ENL 205: Travel Literature/ Prof. Schaaf Summer 2017 ONLINE (5 weeks) COURSE DESCRIPTON AND SCHEDULE

Course Description

The course Exploring contemporary travel writing and the genre it represents, literary nonfiction, our course examines a wide range of places and ideas about the world and the ways we live in it. Classes feature images, maps, blogs, videos, and other illustrations of the travelers’ experiences and the territories they explore. Activities engage students in ways that let ideas and work be shared. ENL 205 satisfies the University Studies 3A requirement and is a Literature course for the College of Arts and Sciences.

Expected outcomes The basic goals of the course are both intellectual and practical. By working diligently, you can expect to acquire: • knowledge of the forms, techniques, and uses of the "fourth genre" of creative nonfiction • familiarity with the forms and purposes of contemporary nonfiction travel writing • knowledge of the many agendas of travel writing, which explores subjects that are personal, political, scientific, cultural, historical, and more • a passport to "virtual travel" and thus a better understanding of our world and an improved sense of global geography Textbook: The core readings appear in an anthology called The Best American Travel Writing (2013), ed. by Elizabeth Gilbert (Mariner Books) – ISBN 978-0547808987. There is no other textbook for this course. All other readings and other materials occur online.

To succeed in an online class, you must have ongoing, reliable access to the internet and the skill and willingness to work independently. If you are inexperienced with working academically online, you should consider starting your online learning in a blended, rather than an online, class. An online class is intense and engages what you already have learned about academic research and inquiry, as well as explores new ground. Course work must be completed by deadlines that occur in regular succession and most course work cannot be “made up.” Online classes are asynchronous, meaning you work on your own during the “window” of time each assignment is open. Our course employs a variety of tools for online learning.

How the Course is Organized Our course is divided into 6 units, each occupying about four days of our 5-week term. Please note that assignment deadlines thus do not fall on the same days each week. All deadlines are clearly indicated on the course site within the units, each of which begins with the section of the syllabus that pertains to its theme and assignments. Every unit highlights a theme about travel and includes readings and other materials that complement the theme. ALL materials indicated on the syllabus are required reading or viewing and their content may be featured in a quiz.

Each unit then opens with an “overview” document that treats the unit’s theme and suggests ways in which the readings engage it. The Overviews are your “lectures” for the course (and thus also required reading, the content of which may be featured in a quiz). Every unit includes an interactive discussion. Every other unit contains a quiz. Additional assignments, and their value for your course grade, are indicated in the list below. At the end of each unit folder, you will find a Resources file – these contain helpful additional materials you may consult at your option. You will find wonderful stuff in them – but none of it will be subject to quiz review.

The content of the entire course is visible to you throughout the term – so that you may look ahead, if you wish, to plan work earlier than the deadlines. But every scored assignment has a specific 2 window of time during which it is open for participation. After that deadline passes, the assignment will be unavailable until the instructor opens it again as “read only.” When that happens, you may again access the content but not write to it.

There are no “right” or “wrong” responses to the material we explore together in this course. You are encouraged to speak and write openly from your own perspectives, explaining and supporting your views by referring to the details of your reading. Our discussions will welcome intellectual controversy and debate, respectfully conducted.

Assignments in Brief I. Reading Quizzes (3 @ 5 points each):

Reading quizzes ask basic questions about the content of the readings and viewings for a course unit – about both the essays in the course anthology and online readings and viewings assigned. Each quiz contains 10 questions worth .5 points apiece, is offered during a specific window of time, and has a duration of up to 20 minutes. You must take the quiz during the period it is open to access, and once you begin a quiz, you must complete it within 20 minutes. Quizzes may not be “made up” (if you miss a quiz) or repeated (if you earned an unsatisfactory score).

II. Discussions (6 @ 10 points each):

Interactive discussions form the core of the assignments for our course. Each poses a query about a signal question or issue concerning the theme of a course unit and provides instructions how to respond to it. Each discussion requires you to respond to the query in an informal but detailed essay of at least 600 words and to reply, in an essay of at least 300 words to each, to the responses of at least two of your class colleagues. You will qualify for full credit if you meet these technical requirements, follow instructions about how to address the query, and write essays illuminated by specific explanatory details drawn from the readings. Queries allow flexibility of response and invite you to explore your own thinking about the subjects. Sample responses to queries appear in the “Handouts” folder.

