JOUR 593: Arts Criticism and Commentary
3 Units
Spring 2018– Fridays – 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Section: 21688D
Location: ANN 408
Instructor: Tim Page
Office:ASC 121-A
Office Hours: Upon Request.
Contact Info: or 443-844-5410
I. Course Description
This is a continuation of JOUR 591, in which you will continue to become a first-class writer, expressing ever more complicated and subtle ideas in the most varied critical forms. All your assignments will be edited by both the class and the teacher. I am not interested in imposing my voice on you, but rather in helping you express yourself with clarity and cultivation.I want to turn you into essayists. A reminder that this is NOT a first-draft course. It is a third-draft, fourth-draft, anywhere up to and beyond tenth draft course. Your writing will be judged on your elegant use of the English language – word by word, sentence by sentence, paragraph by paragraph. By the end of the course you will be writing solid personal and journalistic papers, and some of them will be worthy of publication.
II. Overall Learning Objectives and Assessment
1. Acquaint students with the craft of arts criticism, with distinguished examples from the past and present, placing an emphasis on elegant and persuasive writing about many different genres.
2. Encourage students to have the courage of their convictions, while making it clear that such convictions should be backed up by facts and personal experience (good criticism is much more than a litany of cavalier “likes” and “dislikes”). Work will be read aloud and subjected to on-the-spot reaction, by fellow students, visitors and the instructor.
3. Enhance students’ critical thinking and train them to express themselves quickly, astutely and (wherever possible and appropriate) with a modicum of wit on familiar and unfamiliar works of art. An emphasis will be placed on developing the personal voice, an essential for any budding critic.
4. Develop students’ abilities to write from both inside and outside of a cultural milieu; to be able to be more of an expert about the art they already know and, also, to be able to experience the unknowns with a well-equipped tough mind and open heart.
5. By the end of the class, students should be able to write critical articles worthy of publication in a variety of periodicals. A longer, research-based yet still distinctly subjective article will be another requirement of the class.
III. Description of Assignments
Attendance is mandatory. Please notify the course instructor if you will miss a class or a deadline on account of illness or other serious reason.
Course work for another teacher or for anything to do with publication on Annenberg sites is never an excuse.
1. The Art of Gentlemanly Discourse by Geoffrey Parsons and Virgil Thomson (memos from the arts editor of the New York Herald Tribune and his brilliant but unseasoned new music critic) will be read in class and discussed on January 12. Assignment: In Parsons’ spirit, write a 700-word memo to a contemporary arts critic of your own choosing, pretending you are his or her editor and informing that critic exactly what he or she is doing right and wrong. Choose three specific reviews on which to concentrate, although you may refer to earlier writings if they are germane. Twenty percent of the final grade. The paper will be due the following week, January 19.
2. A 750-word critical review of a film, which will be shown in class #4 (February 2). Pay careful attention to details; be sure you know the correct spelling of the artists’ names. Factual accuracy counts and your work will be returned if the basic questions of who, what, where and when are unanswered. The “why” is your chance to soar. Strive to be dynamic, to reflect through tone and syntax the art you saw or heard. Resist imagining what could have been. And let your instincts be in line with your convictions, but know why you have those convictions. Twenty percent of the final grade. Due on February 9.
3. Flash writing – two in-class assignments during a limited time. This will test your deadline skills. Presented in class on February 23. The assignments will be read on March 2. 15 percent of your grade.
4. Most of March will be devoted to your theses. However we will also be discussing an intellectual autobiography which will lead us into April. I want you to read some of Henry Adams’ “The Education of Henry Adams” and we will add some other readings that will be handed out in class. Tell us about how you ended up finishing a master degree in arts journalism at USC – from the beginning of your interest through the present day. The autobiography will be due on April 13. 30 percent of your final grade.
IV. Grading
a. Breakdown of Grade.
85 percent of your grade will be on the papers described above. 15 percent of that grade will be based on class participation. (THIS NEEDS TO BE BROKEN OUT IN CHART FORM FOR ABSOLUTE CLARITY.
Parsons’ Spirit Memo (700-words) / 20%
Critical Review of a Film (750-word) / 20%
Flash Writing / 30% (15% per assignment)
Autobiography / 30%
TOTAL / 100%
b. Grading Scale
Given my druthers, this would be a pass/fail class. In such a subjective field, it is very hard to quantify your grade. Please think of this as a calm spot in the middle of your harried week, where the essentials of criticism – ideals and beauty of language – may be discussed, far above the world. Attendance, printing your work out before class, turning in assignments on time, and personal progress in the quality of your work is essential. The more successfully you manage to fulfill these duties, the better.I will let you know if there is a problem – and I will be accessible to you if you feel as though you are falling behind. Contact me anytime.
c. Grading Standards
All assignments will be edited on a professional basis and you will be judged first on the elegance, poetry, tone and persuasiveness of your work. Factual errors are impermissible.
