Engl 3040 Literary Nonfiction, Fall 2012

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Policies
last update: August 24, 2012

Course and Instructor
English 3040 Literary Nonfiction, TR 9:45-11:05am, Burleson 304

This course is writing-intensive.

Instructor: Dr. Kevin O'Donnell, http://faculty.etsu.edu/odonnell/

odonnell@etsu.edu 423 439-6679
Office: Burleson Hall 313

Fall 2012 Office Hours: TR 11:15am-12:30pm; MW 12-2pm

Required Texts

- Katherine Boo. Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity. Random House, 2012. ISBN: 1400067553 $27.00

- 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

- 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

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): 20%
- Essay 3: in the mode or genre of your choice (1000-1500 wds): 20%
- Exam 1 and Exam 2 (10% each): 20%

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

Attendance, Due Dates
Attendance: The English Department policy: more than 6 absences and you fail the course. In addition, my individual policy is that, if you miss anywhere between 3 and 5 classes, I reserve the option to lower your final grade up to one full letter grade. In general, I will strive to make the classes worthwhile, so try to not to miss.

Due Dates: I do not accept late work. If you must miss class on a day when a draft of final project is due, email your work as an attachment to odonnell@etsu.edu. Then also bring a hard copy to the following class period. If you know you'll miss an exam day, make arrangements with me, ahead of time, to take the exam outside of class. In-class reading quizzes cannot be made up.