Created by Emily Hoeflinger, Fall 2012

ENWR 106.##: T, F ____ - ____ Room: ______Spring 2013 [Created by Emily Hoeflinger, Fall 2012]

Faculty – the information in red ink contains notes for your use only. These notes may offer options or outline program policy. Please make sure you remove these before finalizing your syllabus. Remember that the policies you include in your syllabus that are required (attendance, grading, plagiarism) are parts of a contract between you and your students. These cannot be changed once the course begins.

Prof. ______Instructor Email: ______[Individual instructor information should include: name; office location and hour; email address; section number and semester identifier, class meeting times and location(s)]

Required Texts: Beaty, Jerome and J. Paul Hunter. New Worlds of Literature: Writings from America’s Many Cultures, 2nd ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1994. ( ISBN-13: 978-0-393-96354-0)

Hacker, Diana and Nancy Sommers. A Writer's Reference. Montclair State University custom 7th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2012. (ISBN-13: 978-1-4576-0348-8).

Helpful Websites English Department Web Site: http://www.montclair.english.edu First-Year Writing Program: http://www.montclair.edu/chss/english/first-year-writing/ CWE Digital Dashboard: http://www.montclair.edu/cwe/az/index-dd.html

Course Aims This course has two principal purposes. As a writing course, it aims to help students improve their abilities to write well: to develop focused, thoughtful, and analytic essays. As a literature course, it aims to develop students’ abilities to respond to, interpret, and analyze complex literary works and to appreciate literature as both art and representation. More specifically, as a writing course students will continue with many of the methods with which they became familiar in College Writing I. For instance, they will write multiple drafts, give and receive peer critique, and carefully edit their formal work. They will further develop their abilities to cite and incorporate others' work, and they will learn some of the methods that college students use to write about literature. As a literature course, it will not only develop students’ abilities to interpret-- make meaning of--literary texts, but it will also help students think and write about the context in which literary texts are written and read. In particular, students will consider the social, cultural, historical and political contexts that bear upon the production--the writing, publishing and disseminating--and reception of literary texts. Finally, students and instructors will ask basic questions about the role of literature: How does it function in individuals' lives? How does it function in school? And perhaps most importantly, how does it function in the culture at large? For the full course description of ENWR106 College Writing II, see pages 21 through 24 of the prefatory chapter of A Writer’s Reference.

The Specifics: What Classes Will Do Over the course of the semester, students will read a range of different literary genres, including fiction, poetry, and drama, written by a fairly diverse group of writers. They will approach these texts in four units. Each unit will begin with reading of literary texts and end with a sequence of essay drafts, culminating in a final essay, due at the end of each unit. During the reading portion of each unit, students will have homework and in-class activities aimed at developing their abilities of interpretation. They will receive feedback on their writing from peers and from their instructor, and will be offered opportunities to revise their work based on this feedback. The final unit will be the creation of the portfolio.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS/GRADING

 Class Participation, In-Class Writing, Homework, and Activities (15%)  Papers o Critical Essay 1 (10%) o Critical Essay 2 (15%) o Critical Essay 3 (15%) o Documented Essay (20%)  Portfolio (20%)  Live Lit ( 5%)

Class Participation, In-Class Writing, Homework, and Activities (15%) Homework is due, even when a student must be absent from class. Students are expected to come to class prepared: willing to be an active discussants and listeners, and willing to read from their own writing, occasionally. During class, students will be asked to write, respond to their peers' writing, and participate in small group and full class discussion.

Papers (60%) Four papers, with a minimum length of five pages each, are to be written over the course of the semester. In these papers students are expected to draw out some aspect of the literature that interests them and then develop a short, cogent response. For some essays students will have specific writing assignments; for others they will be expected to develop their own questions and arguments. Students may not submit book reports or plot summaries. They should focus on argument, interpretation, and analysis of the literary text(s). Paper four will be a documented essay, requiring some research and appropriate integration of secondary texts. Failure to hand in a paper assignment or the portfolio will result in a failing grade for the course.

Portfolio (20%) The portfolio assignment is intended as an opportunity for students to re-revise two of their papers. In addition, they will be required to write a two to three page reflective essay. The portfolio will be due on the date of the final exam, and will serve in lieu of an in-class exam.

Drafts Students will write four formal essays. Drafting and revision are critical to success in this class, and to that end, students must keep all drafts and feedback from the instructor, their classmates and from the Center for Writing Excellence (CWE). Because revision is such a central focus of this course, any missing drafts when the final paper is handed in will result in a grade no higher than a D.

Reading Student reading load will vary a little depending on what is being read, but students should expect to read between 50 and 75 pages a week during the reading portion of units. If students are not keeping up with the reading, as will be evident from class discussion and in-class writing, quick quizzes may be given.

