ENGLISH 367.01
Autumn 2002
In Country: Vietnam and Contemporary Violence in American Writing
Benjamin Vogt
vogt.39@osu.edu
Denney (DE) 513
M/W 3:30-5:00
292-1730 (during hours only)
Mailbox in DE 421, below name
Class: M/W 1:30-3:18 Denney Hall (DE) 268
This course will focus on why we write, particularly why we write
about certain subjects and how we can successfully convey our
thoughts and experiences with descriptive and analytical
precision. The course will be centered on the literature of the
Vietnam war as impetus and example for our explorations, and
though this is a composition course, a very brief amount of time
will be geared towards the general history in order to establish
a relationship with the texts, and to better understand the
relative success or failures of the writing. The last third of
the course will attempt to make the themes we'll see in the
Vietnam literature contemporary--how we,as Americans, experience
varying degrees of violence and what this means to our way of
living, and consequently, our way of expression.
Participation is essential to this course--you will, in part,
decide where we go and how far--as will be your use of research
and ability to create and analyze an argument, and finally on
powers of detail and description. It's my hope that this class
will not be possessed with morbidity, but will launch our
thinking and experience into positive creative and personal
discovery in a world that demands we write, and think, as well as
we feel--and that these actions can constructively influence our
future. Such as the Twins winning the World Series.
Texts
The Vietnam Reader: Stewart O'Nan, ed.
The Things They Carried: Tim O'Brien (Broadway Books,
1998)
Like Thunder: Ryan G. Van Cleave and Virgil Suarez, eds.
Writing with Style, 2nd edition: John Trimble
MLA Handbook, 5th edition: Joseph Gibaldi (or any
current MLA citation text)
Web Texts
The American Expereience, Vietnam Online: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/vietnam
Battlefield Vietnam: http://www.pbs.org/battlefieldvietnam
Books available at SBX or Amazon.com
The Percentages
20% -- Essay 1
20% -- Essay 2
20% -- Essay 3
20% -- Participation (5% presentation; attendance, groups,
effort, in-class writing)
10% -- Daily Reading Quizzes
10% -- Final
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 one full
letter grade, 4 unexcused absences is course failure. Documented
excused absences such as personal illness, family
illness/tragedy, religious observance or collegiate athletic
events will not affect your grade. It is your responsibility to
notify me promptly in any event.
Tardiness: Any student who is not present when roll is called will be counted as absent.
All work must be completed and handed in at the beginning of class on the date due.
All Essay Drafts: -1 full letter grade each day late, no email submissions. -1/3 letter grade for papers that do not specifically follow the guidelines of the prompt (take pride in your work). You will have the opportunity to draft each paper twice while receiving peer and instructor feedback. The second draft will receive a final grade.
Presentation: -5% participation grade if not fully prepared.
Workshop Comments: 200 word write-up on each group member’s essay. Late or missing comments will drop the participation grade by 5%. More to come on this as well.
Plagiarism: is the representation of another's works or ideas as one's own. It includes the unacknowledged word for word use and/or paraphrasing of another person's work, and/or the inappropriate unacknowledged use of another person's ideas. All cases of suspected plagiarism, in accordance with university rules, will be reported to the Committee on Academic Misconduct.
Resources
1) Ombud: serves as an intermediary who
helps resolve conflict between 110/367 students and instructors.
Matthew Cariello, Writing Programs Ombud, Denney Hall 533,
292-5778, cariello.1@osu.edu.
Office hours: M-Th 12-3pm.
2) OSU Writing Center: 485 Mendenhall, 688-5865. They can help
when I can’t!
3) Office of Disability Services: is located in 150 Pomerene Hall, 292-3307, and offers a variety of services for students and teachers with disabilities.
Assignments listed on date due
VR=Vietnam Reader; TTC=Things They Carried; LT=Like Thunder (not lieutenant)
SEPTEMBER
Wednesday 25
Introduction
Monday 30
VR: Moore 17, O'Brien 41 & 73
PBS: Battlefield "Timeline" &
"History"; American Experience
"Reflections": Hackworth, Farish, Ehrhart, Nguyen, Pham
Conferences
OCTOBER
Wednesday 2
VR: Caputo 150, Herr 200
Style: Ch. 1
Conferences
Monday 7
VR: Terry 324, Wright 414, Heinemann 427 & 545
Style: Ch. 2 & 3
Wednesday 9
VR: Walker 338, Mason 632, O'Brien 655, Kovic 119
Style: 4
Monday 14
VR: Komunyakaa 687, O'Nan 680, Rabe 89, poetry selections
Style: 5 & 9
Wednesday 16
Essay 1.1 due with copies for group
MLA Q&A
Monday 21
Workshop groups (no formal class)
Wednesday 23
TTC: 1-116
A Grin Without a Cat: 10/24 & 10/25, 7pm, Wexner
Film/Video Theater
Monday 28
Essay 1.2 due
TTC: 117-162
Style: 7
Wednesday 30
TTC: 163-246
Style: 6
NOVEMBER
Monday 4
Movie
Wednesday 6
LT: pp. 23, 29, 39, 42, 60, 65, 69, 79, 82, 84, 89
Style: 8
Monday 11
Veterans Day-No Class
Wednesday 13
Essay 2.1 due with copies
LT: 95, 105, 118, 121, 123, 124, 128, 130,
Style: 12
Monday 18
LT: 146, 158, 162, 174, 179, 180, 185, 189
Style: 13
Wednesday 20
Essay 2.2 due
LT: Selections
Monday 25
LT: Selections / other
Wednesday 27
Essay 3.1 due with copies
DECEMBER
Monday 2
Workshop groups (no formal class)
Wednesday 4
Evaluations, student reading / discussion
Monday 9
Essay 3.2 and Final Essay due in
mailbox by 1:00pm
"Writing is a way of arguing with
ourselves, a way of keeping ourselves honest by discovering
precisely what we believe and finding out whether we are
justified in believing it." -- Jim Raymond
"A writer is somebody for whom writing is more difficult
than it is for other people." -- Thomas Mann