Engl 3040 Literary Nonfiction, Fall 2011, ETSU, O'Donnell

Literary Nonfiction, Fall 2011, O'Donnell

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Policies
last update: August 29, 2011

Course and Instructor Information
English 3040 Literary Nonfiction, section 1, TR 9:45-11:05am, Burleson Hall 303

Instructor: Dr. Kevin O'Donnell, faculty.etsu.edu/odonnell/, odonnell@etsu.edu 423 439-6679
Office: Burleson Hall 313

Fall 2011 Office Hours: TR 11:15-12:30 and 2:15-3:30; W 12-2

Course Texts

- Truman Capote. In Cold Blood: A True Account of a Multiple Murder and Its Consequences. Vintage, 1994 (1965). ISBN: 0679745580 $14.00
- Joan Didion. Slouching Towards Bethlehem: Essays. Farrar, Strauss, Giroux, 1990 (1968). ISBN: 0374521727 $14.00
- Kevin Kerrane and Ben Yagoda, eds. The Art of Fact: A Historical Anthology of Literary Journalism. New York: Scribner, 1998. ISBN: 0684846306 $20.00

- Erik Larsen. In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin. Crown, 2011. ISBN: 0307408841 $26.00

- Susan Orlean. The Orchid Thief: A True Story of Beauty and Obsession. Ballantine Books, 2000 (1998). ISBN: 044900371X $14.00

- Hunter S. Thompson. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream. Vintage, 1998 (1972). ISBN: 0679785892 $14.00
- David Foster Wallace. A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again: Essays and Arguments. Back Bay Books, 1998. ISBN: 0316925284 $14.99

Assignments/ Final Grade Breakdown
- Essay 1: narrative essay, based primarily on personal experience and observation (1000-1500 wds): 20%
- Essay 2: extended review essay (1000-1500 wds, plus annotated bibliography): 20%
- Essay 3: in the mode or genre of your choice (1000-1500 wds): 20%.
- Two exams (10% each): 20%

- Reading responses (informal written assignments, scattered throughout the semester): 10%
- Participation in discussion of readings: 10%

Attendance, Due Dates
Attendance: The Department of Lit and Language policy: more than 6 absences and you fail the course. In addition, I've set the following policies: 1) You may miss 2 classes free, no questions asked. 2) No absences will be excused, so use your two freebies wisely! 3) If you miss between 3 and 5 classes, your final grade may be lowered by up to a full letter grade.
Due Dates: I don't accept late work, and missed assignments cannot be made up. If you must miss class on a due date, email your work as an attachment to odonnell@etsu.edu, or put it in the U.S. Mail, addressed to me at the ETSU English department, Johnson City 37614.