College Writing 110 Fall 2014 Advanced Composition: Challenging Writing

MWF 10-11 175 Dinelle

!teve "olle#son $##ice: M1% Wheeler %42-&%07 tolle#'(er)ele*+ed,
$##ice -o,rs: MW 11-12 and (* appointment
Introduction to the Course:
"his riting or)shop ill o##er *o, an opport,nit* to rite essa*s and other non#iction prose that spea) (oth
personall* and politicall* to the iss,es and a,diences *o, ish to address+ While the #orm .that is/ c,lt,ral
criti0,e/ research/ narrative1 ill (e set/ the topic ill (e *o,rs+
"he readings ill #oc,s on the rhetorical strategies o# riters ho have ,sed the essa* as a c,lt,ral #orm/ (oth to
e2press and to challenge the norms o# the time and place in hich the* live+ As a riter/ *o, ill do a lot o#
e2plorator* riting (e#ore *o, get to *o,r #inal dra#t+ "he dra#ting process ill re0,ire (oth in-class and o,t-o#-
class riting+ 3sing Writing with Power/ *o, ill develop techni0,es #or (oth giving and receiving #eed(ac)
#rom *o,r #ello riters+ "his is a or)shop co,rse/ hich means e ill spend a great deal o# time as a gro,p
.sometimes o# the hole class/ sometimes o# smaller gro,ps1 reading/ anal*4ing/ and critici4ing+
5t6s hard or)+++and 5 hope a lot o# #,n+
Prerequisites: 7 8 C re0,irement m,st (e #,l#illed
"his class #,l#ills the Arts and 9iterat,re and -,manities :readth 7e0,irement/ and a Creative Writing Minor
re0,irement+
Required Texts:
;Writing ith <oer/= <eter >l(o .one o# the great (oo)s a(o,t riting1
"his is availa(le as an e(oo)/ lin)ed on o,r (!pace page+ $r *o, can (,* an*here online+ 5 did not p,t in an
order #or them at the (oo)store+
?"elling "r,e !tories: A @on#iction WritersA B,ide #rom the @ieman Fo,ndation at -arvard 3niversit*/= Mar)
Cramer + A!3C might have copies/ (,t *o,All pro(a(l* have to order #rom Ama4on+
Co,rse 7eader: Availa(le at 3niversit* Cop* .2425 Channing Wa*1 or online+
Brammar Brams .a (rie# grammar (oo)1 on (Co,rses
Requirements:
Do, m,st attend class reg,larl* and on time/ ith or) in hand+ "his class depends on the #,ll participation o# all
mem(ers+
Do, m,st (e illing to listen to and consider s,ggestions #rom the other riters in the class as ell as #rom me+
Accommodations for students with disabilities: Please see me as soon as
possible if you need particular accommodations, and we will work out the
necessary arrangements.
Academic Integrity: Berkeley Honor Code
http://www.asuc.org/honorcode/index.php: "As a member of the UC Berkeley
community, act with honesty, integrity, and respect for others."
Plagiarism: From the Report of the Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism Subcommittee
!une "#, $%%&
Any test, paper or report submitted by you and that bears your name is presumed to be
your own original work that has not previously been submitted for credit in another course
unless you obtain prior written approval to do so from your instructor.
In all of your assignments, including your homework or drafts of papers, you may use
words or ideas written by other individuals in publications, web sites, or other sources, but
only with proper attribution. Proper attribution means that you have fully identifed the
original source and etent of your use of the words or ideas of others that you reproduce
in your work for this course, usually in the form of a footnote or parenthesis.
As a general rule, if you are citing from a published source or from a web site and the quotation is short (up to a
sentence or two) place it in quotation marks; if you employ a longer passage from a publication or web site, please
indent it and use single spacing. In both cases, be sure to cite the original source in a footnote or in parentheses.
If you are not clear about the expectations for completing an assignment or
taking a test or examination, be sure to seek clarifcation from your instructor
or GSI beforehand.
!inally, you should keep in mind that as a member of the campus community, you are
epected to demonstrate integrity in all of your academic endeavors and will be evaluated
on your own merits. "o be proud of your academic accomplishments and help to protect
and promote academic integrity at #erkeley. $he conse%uences of cheating and academic
dishonesty & including a formal discipline fle, possible loss of future internship,
scholarship, or employment opportunities, and denial of admission to graduate school &
are simply not worth it.
From the Report of the Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism Subcommittee
!une "#, $%%&
'he College (riting Program has a )ero*tolerance policy regarding plagiarism.
+tudents who submit plagiari)ed work will be sub,ect to conse-uences ranging from a
grade of ./0 on the assignment to suspension from the Uni1ersity.
