Writing 323: Writing as Critical InquiryTheme: Narrative and Media

Instructor: Sarah Marshall Instructor email: samarsha@pdx.edu

Classroom: Ondine 201Class Hours: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 11:45-12:50 p.m.Office hours: Wednesdays, 10:30-11:30, or by appointmentOffice: Neuberger Hall 376

Course MaterialsAll course materials—readings, photographs, and films

—are available on the course Tumblr unless otherwise noted. If you have any problems with the site, please contact me in the first week.

Tumblr url: writing323.tumblr.comTumblr password: document

Grading rubric:

Attendance and Participation: 40%Attendance policy: Because of the discussion-based nature of our class, attendance and active participation—i.e. engagement with the text and your fellow students, and a willingness to both contribute your opinion and listen to the opinions of others—is of cardinal importance. You are allowed three free absences for the duration of the class. If you know in advance that you will require additional absences, due to travel, health issues, or other unavoidable commitments, let me know in the first week, or as far as possible in advance, so I can arrange for you to do a make-up assignment or assignments. Any unannounced absences beyond the three you are allowed, unless truly unavoidable, will result in your grade going down one-third of a letter: e.g., a final grade of B+ would become a B with a fourth unannounced absence, a B- with a fifth, a C+ with a sixth, etc.

1

Regular writing assignments: 35%Note: All assignments must be typed, printed, and turned in to me on the day specified by the syllabus. I will accept no late assignments. See the formatting sample at the back of the syllabus for information on formatting and citation.

Final paper and presentation: 25%

Course Description: Narrative and Media

Photo credit: Dziga Verto

In this class, we will use writing to examine and question not just the cultures and narratives surrounding us, but the media and devices we use to create and comprehend them. In 2014, we live in a world characterized by unimaginable technology: tools which allow us to communicate our thoughts instantly, to one person or an audience of millions; to carry access to seemingly infinite

information in our pockets; and, on a less grand scale, to access this class’s materials from any part of the world. Yet we have observed in the last several years that these technologies can both communicate information and alter information, and can destroy lives just as quickly as they can improve them.

What, then, are we to make of the endless cycle of instant news and culture that fills our lives? How are we to view the narratives of our own lives when the number of narratives we consume on a daily basis can at times seem overwhelming? Can we access objective truth within our culture, or must we question our definition of the word? Do the media—including newspapers, radio, TV news, Twitter, talk shows,

2

Facebook feeds, and documentary footage—help or hinder us in our attempt to see the world more clearly? And if we believe the latter is true, what can we do about it?

In this class we will explore all of the above questions—and many more—by exploring facets of the above media, with a special focus on social media, current events, and documentary film. We will have class-wide and small-group discussions, and you will turn in regular short assignments and a cumulative paper and presentation. By the end of this course, you will have strengthened your skills as a writer not just through writing, revising, and peer-reviewing, but by examining the rhetorical strategies of others, and questioning the role that writing plays in the world today. Due to the wide array of topics we will explore within our larger theme, you will have time to explore not just your own abilities as a writer, but your interests as well. I encourage you to use the first several weeks of this course as a time to locate a topic that fascinates you, and to use your interest as the

fuel you need to take your writing to the next level as you work on your final project. I also hope that, as this class progresses, you begin to turn a critical eye toward not just the course material, but the world around you.

Week One: Seeing Lessons

1/6: Introduction to syllabus and filling out in-class questionnaire (due to me on Wednesday). NOTE: This class will be substitute-taught, so email me as soon as possible with any questions or concerns.

1/8: Photography viewing and in-class writing and analysis exercises.Homework: Choosing one of the photographs explored in class, or linked to from the course Tumblr, write a 1-2 pp. exploration of its subject(s), due on Friday. Questions to consider: Where is this person? How do they feel about having their picture taken? What might their name be? Where are they today? etc. Feel free, also, to examine the question of how much one can hope to understand about a person from a single image—if at all.

3

1/10: Viewing of short documentary subjects and excerpts; discussion of documentary tools.Homework: Write 1-2 pp., due on Monday, either analyzing one of the short films or excerpts discussed in class as you did in the photography assignment, or exploring the differences between film and photography as a means of understanding or approaching a subject.

