Course+Calendar

=Course Calendar - Assignments and Due Dates=


 * **Due Date** || **Assignment Details** ||
 * **R 1/13** || 1) Using the idea behind Langston Hughes' poem "Theme for English B" (but without writing your own poem), write a page on the back of the handout of the poem I gave you. Introduce yourself to me as a writer, as a human being on the page. Handwritten is fine - just make sure I can read it. If you feel the need to type, please limit yourself to one page. The point is to be short and sweet, yet complete, not to write an actual essay. **Note: This writing will likely be shared with a few classmates in a non-threatening, non-critiquing fashion, just to get you used to sharing your non-polished work with others.**

2) Read "Private and Public: The Range and Scope of Creative Nonfiction" (12-25), "The 'I'" (79-81) and "Montage Writing" (103-108) from //Keep It Real//. Be prepared to write about what you've read, and to discuss the ideas found in the chapters. ||
 * **T 1/18** || 1) Work on answering prompts for the collage piece.

2) Read Advice from Last Year's ENG 256 Students on the Miscellany page. In your Writer's Notebook, write about what trends you noticed, what stood out to you, and what it means to you. Be prepared to discuss. ||
 * **R 1/20** || 1) @Proust Questionnaire Collage. Be prepared to share your collage with a few classmates in a non-critiquing fashion before turning it in. Also, be prepared to read two of your sections out loud to the class.


 * NOTE: Write a good, solid five pages for your collage. Aim to keep the individual sections to half a page -- more than that becomes something other than a collage section. Keep the structure front and center!** ||
 * **T 1/25** || 1) Write three exploratory entries in your Writer's Notebook about possible Flash CNF topics you could pursue. You will be sharing these out loud with a Writing Response Group.

2) Read "Evolution of the Genre" (50-52), "Keeping It Brief" (89-90) and "Truth" (148-149) from //Keep It Real//. Be prepared to write about what you've read, and to discuss the ideas found in the chapters. **//This was originally scheduled as due on R 1/20 but because of time constraints was pushed back.//**

3) Read "The Narrative Impulse" (109-112), "Navel-gazing" (113-118), "Point of View" (119-125), "Reconstruction of Events" (133-135), "Reflection" (136-137), and "Scenes" (140-141) from //Keep It Real//. In your Writer's Notebook, write down at least two ideas/concepts/quotes from each chapter that gave you an ah-ha moment and explore how those can help you with your Flash piece. ||
 * **R 1/27** || 1) In your Writer's Notebook: Think back on a recent experience you've had that's memorable, that has energy for you. Then write a paragraph of exposition summarizing that experience. After you've written the summary, write the scene of that experience. Take the reader into that moment with you. Bring that experience alive. Be prepared to share with others.

2) Read "Frame" (65-67), "Quotation Marks" (130-132), and "The Vagaries of Memory" (153-155) from //Keep It Real//. Be prepared to discuss the material. ||
 * **T 2/1** || 1) Go to Flashquake or Brevity and read at least five flash nonfiction pieces. In a typed document (MLA format), write down the titles and authors (and on which site they are found), and a very quick summary of what it is about -- one to two sentences. After you've done this, write a paragraph or two about what you learned about the form and author's craft from reading what you did. What would you like to experiment with in your own Flash piece? What questions do you still have about this subgenre of CNF?

2) On the @Miscellany page, find the heading "Explorations of Memoir" and read Patricia Hampl's "Memory and Imagination". Then, type up your answers to #4 and #5 of Questions for Discussion at the end of the reading. ||
 * **R 2/3** || **Classes Cancelled This Day! Homework schedule as due will now be due T 2/8!** ||
 * **T 2/8** || 1) Bring a **//good quality// typed** first draft of your Flash piece, and **three copies** of it. Bring your A-game to this draft. Grammar and spelling shouldn't be a mess here, either.