According to the campus Code of +tudent Conduct http:22sa.berkeley.edu2code*of*
conduct "Plagiarism is de3ed as the use of intellectual material produced by another
person without acknowledging its source. 'his includes, but is not limited to:
4a.5 Copying from the writings or works of others into one6s academic assignment
without attribution, or submitting such work as if it were one6s own7
4b.5 Using the 1iews, opinions, or insights of another without acknowledgment7 or
4c.5 Paraphrasing the characteristic or original phraseology, metaphor, or other literary
de1ice of another without proper attribution."
"he dra#ting and revision process ill re0,ire (oth in-class and o,t-o#-class riting/ incl,ding a n,m(er o#
e2ercises designed to oil *o,r creative machiner*/ e2pand *o,r riting hori4ons/ and introd,ce *o, to ne
methods o# generating ideas and creating essa*s+ All assigned riting m,st (e completed+ Complete credit #or an
essa* is not onl* (ased on the #inal prod,ct itsel#/ (,t on all preliminar* assignments and participation in dra#t
or)shops+
Grading: "here are three maEor riting proEects: the #irst ill co,nt #or 25F/ the second #or &0F/ and the #inal
#or &5F o# *o,r grade+ Altho,gh 5 consider all three assignments to (e e0,al/ this allos #or the #act that as e
#oc,s on riting/ *o,r riting sho,ld (e getting stronger thro,gho,t the semester+ "he remaining 10F is #or class
participation+
You will also keep a notebook+ !ome people call them Eo,rnals/ (,t that6s #ancier and more organi4ed than 5 can
(e/ and 5 can6t as) *o, to do more than 5 am capa(le o#+ 5n the note(oo)/ hoever/ 5 o,ld li)e *o, to ma)e
some notes .comments1 a(o,t each reading *o, do and each piece o# riting+ :,t more important/ 5 ant *o, to
carr* the note(oo) ith *o,/ so that hen something stri)es *o,/ *o, can Eot it don: ideas #or riting/ great
lines/ 0,otes/ re#erences+ 5 o#ten #ind m*sel# most a(sor(ed in m* riting hen 56m listening to a lect,re or
attending a meeting+ And i# 5 p,ll o,t a piece o# paper/ it E,st loo)s li)e 56m ta)ing notes+ "r* the same thing/ (,t
ith *o,r note(oo)+
<lease #or *o,rsel# )eep some )ind o# #older ith everything *o, rite in it+
Summar o! "riting Pro#ects
"he three riting proEects #or this semester #all loosel* into the #olloing categories: researchG#ieldor)/
narrative/ and arg,mentGpers,asion+ As m,ch as possi(le/ the readings ill #oc,s on those areas/ and 56ll assign
additional readings #or each+ $,r disc,ssions in class ill #oc,s on the readings and hat e learn #rom them
a(o,t the )ind o# riting *o, are ,nderta)ing+ "he three proEects/ hile separate/ certainl* ma* t,rn o,t to (e
pieces o# a larger hole/ or ma* (e completel* separateHthat ill (e *o,r decision .or ma*(e not 0,ite *o,r
decision/ (,t E,st ho things or) o,t #or *o,1+
Within each categor*/ *o, ill develop *o,r on proEect+ 56m here to listen/ and ma)e s,ggestions/ as are the
other mem(ers o# class+ :,t the proEect is ,p to *o,+ >ach maEor proEect sho,ld (e somehere (eteen 10-15
pages/ more or less+ Do,(le-spaced/ appro2 250 ords per page+
"riting Pro#ect $ne: %arrati&e
<lease don6t loo) at these proEects in some )ind o# order o# comple2it*+ 56m assigning the narrative #irst (eca,se 5
thin) the (asic idea is one that *o,6ll immediatel* have tho,ghts a(o,t+ :,t the or)ing o,t o# a narrative sho,ld
(e as comple2 as an* other )ind o# riting+ 5n addition/ ,nli)e the last riting proEect .#ieldor)1/ this one can
come prett* m,ch o,t o# *o, no/ rather than re0,iring research o# some )ind .altho,gh a narrative might ell
involve research1+ "here are several e2cellent narratives o# di##erent )inds in the reader #or the previo,s o##ering
o# this class/ on the (!pace page+
A ide range o# riting can (e descri(ed as narrative/ and 56m s,re that e6ll #ind it hard sometimes to ma)e #iner
distinctions a(o,t hether something is ;narrative= or not+ 5n an* case/ this piece ill #oc,s on telling a stor* in
some a*+ <lease note that it ma* (e/ but is not necessarily/ a personal narrative+ "he organi4ation and e##ective
presentation o# material ill (e o,r #oc,s/ as ill the variet* o# narrative str,ct,res and techni0,es+ @arrative
a#ter all does not mean ;chronological+=
"he danger is that *o, simpl* reco,nt something that happenedHto *o, or someone else+ "hat6s the (eginning/
(,t not the real point+ What *o,6ve got to #ind/ as *o, thin) and rite/ is the meaning o# this narrative+ Wh* is it
orth tellingI Worth readingI What do readers learnI
For this class/ *o,r narrative ill have a socialGc,lt,ralGpolitical aspect .terri(le ord/ (,t 5Am tr*ing to (e as
general as possi(le1+ -ereAs the co,rse description: ?"his riting or)shop o##ers st,dents an opport,nit* to rite
essa*s and other non#iction prose that spea) (oth personall* and politicall* to the iss,es and a,diences the* ish
to address+ "he readings ill #oc,s on the rhetorical strategies o# riters ho have ,sed the essa* as a c,lt,ral
#orm to challenge the norms o# the time and place in hich the* live.d1+?