Photo credit: Mary Ellen Mark

Note: if you know you will miss a class or classes later in the term, please let me know during the first week, so I can make a note of it and arrange a make-up assignment for you. If you learn later in the term that you must be absent due to travel plans, scheduling conflicts, etc., let me know as soon as possible.

If you decide to drop this class, Sunday, 1/12 is the last day to get a 100% refund from the University. The last day to withdraw from the class without a refund, or to change your grading option, is 2/23.

Week Two: From News to Narrative

1/13: Examination of various forms of news coverage and newsmaking; viewing of various TV news clipsHomework: Fill out news questionnaire (supplied in class) and be ready to turn in and discuss on Wednesday

1/15: Small group discussion of a sampling of news articles; sample article-writing exercise.Homework: Begin working on your news project. For this assignment, you may choose one of the following:

1.) Pick a story from the local news and compare the local report to the way it’s reported nationally or internationally, OR compare it to the way it’s being reported on the radio, in the paper, and online (utilizing at least four sources).

4

2.) Watch a full television newscast (local, national, or international—links to various sources are available on the Tumblr), and discuss the different stories represented on the broadcast, and what the broadcast’s choices say about what does and doesn’t constitute a newsworthy item, both objectively and in a specific “version” of the news.

3.) For a creative piece, choose a recent news story and write a short story or essay exploring the circumstances surrounding it, from a participant’s perspective, a newscaster’s perspective, etc.

Your finished assignment will be 4-5 pp. long, and is due on Wednesday, 1/22.

1/17: Class discussion of the past and future of news—how it reaches us, what it is concerned with, who we get it from—and small group discussions of news project plans.Homework: Finish news projects.

Weeks Three and Four: Watching (and Tweeting, and Instagramming) America

1/20: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day—NO CLASS

1/22: Expansion of previous week’s discussion of media-created narratives (sports, YouTube, reality TV), and of current media obsessions.Homework: Read “Queen of the Mommy Bloggers” (available on the Tumblr), and write 2-3 pp, due on Friday, 1/24, about a media obsession you have had. What drew you to this person/event/narrative? Were you more attracted to the content, or the medium? Is it a guilty pleasure? If so, what makes it “guilty”? Etc.

1/24: Examination of our own level of media engagement/representation.Homework: Track your own media consumption, production, and involvement over a 24-hour period, by keeping a record of all of your social media updates (e.g. on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter), which articles you read, which movies or TV shows you watch, etc. Bring your media consumption record to class on Monday, 1/27, along with a 2-3 pp. reflection on your findings, and be ready to discuss both in class.

1/27: Examination of the media as tools for change.

5

Homework: Read Ariel Levy’s “Trial by Twitter” and watch clips taken from television coverage of the Steubenville case (both available on the Tumblr).

1/29: Continuing discussion of media as a tool for change.Homework: Watch Kony2012 and read “Kony2012 and the Fight for Truth” (available on the Tumblr) and write 1-2 pp, due Friday, 1/31, analyzing its effectiveness. Feel free to include your own memories of its recent popularity, and what kind of impression it made on you at the time.

1/31: Concluding discussion of media as a tool for change.Homework: Read “Small Change” (available on the Tumblr) and write 3-4 pp., due on Monday, 2/3, responding to it and/or Levy’s piece. Do you strongly agree or disagree with some of Gladwell’s points? Which of them, and why? If you were to argue with or against Gladwell, how many of your points would come from your own experience, or from events you have witnessed in your lifetime? If social media is overrated as a tool for change—as Gladwell argues—then who is overselling it, and why?primary goal be, and how would your primary medium help you to achieve it?

Week Five: Documenting Experience

2/3: Discussion of documentary film’s strengths and weaknesses; in-class viewing of clips and viewing sign-up.Homework: View the documentary you chose; your options are Thin, Streetwise, Dear Zachary, Hot Coffee, Miss Representation, and Pumping Iron.

