Engl
3130 Advanced Composition, Fall 2021
[
Policies ] [ Calendar
] [ Model
Student Essays ] [ Best
Student Essays This Term ]
Policies
last update: August 28, 2021
Section
001 and section 088 (honors)
Dr.
Kevin O'Donnell, odonnell@etsu.edu
Professor
of English, Department of Literature and Language, East TN State U
Class
meets on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 11:30am-12:25pm in Burleson 302.
Office:
Burleson 313. Office hours: Mondays and Wednesdays from 12:30-1:20pm.
-
Sid Holt, editor. The Best American Magazine Writing 2020. Columbia
University Press, 2021. ISBN: 978-0231198011 $19.95
-
Steven Pinker. The Sense of Style: The Thinking Person’s Guide to
Writing in the 21st Century. Penguin, 2015. ISBN: 978-0143127796 $18.00
This
course requires a lot of writing, but you get to choose your own topics, and
the grading policy is very forgiving, so most students will have a good time in
the class. If this class works for you
the way that I hope it will, then writing will become a more enjoyable, less
intimidating process.
The
goal of the course is for you to develop your ability to write and revise
sustained, non-fiction prose for various audiences, in various genres. The
emphasis here is on clear, engaging writing. Our working assumption in this
class is that even the most humble nonfiction writing is a creative act.
The
course is built around revision and peer review. During the semester, you will
write five major essays of 5 to 8 pages each. For each of those essays, you
will first write a rough draft, which you will read aloud to two group members
in class; and you will review those two classmates' rough drafts; then you will
revise your draft to submit for a grade.
In
addition to writing, you will read some great, award-winning nonfiction, in the
magazine writing anthology, and you will read most of a book about writing by
Steven Pinker, which is a fine piece of nonfiction in its own right.
The
grading policy is built around revision. You drop your lowest of the five essay
grades. And, in the last weeks of the semester, you will further revise your
best essay, to post it on the web. (Students enrolled in the honors section,
rather than revising only one essay, will revise their two best essays, at the
end of the semester.) That final revision is worth 20% of the final grade. The
grading policy allows you the freedom to fail, and gives you the chance to
practice and develop your writing skills over the semester, so that your final
grade reflects your best work.
1.
Narrative Essay Based on Experience and Observation
2.
How to/ Tech writing
3.
Review/ Critique (of a movie, book, cd, restaurant, computer game or software
or hardware, automobile, etc.)
4.
Viewpoint / Op-ed
5.
Nonfiction Genre of Your Choice (travel
writing, sports writing, food writing, profile, memoir; or, students, if you
have another genre in mind, propose it)
1.
Best 4 of 5 major essays (the lowest of the 5 grades is dropped, excluding Fs):
40%
2.
Your best essay revised for the web (honors students revise your two best): 20%
3.
Drafts -- A draft is, by its nature, incomplete; but a good faith effort earns
2 point each draft. Total points: 10%
4.
Participation in draft workshops (peer review), 2 points for each workshop.
Total points: 10%
5.
Various quizzes: 10%
6.
Miscellaneous, ungraded short memos and other writings (including in-class
writing practice; topic proposals; revision plans; presentations; grammar,
vocab quizzes; etc): 10%
Week
1 Introductions; writing process;
invention
Weeks
2-3 Essay 1: Narrative
Weeks
4-5 Essay 2: How-to/ Tech
Weeks
6-7 Essay 3: Review/ Critique
Week
8, Oct 12-16 Quoting and paraphrasing
Weeks
9-10 Essay 4: Viewpoint
Weeks
11-12 Essay 5: Genre of Your
Choice
Weeks
13-15 Revising for the web (and
Thanksgiving break)
Notes:
- First drafts and revised essays are due on Mondays except where noted.
- First draft due days are also writing group days. Bring a total of 3
copies and be prepared to read your draft out loud for your group.
Week 1
Aug 23-27
Introductions:
Writing process; peer review process; revision.
Week 2
Aug 30-Sep 3
First
draft Essay 1: Narrative due -- Peer review
Week 3
Sep 6-10
Revised
Essay 1: Narrative due on Weds Sep 8 (no class Monday due to Labor Day)
Week 4
Sep 13-17
First
draft Essay 2: How To/ Tech due -- Peer review
Week 5
Sep 20-24
Revised
Essay 2: How To/ Tech due
Week 6
Sep 27-Oct 1
First
draft Essay 3: Review/ Critique due -- Peer review
Week 7
Oct 4-8
Revised
Essay 3: Review/ Critique due
Week 8
Oct 11-15 [ Fall break: Oct 11
& 12 ]
Practice
quoting and paraphrasing.
Week 9
Oct 18-22
First
draft Essay 4: Viewpoint due -- Peer review
Week 10
Oct 25-29
Revised
Essay 4: Viewpoint due
Week 11
Nov 1-5
First
draft Essay 5: Genre of your choice due -- Peer review
Week
12 Nov 8-12
Revised
Essay 5: Genre of your choice due
Week
13 Nov 15-19
Preparing
to revise your best essay.
Week
14 Nov 22-26
[ Thanksgiving break: Nov 24-26 ]
Week
15 Nov 30-Dec 4
Revision
activities.
Final
exam week: Best essay(s) revised for the
web, due on Monday, Dec 6.
1. Friday Sep 3, and Friday Oct 29: class is
cancelled.
2. Four Friday Zoom Classes: Sep 17, Oct 1, Oct 15, Nov 12.
Because
my daughter's school schedule requires that I be in Asheville on these four
days, we will zoom instead of holding class in person. I will remind you by
email when these days come around. The zoom meeting ID is 955 1687 5196. Here
is the link: etsu.zoom.us/j/95516875196.
1.
Face Covering Policy
Masks
are required in class to reduce the spread of covid. Here is the ETSU policy:
www.etsu.edu/policies/health-safety/face-coverings.php
2. Attendance
The
official Department of Lit and Language policy is that there is no formal
attendance requirement because of covid. However, note that your final grade is
affected in part by your participation in writing workshops. And, in general,
you will benefit from being in class, so try to be here. If you do have to miss
for some reason, just send me an email and keep me informed on what's
happening.