Word and Image. Intermediate Level Seminar in History of the Book Taught Summer 2013, Fall 2014

Transcription

1 Word and Image Intermediate Level Seminar in History of the Book Taught Summer 2013, Fall 2014 Course Description: How can we account for the popular appeal of glossy magazines and comic books? Why are they such effective media? In Word and Image, we will explore the many functions of illustration in the cultural reception of literary texts from illuminated manuscripts to graphic novels. This course will give you a chance to work with actual artifacts held in Special Collections. Secondary readings and in-class exercises will enhance our archival research into the various materials and techniques involved in the production and dissemination of imagetexts. Assignments will include two essays, in-class presentations, and a creative final project. Writing Assignments and Grading Policy: Final grades are based on active participation, timely submission of all activities and assignments, quality of essays, projects, and presentations. Attendance, preparation, and participation 10% Presentation on a reading (6 min) 10% Response to classmate s presentation (4 min) 10% 2 Essays (Literary representation of a visual concept; Essay on a Special Collections item) 50% Creative Final Project (Remediation of a historical text) 20% Learning Outcomes: To develop critical thinking skills necessary for analyzing and interpreting the impact of images within the context of illustrated texts. To develop analytical and argumentative skills, including the ability to create concrete descriptions, evaluations, and interpretations of textual and material data in written assignments. To engage in thoughtful discussion on inter-arts relations. To learn the basics of archival research while working with artifacts in Special Collections. To be able to produce and discuss your own visual rhetoric.

2 Required Texts: John Berger, Ways of Seeing Christopher de Hamel, Scribes and Illuminators and British Library Guide to Manuscript Illumination: History and Techniques Scott McCloud, Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art Ellen Lupton, Thinking with Type, 2 nd edition Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, Watchmen **Course Schedule** WEEK 1 WEEK 2 INTRODUCTION TO WORD AND IMAGE Watch Episode 1 of John Berger s BBC program Ways of Seeing on youtube.com; refer to Chapter 1 James A. W. Heffernan, Literacy and Picturacy: How Do We Learn to Read Pictures? Chapter 1 from Cultivating Picturacy (PDF) MANUSCRIPTS IN SPECIAL COLLECTIONS (LIBRARY VISIT) Christopher de Hamel, Scribes and Illuminators Christopher de Hamel, The British Library Guide to Manuscript Illumination: History and Techniques WEEK 3 GENDER, IMAGE, AND NARRATIVE Marie de France, Prologue, Lanval (PDF) Watch Episode 2 of John Berger s BBC program Ways of Seeing on youtube.com; refer to Chapter 3 Elizabeth L Estrange, Gazing at Gawain: Reconsidering Tournaments, Courtly Love, and the Lady who Looks (PDF) WEEK 4 MIDDLE ENGLISH LITERATURE AND MANUSCRIPT PRODUCTION Geoffrey Chaucer, General Prologue (excerpts), Pardoner's Prologue and Tale from Canterbury Tales (PDF) Take a look at the digital images of the Ellesmere Chaucer manuscript images, San Marino, Huntington Library, EL 26 C 09, available on Digital Scriptorium WEEK 5 FROM SCRIPT TO PRINT Ellen Lupton, Thinking with Type ESSAY 1 DUE WEEK 6 EARLY PRINT IN SPECIAL COLLECTIONS (LIBRARY VISIT) Michael Twyman, Hand Production from The British Library Guide to Printing (PDF) Wendy Thompson readings on Print history, Woodcut, Engraving, Etching (Met site) WEEK 7 WILLIAM BLAKE, POET AND PRINTER

3 William Blake, Songs of Innocence and of Experience (excerpts, PDF); explore images in the William Blake Archive ( James A. W. Heffernan, Text and Design: Blake s Songs of Innocence and of Experience (PDF) WEEK 8 WEEK 9 EKPHRASIS Ekphrasis: Poetry Confronting Art Read the main essay and the following poems: The Shield of Achilles by W. H. Auden, Ode on a Grecian Urn by John Keats, Landscape with the Fall of Icarus by William Carlos Williams Mitchell, W.J.T., Ekphrasis and the Other from Picture Theory: Essays on Verbal and Visual Representation, available at InDesign WORKSHOP (LIBRARY VISIT) ESSAY 2 DUE WEEK 10 VISUAL LITERACY AND ADVERTISING Watch Episode 4 of John Berger s BBC program Ways of Seeing on youtube.com; refer to Chapter 7 WEEK 11 GRAPHIC NARRATIVE Scott McCloud, Understanding Comics Final Project Proposal Due WEEK 12 GRAPHIC NOVEL Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, Watchmen WEEK 13 ELITERATURE Take a few minutes to explore (Electronic Literature Organization) "The Last Performance" by Judd Morrissey (2009) at WEEK 14 Workshop Final Projects WEEK 15 FINAL PROJECT PRESENTATIONS Please see an example of a student Creative Final Project: A Video on Manuscript Making