Substantial work between drafts must also be evident. If students were given notes during a peer review, their effect on the student’s writing should be apparent. Spell-checking and format changes are not enough to constitute a new draft.

Attendance: Regular attendance is expected. In-class writing, discussion, and occasional lectures provide information and processes essential to understanding the texts and writing strong essays. Students are allowed two absences in this class: excuses are neither needed nor accepted. Every absence after the allowed two results in a half letter reduction of the final grade. Any student who enters the classroom after class has begun will be marked as ‘late’. Two ‘lates’ equals one absence. More than five absences will result in a failing grade for the class.

Plagiarism: The First-Year Writing Program at Montclair State University values students’ honest efforts in the classroom and as writers. Plagiarism is strongly discouraged and this class will educate you about what it is and how to avoid it. Should you choose to plagiarize—turning in written work as your own that you have copied from some other source, whether a website, print media, or even another student— [Your professor/I] will submit your plagiarized paper and the source materials from which you have plagiarized to the Student Conduct office and you will face disciplinary action from the University. [Your professor, I] additionally reserve(s) the right, when plagiarism is proven with documentation, to fail you for the semester. Should you be accused of plagiarism, you have the right to appeal the decision and also to request a meeting with your professor and the First-Year Writing program director, Dr. Jessica Restaino. In an effort to avoid this serious offense, please visit the First-Year Writing Program website to learn more about plagiarism and how you can avoid it, and be certain to ask [your professor/me] about any aspects of the issue that you do not understand.

Accommodations: Reasonable accommodations are available for students with a documented disability. If students require accommodations to fully participate in this class, they should visit the Disability Resource Center (DRC) to receive a letter for their instructor requesting accommodation. All requests must be approved by the DRC: (Morehead Hall 305, x5431, https://www.montclair.edu/health/drc/faculty.html)

Class Cancellation: If a class must be canceled due to an emergency, students will be contacted through a Blackboard announcement. It is important to frequently check email and Blackboard to remain informed on any class changes.

Live Lit: Students are required to attend one Live Lit! event this semester. For more information, see Live Lit link at http://www.montclair.edu/writing/. You will receive further information about the dates available to you and your responsibilities.

Formatting: See page Montclair-6 of A Writer's Reference, and sample student essays found therein, for proper formatting.

The rest of the syllabus can be found in the prefatory chapter of A Writer's Reference or under Course Documents on Blackboard. Students are responsible for reading that chapter carefully, paying particular attention to:  The Purpose of First Year Writing Courses and College Writing II  Guidelines and Expectations for First-Year Writing Courses at MSU including what constitutes a First, Second and Final draft.  Essay Criteria and Essay Grades: A – F papers  The Center for Writing Excellence located in the Sprague Library behind Café Diem (655-7442).

Essay Criteria A detailed description of the First-Year Writing Essay Criteria can be found in the A Writer's Reference, pages Montclair-8-9. The criteria are: Central claim, development, organization, analysis, and clarity of prose.

The Center for Writing Excellence (CWE) Students are encouraged to take advantage of the services offered by the Center for Writing Excellence, located on the first floor of the Library. More information about the CWE can be found in The Hacker handbook on pages 13-14. Their website can be found at: http://www.montclair.edu/cwe/ Note for instructors: this syllabus uses a different format than other course outlines. Here you are offered a number of choices of readings, which can work well together, and you choose which to use.

COURSE OUTLINE

Unit One: Family

Week 1: Family

Possible Readings and Study Questions:

- Tony Ardizzone, “My Mother’s Stories,” study questions: 1, 2, 11 125-6

- Simon Ortiz, “My Father’s Song,” study questions: 1,2 144

- Sherley Williams, “Say Hello to John,” study questions: 1,2,3 156

- Naomi Long Madgett, “Offspring,” study questions: 1,3 157

- John Edgar Wideman,” Little Brother,” study questions: 3,4

- Marie G. Lee, “My Two Dads,” study questions: 2,3

- Elias Miguel Munoz, “Little Sister Born in This Land,” study questions: 2, 3

- Afterword: “Setting” and “Characterization”

(Suggested pairing and lesson plan for first class)

In class: Read, Linda Hogan’s “Heritage” and William Saroyan’s “Najari Levon’s Old Country Advice to the Young Americans on How to Live With a Snake” in class and begin discussion of textual analysis. Use “Introduction,” “Representing the Literary Text,” and “Replying to the Text”(929-934) as well to discuss responding to literature.

Week 2: Family

- Cynthia Kadohata, “Charlie-O,” study questions: 1,2

- Li-Young Lee, “The Gift,” study questions: 3

- Jimmy Santiago Baca, “Ancestor,” study questions: 1, 5

- Simon Ortiz, “Speaking,” study questions: 1,2

- Rhoda Schwartz, “Old Photographs,” study questions: 2

- Eric Chock, “Chinese Fireworks Banned in Hawaii,”study questions: 1, 2,4 - Fenton Johnson, “The Limitless Heart,” study questions: 3

- Afterword: “Theme”

- “Writing About Texts,” A Writer’s Reference

In class: Discuss selected texts, continue conversation about how we define and interact with ideas of “Home.” Read “Explaining the Text” and discuss the differences between responding to a text and analysis. Introduction to short story and poetry analysis and “Theme.”