2/5: Small group discussions of your documentary viewings; continuing discussion of film’s strengths and weaknesses.Homework: Write a 2-3 pp. response paper, Due Friday, 2/7, about your documentary and your group discussion of it.

2/7: Homework: Write a 3-4 pp. paper detailing the medium/media you would utilize to communicate a truth or an argument to an audience. What would be its strengths and weaknesses, and how would they mesh with the points or ideas you would try to make? What experience would you hope your audience to have? How active would they be? How passive? What forms of media and narrative have you

6

found to be especially thought-provoking in your experiences, and how might you utilize their lessons in your own work?

7

Weeks Six and Seven: Outrage

2/10: Discussion of media scandals, past and present. How do they feed our need for narrative? How do they challenge us? Comfort us? And why are there so many?Homework: Choose a media scandal and begin researching it for your 4-5 pp. paper, which will be due on Monday, 2/17. As you begin to look at your scandal, focus on the idea of which of the competing narratives and media you find allow you the best access to the truth—or whether such a thing is possible.

2/12: In-class discussion of essays and “truth” within scandal and media.Homework: Continue work on your paper.

2/14: Conclude discussion of scandal and “truth” within media and narrative.Homework: Complete your paper.

2/17: Discussions of your essays, and of media narratives’ role in larger social issues.Homework: Watch Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills, and read “Three at Last!” (both available on Tumblr). Write 3-4 pp. exploring your response to the documentary, due on Wednesday, 11/13, Some questions to consider: does the film take a definite stance as to Echols, Baldwin, and Misskelley’s guilt or innocence? If so, do you think the documentary adequately supports its viewpoint? How? (Cite at least five examples.) Do you think the documentary would have been more persuasive if it had taken a more definitive stance? A less definitive stance? How might you have responded to the news footage contained within the documentary if it had provided your only awareness of the case? Of the people whose lives are explored by the documentary—the parents of the victims, the parents of the West Memphis Three, the Three themselves, the people within the larger community of West Memphis, etc.—whose narrative do you find most compelling, and why?

2/19: Discussion of Paradise Lost and your essays.Homework: Write a 3-4 pp. response paper, due Monday, 2/24, on your recent group discussion, and how it may have impacted your opinion on Paradise Lost, or any of the class’ other ideas and themes. How much did your group agree about? Disagree about? Which points or aspects of the narratives you explored interested your group the

8

most? How did the experience of exploring the topic with a group of people compare to exploring it on your own?

2/21: Discussion of papers and conversation with workshop groups.

Weeks Eight through Ten: Putting it All Together

2/24: Discussion of workshop goals and guidelines, and group discussions of final project plans.Homework: Prepare for group workshops on 3/3. Please submit your workshop piece to your group members by midnight on Wednesday, 2/26. You may choose any of your previous pieces from the class, or a piece of at least 3 pp. exploring the topic you plan to write on for your final assignment, or a draft of your final assignment, if you have already written one.

2/26 and 2/28—Individual conferences about final assignmentsHomework: Work on final projects and presentations.

3/3: In-class workshop.Homework: Work on final projects and presentations.

3/5, 3/7, 3/10, 3/12, and 3/14: Final project presentations.

Finals Week

Final paper due to me, via email, by Wednesday, 3/19

Final Assignment Guidelines

There are two components to your final assignment: an 8-12 pp. essay, and a short in-class presentation (5-7 minutes) of your work. For your presentation you may utilize video, images, Powerpoint, in-class exercises and discussions, or whatever else you feel best allows you to explore your work, or you may simply describe your paper and your writing process. You are encouraged to choose a topic that you are passionate about, as it’s usually difficult and almost always unpleasant to write 8-12 pp. on something you don’t particularly like. The primary guideline is that you feel, when you have completed your project, that you have uncovered some truth about its subject, or that you are at least a little closer to knowing how to define truth in the context you have chosen. You may include some of the media we have studied in this class, or examine completely new material; you may

9

reexamine questions you have covered in previous assignments, or focus only on new ones. Some sample final project topics:

1.) Examine a vivid memory, and compare your version of it with what others remember: for example, you could interview family members about a holiday or vacation, compare answers, and try to find the “real” version. Along the way, discuss why certain people remember things a certain way—is it a reflection of their desires? Their personalities? Their grudges?—and the role memory plays in family life, or in relationships in general.

