RHE 309S: Anthologics (Fall 2008)
The term "anthology" derives from the Greek word "anthologia" which means to gather or collect flowers. The term has been extended to describe literary or artistic collections, so we now think of an anthology as a collection of works (poems, stories, artwork, songs) brought together into one place.
This course will practice what I'll call "anthologics" - a method of bringing together a conversation of various texts, arguments, and voices and then entering into that conversation. Upon choosing a particular topic, students will spend the semester compiling their anthology and writing the preface and/or introduction to that text. This anthology will be a way of presenting readers with a "conversation" about a particular topic. The main goal of the anthologic method is to understand that we are always entering ongoing conversations and that it behooves us to understand those conversations before participating.
Reading and writing assignments in this course will all build toward students' anthology assignment. Students will complete short writing assignments that summarize and analyze texts they'd like to anthologize and longer writing assignments that will make up the introductory text they are writing. Since we are designing a book, we will also discuss design issues. To this end, we'll ask questions such as: What will the anthology look like? How will it be organized? Who is the audience? What publisher might be interested in putting out such an anthology?
Evaluation for this course will be carried out using the Learning Record, a portfolio-based assessment tool.
Image Credit: ["Hawaii Flower Bouquet" by R.J. Malfalfa]
Policy Statement
Unique Number: 45190
Instructor: Jim Brown
Meeting Place: FAC 10
Time: T/Th 9:30-11am
Office Hours: TBA
Website: http://instructors.cwrl.utexas.edu/jbrown/309s_fall08
The following required texts are available at the University Co-op or at Amazon.com :
Having Your Say-Charney, Neuwirth, Kaufer, Geisler
Writing With Style, 2nd Ed.-Trimble
Additional Requirements
- Access to a computer and printer
- An e-mail account that you check daily
Coursework
Your main project for this course will be to compile an anthology of readings on a topic of your choosing. Most of our assignments will build toward this final project. Your coursework will include:
Readings
Reading Quizzes
Anthology Analysis/Exhibition
Topic proposal
Anthological Map
8 Summary-Analysis papers (1 page each)
Book Cover/Jacket Design
Book Proposal (2 submissions)
Anthology Preface (2 submissions)
Reading Quizzes
To ensure that you're keeping up with and comprehending our reading, there will be unannounced quizzes. If we have a reading assignment, please come to class assuming there will be a quiz.
Attendance
You are required to attend class daily, arrive on time, do assigned reading and writing, and participate in all in-class work. Five (5) absences will result in failure of the course. Arriving late to class will count as .5 abences. A student is considered late when arriving after the sign-up sheet has gone around the room. Please notify me beforehand of your participation in official athletic events or observance of religious holidays; these are the only excused absences. Save absences for when you are sick or have a personal emergency. If you find that an unavoidable problem prevents you from attending class or from arriving on time, please discuss the problem with me.
Grades
The grade breakdown for this class is as follows:
Attendance: 10%
Quizzes: %15
Anthology Analysis/Exhibition: 5%
Topic Proposal: 5%
Anthological Map: 5%
Summary-Analysis Papers: 20%
Book Proposal (2 submissions): 10%
Book Jacket Design: 10%
Anthology Preface (2 submissions): 20%
A note about multiple submissions:
Certain assignments in class will be submitted twice. If you earn an 'A' on the first submission, you do not have to turn in a second submission. Any grade other than an 'A' will require a second submission.
Late Assignments and Drafts
All assignments, including drafts, must be turned in on the due date at the beginning of the class period. You will turn in papers electronically via the Teacher Folder. You are responsible for turning in assignments regardless of whether you attend class on the due date. I do not accept late work.
Format of Final Papers
All papers must be typewritten. Unless you are told otherwise, your papers should be in MLA format (see Having Your Say for details on MLA format).
Technology Policy
We will use technology frequently in this class. Although I am assuming that you have some basic knowledge of computers, such as how to use the keyboard and mouse, and how to use the web and check e-mail, most things will be explained in class. If you don’t understand what we are doing, please ask for help. If you are familiar with the technology we are using, please be patient and lend a helping hand to your classmates.
Course Website and Email
You should check your email daily. Class announcements and assignments may be distributed through email. The course website will also have important information about assignments and policies, please visit this site regularly. The course site should be a helpful tool for you, so feel free to make suggestions about anything you feel should be included.
Computer Use and Availability
Because this is a CWRL class, you have access to an open computer lab in PAR 102.
Scholastic Honesty
Turning in work that is not your own, or any other form of scholastic dishonesty, will result in a major course penalty, possibly failure of the course. A report of the incident will also be made to the Office of the Dean of Students. The consultants at the Undergraduate Writing Center (FAC 211, 471-6222) are trained to help you with the proper use of sources.
We will be covering the use of sources in class. In general, I will ask you to provide me with hard copies of all sources you use. If you have any questions about how you are using sources on a particular assignment, see me before you turn it in.
Students With Disabilities
The University of Texas at Austin provides upon request appropriate academic adjustments for qualified students with disabilities. For more information, contact the Office of the Dean of Students at 471-6259, 471-4641 TDD.