2) Read the following updates on the Flash CNF page of this site:
 * The section about the importance of leads.
 * The Flash CNF anthology your recommendations inspired me to create.
 * The section spelling out the grading criteria. ||
 * **R 2/10** || * Read your group mates' drafts for this day's peer review/workshop. Be sure to show a close reading through your markings and margin notes. Include a short yet specific note to the author on the draft, addressing successes and areas to improve. Look to the Flash grading criteria for aspects you need to be comparing the drafts against. ||
 * **T 2/15** || # Revise your Flash piece, being sure to take your classmates' revision tips and suggestions for improvement seriously as you do so. Use MLA format. Compare your revision against the grading criteria specified.
 * 1) Type a self-assessment letter (half- to full-page) explaining your process in writing your piece. What peer suggestions did you incorporate? Do you feel you have a successful final draft? Would you describe this project as challenging, or easier than you thought? ||
 * **R 2/17** || **NOTE: Class will not be held this day due to the professor giving a presentation at the LAND Conference.**


 * No homework due. ||
 * **T 2/22** || * Read "Introduction", "Note to Reader", and Sections 1-3 of //Old Friend From Far Away//. See the Old Friend From Far Away page for what you are to write and bring to class for homework. ||
 * **R 2/24** || * Read "How the Faeries Caught Me" by Francesca Lia Block and "Purger" by Michael Somers. No need to write a formal response, but be prepared to discuss similarities/differences in what you read.
 * Read Section 4 of //Old Friend From Far Away//. Complete two of the writing prompts and be ready to share.
 * **Flash final final draft due for those with a check or check-plus or check/check-plus combo**. Put the latest version on top of everything else in your manila folder. ||
 * **T**
 * 3/1** || **Note: No class meeting this day. Our conversation for today will be moved online to Desire 2 Learn. The final-final Flash drafts can be emailed as attachments or slid under the professor's office door (S-025). //Check your Delta email for all the specifics!//**


 * **Flash final final draft due for all others**. Put the latest version on top of everything else in your manila folder.


 * Finish reading Old Friend From Far Away. **No need to select passages and type responses to them,** but do be prepared to discuss what you have highlighted/annotated in your book. However, do 3-5 of the prompts Goldberg gives. Practice flexing your memoir muscles. **These will not be collected, though.** ||
 * **T**
 * 3/8**



> ||
 * R**
 * 3/10** || ==//**Enjoy your Mid-Semester Break!**//== ||
 * **T**
 * 3/15** || * Bring **three copies** of a good-quality 1000-1500 word first draft of Baby Memoir 1. MLA format. Indicate it's a first draft in the title you give it. Include a word count at the end of your essay. ||
 * **R**
 * 3/17** || * Complete the necessary guidelines for peer reviewing Baby Memoir 1. ||
 * **T**
 * 3/22** || * Revise your Baby Memoir 1, being sure to take your classmates' revision tips and suggestions for improvement seriously as you do so. Use MLA format.
 * Type a self-assessment letter (half- to full-page) explaining your process in writing your piece. What peer suggestions did you incorporate? Do you feel you have a successful final draft? Would you describe this project as challenging, or easier than you thought?
 * **R**
 * 3/24** || * Read "Family Members as Characters" (59-61), "The Memoir Craze" (97-99), and "The Roots of Memoir" (138-139) from //Keep It Real.// Be prepared to discuss. ||
 * **T**
 * 3/29** || * No homework due. ||
 * **R**
 * 3/31** || * No homework due. ||
 * **T**
 * 4/5** || * **Read Mitch Albom's //Have a Little Faith// by this date**. Write a 250-350 exploration of what you learned about organizing and structuring a memoir piece. Also, what would you like to try in terms of structure that you haven't yet? ||
 * **R**
 * 4/7** || * No homework due. ||
 * **T**
 * 4/12** || * Bring three hard copies (print outs) of your Baby Memoir 2 (Mapquest). MLA format. 1500-2000 words. We will do an in-class peer review. ||
 * **R**
 * 4/14** || * Revised draft of your Baby Memoir 2 (Mapquest). Just hand in the final draft -- no need to turn in the peer reviewed copies with this. ||
 * **T**
 * 4/19** || * No homework due. ||
 * **R**
 * 4/21** || * **Write some friendly advice to next year's ENG 256 students**. This advice should stem from what you didn't expect about the class, some insights you have had along the way you think would be helpful to know. This could be about the class assignments, the teacher, or the nature of creative nonfiction writing to name a few possibilities.


 * Come up with **two or three helpful hints** for them and **explore** them, one short -- yet complete -- paragraph per piece of advice (**2 - 3 paragraphs total**).

||
 * Typed, MLA format. ||
 * **T**
 * 4/26** || * Final Portfolio due.