E 349S / LAH 350: David Foster Wallace Fall 2012 T, TH 12:30–1:45 | CAL 419 Unique #35465 / 30063 sites.la.utexas.edu/dfw12fall Professor HeatHer Houser office: PAR 228, 471.8766 email: [email protected] hours: T 1:45-4:45 or by appt. COURSE OVERVIEW & PROMISES This course covers tHe truncated career of David Foster Wallace (1962-2008), one of tHe Most examined and lauded autHors of His generation. We will read all of Infinite Jest (fasten your seat belts!) along with essays, short stories, and selections froM His otHer two novels, Broom of the System and The Pale King. The following questions will Motivate tHe course: ⋅ What is Wallace's project for a new fiction? What is Wallace's place in late 20th-century US literary history? ⋅ What are His positions on conteMporary culture, Media, and technology in tHe US? Can particular ways of reading and writing intervene in tHese doMains? ⋅ How can tHe individual navigate tHe onslaugHt of inforMation in tHe 20th-21st centuries througH literature? By the end of the seMester, you'll be able to: ⋅ Read analytically across an autHor's body of work, and craft probing questions that participate in debates about his oeuvre. ⋅ Create compelling written responses to these questions by close reading, conducting careful researcH (if you cHoose), and integrating textual evidence. ⋅ Articulate opinions about the state and direction of conteMporary fiction based on Wallace's contributions to it. ⋅ Assess and revise your own and classMates' writing througH peer review. My goal is for you to learn, Make discoveries, Have fun, and produce tHe best work possible. Please meet witH me if you Have concerns about your learning or are struggling witH an assignment. REQUIRED BOOKS Books at the University Co-Op. Packet at Jenn's Copies for $12.00 (2200 Guadalupe St., 473.8669). If you prefer to download readings instead of buying the packet, you must bring theM to class. Course Packet (also on Blackboard and blog) All by David Foster Wallace Brief Interviews with Hideous Men Consider the Lobster and Other Essays Girl with Curious Hair Infinite Jest The Pale King A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again E 349S Honors. david foster wallace. fall 2012. prof Houser syllabus 2 EVALUATION I calculate your grade on a 1000-point scale that I convert to a letter grade at tHe end of tHe terM. NuMbers accord witH letter grades as follows. (UT doesn't recognize the grade of A+.) A = 940-1000 points C = 740-769.999 A- = 900-939.999 C- = 700-739.999 B+ = 870-899.999 D+ = 670-699.999 B = 840-869.999 D = 640-669.999 B- = 800-839.999 D- = 600-639.999 C+ = 770-799.999 F = 0-599.999 RESPONSIBILITIES I evaluate your tHinking and learning tHrougH tHe activities below. Unless I announce otHerwise, all reading and written work is due in class on the due date. I'll provide guidelines for the assignMents at least two weeks before tHey're due. ACTIVITY DUE POINTS Preparation + Participation Always 150 This is a seMinar. It thrives when everyone shows up and exchanges ideas. Here's How you participate fully: ⋅ Actively read texts before class. That means: note the language, voice, and structure of tHe text; respond to passages that strike or trouble you; ask questions. Listen to others and contribute ideas and questions. Do in- ⋅ class writing and lead group work when relevant. ⋅ Once during tHe seMester, introduce tHe day's reading and facilitate discussion. Class Blog Throughout 10 posts (250-300 words) required. More invited. semester. See 100 schedule 10 coMMents (at least 100 words) on anotHer's post eacH tiMe posts are due. Read all posts before coming to class on the day they're due. 2 Short Essays (draft + revision) Paper #1 (1000-1200 words) Draft: T 9/18 Final: T 9/25 150 Paper #2 (1000-1200 words) Draft: TH 10/11 Final: TH 10/18 150 Final Essay (draft + revision) 1. Prospectus (~1 page) T 10/30 50 2. Essay (3000-3500 words) T 12/11 300 3. Presentation T 12/4, TH 12/6 100 revised 8.29.12 E 349S Honors. david foster wallace. fall 2012. prof Houser syllabus 3 SCHEDULE OF READINGS & ASSIGNMENTS1 C = Course packet, on Blackboard, and blog SFT = A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again GwCH = Girl with Curious Hair CL = Consider the Lobster IJ = Infinite Jest BIHM = Brief Interviews with Hideous Men READINGS ASSIGNMENT DUE Meet w/ professor TH this week & next 8/30 ⋅ Beginnings: What We Like, WHat We Are Like Week 1 (optional) InforMation sHeet T Review syllabus, 9/4 ⋅ "A Supposedly Fun Thing…" (SFT) assignMents Week 2 TH "E Unibus PluraM" (SFT) ⋅ Blog 1 9/6 ⋅ "Interview witH DFW," Larry McCaffery (C) ⋅ "Lost in tHe FunHouse," JoHn Barth (C) T Student-led 9/11 ⋅ "Octet" (BIHM) Facilitations begin ⋅ "Lyndon" (GWCH) Week 3 TH ⋅ Broom of the System (handout) Blog 2 9/13 ⋅ "JosepH Frank on Dostoevsky" (CL) T ⋅ *Harry Ransom Center Visit Draft Paper #1 9/18 Meet in Lobby of HRC Week 4 TH Peer Letters 9/20 ⋅ Peer Review WorksHop ⋅ "Brief Interview #20" (BIHM) T "Consider tHe Lobster" (CL) ⋅ Final Paper #1 9/25 ⋅ "Incarnations of Burned CHildren" (C) ⋅ "Good Old Neon" (C) Week 5 "How to Read Infinite Jest" TH ⋅ (infinitesuMMer.org/arcHives/215) 9/27 ⋅ Infinite Jest (1-68 + notes)2 1 I may have to alter tHe reading scHedule sligHtly. If you Miss class, you're responsible for finding out about schedule changes as well as tHe content of class discussion. 2 Always read the endnotes as you go. Don't save tHem until tHe end. revised 8.29.12 E 349S Honors. david foster wallace. fall 2012. prof Houser syllabus 4 T Blog 3 10/2 ⋅ IJ (68-156) Week 6 TH 10/4 ⋅ IJ (157-227, stop after "CV") T ⋅ IJ (227-317) Blog 4 10/9 ⋅ skiM "Host" (CL) Draft Paper #2 Week 7 TH (independent peer 10/11 ⋅ IJ (317-379, stop at "…deep") review) T IJ (380-469) ⋅ Blog 5 10/16 ⋅ "The Intentional Fallacy," WiMsatt & Beardsley (C) Week 8 TH ⋅ *Harry Ransom Center Visit Final Paper #2 10/18 Meet in Lobby of HRC T IJ (470-549) ⋅ Blog 6 10/23 ⋅ "Forever OverHead" (BIHM) Week 9 TH 10/25 ⋅ IJ (550-648) Blog 7 T Final Essay 10/30 ⋅ IJ (648-719, stop at "…stones") Prospectus Week 10 TH 11/1 ⋅ IJ (719-785) T Blog 8 11/6 ⋅ IJ (785-845) TH Week 11 11/8 ⋅ IJ (845-916, stop at "…lattice") T Blog 9 11/13 ⋅ IJ (916-981) ⋅ Lipsky, "Lost Years & Last Days of DFW" (C) TH ⋅ D.T. Max, "THe UnfinisHed" (C) Week 12 11/15 ⋅ George Saunders, "InforMal ReMarks…" (C) ⋅ Kenyon College CoMMencement Address (handout) T Blog 10 11/20 ⋅ The Pale King (5-6, 31-45, 68-87, 156-254) Week 13 TH THANKSGIVING – NO CLASS 11/22 travel safely. eat well revised 8.29.12 E 349S Honors. david foster wallace. fall 2012. prof Houser syllabus 5 T ⋅ The Pale King (255-311, 378-387, 412-416, 446-511, 539- Draft Final Essay 11/27 540) Week 14 TH Peer Letters 11/29 ⋅ Peer Review WorksHop T 12/4 ⋅ Presentations TH Week 15 12/6 ⋅ Presentations T Final Essay due (5pm, PAR 228) Finals 12/11 TECH DEVICES No pHones or laptops allowed. Tablets perMitted for taking notes and consulting readings only. I'll ban their use for everyone if I see anyone tweeting, emailing, facebooking, sHopping, browsing, etc. HONOR CODE I invite discussion and excHange outside of class, but you Must abide by the Honor Code, wHicH reads: "THe core values of THe University of Texas at Austin are learning, discovery, freedoM, leadership, individual opportunity, and responsibility. EacH meMber of tHe University is expected to upHold these values througH integrity, Honesty, trust, fairness, and respect toward peers and comMunity." Plagiarizing and claiMing credit for otHers' work Have serious consequences. Plagiarizing means using any words or ideas tHat are not your own witHout citing tHem. I encourage you to go tHrougH the library tutorial on plagiarisM: www.lib.utexas.edu/services/instruction/learningModules/plagiarisM/index.HtMl. If you aren't sure what constitutes dishonorable conduct, please ask me or consult the AcadeMic Integrity site: deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs/acint_student.php ABSENCES & LATE WORK Attendance and participation are mandatory. After 3 absences, your final grade will drop 50 points (out of 1000) and continue to go down witH eacH additional absence. After 9 absences, you cannot receive credit for the course. Habitual lateness will also lower your grade. If you Have an illness or other eMergency, please contact Me iMMediately. If you're struggling witH an assignMent, request an extension at least two days before the deadline. For every day tHat an assignMent is late, I reduce your grade by 1/3 (a B+ would becoMe a B). Special note on religious Holy days: By UT Austin policy, you Must notify Me of your pending absence at least 14 days prior to the date of an observed holy day. If you Miss a class or an assignment, you'll be able to coMplete the Missed work within a reasonable tiMe after the absence. EMAIL PROTOCOL Email is our priMary Means of comMunication outside of class so check it daily for announceMents, revised 8.29.12 E 349S Honors. david foster wallace. fall 2012. prof Houser syllabus 6 and I'll respond to your messages in a timely manner in turn. Address eMails in a respectful Manner.