"riting Pro#ect Two: Cultural'Social Critique ()rgument'Persuasion*
"his proEect ill give *o, the opport,nit* to e2plore an iss,e that *o, have strong #eelings a(o,t+
We ill pro(a(l* read an article #rom :ar(ara >hrenreich/ hose most recent (oo) is on hat she calls the
negative side o# positive thin)ingHshe had ta)en a c,lt,ral phenomenon/ e2amined it/ and ritten a (oo)-length
criti0,e o# the a*s in hich she thin)s it6s detrimental+ Do, ma* ish to do a c,lt,ral criti0,e s,ch as hersJ *o,
ma* also ish to do a more narro c,lt,ral criti0,e/ on a more local c,lt,ral phenomenon/ #or instance/
something *o, notice at :er)ele*/ in Cali#ornia/ or *o,r hometon+
$n the other hand/ *o, ma* ish to rite a revieHo# a (oo)/ o# an art sho+ 5n this case/ *o, ill (e in #act
riting some )ind o# c,lt,ral criti0,e/ too/ (eca,se the (est )ind o# revie ill place the s,(Eect in a larger
socialGc,lt,ral conte2t+ We have some e2amples in o,r reader+
!ince this is not a maEor research proEect/ *o, ill have to #ind a s,(Eect that *o, can do itho,t spending the
ne2t *ear #inding o,t a(o,t it+ $n the other hand/ *o, m,st rite #rom )noledge/ not #rom hearsa* or anecdotal
evidence+ "he greatest pit#alls in s,ch an essa* are that it can (e ;old nes= or can t,rn into a diatri(e+ $r orse/
that *o,6ve pic)ed a s,(Eect that6s onl* interesting to *o,/ and have #ailed to #ind hat in that s,(Eect is
interesting to *o,r a,dience+ -o it connects to the orld+
"riting Pro#ect Three: +ieldwork'Research
5n this proEect/ *o, ill (e a(le to #oc,s on one o# the three categories: research/ #ieldor)/ or pro#ile/ altho,gh
the* all overlap to some e2tent+
A #ieldor) paper involves #inding a s,(EectHor a place or gro,pHthat interests *o,/ visiting the place or gro,p/
intervieing people .or)ers/ mem(ers/ c,stomers/ oners/ vol,nteers1+ Do,r paper is li)e a indo into this
place or gro,p+ "he possi(ilities are endless: almost an* gro,p on camp,s/ a #armer6s mar)et/ a street #air/ a
m,se,m/ a par)/ a comm,nit* gro,p+
5# *o, choose a pro#ile paper/ *o,6ll #ind someone hose li#e and or) are interesting to *o,+ 5# *o, chose a
pro#essor to pro#ile/ *o, o,ld pro(a(l* do some research #irst a(o,t the personHp,(lications/ e(pages/ etc+
"hen *o,6d intervie the s,(Eect/ and have a set o# 0,estions read* (ased on hat aspect o# the person *o, are
most interested inHriting/ research/ teaching+
For the research paper/ *o, might ant to learn more a(o,t/ sa*/ the histor* o# a (,ilding or (,ildings on camp,s/
or camp,s art/ or "elegraph Aven,e/ or @o(el <ri4es at :er)ele*/ or the histor* o# the cit* o# :er)ele* .it doesn6t
have to (e :er)ele* camp,s or cit*Hthese are E,st ideas+1 Do,6ll spend 0,ite a (it o# time in vario,s li(raries and
possi(l* online+
Man* o# *o,r papers might involve all three+ For instance/ *o, might decide to rite a(o,t a partic,lar gro,p on
camp,sH#or instance/ the >colog* 7estoration gro,p+ 5n order to rite a thoro,gh paper/ *o, o,ld do
#ieldor)/ o(serving the gro,pJ *o,6d pro(a(l* also pro#ile in part one or to mem(ers/ and *o,6d do some
research a(o,t their or)/ its conte2t and histor*+
Whichever o# the a(ove *o, #oc,s on/ the process is ver* m,ch the same+ An important part o# this assignment is