2.) Choose a story, a fact, or a person, and try to learn as much about them as possible. You could choose a figure as historically meaningful as Napoleon, or as modern and seemingly disposable as Kim Kardashian. Contrast the information you find from various sources—scholarly biographies, gossip columns, caricatures, etc.—and try to both locate and define the “truth” of your subject’s life, while addressing the question of how much “truth” we can ever access about other people’s lives.

3.) In the same vein as the above, write a series of autobiographies: one as an official biographer might write it; one from your perspective; one in a less informative and more creative genre (poetry, song lyrics, even a drawing)—or whatever else you think will allow you to must fully represent yourself.

These are just a few of the many topics you might wish to explore. If you have any questions or ideas you want to run by me, please email me or stop by my office hours. Keep this project in mind as the term progresses, and as we move through the class’ sections, continue to ask yourself what aspects of it you find most interesting, and might wish to revisit at length.

Class Rules

As we only have a little over an hour per class period, it’s important that we make the most of our time. To that end, some hard rules apply:

No use of cell phones or other electronics in class. Cell phones are to be silenced and stowed—no talking, no texting. There is one exception to this rule, however: if you experience significant discomfort writing by hand, you may use a laptop, by arrangement with me. Speak with me during the first week of classes if this is a requirement for you.

10

No lateness. Since classes are so short, this is especially crucial. Occasional tardiness is sometimes unavoidable, but three tardies equals an absence, and consistent lateness will significantly impact your grade,

And finally, a few words on plagiarism: plagiarism of any kind—taking another writer’s words as your own, either in whole or in part, without quoting or proper citation—is an extremely serious offense. Any paper found to contain plagiarism will be given a zero.

Additional Resources

If you’re having trouble with any aspect of an assignment—whether you’re getting started, finding research materials, working on adhering to a structure, or if you are simply worried about grammar or citation—consider paying a visit to The Writing Center in Cramer Hall 188. It’s free, full of friendly and helpful tutors, and available for both walk-in sessions and scheduled appointments. In addition, I highly encourage you to stop by my office hours if you have a question or concern, or just want to discuss your work.If you have a disability that will impact your ability to fulfill class requirements, please notify me during the first week of term, and we can work with the Disability Resource Center to find solutions.

Author Name

Instructor Name

Writing 323

The Date

Title of Essay

11

This is a sample meant to demonstrate the paper formatting you

should use when you for this or nearly any other college class. Above

you will see an example of MLA formatting. On the fellowing page you

will see an example of MLA citation, which I must include at the end

of the paper because I am about to quote Oscar Wilde and tell you

that, “the truth is rarely pure and never simple” (6). Since I already

told you the quote was by Wilde, I do not have to include an in-text

citation of his name, but if I did I might write that the truth, in the

words of a great writer, is “rarely pure but never simple” (Wilde 6).

You will notice that I am writing this sample in Garamond,

because it is my favorite font, but Baskerville, Times New Roman,

Palatino, and many others are all excellent choices. Just make sure

you don’t write in a font that’s hard to read, or unnecessarily large.

Also bear in mind that you must write in double-spaced, twelve-point

font. The assignments you will write for this class will improve your

skills as a writer and give your time to fully explore the themes and

issues we will be discussing, so give yourself as much time as you

need, and don’t sacrifice any space to extra-large font or wide

margins.

When an assignment stipulates that you must write 1-2 pp., that

means you must write at least one full page. If you find yourself

padding your writing—getting down to about this point, say, and

starting to include pointless and digressive information, such as the

12

fact that the longest merry-go-round ride in history was 312 hours and

forty-three minutes long and took place right here in Portland—resist

the temptation.

Works Cited

Wilde, Oscar. The Importance of Being Earnest. 1899. Mineola: Dover Press, 1990. Print.

There are at least three errors in the above writing sample. Tell me what they are in the first week, via email, and receive extra credit.

13