Small assignments

ENG 482, Life Writing, Spring 2009

Rather than have separate pages for all the small assignments, I’ve collected them here.

Book review

Good writing requires good reading. Share one of the books you’ve read to help you write your final revision.

Your model is the academic book review. Find samples on web sites like Pop Matters, in academic journals, or magazines like the Times Review of Books. (I hope to add my sample review here soon.) If you have questions about a review you’ve found, please ask. We will review several in class.

Requirements

Provide some summary of the text, enough that the reader can appreciate its value and relevance.
Note the central argument(s) of the text. You shouldn’t worry about “spoilers;” this isn’t a movie review. Quite the opposite.
Name related works which are relevant (for example, other books referred to or critiqued by yours).
Evaluate the book using the criteria our texts establish for life writing: organization, story-telling, style, etc. You need not address all these categories, but you should consider them.
Ensure your review itself is well-organized and compelling.
Book reviews seldom attack the authors or books they take on. While you are not expected to be uncritical, most confine negatives to the last few paragraphs. (The assumption is that you won’t review a book which isn’t worth your time.)
Reviews often include quotations which are representative of the text.

There are no milestones for this assignment. Simply upload your finished review to Google Docs, and share it with me, by 4/16.

Class participation

As noted in the course policies, I expect you to attend class and participate actively. If you aren’t asking to speak in every class, you aren’t participating enough. If you fail to bring relevant texts, I will consider you absent. Your goal, every class, should to be show me and your colleagues that you’ve read and thought carefully about the readings.

You will be evaluated twice during the semester (weeks 6 and 15). At the end of each evaluation period, please email me a brief evaluation of your participation which includes the grade you believe you have earned. If you propose any grade but A, note the areas where you need to improve. (Here are two examples.) I will reply with my (dis)agreement and your grade.

Here are some suggestions for effective participation:

Take notes as your read. Bring your notes to class. Use them as discussion starters.
Make a list of questions or issues the readings raise for you. It’s quite acceptable to ask questions about the texts.
Consider that your goal is engagement, not mastery.
In class, whenever you make a comment or ask a question, tie it to the texts and/or something another student said.
If you aren’t sure about your contributions, ask. I can quickly give you a rough review.

Final examination

The final will be Thursday, May 14 at 8:00am. You will have one hour, fifty minutes to finish. Expect three parts:

1. Short answer: Ten questions. Answer eight in a sentence or less.
2. Medium answer: Three questions. Answer two in about a half page.
3. Essay: Two questions. Pick one and answer in a page or two.

Bring something to write with. I will provide all other materials, and breakfast too.