Huckleberry Finn Delay

I'm not sure if I mentioned this in both classes: the Huckleberry Finn reading that was due Monday and Tuesday is delayed to Wednesday and Thursday. I would rather move forward with the writing workshops. So, for Monday and Tuesday, bring three revised pages of your essay. Those of you who are sharing your work should bring enough copies for me and your classmates (16 in the odd-day class; 13 in the even-day class).

On Wednesday and Thursday, we'll spend about thirty minutes checking in on your progress with Huckleberry Finn (you will have some questions to answer and to think about for the next check-in), and we'll spend the remainder of class workshopping two student essays and reviewing additional writing strategies.

Snow Day Revisions

For Thursday, Feb. 3 (Day 1), bring your revised essay. As we discussed in class, focus on the nouns and the sentences. Read the handout distributed in class.

For Friday, Feb. 4 (Day 2), bring 1-2 pages of the essay on the topic of your choice, as was scheduled for Wednesday.

Assignment for Tuesday, Feb. 1 (Day 5), and Wednesday, Feb. 2 (Day 6)

Bring two pages of your essay on the topic of your choice. It will be helpful to bring at least two copies of your writing.

Assignment for Friday, Jan. 28 (Day 3), and Monday, Jan. 29 (Day 4), and Huck Finn Check-In Dates

Read and annotate Mark Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, from the "Notice" (which appears two pages before the start of Ch. 1) to p. 28. Also, decide on the topic for the essay you will write about anything you wish. (If you didn't finish the in-class readings, you will need to finish them sometime soon.)

As I've mentioned, you will be reading Huckleberry Finn mostly on your own. We will discuss the novel during the classes listed below. On those days, you will have questions to answer about the book, and you must bring your book because I will check your annotations. The first day in a pair is always a Day 3, the second a Day 4.

• February 7 & 8: Up to p. 141.
• February 15 & 16: Up to p. 260.
• March 2 & 3: Up to p. 362. 

Assignment for Wednesday, Jan. 26 (Day 1) and Thursday, Jan. 27 (Day 2)

Read Mark Twain's "The Late Benjamin Franklin" and write one typed page that explains the rhetoric of its humor. It runs from pages 211-215 of The Writings of Mark Twain, Vol. 19, which is linked below. After following the link, click on "preview this book," then enter "211" in the box to the right of "Contents."

The Writings of Mark Twain, Vol. 19

Assignment for Thursday, Jan. 20, and Friday, Jan. 21

Write 1-2 pages of your funny story. Try to incorporate the rhetorical elements of humor that we discussed in class (e.g., the conceit and unexpected contrasting elements), but do not get hung up on making it funny the first time around; in class, we will work on making it funny.

Readings for Tuesday, Jan. 18, and Wednesday, Jan. 19, and Some Other Stuff You Might Find Amusing

Read the following essays from McSweeney's Internet Tendency, and once again identify three or four elements in each that contribute to the humor.

Marissa Medansky, Oompa Loompa Revolutionaries
Seth Reiss, "Eyewitness News with Tom Denardo and Cheryl Clayburn"

On Tuesday and Wednesday, we will also discuss the previously assigned humor pieces, so you may wish to review those.

Here are two other pieces you may find amusing: Fran Lebowitz's "Introduction by the Author," a short list that rephrases clichés in amusing and thoughtful ways, and this clip of standup by Hannibal Buress, a 30 Rock writer whose routine here reminds me of Bill Cosby:

Homework for Thursday, Jan. 13 (Day 5), and Friday, Jan. 14 (Day 6)

No additional reading. We will discuss the comic pieces that were assigned for Tuesday and Wednesday but that we didn't get to in class. Also, give some thought to pieces you would like to write but have never had a chance to. This could be a nonfiction piece on any topic, of any length, in any nonfiction genre. We won't start writing it until February, but I'd like you to start thinking about what that might be now.

Political Rhetoric and Recent Events

Here are some articles that address the relationship between violent political rhetoric and violent actions:

"Tucson Rampage Casts Light on Toxic Political Tone"
"Bloodshed in Arizona Casts New Light on Vitriol in Politics"
"In the Shock of the Moment, the Political Bickering Stops...Until It Doesn't"
New York Times Room for Debate: Assassins and American History
"Beck Channels Palin on Tucson Shooting"
"In Defense of Inflamed Rhetoric"
"Sometimes a Tragedy Is Just a Tragedy"

Homework for Tuesday, Jan. 11 (Day 3), and Wednesday, Jan. 12 (Day 4), and In-Class Essay Information

Read the first two essays linked below, and either the Dave Barry essay or the David Sedaris essay. For each essay, use the list of varieties of humor covered in class to identify and classify three or four of the qualities that make the piece funny. The pieces are arranged in order of declining political relevance. The first is quite political, the second tangentially so, and the third pieces, not at all. Enjoy the reading!

