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toc =Welcome to English Composition=

According to the Southern Maine Community College Curriculum Guide, "English Composition is the introduction to college writing across the curriculum. It will introduce students to the standard rhetorical modes which will be assigned in this course, but will also be assigned in other courses in other disciplines. An emphasis will be placed upon writing as a process of creating first drafts then revising, rewriting and proofreading them for accuracy, clarity and succinctness of written expression. The course will explore the distinctions between spoken and written, formal and informal uses of language. The course will also provide an introduction to research and the task of producing a formal research paper that follows MLA style and documentation practices."

Meeting Schedule
This particular EGNL 100 W1 course meets every Wednesday night from 5:30 to 9:05 in Preble Hall, Room 109.

Text Books
//A Writer's Reference// (Dianna Hacker, et al, Boston: Beford/St.Martin's) in either paper or electronic form and access to its website are required.

=Instructor Information=

Darren Redman (Springfield College, BA and MS) has been teaching English for the past twenty-eight years, most recently as the Department Chair at New Hampton School in New Hampton, NH. This is his third summer teaching at SMCC. When he is not chatting with students or correcting papers, Darren can be found pounding nails into his newly constructed (but never finished) home on Long Island, ME in Casco Bay. If you need to contact him for any reason, please send an email to dredman@newhampton.org or call 603-677-6079.

=Syllabus= English Composition is a "process" course where eight rhetorical modes of discourse will be explained and ultimately ten papers will be drafted. While revised frequently throughout the summer, these ten papers will comprise the portfolio collected at the end of the twelve weeks. The evaluation of the portfolio will represent 100% of each student's grade. Below are the paper topics and a brief description of the assignments:

Week One: First Person Narration
Narration is how one tells a story. Stories usually have a logical chronology, a particular point of view, and specific details supporting a purpose. After reading in class Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s "What's in a Name" (handout), and George Orwell's "Shooting an Elephant" (//Fort Preble Reader//, 81 - 85), students are asked to write their own narrative in first person (250 - 500 words) as the first paper. In support of this assignment, students should read Anne Lamott's "Shitty First Drafts" (//Fort Preble Reader//, 69 - 71) and Lynn Smith's "An Unexamined Life" (//Fort Preble Reader//, 169 - 170). In addition, the I-Search paper will be introduced (first full draft not due until Week Eleven).

To help get beyond the blank page, recall this scene from //Dead Poet Society//: Barbaric YAWP

To offer a different description of "jilting," consider this short story from Katherine Ann Porter: The Jilting of Granny Weatherall

For an example of a great first line, consider one of my favorite's: "I am doomed to remember a boy with a wrecked voice. Not because of his voice, or because he was the smallest person I ever knew, or even because he was the instrument of my mother's death, but because he is the reason I believe in God. I am a christian because of Owen Meany" — [|John Irving] ([|A Prayer for Owen Meany]).

Week Two: Third Person Narration
Working on perspective a second "Narration" essay will be required, this time using third person. Many of the examples in the Fort Preble Reader are in first person. Chuck Palahniuk's "You Are Here" (FPR, 87 - 92) uses several perspectives to get his point across. One excellent standard used to showcase how effective third person narration can be is Kate Chopin's [|"The Story of an Hour"]. These first writing assignments from this week and last will serve as an introduction to how students write. Everyone comes to this class with different strengths and weaknesses. Exercises found in //A Writer's Reference//, particularly the blue section labeled "Correctness," will be handy. In addition, the first two sections of the I-Search paper, "What I Know" and "What I Want to Find Out," will be drafted before starting the "Search" process.

Quotations from the preface of //The I-Search Paper//, written by Ken Macrorie:

"The //I-Search Paper// is a book which grabs hold of the word 'authority' and shakes it to find out what it means."

 "This contextbook invites readers to take the initiative in their learning, to reach out to satisfy their curiosity as they did when they were carrying out the most complex act of learning in their lives . . . A person conducts a search to find out something he needs to know for his own life and writes the story of his adventure . . . true investigators are excited, sustained in their work not by instructions but by curiosity."

 "Because textbooks betray none of the humanity of their authors or of the authorities whose work they merchandise, they unwittingly imply that their readers can never themselves become authorities."

 "For many decades high schools and colleges have fostered the 'research paper,' which has become an exercise in badly done bibliography, often an introduction to the art of plagiarism, and a triumph of meaninglessness - for both writer and reader . . . Contrary to most school research papers, the I-Search comes out of a student's life and answers a need in it. The writer testifies to the subjective-objective character of the project. The paper is alive, not borrowedly inert. Writing it, many students for the first time find that writing is a way of thinking, of objectifying an act that has counted for them. As the sentences go down on the page, they become both finished statements and starting points for reflection and evaluation. The passages grow with thought. And the thought is not just about the writers' searches but also about how readers will respond to the words that report and complete them."

Week Three: Description
Description is clearly used in most other rhetorical strategies, but to use description as the major rhetorical mode, the essay focuses on one main person, place, thing, idea or even state of mind. The writer should choose a subject he knows well, or is at least willing to spend some serious time getting to know. While visuals tend to make up the bulk of the writer's impressions, the other senses certainly come into play. Often writers will then make comparisons using other literary techniques such as similes and metaphors to convey an understanding of the subject to a wider audience. As a transition away from narration, this focus on description will allow you to explore more techniques in your writing. What you choose as your subject is less important as how you go about your writing.

