ADVANCED FIRST YEAR WRITING
(WRTG 1250)
Spring 2013
STADIUM 135
TR 12:30-1:45
Instructor: Kerry Reilly
E-Mail: (E-mail is usually the best way to reach me.)
Phone: (303) 492-3515
Office Location: Program for Writing and Rhetoric Building at 1338 Grandview Ave
Office Hours: Thursdays 2:30-4:30 and by appointment
COURSE OVERVIEW AND DELIVERY:
Advanced First Year Writing is designed to help you improve your writing, reading and critical- thinking skills. In this class, you will read many different types of essays and academic articles. You will study the ways writers use conventions such as voice, genre and form to appeal to different audiences. Like professional writers, you will develop strategies for brainstorming ideas and for researching, writing, revising and editing drafts. You will practice critiquing your own work, the work of your classmates and the work of published writers. You will also get a lot of practice using the CU library system. The goal of this class is to prepare you for writing assignments and writing-related activities you will encounter in college and beyond.
TEXTS:
-Knowing Words, edited by Erik Ellis and Lonni Pearce (Please purchase the current edition. Available at the CU Bookstore.)
-Essays I distribute in class.
-Essays I send to your Colorado.edu email address. Please print these and bring to class the days we are scheduled to discuss them.
-A hard-covered writer’s notebook. (Boulder Bookstore, CU Bookstore, Trident, Two Hands Paperie, McGuckins, Barnes and Noble and art supply stores have a variety of styles.) You will bring this notebook to every class, conference and workshop and I encourage you to carry it with you as often as possible.
ESSAYS:
You will write four essays for this class (approximately seven to ten pages each). On the day an essay is due, ALWAYS BRING FOUR COPIES. Over the course of the semester, you will be required to revise these pieces.
-Essay One: Narrative
This piece may or may not contain traditional research. Stylistic examples include: “Dinner at Uncle Boris’s” by Charles Simic, “Dumpling” by Angela Balcita and “If You Knew Then What I Know Now” by Ryan Van Meter
-Essay Two: Lyric Essay
Your lyric essay must contain some form of research. Examples include “Reading Philosophy at Night” by Charles Simic, “The Pain Scale” by Eula Biss, “Son of Mr. Green Jeans” by Dinty Moore, “LivingLike Weasels” by Annie Dillard
-Essay Three: Argumentative Essay
Choose a specific issue to discuss. Thoroughly research as many sides of the topic as you are able. Form a strong thesis. Build your argument to support the thesis. Anticipate and address opposition. Arrange your argument to produce the maximum effect on the reader. Document all sources using MLA style. See Knowing Words for examples.
-Essay Four: Non-Traditional Academic Essay
This is an essay that blurs the boundaries between “creative” and “academic” work. See the following quote and see “Time and Distance Overcome” by Eula Biss, “AfterYitzl” by Albert Goldbarth, “Manhood, Lorrain-Style” by Nick Kowalczyk, “Consider the Lobster” by David Foster Wallace, “You Be The Moon” by Amy Leach and “Total Eclipse” by Annie Dillard.
We tend to think of creative writers as different from academic writers. Indeed, there is an investment in maintaining the distinction between these genres of writing: one is meant to be legitimized as grounded in an epistemology of rigor, with residual traces of empiricism and objectivism, while the other is meant to entertain, move, and sensitize us to those deeper meanings we might gain from examining our lives and the lives of others.But what is at stake in maintaining, or blurring, the distinctions between the lyrical and the intellectual, between the fictional and the empirical, between creative and critical modes of inquiry and expression? At stake is the possibility to break out of academia’s traditional boundaries, to break these epistemic binaries, and to potentially create compelling visions and critiques that incite unruly imaginaries and connectivities.
-Aimee Carrillo-Rowe
Please note I will not accept work that is not stapled or fastened with a paper clip. I make no exceptions to this policy.
WORKSHOPS:
It is important for each of you to give and have plenty of feedback on your writing. We will have several small-group workshops in class and in my office. Once again, every time an essay is due, please bring four copies. You will exchange the copies with classmates and give one to me. Before your workshop meets, you will read the essay of each group member, write comments throughout, add a paragraph of comments at the end, then sign your name.
Make sure to bring a copy of your own essay to the workshops that meet in my office.
LIBRARY TUTORIAL, LIBRARY SEMINAR and RESEARCH CONSULTATIONS:
Early in the semester, you will be assigned several library tutorials. These tutorials are designed to help you become familiar with the library’s databases and stacks. They will also help you to discriminate among various types of sources and become a more skilled researcher. The tutorial will be available starting1/21/2013.
RIOT v.2 is available via Desire2Learn
To learn more about RIOT v.2, please visit the Writing Information Literacy community:
A student guide is located at:
You will also be required to attend a Library Seminar during one of our class sessions. (See details on daily schedule.)
