English 201/401 Creative Non-Fiction Dr. D.R. Ransdell M, T, 11:00-12:30, also R 5/23, 6/20 Orvieto Study Abroad Program Summer May-June 2013 http://ransdell.faculty.arizona.edu [email protected]

Course Description:

The purpose of this class is to explore the experience of Italy through non-fiction. We’ll analyze the way authors use writing to make meaning of their experiences and the way they use setting to create voice. You’ll write critiques of those narratives but write similar versions of your own. Through your personal journal entries, you’ll have the chance to explore, examine, and capture your thoughts and observations about being in Italy. For your final “exam,” you’ll develop a portfolio that contains revised versions of your best work. Although we will look at multiple aspects of the intersection of writing and travel, central questions for the course include: What makes travel narratives effective? How do they help us interpret and digest our own experiences? What other social or political purposes might such writing serve? What are some limitations? What does travel writing teach us about the target culture and its peoples? What do our experiences abroad teach us about our home culture and ourselves?

Note that since this is a college writing course, you are naturally expected to submit writing that is free of grammatical and mechanical errors; otherwise you will lose credit. (See Grammar Challenge below.)

Materials:

Calcagno, Anne, editor. Travelers’ Tales: Italy. San Francisco: Travelers’ Tales, 2001. (Amazon, new or used)

Doran, Phil. The Reluctant Tuscan: How I Discovered My Inner Italian. New York: Gotham Books, 2005. (Amazon, Kindle, used)

Perrottet, Tony. Pagan Holiday: On the Trail of Ancient Roman Tourists (Original title: Route 66 A.D.) New York: Random House, 2003. (Amazon, Kindle, used)

401 students only: recent (last ten years) creative non-fiction book of your choice for an extra paper (but, of course, based in Italy)

Some good choices:

Fraser, Laura. An Italian Affair. (Amazon, Kindle, used) (appeals more to women) de Blasi, Elena. A Thousand Days in Venice: An Unexpected Romance (Amazon, Kindle, used) (appeals more to women)

Epstein, Alan. As the Romans Do: The Delights, Dramas, And Daily Diversions Of Life In The Eternal City. (Amazon, Kindle, used)

Doerr, Anthony. Four Seasons in Rome. (Amazon, Kindle, used)

Travelers’ Tales, Tuscany (Amazon, used)

Course Breakdown:

Journals (5): 50%* Analyses (3): 30% * Portfolio & Final Reflection: 25% Presentation: 5% * Your lowest analysis or journal score will be dropped. ** 401 students do one extra analysis; portfolio/reflection counts for 15%.

Journals: These assignments are designed to give you space to record and reflect on your experiences. You might analyze your impressions of a church or a museum. You might analyze something you witnessed while walking around Orvieto or your efforts to use Italian. You might reflect on life in Italy and how it contrasts to life “back home.” Use Italy to ask yourself big questions. Be careful to shape your pieces with your readers in mind and include a title (or titles if you write several pieces rather than one long one).

For the first week, you might want to record your first impressions about Italy, your preparations for your trip, your reason to choose Italy, etc. You might even want to write about a film or novel about Italy, Italian friends or relatives, or previous travels that may affect your summer abroad experience.

For subsequent weeks, feel free to write travel narratives that explain your experiences visiting a city, a town, a site, a famous square, etc. Explain about a hilarious misadventure when you went out to dinner and had no idea you were ordering octopus or your pleasure at discovering an unexpected garden when you were out exploring on your own. Give advice to future travelers. Write a letter home to your folks or your friends in which you reflect on incidents that happened. Record an interesting dialog you had with fellow students or natives and analyze what you learned from it. Respond to one of our readings (including your classmates’) in an informal, reader-response style. Try your hand at imitating some of our writers. (“The Reluctant Umbrian: How I Learned to Laugh and Love in Orvieto.”) Almost any non-fiction topic that helps you understand your summer abroad experience and that you feel comfortable sharing with your classmates will be appropriate, but your pieces need to have some kind of logical shape. For your final journal, you might want to draft the intro/conclusion to your portfolio. Journal drafts will be due on 5/23, 5/28, 6/4, 6/11, and 6/18. Time permitting, you will read your entries out loud in class, gather feedback, and rewrite accordingly; otherwise you will workshop in small groups. Journals will be due to d2l on 5/27, 5/30, 6/6, 6/13, 6/20 even though we’ll only have class on 6/20.

Minimum lengths: 201 students: 1500+ words. 401 students: 2500+ words

Analyses: Write an analysis of the text(s) we’ve read or parts of them, especially in terms of how a consideration of place stimulates self-awareness. Include a thesis statement and a forecast, topic sentences, evidence from the texts, analysis, and a conclusion. Note that it’s usually best to analyze one or two aspects of a text rather than to cover lots of ideas without reflecting on them. Due 6/3, 6/10, and 6/17. Note: 401 extra analysis due at any time up until 6/20.