“A” storiesare thoughtful, well-argued and eloquent papers that have at least a touch of personal brilliance.
"A-" storiesareaccurate, clear, comprehensive stories that are well written and require only minor copyediting.I expect most class papers to be at least on this level.
"B" stories are routine but still decently professional stories that could likely be published in a blog or a magazine or newspaper.
“C” storiesneed considerable editing or rewriting and/or have many spelling, style or omission errors.More to the point, they will not possess much in the way of spark or original thinking.
“F” storieswill have one of the following, fatal flaws:
• Fabricating a story or making up quotes or information.
• Plagiarizing a script/article, part of a script/article or information from any source.
• Staging video or telling interview subjects what to say.
• Using video shot by someone else and presenting it as original work.
• Shooting video in one location and presenting it as another location.
• Using the camcorder to intentionally intimidate, provoke or incite a person or a group of people to elicit more “dramatic” video.
• Promising, paying or giving someone something in exchange for doing an interview either on or off camera.
• Missing a deadline without a valid excuse.
V. Laptop Policy
All undergraduate and graduate Annenberg majors and minors are required to have a PC or Apple laptop that can be used in Annenberg classes. Please refer to the Annenberg Digital Loungefor more information. To connect to USC’s Secure Wireless network, please visit USC’s Information Technology Serviceswebsite.
You are not permitted to use your laptops or phones for any reason in class unless given specific permission.
VI. Add/Drop Dates for Session 001 (15 weeks: 1/8/18 – 4/27/18)
Friday, January 26: Last day to register and add classes for Session 001
Friday, January 26: Last day to drop a class without a mark of “W,” except for Monday-only classes, and receive a refund for Session 001
Tuesday, January 30: last day to drop a Monday-only class without a mark of “W” and receive a refund for Session 001Friday, February 23: Last day to drop a course without a mark of “W” on the transcript. [Please drop any course by the end of week three (or the week three equivalent for short sessions) to avoid tuition charges.]
Friday, April 6: Last day to drop a class with a mark of “W” for Session 001
Topics/Daily Activities / Readings and Homework / Deliverable/Due DatesWeek 1
Date: 1/12 / Opening class – discussion of what we learned in first semester. Catching up. / Virgil Thomson: The Musical Scene / Creation of a memo to a working critic, after the fashion of Geoffrey Parsons. Due next week.
Week 2
Date: 1/19 / Memos to critics – reading in class. / Copies of original articles and memos printed for everybody in class.
Week 3
Date: 1/26 / Finish memos to critics – class reading.
Week 4
Date: 2/2 / Unfamiliar film in class for review. / 750-word review of an unfamiliar film. Due next week.
Week 5
Date: 2/9 / Film assignment due – read articles in class. / Copies for everybody in class, please!
Week 6
Date: 2/16 / Conclude reading of film review in class.
Week 7
Date: 2/23 / Two in-class assignments, presented during our meeting. / Take what you have written in class and improve and focus it. Due next week.
Week 8
Date: 3/2 / Read finished in-class assignment.
Week 9
Date: 3/9 / Finish reading the in-class assignments. / Read as much of you can of Henry Adams: “The Education of Henry Adams.” It is available on archive.org. It is not necessary to read the entire book but get a sense of the writing and the unusual third-person narrative voice. There will also be readings handed out in the class, including the introduction to Thomas Pynchon’s “Slow Learner.” Due after Spring Break.
Date: 3/12-3/16 / No Classes / [Spring Break]
Week 10
Date: 3/23 / Discuss Pynchon and Adams readings and discuss intellectual autobiographies in general / Make an outline of your intellectual autobiography for next week.
Week 11
Date: 3/30 / Thesis time over, we continue with the intellectual autobiography. / Start to work on OK’d outlines of the intellectual autobiography. / Please have your outline ready for discussion and clearance.
Week 12
Date: 4/6 / First draft of intellectual autobiography due. 5000 words
Week 13
Date: 4/13 / Reading of intellectual autobiographies. / Intellectual autobiographies due – complete and corrected.
Week 14
Date: 4/20 / Reading of intellectual autobiographies.
Week 15
Date: 4/27 / A study of interpretation. “I Never Said She Stole My Money.” / Is the text an exact guide to performance? Listening to classic songs and cover versions.
FINAL EXAM
Date: 5/7, 8-10 a.m. / TBA / No final paper this year – we will have some sort of exam that is fitting for our class.
