ENGLISH 367.01
Fall 2001
Tourists in a Native Land
Instructor: Benjamin Vogt
Office: Denney (DE) 513
Hours: M 1-3, T 12-1
Phone: 292-1730 (call during hours only)
Mailbox: Denney 421 (below name)
E-mail: enfrancais@juno.com
Class times: M/W 3:30-5:18
DB 048
Description
In this class we will further develop and enhance expository
skills learned in previous coursework. To do this we will work
primarily on developing style in order to convey meaning and
deliver the reader into the author's point of view. The course
will be comprised of an oral component (begin and lead discussion
on a reading) as well as three essay-length writing assignments.
The first will be a final and polished argument with extensive
research dealing with one or several of the essays we will read
in Best American Essays, 2000. The second will be a
proposal and annotated bibliography for your third paper, which
will be a discovery of the self within a local/regional
community. This third paper will branch off of themes and styles
we will explore in Brad Herzog's travelogue and the essays in
"Best," as well as further hone in on the power of
writing as both personal discovery and analytical confidence
within a greater scope then just the classroom; hence being
tourists not only in writing (and in taking this course), but
also in living. Everyone is a good writer, and everyone is a
Minnesota Vikings fan; we will augment the two greatly. Details,
research and effort will be paramount to the overall course
structure.
The Percentages
20% -- Essay 1 (4-6pp)
20% -- Annotated Bibliography (Essay 2, 4-6pp)
25% -- Essay 3 (6-8pp)
15% -- Participation (attendance, workshops, discussions,
presentations)
10% -- Reader's Report Notebook (1-2pp per entry)
10% -- Final Project (short essay, 2pp)
Main Texts
Writing With Style. John Trimble. 2nd edition.
Best American Essays 2000. eds. Alan Lightman &
Robert Atwan.
States of Mind. Brad Herzog.
Supplementary Texts
A Pocket Style Manual. Diana Hacker. 3rd edition.
The Benjamin Vogt Website. Online.
http://people.english.ohio-state.edu/vogt.39
The Writer's Companion. Online.
http://english.ohio-state.edu/programs/fywp/Writers_Companion_Web/Writers_Companion_Text.htm
-- All books available at SBX --
Policies
Attendance is a vital part to your success as a writer and to the
success of your peers. Each unexcused absence after 2 will result
in the lowering of the final course grade by 1/3 of a letter
grade, 5 unexcused absences is course failure. Excused absences
such as personal illness, family illness/tragedy, religious
observance or collegiate athletic events will not affect your
grade. However, it is your responsibility to notify me ahead of
time, or in the event of personal or familial illness, as close
to on-time as possible. Excessive tardiness -- more than 2 times
-- will lower your final grade by 5 percent. Being tardy is
arriving 5 minutes late without a valid excuse.
All work must be completed and handed in at
the beginning of class on the date due. Each day a paper is late
I will take off 1 full letter grade. I expect papers (all drafts)
to be of specified length and criteria; ANY
paper draft not adhering to the guidelines of the provided prompt
will have a significantly negative affect (-1/3 letter) on the
final essay grade. You will have the opportunity to draft each
paper twice while receiving peer and instructor feedback. The
second draft will receive a final grade. Also, if you are not
prepared to give your presentation and lead discussion (5-10min)
on your day (which includes a 1-2pp response paper typed, handed
in) I will deduct 5% from the participation grade; you will only
go twice, make them count.
Plagiarism is the unauthorized use of the words or ideas of
another person. It is described on-line in the Writer's
Companion. Please read this carefully, and be aware of citing ALL
sources in your essay according to the MLA style.
Resources
1) Ombud: serves as an intermediary who helps resolve conflict
between 110/367 students and instructors. The ombud for fall
quarter is Matthew Cariello; he is the Assistant Director of 367.
His walk-in hours will be Monday-Thursday 10-2 pm or by
appointment. Office is located in Denney 533 @ 292-5778 or via
email, cariello.1@osu.edu.
2) OSU Writing Center: provides free professional writing
consultation. You must set up an appointment beforehand, or call
anytime for availability at 688-5865. The center is located in
485 Mendenhall Laboratories (main oval) and I encourage you to
use them.
3) Disability Services: is located in 150 Pomerene Hall,
292-3307, and offers a variety
of services for students and teachers with disabilities.
-- Schedule subject to change; you will be given proper notice
of such --
SEPTEMBER
Wednesday 19
Introduction
Monday 24
Style: v-12
Best: Sullivan, Buruma
Pick two 2 quotes from Style
-What is good writing?
-Subconscious writing; the everyday effect
Wednesday 26
Style: 13-24
Best: Kothari, McCann
-Forming the paper in the mind's eye
OCTOBER
Monday 1
Style: 25-48
Best: Singer, [Angier]
-How to fish for the reader, and keep him on the line
-Anticipating the counter-argument
Wednesday 3
Style: 49-63
Best: Gass, Strayed
-The good aftertaste of thought and how sentences get
you there
-Visual essay
Monday 8
Style: 64-81
Best: Hoagland, [Hooper]
-Accessible language and tone
-Essay 1 prompt
Wednesday 10
Style: 82-98
Best: Skloot, Slouka
-Fighting the linguistic "man"
Monday 15
Style: 99-104
Best: Berry, Weinberg
Hacker: 94-139
-Revision: how and what will you say when she first
opens the door? Practice makes perfect.
-Workshop refresher
Wednesday 17
Essay 1, draft 1 due
Workshop (Bring enough copies of your paper for all in
your group!)
Monday 22
Herzog: 3-76
Style: 105-119
-Meet the kind semi-colon and bewildered comma
Wednesday 24
Herzog: 77-120
Travel Videos
-Essay 2 prompt/Essay 3 prompt
Monday 29
Essay 1, draft 2 due
Herzog: 120-166;
Wednesday 31
Herzog: 167-201
Style: 120-132
-Tools of rhythm and the background information beat (parentheses
and hyphens); CONFERENCES
NOVEMBER
Monday 5
Herzog: 202-281
Style: 133-140
-Punctuating quotations; CONFERENCES
Wednesday 7
Essay 2, draft 1 due
Workshop (Bring enough copies of your paper for all in
your group!)
Monday 12
NO CLASS
Wednesday 14
Essay 2, draft 2 due Thursday
11/15 by 3pm in my mailbox
Herzog: 282-319
Style: 141-149
-Punctuating and occasional editorial permissives
-Essay 3 prompt reminder
Monday 19
Herzog: 320-394
Style: 149-161
-Common mistakes we learn from
Wednesday 21
Essay 3, draft 1 due
Workshop (Bring enough copies of your paper for all in
your group!)
Monday 26
Hacker: TBD
-Paper questions/discussion
Wednesday 28
Essay 3, draft 2 due Thursday
11/29 by 3pm in my mailbox
-Share paper topics, words and discoveries
DECEMBER
Monday 3
Final Essay due in mailbox by
1pm
Merry Christmas, throwa' snowball painted purple and gold.
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