The FPR does not offer a section just on description, although parts of Palahniuk's "You Are Here" which we just read, are certainly descriptive. Beyond the handout of Eudora Welty's "The Corner Store," also read Thomas Friedman's "My Favorite Teacher" NYTimes Op Ed and follow the discussion prompt (above) on this wiki.

Now that you have drafted the first two parts of the I-Search paper ("What I Know" and "What Do I Want to Find Out"), it's time to begin the third and largest part: The Search. There are several ways in which to conduct your search, but we should begin with some ground rules:

1. Think of people as your primary resources - while technology can assist you in finding such people, communicating with human beings is the important point. Communication can be done in several ways, including using technology, but having a face-to-face conversation can offer a great deal beyond the spoken word.

2. People can lead you to other non-human resources - if an expert on your topic suggests it might help to go to a website or read an article, you should do it.

3. Collect as much data as you can - and write it down! Using tape recorders, journals, video cameras, surveys, and other means of collecting material is fair game, but you'll need to keep up with it all.

Given we have several weeks to go, you need not worry about time. . . just yet. Organize something each week to add to your search, collect the data, and record it. Often one source leads to another, so you could get quite a lot of information when the project is concluded. Versions of I-Search papers exist on the web to help give you something from which to structure your own, including this example Public Anxiety

Week Four: Process Analysis
The rhetorical method whereby someone of supposed prior knowledge shares the steps necessary to do something is called process analysis. When you attempt to give directions (e.g. the famous Bert and I, Which Way to Millinocket?) or when you offer a recipe (e.g. your grandmother's mincemeat "brambles" or How to Make Mincemeat Croissants), you are using process analysis. The two types, directional (step-by-step instructions) and informational (how something works, is made, or occurs) are used frequently in the business/infomercial world in which we live.

"Clarity is crucial for successful process analysis. The most effective way to explain a process is to divide it into steps and to present those steps in a clear (usually chronological) sequence. Transitional words and phrases such as //first, next, after,// and //before// help to connect steps to one another. Naturally, you must be sure that no step is omitted or given out of order. Also, you may sometimes have to explain //why// a certain step is necessary, especially if it is not obvious. With intricate, abstract, or particularly difficult steps, you might use analogy or comparison to clarify the steps for your reader" (//Models for Writers: Short Essays for Composition//, Rosa and Eschholz, eds., p 410).

Given our proclivity to "want it all, but to do it ourselves," there are several witty examples to be found on television and the web on how to do (or how not to do) just about anything: Graham Kerr's "Galloping Gourmet" Stubborn Souffle

Week Five: Definition
The rhetorical device known as definition is about precise communication. Explaining what is meant by key words is truly a celebration of language, whether simply by offering a synonym or formal definition, or perhaps by sharing an extended definition over several pages. This last form is often used when a concept has multiple meanings or appears elusive (e.g. freedom, obscene). Consider Lawrence Friedman's essay "What is Crime?" or Ellen Goodman's "The Company Man." These professional writers take great pains to define ideas they see within society for an audience who might otherwise go about their day under the blissful illusion such words or behaviors are already understood and agreeable. Such dialogue allows us to grow as a society, a culture, even a humanity.

Week Six: Division and Classification
Division and classification is an important rhetorical strategy when the writer wants to analyze and then group similar items or divide one item up into parts. Classification examines more than one item and then separates the items into groups according to their similarities on a specific principle or criteria. Critical thinkers rely on the power of classification during the analysis of complex information. Research results may need to be classified before they can be reported. A description or explanation may need to be divided up into useful categories so that the information is organized and meaningful.

By breaking down the whole into manageable and useful parts, a thinker can reach more reliable conclusions. Division breaks one item into meaningful parts and then examines the parts in relationship to the whole. Writing assignments which call for analysis are often asking the writer to explore an idea, event, or text according to specific principles or features. What these principles or features are depends on the discipline and the purpose of the analysis.

Guidelines:

1. Identify a clear purpose in the introduction and offer a basic and appropriate principle used to divide the subject. 2. Use singular, unique categories to divide the subject to avoid confusion and to increase efficiency and persuasiveness. 3. Attempt to make classifications all-inclusive for all items within the subject. 4. Offer a unbiased conclusion based on the evidence or data of the groupings.

For example, in Paul Boutin's "You Are What You Search" the author examines the search records of 650,000 AOL members and divides them into several categories: porkhound, manhunter, shopper, obsessive, omnivore, newbie, and basket case. A Lewiston, Maine native and MIT graduate, Boutin takes advantage of an AOL gaffe to poke fun at users, search engine businesses, and human nature.

For an interesting view on contemporary usage, consider William Lutz's

For an example of an I-Search paper, I came across this interesting topic: "Women in Islam." While an older essay (1994), the voice and form are very good.

