void in black social memory" (196)? Even though we know the history of slavery, why is it so difficult to know and to study? 

Handout: Citing and Introducing Sources

English 1113

Grasso

INTEGRATING SOURCES AND QUOTATIONS IN YOUR ESSAY

1. A good quotation adds more to your conversation than a summary or paraphrase

Ex: (Summary) The author feels that theories can be correct even if you don’t agree with them.

(Quote) “I wondered if I’d rejected the possibility of divine, objective beauty simply because I was excluded from it. Being excluded from a theory doesn’t make it incorrect” (106).

* The quotes gives a much fuller idea of what the author intended, and also brings the author's voice into the conversation. So it becomes more of a dialogue, than a monologue (just you writing).  

2. Always introduce quotes: give context for the source

In Chloe Cooper Jones’ essay, “Such Perfection,” she writes that “Being excluded from a theory doesn’t make it incorrect” (106).

OR: Even though the author feels left out of the standard definitions of beauty, she still admits, “Being excluded from a theory doesn’t make it incorrect” (106).

3. Always respond to a quotation with your own words and ideas. Don’t let a quote speak for itself.

In Chloe Cooper Jones’ essay, “Such Perfection,” she writes that “Being excluded from a theory doesn’t make it incorrect” (106). This is important because it makes her question whether beauty really exists as a thing, rather than an idea, and this is one of the reasons she travels to Italy in the first place.

4. Add a Works Cited page listing all the sources you quoted in your paper

Jones, Chloe Cooper. “Such Perfection.” Best American Travel Writing. Ed. Robert

MacFarlane. New York: Mariner Books, 2020.

Author + Essay + Anthology (and Editor) + City + Publisher + Date.

For more information about citation, check out the OWL: Purdue’s On-Line Writing Lab at: Purdue OWL // Purdue Writing Lab(I’ll place a link on-line). It will help you cite any source according to MLA citation or any other.

For Tuesday: Jones, "Such Perfection" (pp.97-110)

As before, answer TWO of the following in a short response--at least a few sentences, avoiding easy answers such as "she thinks it's hard because that's how it is," etc. Try to think through these responses and explain why you respond the way you do, since there are many possible answers to these questions.

Q1: Our first author travels to escape her condition, but Chloe Jones refused to travel for years because of her condition. Why does she write, "better to stay home than move closer to something beautiful that excluded me" (103)? Why would travel, or other countries, exclude her?

Q2: After the conversation with the author's annoying male friend, she asks the question, "Did I really believe...we could rewire ourselves; that we could use our intellect to unlearn our cultural training?" (101). Why does she feel it's so hard to unlearn our cultural notions of beauty? While we like to say that "real beauty is within," why does her experience teach her otherwise?

Q3: The author's relationship with beauty is a difficult one, and she claims to actually prefer the idea that she's simply "ugly," and outside the traditional norms of beauty. Why did the theories of Hume and Scarry actually prove more damaging to her in the long run? In other words, why is the idea that beauty is subjective actually a scary thing for her?

Q4: Explain the very end of the essay, when Jones has an amazing experience in Italy and makes her peace with the Western standard of beauty in Italy. When she tries to share this with an Italian woman, she is told, "It's nice for the tourists...But I'm accustomed to that view and prefer others' (110). How does she respond to this, and why does she end her essay with it? What point does it seem to make?

Paper #1: This Reminds Me of the Time…

English 1113

Dr. Grasso

Paper #1: This Reminds Me of the Time…

PROMPT: Find a passage in one of the essays assigned for class that reminds you of something in your own life—a moment where you can say, “you know, this reminds me of the time...” The essays are “If You Are Perpetually Lost,” “Such Perfection,” and “My Father’s Land.” The passage doesn’t have to be about the same experience you had, but it should inspire some connection about your own life and experiences. Don’t make it too obvious by saying “Molly Brown writes about always being lost, and I get lost a lot, too.” Use something more specific, like quoting the passage where she talks about “a body with a gift for burning,” and explaining how you once felt this way yourself, etc.