4 WORD AND IMAGE: EXAMPLES OF MAJOR ASSIGNMENTS Instructions for Presentations on a Reading Rhetorical Analysis of a Scholarly Text (6 minutes) Purpose: This assignment prompts you to identify the main argument of a scholarly text as well as the strategies that a particular written + visual argument employs. It requires you to understand not just what writers are saying, but also the purposes and motivations behind their arguments. As you get more comfortable identifying the strategies other writers employ, you will be able to utilize these strategies effectively in your own writing as well as in your final project. Audience: Your audience consists of your class peers who have a casual familiarity with the text that you are analyzing as the text is on our syllabus. You do not need to summarize the text. Content: Your rhetorical analysis of the text will consist mainly of your analysis of the three rhetorical appeals of ethos, logos, and pathos. You do not have to use the terms, but you need to address all three. Ethos deals primarily with credibility. You will want to examine the author s reputation, authority, and/or expertise. These factors as well as the argument being made will either improve or detract from the writer s credibility. You may want to determine who you think is the writer s intended audience, and explain how and why you came to that conclusion. Do a quick Google search to help you with this portion. Another way a writer can establish ethos is by citing established authorities. Take a look at footnotes and/or endnotes to see if you recognize any important sources. Are there any glaring omissions? Logos is concerned with the logic of the writer s argument. In considering the writer s use of logos, you will analyze issues such as the main argument and the quality and quantity of supporting evidence. You may also want to consider any bias that the writer might have toward the subject and the effect of that bias upon the argument being presented. Is the writer s reasoning sound? Do you identify any logical fallacies? In short, you will want to address any weaknesses and/or strengths in the logic of the argument. Pathos deals with emotion. You should identify any attempts on the part of the writer to evoke a particular emotion from the audience. Additionally, you will want to consider whether or not appealing to emotion is an effective strategy for the argument being discussed. Visuals: Briefly comment on the use of images. Were the images relevant to the argument? Were all images addressed in a sufficient manner (rhetorically incorporated into the argument)? Then address the layout correspondence of text and image (usefulness of captions, quality of reproduction, positioning of images in relation to textual passages in which they are discussed). Relevance to the Course: Finally, identify connections between this scholarly text and other primary and/or secondary texts we have covered thus far in the semester. You do not have to address all texts. Focus on a choice few that you see as particularly relevant. Constraints: You have 6 minutes for this presentation. Please time your presentation so that you do not exceed your time slot. Your presentation needs to be both informative and engaging so it can generate a lively discussion. You may want to end it by raising some thought-provoking questions. Submission: your presentation to your respondent 24 hours before your presentation time slot. If you and/or your respondent have issues with this arrangement, please determine amongst yourselves the timing

5 for presentation exchange that works best for both of you. You will submit a written version of your presentation before class on the day it is due. Grading Rubric Presentation Feedback for Poor Avg Great Introduced motivation and generated interest in presented material Provided relevant background information on author and audience (writer s ethos) Identified main argument/thesis, and main supporting points (writer s logos) Coherent pattern of organization for presentation (presenter s logos) Sufficient detail to support discussion of key points Identified significant connections to other course material Evaluated elements of emotional appeal in argument (writer s pathos) Material was appropriate for audience (avoided unnecessary summary, explained difficult concepts, introduced new terms, etc.) Provided original insights relevant to assigned text and/or course Sufficiently addressed word and image relations in argument and layout Content Score: Deductions for lateness, unpreparedness, poor use of time, etc.: Instructions for Formulating a Response to a Student Presentation (4 minutes) Purpose: This assignment prompts you to engage critically with another student s analysis of a shared reading. Comparing your own reading of a scholarly text with another s may help you notice nuances of argumentation that you may have missed. At the same time, of course, this assignment is not a platform for you to criticize or otherwise undermine your fellow classmate. Audience: Your audience consists of your class peers who have a casual familiarity with the text that you are analyzing as the text is on our syllabus. You do not need to summarize the text. Content: Read through the scholarly article first before reading your classmate s presentation. Mark important parts of argumentation such as thesis and main supporting points. Identify some passages that you think are particularly relevant to other course material (primary or secondary texts) we have covered thus far. Now you are ready to read your classmate s presentation. As you read your classmate s presentation, compare your respective lists of parts of argumentation and points of connection to course material. If you find that you significantly disagree with the presenter, you may need