III. Term Project (1 @ 25 pts.):

The term project demonstrates what you have learned about the arts of travel writing in an original, illustrated narrative. In a segmented essay embedding at least 2 illustrations, your project develops a theme related to traveling and what one sees and learns doing it. The project contains between 2000 - 2500 words (about 5 text pages in 10 pt. font, spaced 1.5). Illustrations are of two different kinds (pictorial, graphic photographic, cartographic, etc.); one of these may be a personal photo. Detailed instructions appear in the Conclusions folder on the course site.

IV. Extra Credit (optional – 1 @ 5 points):

This exercise invites you to explore a “take-away” from your term project narrative – a key subject or idea that is related to, but not included or developed at length in, the actual project narrative. You may present the content either as (a) a PPT with a title slide at least 5 additional slides, each of which offers both text and image or as (b) a 2-page essay embedding at least one illustration. Full instructions appear in the Conclusions folder.

Total points available = 105. The course grade is determined by adding all the points you accrue. A total score of 100 – 105 is an A+; a score of 96-99 is an A, a score of 90-94 is an A-, a score of 87-89 is a B+, a score of 84-86 is a B, a score of 80-83 is a B-, and so on.

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Basic course rules

1. Complete all readings before beginning any assignment or activity associated with them and also review the resource materials – websites, images, videos or other such materials associated with that reading unit - before beginning your work.

2. All activities scored for course credit have due dates, just as in a face-to-face class, and penalties apply to late work. In the case of some online activities (such as discussions), submissions are not allowed after the deadlines. Other assignments (such as exercises) have due dates with late submissions discounted in score. Please keep in mind that after an assignment’s due date has passed, that assignment will be “locked” so that you can no longer perform its work, although you can still review work posted to it. You have the entire unit’s period to complete all activities due during that unit. Check the syllabus carefully to keep the due dates in mind.

3. You are responsible for knowing what work is due, and when. Each unit folder opens with its portion of the course syllabus, which serves as a checklist for what’s due that week. Please note that the instructor does not post information to the Calendar, but you can use the Calendar tool to record due dates and your other personal reminders. Your syllabus is your basic guide to what’s due when.

Getting Help – The Rules of Engagement The system allows you several ways to contact your classmates and instructors: via a “messages” tool on the course site, through a personal invitation to chat, and within a chat room. These functions will be enabled, to give you the fullest opportunity to engage each other. You may message the instructor through the course site but please be aware that if you have an urgent issue to discuss, send a regular email: [email protected].

Please observe these guidelines and courtesies when contacting the instructor or your classmates online: a. You may contact the instructor via the Messages function on the course site. If you use this function, though, please be aware that she is interacting with students in five different classes this semester, and will likely not see your message, or be able to respond to it, quickly. b. For concerns or questions about the course that require a fuller or private discussion with the instructor, you may use regular email: [email protected]. Please use this access with discretion, and sparingly. c. You may contact anyone in our course who is currently online and “available” at the time via the Chat function of the course website. Please do not use this function to contact the instructor. d. You may post questions to our “Ask and Answer” forum. The instructor will visit this forum regularly to answer questions, but please help out if you know an answer. d. If you have a technical question about using the course website, do not ask the instructor. Look for your answer by searching the menu available through the “Help” tab in the far upper right corner of the page when you are logged into the course

The Rules of Participation Attendance An online class based on discussion and collaboration requires the full and energetic participation of all, and your continued, active participation is required. (The Blackboard system allows an instructor to examine the history and details of any student’s participation in a course.) As mentioned above, assignments have due dates and most work cannot be “made up.” If you have a documentable emergency that prevents you from completing an assignment on time, email to [email protected] as soon as you anticipate the absence or as soon as possible following it. A reason for missing work does not constitute an excuse for having missed it, however, so do not expect that you will necessarily be allowed to make up missed work. 4

An “absence” in this online course is construed as missing an assignment or posting work late (the discussions have 2-part deadlines). Your total course score will be reduced for excessive absences; “excessive absence” means more than two occasions of late postings or missed assignments. For each absence beyond two, 5 points will be deducted from your course grade.