FIRST, open the essay “in the middle” by introducing the passage and explaining what it’s about and why you think it’s interesting. Quote part of it (don’t quote a gigantic passage) so we can see it, and explain that part of it—show us why you think it’s meaningful to you and the conversation you’re about to have. This is your introduction, and it can be as simple as saying, “I just read this very strange essay by Molly Brown called “If You Are Permanently Lost.” But remember, even here you’re telling a story.

THEN, respond to the essay by saying something along the lines of, “this reminds me of this time when…” and explain how your experience relates to the previous passage. You can write about anything you feel connects to this passage, so long as you tell a story that helps us see this connection. Try to imagine you’re telling this story to a friend, rather than your professor: how would you make the story interesting—what would you make stand out? And of course, you can change a few details to make the story more interesting…just base it on something that did happen to you, even if it didn’t exactly happen like that.

FINALLY, you should conclude your essay by reminding us how your story connects with the original passage. Maybe even bring out a new connection that we didn’t see initially, or a new way of thinking about the original passage.

ALSO, give your essay a title that acts as a ‘key’ to understanding it. Don’t call it “This reminds me of the time…” That’s my title! J

GOALS FOR THE ASSIGNMENT

• An introduction that starts in the middle, rather than a more formulaic opening
• Explaining the conversation that inspired your discussion
• Responding to the passage with a relevant story
• A clear conclusion that brings the paper full circle
• A title that emphasizes some aspect/idea of your paper

The paper should be at least 3-4 pages double spaced and is due two weeks from today: Thursday, September 9^th (no class that day!).

 

For Tuesday: BATW: Brown, "If You Are Permanently Lost" (pp.42-46)

 

We're going to start with a very short essay which is more about the traveler's identity than the travel itself. The essay is about a woman who is literally always lost--she can never find her way in life due to a medical condition. So what's it like to travel when you're lost even in your normal life? How do you find yourself?

Answer TWO of the questions below in a short response--at least a few sentences, and no "yes/no" answers. I want to see you thinking through these questions rather than simply answering them. There's no one answer or response I'm looking for--I just want you to RESPOND to them and begin a conversation with them. Bring your responses to class on Tuesday, since we'll discuss them in class and I'll take them up afterwards. 

THE QUESTIONS (answer any 2): 

Q1: Brown writes that "I l ack a homing instinct of any kind" (43). Because of her condition, no place really feels familiar to her, or like home. Though this sounds like a very scary prospect, what might be the advantage of not finding anything familiar? 

Q2: She also writes that travel serves a unique function for her: "I think I've made myself into a constant traveler as a defense mechanism" (45). Why might traveling actually help someone who can't find their way in the world? Can you think of a way people do this in other situations? For example, people who use one activity as a defense mechanism because they can't do something else?

Q3: What if you woke up every day and told yourself, and she does, "I'm new...I don't live here, I'm just visiting...This isn't my real life" (44)? How might that change the way you approach each day, and live each day? Do you think it would make you more productive or less? Happier, or more frustrated?

Q4: A few times in the essay, Brown quotes from a poem by Adrienne Rich called "Song," which is about a rowboat. As Brown writes, it "knows it is comprised not of "ice, nor mud nor winter light/but wood, with a gift for burning"" (45). What do you think this metaphor means? Why would a boat know that being made of wood, it has a unique gift of burning? Why would it (or we) want to burn? 

Welcome to the Course (Fall 2021)

Welcome to the course! Remember that all our course materials--the reading questions, paper assignments, and other announcements, will be found here, and not on Blackboard. I've also posted the syllabus below in case you lose your hard copy. Please e-mail me with any questions or concerns, or respond to this post with a comment below. Here's hoping we have a successful and safe semester together!  

NOTE: The posts below this one are from Fall 2020, so you are not responsible for any of them, and they do not reflect the work you'll be doing this semester. So only read through them if you're interested. 