Distribute and discuss Essay #1 prompt. Use “From Topic to Rough Draft” and “Deciding What to Write About” to brainstorm essay ideas and begin prewriting.

Week 3: Drafting, Essay #1

In class: Use “From Rough Draft to Completed Paper,” and “A Summary of the Process” to discuss the drafting process as students revise and peer review first draft to middle draft and middle draft to final draft.

Writing Prompt:

This unit deals primarily with the idea of family—how individuals define it, the different family structures that exist, and the ways in which family can be influential in a person’s life. Along with these basic subtopics of family, this unit also incorporates issues like culture, race, gender and economic status into the discussion. Indeed, family is a complex notion, and its presence in our lives is integral to how we develop and process the world(s) around us. In this paper, you need to explore the concept of family through at least two of the works. You need to identify how the individual works define family and what particular facet of family life is discussed, and then identify how the works you’ve chosen speak to one another as well as the larger issue. In this first paper, you want to employ the literary analysis and close reading techniques that have been discussed in class. Root your central claim/argument in the texts, show where you see evidence of your claim, and be certain to clearly explain to your audience why and what about this issue is significant to a discussion of family.

Unit Two: Home and Fences

Week 4: Home

- Amy Tan, “A Pair of Tickets,” study questions: 2

- Luis Cabalquinto, “Hometown,” study questions: 1, 2

- Maurice Kenny, “Going Home,”study questions: 7

- Edward Hirsch, “In a Polish Home for the Aged (Chicago, 1983),” study questions: 1, 6

- Audre Lord, “Home,” study questions: 2, 4 - Elena Padilla, “Migrants: Transients or Settlers?,” study questions: 4, 5

- Edward Said, “Reflections on Exile,” study questions: 1, 3

- Afterword: “Point of View” and “Words”

In class: Literary analysis work, focus on theme of “Home” and discuss “Point of View” and “Words.”

Week 5: Fences

- David Leavitt, “A Place I’ve Never Been,” study questions: 1, 3

- Rita Mae Brown, “Sappho’s Reply,” study questions: 2

- Madeline Coopsammy, “In the Dungeon of My Skin,” study questions: 1, 2

- Cathy Song, “Lost Sister,” study questions: 2, 4, 5

- Laurence Thomas, “Next Life: I’ll Be White,” study questions: 1, 3

- Michelle Cliff, “If I could Write This in Fire I would Write This in Fire,” study questions: 1, 5

- Afterword: “Expectation” and “Conflict and Structure”

- “Constructing Reasonable Arguments,” A Writer’s Reference

In Class: Literary analysis work, focus on theme of “Fences” and discuss “Expectation” and “Conflict and Structure.”

Week 6: Drama

- August Wilson, Fences, study questions: 1, 2, 7, 8, 9

In class: Introduction to Drama.

In class: Read “Planning,” “Drafting,” and Revising sections of A Writer’s Reference. Class discussion of each as students work through each stage of the second drafting process.

Writing Prompt:

In your last paper, you worked with the idea of family. Home is often aligned closely with family, as family is commonly thought to be the way a house becomes a home. In this unit, we have considered what home means to different groups and individuals, as well as the concept of fences—an object that frequently encircles homes. In our readings, we have discussed the more social and metaphorical implications of fences, as well as homes. In this paper, you will need to choose at least one reading from either section and perform a close reading analysis of how the works come together to argue something about our idea of home and fences. The works might come together to make one similar claim or they might suggest different positions on a common issue. Your central claim must reflect the intricacies of the claims made by the chosen texts. Again, be certain to pay attention to the analytical and close reading techniques discussed in class and identify and clearly explain the significance of this issue.

Unit Three: Aliens and Crossing

Week 8: Aliens

Possible Readings and Study Questions

- Margaret Atwood, “The Man from Mars,” study questions: 1, 14, 20

- Mitsuye Yamada, “Looking Out”, study questions: 2

- Marcela Christine Lucero-Trujillo, “Roseville, Minn., U.S.A.,” study questions: 1, 2

- Sharon Olds, “On the Subway,” study questions: 3, 4

- Tato Laviera, “tito madera smith,” study questions: 1, 2, 3

- Perry Bass, “I Think the New Teacher’s a Queer,” study questions: 2, 3

- Etheridge Knight, “Hard Rock Returns to Prison from the Hospital for the Criminal Insane,” study questions:1, 3

- Leslie Marmon Silko, “[Long Time Ago],” study questions: 3, 4, 6

- Jack G. Shaheen, “The Media’s Image of Arabs, “ study questions: 1, 3

- Afterword: “Contexts” and “Myths and Symbols”

In class: Literary analysis, focus on theme of “Aliens” and discussion of “Contexts” and “Myths and Symbols.”