o(servation+ And the goal is to conve* to the reader a sense o# place/ or people/ or person+ !,ch a paper co,ld #all
into man* di##erent categories: histor*/ ethnograph*/ sociolog*/ Eo,rnalism+
What ill *o, (e loo)ing #orI 5n #ieldor) especiall*/ *o,6re loo)ing at lang,age/ arti#acts/ (ehavior/ rit,als/
r,les/ ,ses o# space/ and so on+ "hese all add ,p to one thing: the c,lt,re o# the gro,p or place *o, are doing
*o,r #ieldor) in+
"he )e* to ma)ing this a good paper is to remem(er that ever*thing and ever*one is interesting+ Do, E,st have to
#ind the )ernel+ "he oman ho ons a sandich shopHhere does she come #rom/ ho did she get started/
hat does she hopeI Wh* sho,ld e careI
As ith all the assignments/ it6s ver* ver* eas* to do a mediocre Eo(/ to do a simple o(servation+ :,t e ant
s,(stance/ depth+ Again/ hat e ant is to learn something/ to have a (it o# the orld opened ,p to ,s+ Whether
it6s implicit or e2plicit/ *o,6re going to have a thesis+
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,-RY R$.G/ SY00)1.S2 S.13-CT T$ C/)%G- 4-P-%4I%G $% T/- %--4S $+ T/- C0)SS
"eek 5 67: Frida*/ A,g,st 2K .toda*1
>2ercise: *o, are reporting--#or Channel 7/ A:C @es--on the opening da* o# classes at 3C :er)ele*+ Do,r
opening line is ?5Am standing here in !pro,l <la4a+? Follo that ith a paragraph description o# hatAs going on/
in the conte2t o# #irst da* o# classes+ Ma)e ,s see it+
"eek 5 8:
9onda2 Sept 8 /olida
"eds2 Sept : Introducing each other .Do, need to (ecome ac0,ainted earl* (eca,se *o,Are going to (e reading
each otherAs or) a lot1+
7eading:
Writing ith <oer/ read #rom the 5ntrod,ction thro,gh ;!haring/= p+ 25
$# a Monstro,s Child/ Montaigne
Demian/ the #irst page/ -esse
Lo*as Moldaoras/ Do*le
"he Fo,rth !tate o# Matter/ :eard
All the a(ove readings are #or Weds/ !ept &+!)im all the readings in the 7eader+ 9oo) thro,gh the to (oo)s/ get
a sense o# here ever*thing is going+ Theres no reason I should be the only one to see the larger picture.
:egin thin)ing a(o,t the three maEor assignments .(,t don6t decide no hat *o,6re going to do+ 5 hope *o,6ll
discover maEor changes in *o,r ideas as e progress thro,gh the material+1
As *o, read :eard/ pa* close attention to the narrative str,ct,re and other techni0,es+ M,ch/ i# not most/ o# *o,r
learning this semester ill come thro,gh reading o# s,ch essa*s+ "he :eard essa*/ (* the a*/ as ver*
controversial hen it appeared+ Wh* do *o, s,ppose it asI For (oth :eard and ?Lo*as Moldoaoras? please ta)e
notes the #irst time *o, read then+ At the end o# each paragraph/ please rite don hat *o, thin) the essa* is
a(o,t or an* complaints or 0,estions *o, have+ "hen at the end/ thin) (ac) over the essa* and come to a larger
concl,sion a(o,t its s,(Eect+ WeAll disc,ss these on Weds+
Disc,ssion: *o,r ideas #or *o,r narrative+ !ome e2cellent st,dent narratives are ;!ilence in the !tands/= ;"o "a)e
Another !tep/= ;Do, !tole m* Cigarettes+= -oever/ each o# these st,dents narratives lac)s on thing: a
connection to larger iss,es+ "hat is/ all remain ver* personal+
5n the #irst readings and disc,ssions/ 56d li)e *o, to get to things: a real sense o# narrative/ o# the ide range o#
a*s a narrative can (e ritten and some ideas a(o,t riting/ revising/ and editing+
+ri2 Sept 7
7eading:
?-istor* moves thro,gh all o# ,s all the time?
