Instructor: Alicia Mooney
Office: McIver 334L
Office Hours: MWF 10:30-12, also by appointment
Mailbox: 133 McIver Building
Email: amooney@prodigy.net

Course Description: You will explore the art of writing, focusing on the essay. Reading and thinking critically, and writing and revising will help you discover and develop your own writing process. You will also explore spoken argument and spend time, individually and as a group, honing your speaking skills. Finally, within the contexts of both writing and speech, you will begin the practice of self-evaluation.

Texts: Ship Fever by Andrea Barrett
Rules for Writers (4^th ed.) by Diana Hacker
various essays on E-Reserve
Bring your texts to every class.

Requirements: three essays, including two drafts each
one speech, including typed notes
regular reading assignments
in-class writing
active participation in small-group and class discussions
peer critiques/evaluations
three conferences
15 minute group presentation on a story in Ship Fever
final portfolio, including a self-evaluation

All work (except in-class writing) should be typed, double-spaced, with a size 12 "times" font, 1 inch top and bottom margins, and 1 inch left and right margins. Your name and the title of the assignment should go on the first line. No late work will be accepted. Absences on due dates do nothing for you. You will still receive a zero if you fail to hand in your work on time.

Essays: No one writes the perfect first draft. The authors you read this semester have gone through the revision process themselves. Writing and rewriting will help you develop your skills and shape your work. In your final portfolio, you will hand in edited, polished essays along with two drafts for each. These include: essay 1-observation, essay 2-reflection, essay 3-biographical.

Workshop: Some of our classes will be workshops. Discovering and developing your writing will come from workshop discussions about your own drafts. We will work in groups to talk about different aspects of the writing. Copies of your drafts will be required for workshop and are your responsibility. One-page critiques will also be required. If you fail to bring either copies of your drafts or the one-page critiques, you will receive a zero for the assignments. Part of the discussions will be on what works well and what does not. Respect is also required. Lack of respect will not be tolerated and you will be asked to leave, gaining one absence. Further workshop guidance will come later.

The Writing Center: A large part of developing your skills as a writer revolves around learning how to receive and interpret critical readings of your work from a variety of sources. To that end, I may ask you to go to the Writing Center for an out-of-class critique. (Feel free to go on your own as well.) It is located in McIver 101 and is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. The Writing Center will give me an official note for each visit documenting your time there.

Speech/Presentation: Not many people are born with the gift of gab. In fact, public speaking is listed as one of the top fears among people in America. Because of this we will work together toward giving strong presentations in spite of the fear. As a class, we will develop a speaking code of ethics in order to create the best atmosphere in which to work. From there we will do a variety of exercises, culminating in a final speech.

E-Reserve: When I assign a reading for homework, you will be required to read it and bring a copy of it to the next class. Many of the essays you will read are on E-Reserve. You need to go online to print them out. Once you are online, go to the Jackson Library homepage: library.uncg.edu/ and click on "reserves." It will then prompt you to type in my last name. Type in "Mooney" and click on the "search by instructor" button. A list of readings will appear. Find the reading and click on "full text online." You will then be on the "electronic reserves" page. Click on "I know the username and password and am ready to access the reserve material." For username, type in "ereserves" and for password, type in "fall2001". When the reading appears, you can then print it out. If you need more help, go to the reserve room in the library and ask for help with retrieving essays on E-Reserve.

Extra Credit Assignments: There will be readings by visiting writers throughout the semester. (I will provide a reading schedule.) For each reading you decide to attend, you must write a one- to two-page response in essay form for two points toward your final grade. (Thats two points for each response.) You are responsible for turning those in to me.

Grading: You will not receive an official grade until the final portfolio. I will respond to your writing/speaking to let you know where you stand. In our conferences, I will give you your grade-so-far and comment on your work. To prepare for conferences, I will assign questions, for which you must turn in the answers to me at the time of conference. These will reflect what you feel youve done well in your writing/speaking and what you feel you need to develop. If you have questions, dont hesitate to come see me during office hours or to make an appointment.

Attendance: Attendance is required. You are allowed two absences during the semester no exceptions. If you miss three classes, you will lose three points from your final total; if you miss four classes, you will lose six points; five classes, twelve points; if you miss six or more classes, you will automatically fail the course. If you are late or leave early from class, it counts as ½ an absence. Absences include illnesses, sporting events, car accidents, acts of nature, etc. A note from the health center or the police department will not get you out of being marked absent or late. So, consider anything that may hinder you from getting to class and make compensations. If you are absent, you are responsible to find out what youve missed.

If you are absent on the day a paper is due, a conference scheduled, a workshop is scheduled, etc., you will receive an absence and a zero for the assignment.

If you do not miss class and you are on time each day, you will receive six extra points toward your final grade.

101-34 Schedule:

8/21: Introduction to course

Reading for next class: Writing Matters handout "What is Rhetoric?" "Why Study Rhetoric?" "One Last Reason for Thinking About Rhetoric,""Different Texts in Different Contexts," "Reading and English 101," "The Madness of Big Grannys Christmas"

Reading discussion

Critique questions

Reading for next class: Writing Matters handout "A Chapter of My Life"

Observation essay

Details

Writing exercise

Reading for next class: "Soup" and "Portrait of My Body" by Phillip Lopate

Thesis statements

Preparing for presentations/peer evaluations

Speaking code of ethics

Reading for next class: "The Behavior of the Hawkweeds" in Ship Fever

Revision/proofreading

Presentation

Reading for next class: "The English Pupil" in Ship Fever

Getting ready for conferences

Presentation

9/11-9/13: Conferences

Reading for next class: "The Littoral Zone" in Ship Fever

Presentation

Workshopping/critiques

Critiques due (2 copies)

Critiques due (2 copies)

More about public speaking

Speaking exercise

Reading for next class: E-reserve "Life Intrudes" by Jerry Rockwood, "The Story of My Body" by Judith Ortiz Cofer

Reading discussion

Reading for next class: "Rare Bird" in Ship Fever

Writing exercise

Reading for next class: "Soroche" in Ship Fever

Conference sign-up

Audience

Presentation

10/16-10/18: Conferences

Reading for next class: "Birds with No Feet" in Ship Fever

More about reflection essays

Speaking about what youve written

Presentation

Reading for next class: "The Marburg Sisters" in Ship Fever

Critiques due (2 copies)

Presentation

Required event: All-freshman Read, visiting writer, Andrea Barrett

Reading for next class: E-reserve "Giving the Young a Voice in National Service Programs" by John Beilenson, "Two Ways a Woman Can Get Hurt: Advertising and Violence" by Jean Kilbourne

Proposal speech

Peer evaluations

Reading discussion

Arguing/evidence

Citation

Arguing

Reading for next class: Speech handout

Peer evaluations

First draft of speech (1 copy)/partner workshop

More about citation

11/8-11/20: Speeches

Reading for next class: E-reserve "A Chase" by Annie Dillard and "Ring Leader" by Natalie Kusz, Writing Matters handout "Reflective Writing Portfolios," "Why Portfolios," "What Are They?" "You Mean Theres More?"

11/22: Thanksgivingno class

Reading discussion

Portfolios/self-evaluations

Conference sign-up

11/29-12/6: Conferences

12/18-12 p.m.: Final portfolios due

Evaluations