Students may request a one-on-one research consultation at any time during the semester:.I encourage you to request a consultation for help with RIOT, research topics, library databases, keyword searching, and all other research needs.
PARTICIPATION AND QUALITY OF YOUR PRESENCE IN CLASS AND WORKSHOP:
It is important for everyone to participate in class discussions and workshops. If you are shy or quiet, I urge you to push yourself. You will get a lot more out of the class and so will the rest of us if everyone contributes.
Attendance is mandatory. Students who are absent must ask classmatesfor any handouts, information and assignments they have missed. If you have more than two unexcused absences, your grade will drop a letter with each additional absence. You will also be penalized for chronic lateness. Each lateness counts as half an absence.
I will not accept late or incomplete work, unless you have a medical excuse or an emergency.
Please make sure to turn off your cell phones before class begins. And please wait until after class or speak with me during office hours if you have something to tell me that only pertains to you. Examples include: “my printer broke” or “I have to miss class on Wednesday.”
TECHNOLOGY:
We will use many different types of technology, including slide and film projectors and laptops. Unless you are presenting something to the class, please keep your laptops closed and please do not text or check your mobile devices during class time. You are required to check your CU email account at least once a day and I will do the same. Please make sure to have the email addresses of several classmates because they may be able to collect handouts for you and get you up-to-speed if you are absent.
WRITING CENTER:
I encourage you to take advantage of the services offered at the Writing Center. The Writing Center is a place where students and faculty may go for help during all stages of the writing process. Make sure to make an appointment before you go. For more information, email . And check out the Writing Center home page:
GRADES:
Because this is a process course, I will not grade early drafts. I believe an obsession with grades often inhibits the desire to take risks and push yourselves in new ways. I also understand that grades are important to you. If at any point in the semester, you are concerned about how you are doing, don’t hesitate to make an appointment or stop by during my office hours.
To earn a top grade in this class, your work must:
-be ambitious and insightful
-be filled with clear and original thinking
-contain convincing support for major arguments
-contain correctly documented findings in current research
-be well organized
-be free of spelling and grammatical errors
To earn a top participation grade, you must:
-always bring the texts we are discussing on a given day
-come to class having carefully read the texts that are due
-participate freely in class discussions and workshops
-bring copies of your classmates’ essays AND a copy of your own essay to every workshop
-provide your classmates with thoughtful written and verbal feedback on their work
PERCENTAGES:
-Participation and Quality of Your Presence in Classes, Conferences and Workshops: 20%
-Drafts of essays: 40%
-Final Portfolio: 40%
(Approximately 30 revised pages from the semester and an introductory letter):
Must include:
A letter in which you introduce and critique each piece
Essay Four
At least two other essays from the semester
UNIVERSITY POLICIES
THE HONOR CODE:
All students at the University of Colorado, Boulder, are responsible for knowing and adhering to the academic integrity policy of this institution. Violations include: cheating, plagiarism, aid of academic dishonesty, fabrication, lying, bribery and threatening behavior. All incidents of academic misconduct shall be reported to the Honor Council. Students who are found to be in violation of the academic integrity policy will be subject to sanctions from the faculty member and non-academic sanctions (including but not limited to university probation, suspension, or expulsion).
See
I would like to add:
Plagiarism is the act, whether deliberate or unintentional, of passing off another author's work as your own. Plagiarizing all or part of a paper will result in an automatic failure for that paper and possibly failure for the course. Also, I will not accept papers you have written or are writing for other classes.
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CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR:
Students and faculty each have responsibility for maintaining an appropriate
learning environment. Those who fail to adhere to such behavioral standards may
be subject to discipline. Professional courtesy and sensitivity are especially
important with respect to individuals and topics dealing with differences of
race, color, culture, religion, creed, politics, veteran's status, sexual
orientation, gender, gender identity and gender expression, age, disability,
and nationalities. Class rosters are provided to the instructor with the
student's legal name. I will gladly honor your request to address you by an
alternate name or gender pronoun. Please advise me of this preference early in
the semester so that I may make appropriate changes to my records. See policies at
and at
RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS:
If you know you will miss class or not be able to make an assignment due date because of observation of a religious holiday, please contact me within the first two weeks of the semester so we can make accommodations. For more information:
DISABILITIES:
If you qualify for accommodation because of a disability, please submit to me a letter from Disability Services in a timely manner so that your needs can be addressed. Disability Services determines accommodations based on documented disabilities. Disabilities Services: 303-492-8671, Willard 332,
DISCRIMINATION AND HARRASSMENT:
The University of Colorado at Boulder Discrimination and Harassment Policy and
Procedures, the University of Colorado Sexual Harassment Policy and Procedures,
and the University of Colorado Conflict of Interest in Cases of Amorous
Relationships policy apply to all students, staff, and faculty. Any student,
staff, or faculty member who believes s/he has been the subject of sexual
harassment or discrimination or harassment based upon race, color, national
origin, sex, age, disability, creed, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran
status should contact the Office of Discrimination and Harassment (ODH) at
303-492-2127 or the Office of Student Conduct (OSC) at 303-492-5550.