Academic Honesty You are responsible for knowing and obeying the University’s policies regarding academic honesty. Your instructor will pursue any case of academic dishonesty according to those policies and procedures. You may find them reviewed in the Student Handbook @ http://www.umassd.edu/studentaffairs/studenthandbook/ Always ask your instructor and/or advisor if you ever have a question about what constitutes academic dishonesty.

Contact information/access I am very happy to work with you any time you want further instruction or conversation about our course. Welcome to the course and to the semester!

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Schedule of Readings, Viewings and Assignments

The course anthology is The Best American Travel Writing 2013, ed. Elizabeth Gilbert (Mariner Books, 2013). Other readings and viewings occur online, as indicated below. Essays listed below without urls are in our anthology. Some (not all) are also available online. Please note: The Overview document in each Unit is required reading subject to quiz questions.

Introductory (July 18 - 19) July 19 is the course Drop deadline (with a full refund)

Readings/viewings: Overview: “Why Do We Travel?” “Foreword and “Introduction” to our anthology of travel writing Pico Iyer, “Why We Travel” @ http://picoiyerjourneys.com/index.php/2000/03/why-we-travel/ “What is Creative Nonfiction?” by Barrie Jean Borich @ http://barriejeanborich.com/what-is-creative-nonfiction-an-introduction/ Indie Travel Manifesto” @ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYIRLeiLtNs Jessa Crispin, "How not to be Elizabeth Gilbert" @ http://bostonreview.net/books-ideas/jessa-crisipin-female-travel-writing

Assignments: 1) Introduce yourself on the course site (by midnight July 18); (2) Participate in the Practice Discussion (unscored but required; due by midnight July 19)

Unit I: Great Escapes (July 20 - 23) July 21 is the Deadline for course Withdrawal (W) with 50% refund

Readings/viewings: Peter Jon Lindberg, “Summerland” John Jeremiah Sullivan, “A Prison, A Paradise” 5

E. B. White, “Once More to the Lake” @ http://wheretheclassroomends.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/White_OnceMoretotheLake1.pdf “Rainy Vacation at Pine Point Maine (2009) @ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wzl6Rvkj1DE Daniel Levitin, “Hit the Reset Button in Your Brain” @ http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/10/opinion/sunday/hit-the-reset-button-in-your- brain.html?_r=0 Cuba image album at http://bit.ly/1n6MTGg Stacey Mickelbart, “Writing from Memory” @ http://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/writing-from-memory

Assignment: “Great Escapes” Discussion (10 pts.) – post your own essay by July 22 and your responses to others by July 23 Please note: If you miss the initial posting deadline for a discussion assignment (the date by which you must post your own response to the query), you will lose points on that assignment.

Unit II: Essences (July 24 - 27) July 26 is the deadline for choosing the Pass/Fail option.

Readings/viewings: David Farley, “Vietnam’s Bowl of Secrets” Bernd Brunner, “The Wild Dogs of Istanbul” Christopher de Ballaigue, “Caliph of the Tricksters” David Sedaris, “Dentists without Borders”

Hoi An, Vietnam at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z58HvRNBCiE Books and Dogs Blog at http://michielheyns.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-dogs-of- istanbul-these-mad-lost.html “Cockfighting in Kabul” @ http://darkroom.baltimoresun.com/2013/03/cockfighting-in-kabul/#1 “What are the Ethics of Tourism” @ http://www.brandeis.edu/ethics/ethicalinquiry/2011/September.html “Sex, Lies, and Free Accommodation: the Ethics of Travel Writing” @ http://bit.ly/1tuxiEL

Assignments: (1) “Essences” Discussion (10 points) - post your own essay by July 26 and your responses to others by July 27; (2) Units 1 & 2 Quiz (5 points) – due June 27

Unit III: Urban Excursions (July 28 - 31)

Readings/viewings: Dimiter Kenarov, “Bombing Sarajevo” Sam Anderson, “The Pippiest Place on Earth” Grant Stoddard, “The Paid Piper” Rich Cohen, “Pirate City”

Urban Skiing in Sarajevo (Feb. 2012) at http://nipwitz.com/ and at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbaIR1lqjVs “Great Expectations for Dickens World” at http://content.time.com/time/video/player/0,32068,1278020826_1721800,00.html 6