Schedule
8/28
Syllabus and Introductions
Burke's Parlor
9/2
Brewster and Broughton: Last Night a DJ Saved My Life, "Introduction" (4-18)
Gibson- God’s Little Toys: Confessions of a Cut & Paste Artist
Introduction to Rhetorical Tradition (1-16)
9/4
Anthology Exhibition
9/9
Exhibition Synopsis Due
Charney- What It Takes to Have Your Say (1-12)
Charney- Critical Reading: Exploring a Point of View (13-14)
Charney- Spans: Building the Segments of an Argument (15-30)
Charney- Chivers (129-134)
9/11
Charney- Stases: Taking Standpoints Along the Path (31-65)
Charney- Re-read Chivers
9/16
Charney- Supporting Claims: Apealing to Logos, Ethos, Pathos (66-86)
Charney- Junctions: Responding to Alternative Paths (87-108)
Charney- Essay by Easterbrook (134-140)
9/18
Trimble- How to Write a Critical Analysis (94-98)
Charney- Critical Reading Process (395-403)
9/23
S-A #1 due
Charney- Style (109-126)
Practice on critical reading/analysis
9/25
Topic Proposals Due
Charney- EXPLORING AN ISSUE (197-198)
Charney- Entry Points (199-212)
9/30
S-A #2 Due
Charney- Surveying the Terrain (213-237)
Charney- Exploring by Responding (238-256)
10/2
Charney- Exploring and Constructing a Problem (257-275)
Charney- Exploring and Constructing Solutions (276-289)
10/7
S-A #3 Due
Charney- Mapping a Conversation (290-310)
Charney- Having Your Say (311-312)
Charney- Having Your Say on an Author's Argument (313-324)
10/9
Anthological Map Due
Charney- Having Your Say by Responding to an Author's Argument (325-336)
Charney- Having Your Say on the State of the Debate (337-356)
10/14
S-A #4 Due
Charney- Having Your Say on the Problem (357-372)
Charney- Having Your Say on the Solution (373-392)
10/16
S-A #5
Charney- Collaborative Evaluation and Revision (423-429)
Trimble- Superstitions (82-93)
10/21
Book Proposal-First Submission Due
Workshop Book Proposals
10/23
S-A #6 Due
Workshop Book Proposals
10/28
Charney- A Repertoire of Writing Processes (404-415)
Charney- Rhetorical Planning (416-422)
10/30
Book Proposal-Second Submission Due
Trimble- Thinking Well (3-12)
Trimble- Getting Launched (13-24)
Trimble- Diction (53-63)
11/4
VOTE!
S-A #7 Due
Election Week-Discuss Presidential election
11/6
S-A #8 Due
Election Week-Discuss Presidential election
11/11
Trimble- Middles (32-48)
Trimble- Readability (64-81)
Trimble- Revising (99)
Trimble- Proofreading (100)
11/13
First Submission of Preface Due
Workshop Prefaces
11/18
Trimble- Openers (25-31)
Trimble- Closers (49-52)
Workshop Prefaces
11/20
Learning InDesign
11/25
InDesign Workshop
12/2
Second Submission of Preface Due
Final Project Due (Book Proposal, Cover, TOC, Preface, Chapters)
12/4
Course Evaluations
Course Wrap-up
Assignments
Below are links to descriptions of our upcoming assignments.
Anthological Exhibition
Due Dates
Exhibition Handout: 9/4
Exhibition Report: 9/9
For our first assignment, you will choose an anthology to present as part of a classroom Anthologic Exhibition. The anthology you choose can be in any form (it does not have to be a book, though it can be). The exhibition will be similar to the setup of a museum or a convention. Each student will set up at a table and will be ready to answer questions about the anthology they have chosen. In addition to presenting your own anthology, you will also act as an attendee to our exhibition. You will visit other students to learn about the anthologies they have chosen and write a 250-word synopsis of the exhibition.
Presenter responsibilities
Each presenter will create a one-page handout for the anthology they have chosen that addresses some of the following questions and issues:
* Do you have to argue that what you've chosen is an anthology, or is this readily apparent? What makes your choice an anthology?
* Who is the editor/compiler? What is his or her background? What qualifies them to compile this anthology?
* Who are the authors? What is their background? What qualifies them to contribute to this anthology?
* Who is the publisher? What kinds of other works does this company publish? How does the work you've chosen compare to these other works?
* Who is the audience for the work you've chosen?
* What is its purpose?
* Are there other anthologies that are similar to this one? If so, how does the text you've chosen differentiate itself?
* How is the work organized? Does it have different sections? Why is it organized this way?
* What can you say about the design of the work (the packaging, the cover, etc.)? How does it fit with the goals and arguments of the text?
Remember that your handout is an argument, and that design of the document is part of the assignment. Be sure to make your document readable and useful to the other attendees. Decide whether it needs bullet points, whether it should include images, or any other design decision that seem pertinent. There are 22 students in the class. Be sure to bring enough copies of your handout for everyone.
Attendee responsibilities
As an attendee, you are responsible for visiting as many other students as possible and collecting information about the various anthologies being presented. The information you collect will be used to write a 250-word synopsis of the exhibition. Boiling your findings down to 250 words will not be easy, so you'll have to be concise and choose your words carefully. That report should consider the following questions and issues:
* What traits did all of the anthologies share?
* How were some of the anthologies different from the others?
* What is the role of the compiler/editor of an anthology?
* What kind of explicit and implicit arguments did the anthologies make?
Grading Criteria
This assignment accounts for 5% of your final grade. When grading this assignment, I will be evaluating the following:
* Is the handout you've designed easy to read and understand? Does it give exhibition attendees a good sense of what the text is about and how the text works?
* Does your synopsis synthesize the different anthologies in a useful way, and have you carefully considered a number of the possible similarities and differences amongst the various texts?
* How thoroughly have you addressed the questions and issues suggested for each of the two parts of the assignment? (You do not have to address every question listed here, but you do need to be thorough.)
* Are your documents written effectively and coherently, with very few grammatical errors?
* Were both parts of the assignment turned in on time? (Reminder: I do not accept late work.)