Week 9: Crossing

- Tobias Wolf, “Say Yes,” study questions: 3, 6

- Sandra Cisneros, “Bread,” study questions: 1, 4

- Wendy Rose, “Julia,” study questions: 1, 4

- Elizabeth Alexander, “West Indian Primer,” study questions: 2, 4

- Juliet Kono, “Sashimi,” study questions: 2, 3

- Michael Lassell, “How to Watch Your Brother Die,” study questions: 1, 2 - Lynn Nelson, “Sequence,” study questions: 1, 5

- Gogisgi, “Song of the Breed,” study questions: 2

- Cyn. Zarco, “Flipochinos,” study questions: 2

- Gary Soto, “Like Mexicans,” study questions: 2, 4

- Lynn Minton, “Is It Okay to Date Someone of Another Race?,” study questions: 2

- Alice Childress, “Wedding Band,” study questions: 6, 10, 12, 26

In class: Literary analysis, focus on “Crossing.”

Writing Prompt:

In our first two units, we analyzed the concepts of family and home and then introduced the idea of boundaries in the section about fences. In this unit, we turn to the concept of “aliens,” which speaks to a set notion of home/family v. others, and “crossing,” which ventures into what happens when we transgress the fences that have been established. Again, you are required to choose one text from either section. In addition, you need to incorporate a reading selection from one of the previous units that will help you to better develop your claim. Your central claim must reflect the arguments made within the texts chosen and identify and clearly state the significance of this issue to your audience.

Unit Four: Language and Beliefs

Week 11: Language

- James Alan McPherson, “I Am an American,” study questions: 5, 7

- Salli Benedict, “Tahotahontanekentseratkerontakwenhakie,” study questions: 1, 2

- Lorna Dee Cervantes, “Refugee Ship, “ study questions: 1, 3, 4

- Rita Dove, “Parsley,” study questions: 1, 4, 6

- Li-Young Lee, “Persimmons,” study questions: 1, 3

- Louise Erdrich, “Jacklight,” study questions: 1, 3

- Nora Dauenhauer, “Tlingit Concrete Poem,” study questions: 1, 2, 3

- Gloria Naylor, “Mommy, What Does ’Nigger’ Mean,” study questions: 2, 3

- Gustavo Perez-Firmat, “Limen,” study questions: 2

- Rudolph Chelminski, “Next to Brzesinski, Chelminski’s a Cinch,” study questions: 1 In class: Literary analysis, focus on “Language.”

Week 12: Beliefs

- Toshio Mori, “Abalone, Abalone, Abalone,” study questions: 4, 5, 6

- Helena Maria Viramontes, “The Moths,” study questions: 1, 5

- Louise Erdrich, “Fleur,” study questions: 1, 4, 5, 6

- Ishmael Reed, “I Am a Cowboy in the Boat of Ra,” study questions: 1, 2, 3

- Olive Senior, “Ancestral Poem,” study questions: 1, 4, 5

- Rafael Jesus Gonzales, “Sestina: Santa Prisca,” study questions: 1, 2, 3

- Alice Walker, “Revolutionary Petunias,” study questions: 1

- Cathy Song, “Heaven,” study questions: 1, 4

- Walter K. Lew, “Leaving Seoul: 1953,” study questions: 1, 3, 4

- Garrison Keillor, “Protestant,” study questions: 1, 2, 3

In class: Literary analysis, focus on “Beliefs.”

Writing Prompt:

We have explored the ways in which we create a sense of comfort, stability and security within our worlds and the ways in which these definitions can be challenged. In this unit, we turned to how we come to our definitions of home, family and other through our belief systems and the ways in which we reinforce or challenge established notions of these concepts through our language. In other words, this unit asked us to think about what informs our ways of thinking and how we actively create our worlds through language. In this paper, you need to choose two or three texts that speak to the same subject, but approach it from different perspectives. At least two texts must come from this unit, but you may draw from previous units for a work or two that help(s) to better develop your analysis. Be sure to do a close reading of all texts used and identify and clearly explain the significance of this issue (paying special attention to how multiple perspectives better elucidate the importance of this subject).

Week 14: Final Portfolio Review

Final Portfolio: Due on final exam date.

For instructors: link to final exam schedule for Spring 2013 is provided in order that you include the date on the course schedule section of the syllabus for portfolio collection. http://www.montclair.edu/search.php? cx=013071649588689602986%3Aoysu7zzbd1e&cof=FORID %3A11&q=spring+2013+exam+schedule&sa=Go