VII. Policies and Procedures
Internships
The value of professional internships as part of the overall educational experience of our students has long been recognized by the School of Journalism. Accordingly, while internships are not required for successful completion of this course, any student enrolled in this course that undertakes and completes an approved, non-paid internship during this semester shall earn academic extra credit herein of an amount equal to 1 percent of the total available semester points for this course. To receive instructor approval, a student must request an internship letter from the Annenberg Career Development Office and bring it to the instructor to sign by the end of the third week of classes. The student must submit the signed letter to the media organization, along with the evaluation form provided by the Career Development Office. The form should be filled out by the intern supervisor and returned to the instructor at the end of the semester. No credit will be given if an evaluation form is not turned into the instructor by the last day of class. Note: The internship must by unpaid and can only be applied to one journalism class.
Statement on Academic Conduct and Support Systems
a. Academic Conduct
Plagiarism
Presenting someone else’s ideas as your own, either verbatim or recast in your own words - is a serious academic offense with serious consequences. Please familiarize yourself with the discussion of plagiarism in SCampus in Section 11, Behavior Violating University Standards Other forms of academic dishonesty are equally unacceptable. See additional information in SCampus and university policies on scientific misconduct,
USC School of Journalism Policy on Academic Integrity
The following is the USC Annenberg School of Journalism’s policy on academic integrity and repeated in the syllabus for every course in the school:
“Since its founding, the USC School of Journalism has maintained a commitment to the highest standards of ethical conduct and academic excellence. Any student found plagiarizing, fabricating, cheating on examinations, and/or purchasing papers or other assignments faces sanctions ranging from an ‘F’ on the assignment to dismissal from the School of Journalism. All academic integrity violations will be reported to the office of Student Judicial Affairs & Community Standards (SJACS), as per university policy, as well as journalism school administrators.”
In addition, it is assumed that the work you submit for this course is work you have produced entirely by yourself, and has not been previously produced by you for submission in another course or Learning Lab, without approval of the instructor.
b. Support Systems
Student Counseling Services (SCS) – (213) 740-7711 – 24/7 on call
Free and confidential mental health treatment for students, including short-term psychotherapy, group counseling, stress fitness workshops, and crisis intervention. engemannshc.usc.edu/counseling
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1 (800) 273-8255
Provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention Services (RSVP) – (213) 740-4900 – 24/7 on call
Free and confidential therapy services, workshops, and training for situations related to gender-based harm. engemannshc.usc.edu/rsvp
Sexual Assault Resource Center
For more information about how to get help or help a survivor, rights, reporting options, and additional resources, visit the website: sarc.usc.edu
Office of Equity and Diversity (OED)/Title IX Compliance – (213) 740-5086
Works with faculty, staff, visitors, applicants, and students around issues of protected class. equity.usc.edu
Bias Assessment Response and Support
Incidents of bias, hate crimes and microaggressions need to be reported allowing for appropriate investigation and response. studentaffairs.usc.edu/bias-assessment-response-support
The Office of Disability Services and Programs
Provides certification for students with disabilities and helps arrange relevant accommodations. dsp.usc.edu
Student Support and Advocacy – (213) 821-4710
Assists students and families in resolving complex issues adversely affecting their success as a student EX: personal, financial, and academic. studentaffairs.usc.edu/ssa
Diversity at USC
Information on events, programs and training, the Diversity Task Force (including representatives for each school), chronology, participation, and various resources for students. diversity.usc.edu
USC Emergency Information
Provides safety and other updates, including ways in which instruction will be continued if an officially declared emergency makes travel to campus infeasible. emergency.usc.edu
USC Department of Public Safety – UPC: (213) 740-4321 – HSC: (323) 442-1000 – 24-hour emergency or to report a crime. Provides overall safety to USC community. dps.usc.edu
VIII. About Your Instructor
Tim Page is a writer, editor, producer and educator, and a professor in both the Thornton School of Music and the Annenberg School of Journalism. He won the Pulitzer Prize for criticism in 1997 for his writings in the Washington Post. As a child, he was the subject of a short documentary, "A Day With Timmy Page," that chronicled his early interest in filmmaking. He enjoyed an 11-year association with WNYC-FM, where he presented an afternoon program that broadcast interviews with hundreds of composers and musicians, including Aaron Copland, Virgil Thomson, Dizzy Gillespie, Glenn Gould, Philip Glass, Steve Reich and Meredith Monk. He later founded and directed Catalyst, a record company devoted to new and unusual music, for BMG. He is the author or editor of more than 20 books, including “Dawn Powell: A Biography,” “Tim Page on Music,” “The Glenn Gould Reader” and a memoir, “Parallel Play.” He has assembled four collections for the Library of America and lectured at the Library of Congress. He is the most recent historian of Carnegie Hall.