George Saunders, "My Gal"
The Onion, "Aliens Demand More Positive Portrayal in the Media"
Dave Barry, "Taking the Zip out of Zippy" or Dave Sedaris, "Big Boy"

In addition, you will write a rhetorical analysis of your independent reading book. You will have to relate your author's rhetorical strategies to his or her purpose. Be mindful of the broad rhetorical categories as they relate to your book (ethos, logos, pathos, SOAPSTone, DIDLS). You may use your book while writing the essay, but you should not have to rely on it. If you plan on using your book, you should have two or three parts identified for handy use while writing the essay.

Homework for Friday, Jan. 7 (Day 1), and Monday, Jan. 10 (Day 2)

For Friday, read the essays handed out in class. You do not have to write anything with these readings; instead, focus on understanding the authors' explanations and critiques of power and propaganda in American politics.

For Monday, read the essays handed out in class. You do not have to write anything with these readings; instead, focus on understanding the authors' explanations and critiques of power and propaganda in American politics. In addition, view this clip of the political ad analyzed in Drew Weston's "The New Frontier" (in your handout) and the following Daily Show clips. Be prepared to discuss the effectiveness of the ad, and to explain what Jon Stewart does to be funny. (Total viewing time is about twenty minutes.)

The Ever-Spending Story

Mission Accomplished

Indecision 2000

Homework for Wednesday, Jan. 5 (Day 5), and Thursday, Jan. 6 (Day 6)

Complete Lesson 8 in Advanced Composition Skills (pp. 45-58). Spend about twenty minutes responding to the writing prompt on either p. 55 or p. 58. I would prefer that you type this assignment, but you may hand write it neatly.

Vacation Reading Assignment and Suggestions

Over the vacation, read a non-fiction book at least 200 pages in length, written in English (i.e., not translated from another language). I am not placing any other restrictions on your choice of a book. It may be serious, light-hearted, comic, and about any subject matter (as long as your parents won't disapprove). The week after we return from the break, you will write an in-class rhetorical analysis of your book. As you read your book, pay attention to the rhetorical strategies we have discussed all year. Below are eight suggestions that, so far, are available at the Barnes and Noble on Erie Boulevard or in Clay. (Note that the online price may be significantly less than the in-store price, and if you are ordering online, you might want to check Amazon's prices, too.) Try to keep up with reading The New York Times, too. Stay informed!

David Colbert, The Magical Worlds of Harry Potter

Jessica Kerwin Jenkins,  Encyclopedia of the Exquisite 

Michael Lewis, The Big Short
Richard Preston, The Hot Zone: A Terrifying True Story
Stacy Schiff, Cleopatra: A Life
Charles Seife, Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea
David Shields, Reality Hunger: A Manifesto
Bethlehem Shoals, et al., The Macrophenomenal Pro Basketball Almanac

Before the Thanksgiving break, some students asked for a list of the books that have most influenced me.  It's an impossible list to assemble, but the following is a list of favorite and influential non-fiction books that were written in English. (At the end of the column to the right, there is a link to my Blogger profile, which has lists of some favorite movies, music, and books. I left off from that list most of the following books. I'm not sure how.)

Hannah Arendt, The Human Condition
W. E. B. Du Bois, The Souls of Black Folk
Terry Eagleton, Literary Criticism
Gerald Early, Tuxedo Junction

Bobbito Garcia, Where'd You Get Those? New York City's Sneaker Culture, 1960-1987  

Stephen Jay Gould, The Mismeasure of Man
Stephen Greenblatt, Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare
Michael Herr, Dispatches
Gilbert Highet, The Art of Teaching
Jane Jacobs, The Death and Life of American Cities 

Russell Jacoby, The Last Intellectuals
C. L. R. James, The Black Jacobins 

LeRoi Jones, Blues People
Charles Mingus, Beneath the Underdog
George Orwell, Homage to Catalonia
Orlando Patterson, Slavery and Social Death
Orlando Patterson, Freedom in the Making of Western Culture

Russell Sherman, Piano Pieces 

Judith Shklar, American Citizenship
Art Spiegelman, Maus
The Autobiography of Malcolm X

Enjoy the vacation!