English 1113 (Sections 20 & 22):

Freshman Composition 1 “Travel and Culture” (Fall 2021)

 

Professor:        Dr. Joshua Grasso

Office:             HM 348

Dates:              TR 9:30-10:45 (Section 20)

                        TR 11:00-12:15 (Section 22)

E-mail:            jgrasso@ecok.edu

Office Hours:  MWF 10-11 & 2-3; TR 2-3

COURSE BLOG: grassocomp1.blogspot.com (instead of Blackboard)

 

“Travel is not a means of escaping the self; travel is a means of revealing the self. Or, in the process of journeying the road less traveled, the self is unraveled and thereby revealed.” –Alexandra Fuller

 

REQUIRED BOOKS (yes, we will read these, so you must own them!)

• The Best American Travel Writing 2020, ed. Robert MacFarlane   
• Songs For the Open Road, ed. American Poetry & Literacy Project

 

REQUIRED WORK (out of 100 points)

• Attendance: see below
• Reading Questions: 25 pts.
• Writing Workshops: 20 pts.
• Papers 1-2: 15 pts. each = 30 pts.
• Paper 3 (Abstract): 10 pts.
• Paper 4 (Final): 15 pts.

 

ATTENDANCE: Since this is a twice-a-week class, I usually allow you TWO WEEKS of unexcused absences (4 days). Of course you can have excused absences (team travel, sickness, etc.) which don’t count against you. Otherwise, I hope to see you in class so you can contribute to our discussions, and learn important material that is very difficult to communicate on-line. If you miss more than 4 classes (unexcused), you will lose 10 pts from your final grade. If something comes up and you need to miss class, or you think you’re sick, etc., please tell me before hand and I can work with you. If you just miss class without explanation, I have to assume the worst. So let me help you!

 

READING QUESTIONS: Every Tuesday (with some exceptions) you’ll have a reading due and a series of questions for the reading due. You can find these readings on the blog a few days before each class. These are ‘active reading’ questions, which aren’t just yes/no, this/that questions; they ask you to make informed opinions based on how you read/understand the essay. We will discuss these answers in class, so by bringing them with you, you’ll always have something to say in the event you get called on (or if you simply want to talk).

 

To get full credit for each set of questions, all you need to do is give an honest answer that is informed by the reading. Don’t guess, don’t make things up, and always write more than a single sentence or two. In other words, “think on paper.” If you give inadequate answers, skip a question, or don’t turn it in, you won’t get credit for the assignment. Like your absences, if you miss more than TWO responses, you’ll lose 10 points for your Responses grade (and an additional 10 points for each set of questions you miss). So be careful and let me know if you have problems with the questions and/or the reading. I’m happy to help you either by e-mail or in my office.

 

WRITING WORKSHOPS: These are basically in-class writing responses that are geared to some element of writing. Often, the responses will piggy-back off of our readings, and ask you to consider new ideas that we haven’t discussed. You can only miss ONE Writing Workshop without penalty. After that, you lose ten points. So again, let me know if you need to miss class, and if you have an excused absence, you can easily make up the writing.

 

PAPERS 1-2: These are ‘conversation’ papers that are informed by three things: the readings, our class discussions, and your own ideas/background. The goal of these papers is to enter into a conversation between yourself and other voices in our society, and learn how to respond to ideas that complement and run counter to your own. I will give a detailed assignment sheet two weeks before each paper is due.

 

PAPERS 3-4: This is a combined project where Paper #3 introduces the paper you will intend to write/research for Paper #4. I’ll give you more information about this after Fall Break. Paper #4 is basically a Final, and will be due during Finals Week.

 

LATE PAPERS: You can turn in a paper up to 2 days late, losing a letter grade each day (so, if you turn in a ‘C’ paper 2 days late, that would equal an ‘F’). In general, it’s always better to turn in a rough paper on time, than get a more polished paper to me late. If you’re having trouble with a paper, e-mail me before it’s due—I can help or possibly given you an extension if you have a justifiable reason (illness, etc).

