Core Writing Seminar: Schedule

We will try to stick to this plan as closely as possible, but we may get ahead or fall behind. If either situation arises, expect in-class and online announcements of schedule revisions. Develop habits, therefore, of bringing your copy of the syllabus to each class meeting and of checking this page.

Schedule

• August 28

  • Welcome to class!
  • Introduction to the course materials
  • Why bother with a writing class?

• August 30

  Reading

  • Lewis Thomas, “Notes on Punctuation” (handout)

• September 4

  Reading

  • Adam Gopnik, “Death of a Fish” (85–95)

• September 6

  Reading

  • Alan Shapiro, “Why Write?” (197–207)

• September 11

  Reading

  • John Dawkins, “Teaching Punctuation as a Rhetorical Tool” (handout)
  • Pico Iyer, “In Praise of the Humble Comma” (handout)

• September 13

  Essay 1 (draft) due.

• September 18

  We’ll be watching Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo in class.

• September 20

  We’ll finish Vertigo.

• September 25

  Reading

  • Ken Chen, “City Out of Breath” (43–47)
  • Joseph Epstein, “The Culture of Celebrity” (54–69)

• September 27

  Essay 1 due.

• October 2

  Class is cancelled today.

• October 4

  Response paper 1 due.

  Reading

  • Michele Morano, “Grammar Lessons: The Subjunctive Mood” (107–121)

• October 9

  No class: mid-semester break

• October 11

  Reading

  • Robert Polito, “Shame” (153–158)

• October 16

  Reading

  • Poe Ballantine, “501 Minutes to Christ” (11–24)

• October 18

  Essay 2 (draft) due.

• October 23

  Reading

  • Toi Derricotte, “Beginning Dialogues” (48–53)

• October 25

  Reading

  • Susan Orlean, “Lost Dog” (122–32)

• October 30

  Bring a copy of essay 2, no matter its current state. We’ll be doing some workshopping — to help you solve any problems you might have with your essay.

  While the essay’s due date has changed to Thursday, November 1, you’ll still need to prepare Macbeth, act 1. I’ll introduce the play today. You might be interested in checking out early modern English pronunciation. We’ll address this in detail either today or at the beginning of the next class.

• November 1

  Essay 2 due.

  Reading

  • Macbeth, Act 1

• November 6

  Response paper 2 due.

  Reading

  • Macbeth, Act 2

• November 8

  Reading

  • Macbeth, Act 3

• November 13

  Reading

  • Macbeth, Act 4

• November 15

  Reading

  • Macbeth, Act 5

• November 20

  Response paper 3 due.

• November 22

  No class: Thanksgiving break

• November 27

  Class and office hours are canceled.

  On Thursday we’ll finish Macbeth, discuss research & writing, and start out on the poetry handout.

• November 29

  Reading

  • ‘The poetry handout’

• December 4

  Essay 3 draft due.

• December 6

  • Last day of class
  • Course evaluations
  • Discussion on your essay topics, etc.

• December 11

  Essay 3 due.