English 692 Spring 2003

Philosophy and the Composing Process

Hephzibah Roskelly 200 Foust

Office hours: M 4-6; T l0-1; and by appt.

"In our questions lie our principles of analysis."

Susanne Langer

Our work this semester will be to ask some good questions about a topic at the center of English studies, composing. Literary theory, rhetorical theory and pedagogy all center on elements of composing--how ideas are invented, ordered, revised, connected, delivered, and received. The philosophers we'll read ask questions about the principles of language,

motive, ideology, form and behavior that help govern and nurture what writers and thinkers do as they compose. All our philosophers are American, all twentieth century, and all have important implications for us as writers, teachers, and thinkers.

We study only four philosophers (with a couple of side bar people) so that we can spend some real time with each one. Philosophy requires reflection! We'll use our own experiences as writers and teachers to help ground our thinking and theirs as we apply principles to action in and out of the classroom and consider questions that arise as we make those applications. In three weeks, I'll have some articles on e-reserve for you as well.

You will keep a journal of responses, reflections, applications, speculations--a philosopher's notebook--that I'll take up three or four times during the semester. You'll make one oral presentation to the class on some aspect of our reading. We'll do some short in and out of class writing, and you'll produce one final paper that analyzes the composing process of a writer through a philosophical lens. (I'm hoping that some of you choose to use a novel about a writer's process for this project.)

Your final grade will be based on your participation in your group and in the class, your informal and formal writing and your presentation.

Learning goals include:

--To synthesize the philosophies and theories of composing

--To interpret and critically analyze the readings

--To produce projects that demonstrates applicability, connections and insights into the work of theorists

TEXTS: I.A. Richards, Practical Criticism

Philosophy of Rhetoric

Susanne Langer, Philosophy in a New Key

Kenneth Burke, Permanence and Change

Language as Symbolic Action

Henry Louis Gates, The Bondswoman's Narrative

The Signifying Monkey

Also: W.E.B. Dubois, The Souls of Black Folk

SCHEDULE

Week l: Introduction. Composing as form finding and form creating.

Short course on composing processes

Week 2: MLK Day. Read him.

Week3: January 27.

Richards. Philosophy of Rhetoric

Presentations. How do we see misunderstandings and remedies operating in our assignments, in public discourse, in our writing?

2 people ____________________________

Theories of composing:

Aristotle to Vygotsky in one hour

Week 4: Feb. 3

Richards, Practical Criticism

Presentations: How do students do with Richards' test? What questions about reading does the test reveal?

2 people ________________________________________

Richards' philosophy applied.

From Berthoff's Richards on Rhetoric

Week 5. Feb. l0

Short paper: metaphors of the composing process

What does metaphor do?

Susanne Langer, Philosophy in a New Key

First half

Presentations: How does metaphor control action and thought? What's the importance of ritual?

2 people_______________________________________

Week 6. Feb l7

Langer, second half of Philosophy

Gender and philosophy

Presentations: What's the importance of the visual?

2 people_______________________________________________

Week 7: Feb 24

Journals--sharing ideas from your notebooks

Examining students' writing and our own. How do we ask new questions?

Burke and Langer together--a summary

Week 8: March 4

Kenneth Burke, Permanence and Change

Pts. L and 2

Presentations: How does incongruity promote learning? How do readers respond to style?

2 people____________________________________

SPRING BREAK; MARCH 10-l4 Enjoy

Week 10: March l7

Burke, Permanence and Change Pt 3

Presentation: Can we reconcile the rational and irrational? What are students' ethical dilemmas in writing?

2 people__________________________________

The Pentad.

Week l1: March 24

Burke, Language as Symbolic Action.

Ch. 1-5, in part l

Ch. 1, 6 in part 3

Group talk on Burke

Writing the Pentad

MARCH 28: Cheryl Glenn speaks. Come hear her.

Week l2: March 31

DuBois, Souls of Black Folk

Presentation: How does race matter to composing?

2 people_____________________________________

Week l3: April 7

Henry Louis Gates, Signifying Monkey

Presentation: How do oppressed or marginalized groups use language to persuade? How do issues of composing change depending on class, race, gender?

Whoever's left_________________________________

Week l4: April l4

Henry Louis Gates, A Bondswoman's Narrative

Discussion: The Pentad applied to narrative

Gates' discussion of composing process

Week l5: April 21

Final papers and projects

Your philosophy and the composing process--declaiming