Minimum lengths: 201 students: 1000+ words. 401 students: 1500+

Portfolio: For your portfolio/reflection, rewrite, polish, and assemble your pieces from earlier in the course. Include at least three of your journal entries and one of your analyses. In addition, write an introduction that introduces your portfolio and explains why you’ve chosen to include the pieces you have. (201: 500+ words; 401: 1000+ words). Also include a table of contents. Finish your portfolio with a conclusion that summarizes your experiences and/or your writing experiences over the course of the semester. (201: 500+ words, 401: 1000+ words.). Assemble all these documents in one Word or rtf. “Due” 6/21, but accepted through 6/25 without penalty.

Note that it’s important to write the right words, not just any words. However, special effort usually leads to higher grades. Remember to edit your work; otherwise you’ll lose credit.

Presentation: You will read a couple of your journal entries (or one long one) to the Study Abroad community on June 21st. (5-6 mins.) You’ll want to practice a few times to get used to reading in a clear, loud voice. You’ll want to enunciate carefully and plan for a few dramatic pauses so that your fellow students understand your punch lines or feel the full impact of your realizations. (No worries—this will be really fun. )

Technicalities: Double-space your work using Times New Roman 12 and compose your essays in Standard Written English. Essays and homework will be marked down 1/3 grade per class period late. Remember to back up all your work in a couple of places in case of computer snafus. Barring technical difficulties, I’ll ask you to submit all your work via d2l in Word or an rtf.

Classroom Etiquette: Come to class on time and don’t leave until class is over. To avoid distracting classmates, only use electronic devices for course materials. (Do not try to read our texts with your cell phone.) Attendance: You are allowed to miss one class; thereafter, each absence lowers your overall grade by 1%.

** 401 students: Start reading your extra book beginning with the first week of classes.

Daily Syllabus

Week 1:

T 5/21 Introduction. Note: Today only, we will meet 12:30-1:30

R 5/23 Today we will meet at the “regular” time of 11-12:30. For class: Draft your Week 1 Journal for workshopping; read Doran Chs 1-3. NOTE: If you have a conflict with another class, go to your other class. This date was not on the original calendar.

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Week 2:

M 5/27 Week 1 Journals due; submit to d2l before class. For class, read Doran Chs 1- 18.

T 5/28 Read Doran Chs 19-35; Draft your journal for workshopping.

R 5/30 (No Class Meeting) Week 2 Journals due; submit to d2l.

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Week 3:

M 6/3 Doran analysis due; submit to d2l before class. From TT, read: Morris (xv), Elkjer (3), Lubin (9), Hemphill (41)

T 6/4 From TT, read: Hellenga (65), Fallowell (88), Thorpe (223), Ellis (300); draft your journal for workshopping.

R 6/8 (No class meeting.) Week 3 Journals due; submit to d2l.

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Week 4:

M 6/10 TT analysis due (write about several selections). Perrottet: Read Parts 1 and 2.

T 6/11 Perrottet: Read Part 3 and 8; draft your journal 4 for workshopping. R 6/13 (No class meeting.) Week 4 Journals due; submit to d2l.

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Week 5:

M 6/17 Perrotet analysis due. From TT, read: Scheller (128), Gardaphe (139), Sturla (215).

T 6/18 Selections to read from TT: Alford (296), Parks (352), and three selections of your choice. Be prepared to explicate your choices to classmates: what you liked or didn’t, what you found useful, and narratives techniques that stood out to you. Also, draft your journal for workshopping.

R 6/20 Extra class meeting. Week 5 Journals due; submit to d2l. Also, choose a couple of possibilities for Friday’s presentation. Bring any questions about your portfolio materials. (If this is a conflict with your other class, go to your other class.)

F 6/21 Final Portfolio “due,” but accepted through June 25th without penalty.  Late papers lose 1/3 grade per day but will be accepted through July 1.

GRAMMAR CHALLENGE

Note that you will be ineligible for an A or B unless you observe some simple punctuation and grammar rules:

1) Add a comma after a long introductory phrase: Even though I was tired from all my chemistry homework, I wrote another draft of my English essay. This helps your readers find the subject of your sentence.

2) Add a comma after a conjunction ONLY when the phrase that follows is an independent clause (a complete sentence). I thought I had enough time to write my essay, but I had to work until dawn to finish my work. (Note the difference: I thought I had enough time to write my essay but had to work until dawn to finish my work. No subject= no comma.)

3) Use commas around extra phrases that are not necessary grammatically: My roommate, who never likes to get up in the morning, drives me crazy. (The sentence could simply read “My roommate drives me crazy.”

4) Divide sentences with a semi-colon; use a comma after words such as “however.” We went to a terrific party last night; however, the food tasted awful. 5) Avoid run-ons. In other words, don’t run two sentences together it makes your readers crazy. See what I mean? Run-ons are frustrating for readers because they assume they have misread and have to go back and reread your sentence only to find out that YOU are the one who made the mistake. Instead write: Don’t run two sentences together. It makes your readers crazy. If you want the sentences to work closely together, you might use a semi-colon instead: Don’t run two sentences together; it makes your readers crazy.

6) Avoid “number” mistakes. “Everyone” is singular. It is incorrect to write “Everyone should bring their syllabus.” Instead make the phrase plural: Students should bring their syllabi. (You can also use the singular form, but it’s awkward: Everyone should bring his or her syllabus.)