Information about the ODH, the above referenced policies, and the campus
resources available to assist individuals regarding discrimination or
harassment can be obtained at
COLORADO COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION CRITERIA:
This introductory writing course is part of the statewide “Guaranteed Transfer” pathway of courses as defined by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education (CCHE) and fulfills your lower-division writing requirement within the College of Arts and Sciences at CU Boulder. As such, it addresses the following shared curricular goals:
- Rhetorical knowledge: Our readings, discussions and writing assignments will focus on enhancing your awareness of the choices available to a writer (or speaker) based upon the rhetorical situation, her/his intended audience(s) and her/his purpose.
- Writing processes: A fundamental aim of all introductory writing courses is to engage you in the processes of exploring your writing through multiple revisions, in consultation with other writers (e.g. students, teacher, Writing Center staff). We will also focus on: techniques for how to generate, develop, critique and refine ideas; how to effectively analyze, critique and edit your own and others’ writing; awareness of and facility with multiple avenues and technologies for conducting effective research, including online search engines, catalogue databases and subscription research databases; etc.
- Writing conventions: Through multiple drafts of scaffolded writing assignments, you will gain increased facility using appropriate conventions of written, academic language and form, including syntax, grammar, document formatting, and research and citation procedures appropriate to various disciplines.
- Effective communication strategies: Assignments in this class are intended to prepare you for effective participation in a variety of rhetorical communities, both in and beyond your university courses. In addition to standard forms of academic writing (e.g. analysis, persuasive argument, synthesis), we will also practice writing for a variety of other very practical occasions, from application essays and proposals, to letters to the editor, to professional or academic presentations. This will also engage you with a variety of relevant technologies, from electronic databases and search engines to PowerPoint and other presentational apparatus for engaging visual media effectively.
SCHEDULE
T 1/15
Introductions and syllabus
R 1/19
Read handout: “Odes” by Pablo Neruda
Bring to class: Writer’s notebook
In your notebook, list 100 ideas for odes you would like to write.
T 1/22
Read “If You Knew Then What I Know Now” by Ryan Van Meter (via email)
R 1/24
Read “Dumpling” by Angela Balcita (via email)
T 1/29
Read “The Love of My Life” by Cheryl Strayed (via email)
R 1/31
Due: Essay One. Please bring four copies.
T 2/5
Due: Complete Library Tutorial
Library Seminar (Class meets at Norlin Library)
R 2/7
Read “Son of Mr. Green Jeans” by Dinty Moore (via email)
T 2/12
Read “The Pain Scale” by Eula Biss (via email)
R 2/14
Read “Reading Philosophy at Night” by Charles Simic
T 2/19
Read excerpt from The Craft of Revision by Donald Murray and “Types of Research,” “Incorporating Sources,” “When Do Writers Research,” from Becky Bradaway and Doug Hesse’sCreating Nonfiction.
R 2/21
Read “Silent Dancing” by Judith Ortiz Cofer (via email)
T 2/26
Due: Essay Two. Please bring four copies.
R 2/28
Small Group Workshops
Please make sure to:
- Read the essays of your group-members.
- Write comments throughout.
- Write a paragraph of comments at the end of the essay and sign your name.
- Bring a copy of your own essay. (We will not hold a workshop for your essay if you do not bring your own copy.)
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T 3/5
Read “After Yitzl” by Albert Goldbarth (via email)
R 3/7
Due: Revised Essay One or Two
Please send via email to your group members.
I will be in Boston for the 2013 AWP Conference.
Class will not meet.
T 3/12
Due: Essays of group members with comments throughout and a paragraph of comments at the end.
R 3/14
Due: Annotated Bibliography.
T 3/19
Due: Essay Three. Please bring four copies.
R 3/21
Conferences. I will pass around a sign-up sheet. Class will not meet at the regular time.
SPRING BREAK
T 4/2
Read “Transubstantiation” by Ander Monson (via email)
R 4/4
Read “Total Eclipse” by Annie Dillard (via email)
T 4/9
Read “Consider the Lobster” by David Foster Wallace (via email)
R 4/11
Bring to class:
-a clean, one-sided copy of an essay for a revision workshop
-scissors
-scotch tape
T 4/16
Read: “Time and Distance Overcome” by Eula Biss (via email)
R 4/18
Read: “You Be the Moon” by Amy Leach
T 4/23
Read: “Two Accidents: Reflections on Chance and Creativity” by Lewis Hyde
R 4/25
Due: Essay Four Draft. Please bring four copies.
T 4/30
Conferences. I will pass around a sign-up sheet.
R 5/2
Portfolio and Final Reading.
Please select a passage of your work to read aloud to the class. This may be from an essay, a review, a freewrite or even your portfolio letter.