 

THE FINE PRINT

1. You must buy all the books for the course. Trying to use on-line summaries will doom you to vague, uninformed responses. If the goal of any class is to become more engaged with the material, reading the books is essential. Read and enjoy the material. :)
2. If you miss class, check the blog to see if there are any new assignments or material. You can also e-mail me if the blog hasn’t been updated to be sure.
3. When you e-mail work to me, check the attachments carefully. If I can’t open it (or it’s simply not attached) it doesn’t count. I will contact you if this happens, but the clock is ticking...if you turn in an e-mail without an attachment at 4:59 and the paper is due at 5, it might be late!
4. If you have any kind of emergency, please contact me as soon as possible. If I know you’re going through something difficult, I can work with you and help you get the work. If you only tell me weeks or months later, it’s too late.
5. The COVID situation can change our class dynamic at any time. If you’re confused by what’s going on or feel you can’t complete the work, etc., please contact me first. Let’s talk through it to make sure it’s not as bad (or as hard) as you think. I’m always available by e-mail and will respond within an hour or two at most (unless you e-mail me at one o’clock in the morning!).
6. Academic Integrity link: https://www.ecok.edu/sites/default/files/siteContent/administration/academic-affairs/documents/AcademicIntegrityPolicy.pdf

 

ADA Statement: East Central University is committed to providing equal access to University programs and services for all students. Under university policy and federal and state laws, students with documented disabilities are entitled to reasonable accommodations. If any member of the class has a documented disability requiring academic accommodations, he or she should report to the Office of Disability Services.  A student seeking reasonable accommodations originating from a documented disability must register with the Office of Disability Services so that said accommodations may be provided. Contact the Academic Affairs Office if any assistance is needed in this process.

 

72-Hour Transition Statement: Should on-campus instruction be suspended for any reason, ECU’s face-to-face and blended courses will transition to online/virtual delivery within 72 hours.  Online courses will continue as scheduled.

 

TENTATIVE COURSE CALENDAR (subject to change)

 

AUGUST

T 17     Introduction to the Course

R 19    Writing Workshop #1

 

T 24     From BATW 2020: Brown, “If You Are Permanently Lost” (42-46)

R 26    Writing Workshop #2

 

T 30     From BATW 2020: Jones, “Such Perfection” (97-110)

 

SEPTEMBER

R 2      Writing Workshop #3

 

T 7       From BATW 2020: Morris, “My Father’s Land” (186-200)

R 9      Paper #1 due by 5pm

 

T 14     From BATW 2020: Anderson, “Rick Steves Wants to Set You Free” (1-19)

R 16    Writing Workshop #4

 

T 21     Paper #1 Conferences (in my office, HM 348)

R 23    Paper #1 Conferences (in my office, HM 348)

 

T 28     From BATW 2020: Budd, “The Volunteer’s Dilemma” (49-60)

R 30    Writing Workshop #5

 

OCTOBER

T 5       From BATW 2020: Powers, “Who Lives in Palermo Is Palermo” (224-232)

R 7      Writing Workshop #6

 

T 12     Paper #2 due by 5pm

R 14    FALL BREAK

 

T 19     Writing Workshop #7

R 21    From Songs from the Open Road: TBA

 

T 26     From Songs from the Open Road: TBA

R 28    Writing Workshop #8

 

NOVEMBER

T 2       From Songs from the Open Road: TBA

R 4      Writing Workshop #9

 

T 9       From Songs from the Open Road: TBA

R 11    Writing Workshop #10

 

T 16     From Songs from the Open Road: TBA

R 18    Paper #3 (Abstract) due in class

 

T 23     [extra class if needed]

R 25    THANKSGIVING BREAK

 

T 30     Discuss Paper #4/Wrap-Up

 

DECEMBER

R 2      Optional Conferences

 

Paper #4 due TBA