Week Seven: Comparison and Contrast
Rather than just sorting subjects as in the previous unit, comparisons (how two or more things are alike) and contrasts (how two or more things are different) does more. This form of rhetoric raises awareness, offers clarity, or promotes superiority of a given concept to an audience. As a writer, there are two forms to consider when organizing an essay: subject-by-subject or point-by-point. Each has its advantages, but in general subject-by-subject is often used in short essays where points are few, whereas point-by-point is preferred in longer essays with numerous points. The goal of comparison and contrast rhetoric is to share with an intended audience something he/they didn't already know.

For prose examples, Mark Twain's classic "Two Ways of Seeing a River" (//FPR//, 127 - 128) and former student Jon Perron's "The Light that Blinds" (//FPR//, 165 - 167) are offered for homework. [Interestingly, two sections from P. J. O'Rourke's Eat the Rich: A Treatise on Economics, "Good Socialism: Sweden" and "Bad Socialism: Cuba," are mentioned in the //FPR//'s contents (by rhetorical mode), but are not in the //Reader// - odd.] We will read Andrew Braaksma's "Some Lessons from the Assembly Line" in class, an appropriate choice given the author's background, the essay's subject, and our current economic times.

For poetry examples, William Shakespeare's "Sonnet 18" and "Sonnet 130," along with Irving Layton's "Berry Picking" and Seamus Heaney's "Blackberry Picking" will be read (heard) and discussed in class.

Week Eight: Cause and Effect
Cause and Effect rhetoric responds to the questions, "Why?" and "What if?" An attempt by an author to give a credible reason as to the cause or result of something is central to modern thought brought about by the Age of Reason. Rather than go with the church doctrine founded during the Medieval Period and a life based solely on faith, Copernicus, Galileo, Newton, and others began developing the more systematic scientific method based more on elements of doubt. Many would say we are still in a period of Enlightenment, although when so many opinions - even on the "news" - are offered as fact, I have my own doubts.

Whether in first or third person, something we'll need to debate, an essay should begin with the outline of a question of which the "thesis" or answer becomes the main point. The balance of the paper then supports the rationale or specifically calibrates the cause/effect. As opposed to argument, writers of believable causal analysis examine their material objectively, taking into account all options. They are convinced in their review, but are not afraid to admit that other causes/effects might exist. Logic must rule the day.

Stephen King's "Why We Crave Horror Movies" and Sanjay Gupta's "Stuck on the Couch" will be used as examples during class. Frederick Douglass' "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?" (FPR, 19 - 34) or Eric Schlosser's "Why McDonald's Fries Taste So Good" (FPR, 93 - 100) will be reserved for homework and a wiki posting.

Week Nine: Argument
Whereas Cause and Effect rhetoric looks at multiple responses to the question "Why?", argument promotes a single offering as //the// solution to a given circumstance. Written arguments involve the presentation of well-chosen evidence and the artful control of language. The organization and employment of effective points and strategies make for persuasive writing at an intended audience. Appeals towards a reader's emotions or logical argument directed at his/her reasoning are both useful. Diction, figurative language, analogy, tone, as well as inductive and deductive reasoning help promote whatever //facts// are offered as supportive evidence. Reading examples of classic (e.g. Jonathan Swift's //A Modest Proposal//) and contemporary (P. J. O'Rourke's //Eat the Rich//) works will help in discovering what elements work best in our own writing.

Ronald Green's "Building Baby from the Genes Up" and Mary Sherry's "In Praise of the F Word" will be used during class, while Barbara Ehrenreich's "God Owes Us an Apology" (FPR, 35 - 36), Thomas Jefferson's "Declaration of Independence" (57 - 59), and Kurt Vonnegut's "Harrison Bergeron" (129 - 133) will be options for homework and wiki postings.

To start small in this important, and often time-consuming, rhetorical device, you will need to respond to an issue from a local newspaper. Most ask for submissions via email. Whether or not yours is printed by the newspaper is beside the point; please submit a hard copy for class.

Week Ten: I-Search
The I-Search paper is divided into five sections: Part One, Why I Chose My Topic; Part Two, What I Know/Don't Know; Part Three, The Journey to Find an Answer; Part Four, What I Learned; and Part Five, Bibliography/Sources. As discussed in class, do your best given the time spent on this project. Hopefully you have chosen a topic or question in which you truly have interest. Different from the other essays assigned this summer, there is no page length minimum or maximum and there is no opportunity for revision given the time remaining in the course. You must do your best under these conditions and have faith in applying what you've learned over the past ten weeks. Ultimately this is YOUR paper, and coming up with THE answer is not as important as coming up with AN answer. I wish you the best of luck in your search, and recall the old Chinese proverb which states, "As three men are walking together, one of them is bound to be good enough to act as my teacher."

Week Eleven: Best Works and Last Revisions
This last evening is devoted to collecting any remaining essay revisions or submissions. Once completed, each student's portfolio of work will be assessed appropriately and submitted as the final grade for the course. It is also an opportunity for students to submit hard copies of what they believe is their best work of the summer. The class will have a last chance to review all submissions, and the essays rated "the best" will be forwarded to the SMCC English Department Head for consideration in the next edition of the //Fort Preble Reader//.