FIRST-YEAR SEMINAR: WRITING NEW YORK

Dr. DeFino    Fall 2001    Iona College

DESCRIPTION:

A writing seminar focusing upon ideas of New York City communicated by a variety of artists working in different media (literature, painting, music, photography, film).  We will use our writing to reflect upon these ideas, and to articulate our own.

TEXTS: 

Hacker, A Writer’s Reference (Bedford/St. Martin’s); Lopate (ed.), Writing New York (Washington Square Press)

REQUIREMENTS:

--Regular attendance.  Be here, and be on time.  If you must miss a class for any reason, you are responsible for getting notes, assignments, and any other class materials from another student.  More than three absences will lead to substantial grade penalty, and more than seven will result in automatic course failure.

--Participation (15% of final grade).  To be successful, this course requires the contribution of each class member.  Come prepared to discuss assignments, to share your work, and to respond to that of your classmates.

--Acceptable completion of all assignments.  Due to the number and volume of reading assignments in this course, it is imperative that you keep up with the schedule; otherwise, you will become lost very quickly.  You will also be required to complete the following assignments:

                Critical essays (4 total, each 10% of final grade).  Short in length, varied in subject and form, we will discuss each as it is assigned.

                Critical forums (25% of final grade).  FOLLOW THIS LINK FOR DESCRIPTION AND SAMPLE FORUMS.

                Mid-term and end-term exam (each 10% of final grade).  These will test your comprehension of the readings and class discussions, and should give you little trouble, provided you are reading and paying attention.

--Academic honesty.  Plagiarism (the unauthorized use of another’s words or thoughts, while passing them off as your own) will lead to automatic failure.

  SCHEDULE:

***NOTE: During weeks 2 and 3, all FYS students will attend two, one-hour Learning Enhancement workshops***

Sep 4:  introduction

Sep 6, 10, 11: CONNECTIONS: The Cruise (video); Whitman, “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry” (138)

Sep 13, 17, 18, 20: DISCONNECTIONS: Melville, “Bartleby the Scrivener” (153); Twain, “Personals”

Sep 24: writing workshop

Sep 25, 27: DOWN THESE MEAN STREETS: Riis, “The Down Town Back-Alleys” (294); photos by Riis & Weegee

Oct 1: taking stock; ***first paper due***

Oct 2: forum presentations

***NOTE: Oct 5 & 10: STUDENT CONFERENCES***

Oct 4, 9, 11 (no class Oct 8): MELTING POTS AND MOSAICS: Wong, “Experience of a Chinese Journalist” (268); Hurston, “Story in Harlem Slang” (680); Singer, “The Cafeteria” (896)

Oct 15: forum presentations

Oct 16: writing workshop

Oct 18: mid-term review

Oct 22: ***mid-term exam***; mid-term grades submitted to the Dean’s Office

Oct 23, 24, 25: MONUMENTAL NEW YORK: Keller, “I Go Adventuring” (505); Mayakovsky, “Brooklyn Bridge” (479); Crane, “To Brooklyn Bridge” (485); photos by Stieglitz and others; ***second paper due Oct 25***

Oct 29: forum presentations

Oct 30, Nov 1 & 5: : NEW YORK CLOSE-UP: Reznikoff, “Millinery District” (620), excerpt from  Autobiography: New York (621), excerpt from By the Well of Living and Seeing (621); McNulty,“Athiest Hit by a Truck” (642); Oppen, “Tourist Eye” (828); photographs

Nov 6: forum presentations

Nov 8, 12, 13: NEW YORK ARTS 1: JAZZ: Baraka, “Minton’s” (825); A Great Day in Harlem (video); music by Thelonious Monk, Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Lester Young, Charlie Parker

Nov 15, 19: NEW YORK ARTS 2: EAST COAST BEATS: Burroughs, excerpt from Junky (763); Ginsberg, “Mugging” (926); Johnson, excerpt from Minor Characters (972)

Nov 20: forum presentations

Nov 22: no class

Nov 26, 27: NEW YORK ARTS 3: POLLACK: works by Jackson Pollack; ***third paper due***

Nov 29, Dec 3 & 4: NEW YORK ARTS 4: POP AND PUNK: works by Andy Warhol; music by Velvet Underground, New York Dolls, Ramones, Bob Dylan; ***forums due Nov 29***

Dec 6, 10: LEAVING NEW YORK: Didion, “Goodbye to All That” (886);***fourth paper due Dec 6***