“Free Things to Do in New York City” (National Geographic) at http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/city-guides/free-new-york-city-traveler/ “Searching for Laffite the Pirate” at http://www.frenchquarter.com/history/jeanlaffitte.php Dave Hood, “Writing Creative Nonfiction: Narrative History” @ http://bit.ly/1ogTHRg

Assignment: “Urban Excursion” Discussion (10 points) - post your own essay by July 30 and your responses to others by July 31

Unit IV: The Middle of Nowhere (Aug 1 - 4)

Readings/viewings: Colleen Kinder, “Blot Out” Judy Copeland, “The Way I’ve Come”

“Mona Eltahaway Explains why Women are Hated in the Middle East” on NPR’s “Morning Edition” at @ http://n.pr/1qtHdqU (Click “listen to the story”) “The Islamic Veil Across Europe” (BBC article, illustrated) at http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-13038095 “Papua New Guinea” – profile of an adventure photographer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWrrxvOYWE0 Cheri Register, “The Personal in Creative Nonfiction” @ https://writersblock.loft.org/2012/12/12/1812/the_personal_in_creative_nonfiction

Assignments: (1) “Middle of Nowhere” Discussion (10 points) - post your own essay by Aug 3 and your responses to others by Aug 4; (2) Units 3 & 4 Quiz (5 points) – due Aug 4

Unit V: One World (Aug 5 - 8) August 8 is the course Withdrawal (W) deadline.

Readings/viewings: Sarah Topol, “Tea and Kidnapping” Marie Arana, “Dreaming of El Dorado”; the essay is also online with slideshows at http://www.vqronline.org/essay/dreaming-el-dorado Jesse Dukes, “Babu on the Bad Road”; the essay is also online with slideshows at http://www.vqronline.org/articles/babu-bad-road

“Who Are Egypt’s Sinai Bedouin” at http://egyptianstreets.com/2014/04/27/who-are- egypts-sinai-bedouin/ “Dreaming of El Dorado” and Girl Rising trailer at http://bit.ly/XD4boR

Assignment: “One World” Discussion (10 points) - post your own essay by Aug 7 and your responses to others by Aug 8

Unit VI: Spirit Journeys (Aug 9 - 12)

Readings/viewings: Kevin Chroust, “The Bull Passes Through” Daniel Tyx, “The Year I Didn’t” 7

Ian Frazier, “A Farewell to Yarns”

Rick Steves, “Running of the Bulls” at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qmp4DjtWcuw Running of the Bulls 2014, Day 3 http://tv.esquire.com/videos/71288-running-of-the- bulls-2014-day-3-full-run A yarn by Ian Frazier at http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/05/27/recherche “Walking the Border” by Luke Dittrich at http://www.esquire.com/features/mexican- border-0511 Simon Parkin, “A Journey to the End of the World (of Minecraft)” @ http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/a-journey-to-the-end-of-the-world-of-minecraft

Assignments: (1) “Spirit Journeys” Discussion (10 points) - post your own essay by Aug 11 and your responses to others by Aug 12; (2) Units 5 & 6 Quiz (5 points) – due Aug 12

Conclusions (Aug 13 - 16)

Reading: "Tips for Travel Writing" - simple, good advice @ https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2011/sep/23/travel-writing-tips-expert-advice Bill Roorbach and Dave Gessner, "Everything you ever wanted to know about truth in nonfiction …" a cartoon essay at http://billanddavescocktailhour.com/everything-you-ever- wanted-to-know-about-truth-in-nonfiction-but-were-afraid-to-ask-a-bad-advice-cartoon-essay/

Assignments: (1) Extra Credit project (optional, 5 points) – Due Aug 14; (2)Term Project (original travel writing, 25 points) – due Aug 16

Course evaluation: University Extension will send you instructions on how to complete the course evaluation.

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Summary of Assignments (105 pts. Available) 6 Discussions @ 10 pts. each = 60 pts. 3 Quizzes @ 5 pts. Each = 15 pts. Term project @ 25 pts. = 25 pts. Extra Credit (optional) @ 5 pts. = 5 pts. 105 pts.

The course grade is determined by adding all the points you accrue. A total score of 100 – 105 is an A+; a score of 95-99 is an A, a score of 90-94 is an A-, a score of 87-89 is a B+, a score of 84-86 is a B, a score of 80-83 is a B-, and so on.