ENGL 209 Assignments & Dates

R 12/15 - Portfolio Due
Submit: bring your portfolio of 4 pieces (1 poem, 1 story, 1 digital story, + one of your choice). Include originals along with revised.
Present: show your digital story to the class.

T 11/29 - Digital Story Script
Write: write a 250-300 word personal narrative for your digital story. Bring a hard copy with you to class. Check out the Center for Digital Storytelling for some examples.
Read and Review: stories by Nicki, Ameena, Holden, Tommy and write a critique.

T 11/22 - Digital Story Script
Write: write a 250-300 word personal narrative for your digital story. Bring a hard copy with you to class. Check out the Center for Digital Storytelling for some examples.

R 11/17 - Workshops
Read: stories by Taj, Jenel, and Reig and write a critique.

T 11/15 - Dialogue
Read: "Hills Like White elephants"
Write: Imagine two people sitting in a restaurant talking. Imagine an issue between them that is important, but that neither broaches directly. Write a scene with dialogue and expositon that ultimately shows the reader what the issue is without directly stating it.

T 11/8 - First Lines
Write: Write the beginning of a story -- 2-3 paragraphs -- starting with a given first line. Choose from the following: "Where were you last night?" or "She held his hand in hers and said he would live a long time."
Read: "Greasy Lake"

T 11/1 - Short Fiction
Read: "The Jewels", "Sculpture I", and "Zooanthropy"
Write: create a character with an age, a job (or professio0n -- she could be unemployed), and a desire. Then write a paragraph or page describing that person's space (apartment, room, yard, etc). Think of things that will show the character of your character.

R 10/27 - NO CLASS

T 10/25 - Short Fiction
Read: Ch. 1-2 in Goon Squad and Civilized World.
Write: Answer the following questions as you read each story: 1. Who is the central character? 2. What does she want -- on any level? 3. How does she change, learn, or grow -- or fail to do so?
Review: Review Steph's poem.

T 10/18 - Thomas Sayers Ellis
We have poet TSE visiting class. Please read The New Perform-A-Form, and "Or." And have questions ready to ask. And bring your books to get signed.

Then attend the reading in J-137 at 12:45pm. There will be food afterwards.

R 10/13 - Workshops

T 10/11 - Your Subjects
Read: 35-68 in Maverick Room
Write: choose a subject or activity that you know a lot about. Then make a list of nouns, verbs, and adjectives that are specific to that field. Do some research about the history and usage of the words. Finally, write a poem using those words -- but make the subject of the poem something other than the field you were working with.

F 10/7 -- Distributing
Look for poems by Reig, Mia, Jenel, Steph

R 10/6 - Workshop
Read: poems by Ameena, Dennis, Caitlin, Nicki, and Tommy
Read: 35-68 in Maverick Room
Write: a one-page critique of each poem following the workshop guidelines

T 10/4 - Your Subjects
Read: 3-34 in Maverick Room
Write: choose a subject or activity that you know a lot about. Then make a list of nouns, verbs, and adjectives that are specific to that field. Do some research about the history and usage of the words. Finally, write a poem using those words -- but make the subject of the poem something other than the field you were working with.

F 9/30 -- Distributing
Look for poems by Caitlin, Tommy, Dennis, Ameena, Nicki

R 9/29 - Workshop
Read: poems by Taj, Holden, Caitlin, and Reig
Read: 3-34 in Maverick Room
Write: a one-page critique of each poem following the workshop guidelines
Revise: work on your list poem to make it as concrete and specific as possible

T 9/27 -- List and 5 Easy Pieces
Read: poems by Keats, Byron, Dickinson,
Revise: work on your list poem to make it as concrete and specific as possible

F 9/23 -- Distributing
Look for poems by Reig, Holden, Taj, and Caitlin

R 9/22 -- Workshop 1
Read: Poems by Alana Roach and Meghan Harris
Write: a one-page critique of each poem following the workshop guidelines

T 9/20 -- Seasons
Read: 'seasons' poems (handouts)
Write: write a poem that consists solely of a list of things you associate with one or more seasons. At first focus on concrete things, but experiment with including more abstract things as you progress. In any case, try to make your things as specific as possible. Use your own experience in describing as well.

R 9/15 -- Familiar
Read: "I Know a Man"; "pennycandystore beyond the el"; "A Supermarket in California" ; "Fountains of Aix" ; "Losing Track" ; "Back of Gino's Place"
Write: Pick the poem you like best in this batch and write a poem or story fragment in that author's style -- but in a different location. Try to imitate the author's style as closely as possible -- look for all the little things that make the poem recognizable as the author's work. Your goal should be to have the class read it and say, "Aha, that looks like a poem by X."

T 9/13 -- Ordinary Life
Read: "I Know a Man"; "pennycandystore beyond the el"; "A Supermarket in California" ; "Fountains of Aix" ; "Losing Track" ; "Back of Gino's Place"
Write: Pick the poem or story you like best in this batch and write a poem or story fragment in that author's style -- but in a different location.

R 9/8 -- Revising Secrets
Revise: "Secrets" poem with special emphasis on concrete details.

T 9/6 -- Secrets
Read: poems in email links
Write: Take the secret that you are given and write a poem of the story of that secret. Include in the poem your reflections as a writer looking back on the incident.

R 9/1 -- Syllabus, etc
Read: Intro to Class, syllabus
Write: Define poetry and bring in at least two poems to suport your definition

T 8/30 -- Intro to Class
Exercise:
Think about the story of your name. Then write a poem using some piece of that history in an interesting way.