Assignment for Monday, Oct. 5, Wednesday, Oct. 7, and Friday, Oct. 9

Monday, October 5: During most of this class, you will have time to work on the narrative essay that is due on Wednesday, so bring a flash drive, a tablet, a laptop to class. You could also email it to yourself or work on it in Google Docs; laptops from the cart will be available.

Wednesday, October 7: Re-read pp. 91-101 in Gornick's The Situation and the Story. Write a narrative about something you experienced or witnessed. It can be of any length, and it is due on Wednesday, Oct. 7. It should be double-spaced in font no bigger than 12-point Times New Roman. (You don't have to use this font, but whatever you use should be no bigger than this font.)

Friday, October 9: Student's choice. Bring something of intellectual interest to you to share with the class. It may be something to read (in which case you should give it to me to photocopy ahead of class), view, or listen to.

Assignment for Tuesday, September 29

Read and annotate James Baldwin's "Notes of a Native Son" and answer one of the two questions posted below. If you did not get the essay in class, a PDF is posted below. As I mentioned in class, if you did the creative assignment for the Biss reading, I'd like you to try the analytical assignment, and vice versa.

Creative: Write two paragraphs: The first should describe, in some detail, an important person in your life. The second paragraph should explain something about our society in light of your observations about this important person.

Analytical: Write two paragraphs: The first should analyze Baldwin's narrative persona in this essay; the second should explain whether that narrative persona helps advance the argument he makes in this essay.

James Baldwin, "Notes of a Native Son" 

Assignment for Friday, September 25

Read and annotate the Prologue and Chapter 1 of The Craft of Research (pp. 3-15). Be prepared to discuss specifically the authors' understanding of research, the reasons for research, and the reasons for putting one's research in writing.

Also, read and annotate Eula Biss's "Notes from No Man's Land" (handout). Choose one of the options below to respond to this reading.

Creative: Write two paragraphs: The first should be about a book, movie, play, or some other cultural text you have experienced. The second should connect that cultural text to an experience that might seem unrelated to that cultural text.

Analytical: Write two paragraphs: The first should analyze Biss's narrative persona in this essay; the second should explain whether that narrative persona is helps advance the argument she makes in this essay.

Assignment for Tuesday, September 22

Print and review the AP Contract posted to the right, and return it to me with your signature and that of a parent.

Read and annotate the essays distributed in class, M. F. K. Fisher's "The Measure of My Powers, 1919-1927" and E. B. White's "Once More to the Lake." Respond to one of the following prompts in one double-spaced page of writing. Please have your response printed before class.

1. Creative: Write or begin a short narrative modeled on the writing style or structure of either the Fisher or White essay.

2. Analytical: Explain how the structure of the Fisher and White essays contribute to their purpose. That is, given the purpose of each essay, explain how the structure helps the speaker achieve that purpose.

Assignment for Friday, September 18

Read and annotate the essays in the handout distributed in class. While reading, pay attention to the rhetorical strategies the authors use to bring a character (including themselves) to life. You may focus on one character per essay. You do not need to print a written response; simply record your observations on the handout or in a notebook.

Homework for Wednesday, September 16

Prepare for the in-class essay on your selected summer reading book by reviewing the rhetorical triangles, SOAPSTone, and DIDLS in relation to your book. You won't be able to write about all of these rhetorical features, so select those that are most relevant to your book. You will have one hour to write the essay by hand. You will be able to use your book, but if you do so, I will expect you to quote from it.

The topic you'll write about will be something like this: What is the text's purpose, and does the author accomplish that purpose? Support your position with specific reference to the rhetorical features we have discussed in class.

Also, read the David Sedaris essay "Me Talk Pretty One Day" that was handed out in class. Use the rhetorical features discussed in class to make sense of his writing strategies. (You should annotate it, but you don't have to write a response to it.) We will discuss this essay after you write the in-class essay.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to get in touch with me.