E387R Reading
We will read a lot this semester. In addition to the reading list for which everyone is responsible, and the rhetoric texts that individual students will summarize, we will peruse essays and excerpts from contemporary works. On any given week, each student will be expected to read 100-150 pages of dense material plus 30-50 pages of contemporary “theory.” Odds are that you will be unable to read the bare minimum on the schedule. So here’s what I recommend: Pick your battles. At bare minimum, skim and/or read the Enlightenment and the contemporary texts for the week. For the week of January 24, for instance, you may decide that you’re not all that excited about Bacon but you really want to read Adorno and Horkheimer’s “Concept of Enlightenment.” So read the "Concept" and skim Bacon’s Advancement of Learning. On any given week, read something closely enough so that you can contribute to the conversation in a substantive way. Rely on people’s summaries for the rest.
In case you were wondering:
What is Enlightenment?