?:oiling the DogAs -ead/? -ammons
?"ines and C,rls?
-aving read a n,m(er o# essa*s/ come toda* ith a ritten one paragraph idea #or *o,r narrative+ Do not p,t
*o,r name on it+
"eek 5 ;: Sept <=8:
#irst dra#t o# narrative ill (e d,e this ee)+ Which da* ill depend on here e are on the previo,s Frida*/
9onda2 Sept <
7eading:
?7eading/ !tealing/ and Writing li)e a Writer/? :ishop
?Freeriting? in Writing with Power .W<1
;"he <ersonal >ssa* and the First-<erson Character/= <hillip 9opate in Telling True Stories .""!1
"eds2 Sept 8>
7eading:
?Death o# :enn* <aret/ ? Mailer
?"h,rsda* Morning in the !,(a*/? "om Wol#e
?>as* on the -ooptedoodle//? 9eonard
+ri2 Sept 8;
"here ill (e assignments/ (,t letAs see here e are/ #irst+
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
/ere are a couple o! pages to read2 with reall random things about writing
;L,st as there are no (oring people/ there are no trivial topics+ >ven things li)e #ashion are connected to critical
iss,es+ "here as a time hen ever* piece o# omen6s clothing had sho,lder padsHE,st as omen ere
str,ggling to esta(lish themselves as a #orce in the (,siness orld+ Everything has meaning+= Donna :ritt in
;Col,mns: 5ntimate <,(lic Conversations=
;All stories have three la*ers+ "he top la*er is hat act,all* happensHthe narrative+ "he ne2t la*er is ho those
events ma)e the main character #eel+ 5# the riter s,cceeds in getting the reader to s,spend dis(elie# and see
thro,gh the character6s e*es/ then the character6s and the reader6s #eelings ill (e Eoined+ "here is another la*er
(elo the #act,al and the emotional+ 5t is the rh*thm o# the piece and evo)es the stor*6s ,niversal theme: love
end,res/ isdom prevails/ children mat,re/ ar destro*s/ preE,dice perverts+= Lon Fran)lin in =A !tor*
!tr,ct,re=
;!hotg,n 7,le: Anton Che)hov rote that i# a pla* opens ith a shotg,n hanging a(ove a mantel/ the g,n m,st
(e #ired (e#ore the end o# the third act+ 5n other ords/ ever* detail m,st do some or): help develop character/
provide (ac)gro,nd in#ormation/ orHmore importantHadvance the action line+= Lac) -arte in ;A !tor*teller6s
9e2icon=
------------------------------------------------------
"hese are all the sections e ill read #rom Telling
True Stories .over the co,rse o# the semester1:
;Finding Bood "opics: A Writer6s N,estions/= 9ane
Bergor*
;7eporting #or @arrative: "en "ips/= Mar) Cramer
;5ntervieing: Accelerated 5ntimac*/= 5s(el
Wil)erson
;Filed @otes to F,ll Dra#t/= "rac* Cidder
;<ro#iles/= Lac0,i :anas4*ns)i
;"he 9adder o# A(straction/= 7o* <eter Clar)
;"he <ersonal >ssa* and the First-<erson
Character/= <hillip 9opate
;"o :egin the :eginning/= Deneen 9+ :ron
;-earing $,t !,(Eects6 Moices: N,otes and
Dialog,e/= Celle* :enham
;A !tor* !tr,ct,re/= Lon Fran)lin
;>ndings/= :r,ce Desliva
;!etting the !cene/= Mar) Cramer
;$n Moice/= !,san $rlean
;$n !t*le/= >mil* -iestand
.p+ 2O/ short pieces on taping1
;7eporting Across C,lt,res/= Mictor Merina
;Writing a(o,t -istor*/= Lill 9epore
;Developing Character/= !tanle* @elson
-----------------------------------------
"his is hat eAll read #rom Writing with Power
;Freeriting/= p+ 1&
;"he Direct Writing <rocess #or Betting Words on
<aper/= p+ 2%
;A,dience as Foc,sing Force/= p+ 1K1
;"hree "ric)* 7elationships to an A,dience/= p+ 1KK
;"horo,gh 7evising/= p+ 12O
;"he 9ast !tep: Betting 7id o# Mista)es in
Brammar/= p+ 1%7
;"he Dangero,s Method: "r*ing to Write it 7ight
the First time/= p+ &K
;Metaphors #or <riming the <,mp/= p+ 7O
;A catalog,e o# Criterion-:ased N,estions/= p+ 252
;A Catalog,e o# 7eader-:ased N,estions/= p+ 2&
;Writing and Moice/= p+ 2O1