6 to re-read the article. If upon a thorough re-reading, you still disagree, write up your position, politely explaining why these particular points are significant either to the scholar s argument or to our course (class discussions, lectures, course material, etc). If you choose this option, remember that POLITENESS is key to collegiality in the classroom. If you find that you completely or substantively agree with the presenter s rhetorical analysis, you may want to focus on a small aspect of the scholar s argument raised by the presentation. This aspect can be a choice example that illustrates an important point, a helpful analogy, or an image from the article. Alternatively, you may want to bring in a relevant passage or an image from other course materials that you think will generate fruitful discussion when placed in conversation with the presentation. You may also consider some of the questions raised by the presentation as a useful starting point for your own response. Constraints: You have 4 minutes for your response to the presentation. Please time your response so that you do not exceed your time slot. Your response needs to be both informative and engaging so it can generate a lively discussion. You may want to end it by raising some thought-provoking questions. Submission: Your classmate will you his/her presentation 24 hours before the presentation. Do not wait to begin this assignment until you have received your partner s presentation. You can read the scholarly text and formulate your ideas on your own time. If you and/or your presenter have issues with this arrangement, please determine amongst yourselves the timing for presentation exchange that works best for both of you. Submit a written version of your response before class on the day it is due. Grading Rubric Presentation Feedback for Poor Avg Great Introduced motivation and generated interest in presented material Provided a response relevant to classmate s presentation Provided a response relevant to the assigned text Coherent pattern of organization for response (respondent s logos) Sufficient detail to support discussion of key points Identified significant connections to other course material Evaluated elements of classmate s presentation in a collegiate manner Material was appropriate for audience (avoided unnecessary summary, explained difficult concepts, introduced new terms, etc.) Raised significant points and/or questions for discussion Provided original insights relevant to assigned text and/or course Content Score: Deductions for lateness, unpreparedness, poor use of time, etc.:

7 Essay 2: SPECIAL COLLECTIONS ASSIGNMENT: Rhetorical + Visual Analysis (6-8 pages) The goal of a rhetorical and visual analysis is not to analyze what a writer is saying, but to analyze how the writer and/or creator of the visual is/are presenting the composition. Using one of the Special Collections items, you will provide an objective analysis of the strengths and weaknesses within the textual and visual composition while elucidating the relationship between word, image, and material. In consultation with Special Collections librarians, I have put together a number of artifacts for you to choose from. Feel free to consult with me about your selection. You may also consult with the highly knowledgeable staff members of the Special Collections Library. Purpose: This assignment prompts you to identify the strategies that a particular combination of written + visual composition employs. It requires you to understand not just what writers are saying, but also the purposes and motivations behind creative choices of visual and textual representation. Many of these choices are entirely beyond a writer s control and involve editorial decisions of third parties and limitations/possibilities of available technology. Audience: Your audience consists of your class peers who have a casual familiarity with the Special Collections item that you are analyzing as we saw it briefly during our class visit. Content: In your essay, you will combine two aspects of your text the literary and the visual. Both involve a form of rhetorical analysis. You may want to begin with a close reading of the text, following the steps outlined in Essay 1 instructions. The purpose of a visual analysis is to recognize and understand the visual choices the artist made in creating the artwork. A visual analysis addresses an artwork s formal elements visual attributes such as color, line, texture, and size. A visual analysis may also include historical context or interpretations of meaning. By observing and writing about separate parts of the art object, you will come to a better understanding of the art object as a whole. To write a visual analysis, you must look closely at an art object and translate your visual observations into written text. However, a visual analysis does not simply record your observations. It also makes a claim about the work of art. Consider the composition, colors, textures, size, shape, space, and other visual and material attributes of the artwork. Then go beyond your first impressions. This should take some time allow your eye to absorb the image before you formulate your main claim. Making a sketch of the work can help you understand its visual logic. Your claim about the visual aspect of your item might do one or more of the following: Reflect on the overall organization of the work of art Consider how formal elements impact the meaning of the artwork Consider how this work relates to other works you have studied; how is it similar to and/or different from these objects? Once you have laid out your original observations, you may consider relevant background information:

8 Identify the style or movement associated with the artwork. You can explore this connection by comparing the artwork s formal elements to the stylistic characteristics that you have learned in class. You may want to consult the relevant course material (secondary articles on our syllabus) to help you develop this line of argument. Situate your art object in its historical context. Ask yourself what the viewer needs to know about the time period in order to understand this artwork. This may include biographical data about the artist, information about how the artwork was received in its time, or important framing of the social, political, or economic contexts of the time. You may want to consult the relevant course material (secondary articles on our syllabus) to help you develop this line of argument. Consider the printing and publishing conditions of the item. Are the names of printers or publishers available? Identify the printing process used and its constraints and possibilities. Finally, you will consider how the text and the visual work together using concepts relevant to your Special Collections item. Which is the predominant focus, the text or the visual? Do they complement each other? Does the visual add information that the text does not discuss? How does the visual deepen understanding of the text? How is the text laid out in relation to the visual? Where is the visual placed in the text? Or, where is the text placed in relation to the visual? What would the text be like if the visual was missing? (or vice versa) What is the visual appearance of the text? What is the textual/symbolic significance of the visual? Constraints: This is an analytical, academic assignment, and your writing should reflect that. Your paper should be written in a sophisticated academic style. You should construct a clear and precise argument as you analyze the rhetorical strategies employed in the composition of the Special Collections item that you are examining. Remember to edit and proofread your essay. All evidence must be cited according to MLA format, including in-text citations and a separate Works Cited page. Execution: Your essay should have an introductory paragraph, in which you contextualize your Special Collections item, lay out the terms and scope of your argument, and introduce your original and debatable thesis. To be original your thesis should go beyond ideas we discussed in class; to be debatable it should go beyond the self-evident or intuitive level of interpretation. Each of your body paragraphs should support one aspect of your thesis. Within body paragraphs, you should provide detailed evidence such as direct quotations, paraphrasing, or concrete descriptions that help build your argument. All evidence should be cited, explained, and explicitly connected to your argument. All outside research must be cited and integrated into your argument, but you MAY NOT replicate another scholar s argument. I want to hear your thoughts and ideas in your paper.

9 CREATIVE FINAL PROJECT For your creative final project, you will transform one piece of course material into a different medium using all the knowledge that you have gained from our readings, essay assignments, and course discussions. **NOTE: you may NOT use a text that you have already written about in a previous assignment.** Some ideas for transforming an item from one medium to another include: writing a children s book version of a piece of literature, making an informational brochure, creating a website, making a video, creating a series of advertisements that would appear in newspapers or magazines, designing a book cover and/or an innovative layout for one of our primary or secondary texts, or turning a scholarly essay (or one of your essays) into a feature article for a popular website. These are just suggestions, of course. Feel free to use whatever multi-modal format you think best represents your transformative vision. Purpose and Audience: The idea behind this assignment is not simply to restate everything in a new format; instead, I want you to think of your audience and the best way they can be reached. For example, if you wish to remediate John Berger s Ways of Seeing as a children s book, it will not suffice to simply copy and paste Berger s lectures onto a new platform. You would need to edit the lectures and put them in terms that children can understand and provide them with images they can interpret. Project Proposal: 250 words. In the proposal, you will address briefly your choice of course material, your target audience, a concrete plan for remediation. Submit project proposal (250 words) electronically before we meet for class, and bring a hard copy of the proposal to class for workshop. Presentation: You will present your project to your classmates on the last day of class. In your presentation you will explain the following to the class: why you chose the form of media that you did, who your intended audience is, what message you are trying to get across to them, and why you thought it was the most effective way to reach that particular audience. You will need to find a way to show us your project in some form. Your presentation is going to be 10 minutes long. Please time your presentation so you do not exceed your time slot. On the day you present you will submit your project for evaluation. Process Memo: Before you start your presentation, you will submit a 3-4 page process memo. In it, you will briefly explain your visual and textual (and/or audio) choices and address the following: Why did you choose the particular medium that you did? How effective is it in getting your message across? Who is your target audience? What kind of visual-textual relationship were you trying to achieve? Did you achieve it? How is the approach that you chose a reflection of what you have learned in this course? Please cite relevant course material in answering this question. How does your transformation/remediation help your audience understand something about the nature of the original? What sort of obstacles did you run into in creating your final project? Constraints: While the process memo is not a thesis-driven essay, it is nonetheless an analytical, academic assignment, and, as a result, your writing should reflect that. Your paper should be written in a sophisticated academic style. You should decide on a clear and precise organization as you analyze the rhetorical strategies you employed in the composition of your creative project. As you explain your creative choices, please contextualize them within course objectives, assigned readings, and/or discussions. All evidence must be cited according to MLA format, including in-text citations and a separate Works Cited page. The process memo and your project will count as 10% of your final grade. The presentation itself and the proposal will count as 10% of your final grade.