Introduction to Memoir Zachary Sifuentes Thursdays, 7:35 9:35pm Office: TBA Office Hours: Thursdays, 6:30 7:30

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1 Introduction to Memoir Zachary Sifuentes Thursdays, 7:35 9:35pm Office: TBA Office Hours: Thursdays, 6:30 7:30 Introduction What s the difference between recollection and autobiography, between truth and honesty, between the past and present? The difference may well be what we call memoir. Memoirs are occupied more with emotion than they are with information; they are often less panoramic than autobiographies, but more purposeful than recollections. Most important, they are not really about the past, even if their primary impetus is the act of remembering. The memoir is about how our past selves continue to inform our present selves. This class takes these ideas of the memoir as a given, and is structured around a series of discussions and workshops to help us find a compelling reason to write and to have others read what we ve written. In other words, this class is meant to help transform your autobiographies into compelling narratives. We ll therefore focus on telling stories not just through the conventions of plot but through the elements of writing: we ll find out how entire stories can be contained in our motivation for writing, in our images, and even in the rhythm of our sentences. Attendance Since this is a seminar, you are the most important part of class. Your attendance and your attention will determine the extent to which the class can reach its full potential. Be here and be verbal! To be specific, here s the official attendance policy: Because instruction in Writing Program courses proceeds by sequential writing activities, your consistent attendance is essential. If you are absent without medical excuse more than twice, you are eligible to be officially excluded from the course and failed. Reading There is a course packet, available at Gnomon Copy on Mass Ave. Office Hours My regular office hours for this course will be the hour before class begins. I will announce a place in the immediate vicinity shortly, likely at a local café.

2 Workshops The core of the class! The ideal workshop divides up responsibility in three ways: (1) I lead the discussion with questions; (2) the class reads the memoirs according to that specific workshop s goals; and (3) you listen to critiques with an open mind, and let the debate takes its own course. In other words: it s helpful to hear how we are understanding your writing, rather than intervening in the discussion. Assignments Posts to Website: We ll regularly post responses, reflections, and even flash memoirs to the class website. These are meant to let us reflect not only on our lives but on the process of writing. Drafts: Drafts are due on the days indicated. You ll bring in one copy, and you ll workshop your own memoir. On these days we ll focus on the elements of writing: crafting images, crafting compound and complex sentences, and crafting what we ll call an external world. These writing workshops are all meant to give your audience more reason to read about who you are. Revisions: Revisions will always be due a few days after drafts, in which you will implement the workshop from the draft day. These are meant to be more local rather than wholesale, and offer you chance to put into action the key writerly moves we ll be learning in each unit. Final Portfolios & Grades: At the end of the term, you will assemble your work in a folder and submit it for grading. This will give you ample time to more fully revise your work throughout the semester. A final portfolio will keep us focused on the work of writing rather than the rewards or pains of grading! Caveat #1: if anyone is getting what I will be a C or lower, I will ask that we have a conference to discuss your work. Caveat #2: if you would like to know where you stand at any point in the semester, I am happy to discuss your grade with you. Please just let me know, at least a couple of days in advance! Submissions for Publication: The last class of the semester is reserved for a mailing party we ll identify possible journals for submitting our work and put together submission packets. Academic Integrity Harvard Extension School expects students to understand and maintain high standards of academic integrity. Breaches of academic integrity include the following examples.

3 Plagiarism: plagiarism is the theft of someone else s ideas and work. It is the incorporation of facts, ideas, or specific language that are not common knowledge, are taken from another source, and are not properly cited. Whether a student copies verbatim or simply rephrases the ideas of another without properly acknowledging the source, the theft is the same. A computer program written as part of the student s academic work is, like a paper, expected to be the student s original work and subject to the same standards of representation. In the preparation of work submitted to meet course, program, or school requirements, whether a draft or a final version of a paper, project, take-home exam, computer program, application essay, oral presentation, or other work, students must take great care to distinguish their own ideas and language from information derived from sources. Sources include published and unpublished primary and secondary materials, the Internet, and information and opinions of other people. Extension School students are responsible for following the standards of proper citation and to avoid plagiarism. Two useful sources are: 1. Writing with Sources: A Guide for Harvard Students and Writing with Internet Sources (available by clicking here), prepared by Harvard s Expository Writing Program; and 2. Writing with Sources: A Guide for Harvard Students is available in the Research Help section of the Grossman Library website. (Available here, and then log in with your Harvard ID number, and select research Help from the menu on the left). Hard copies of both of these publications are available at 51 Brattle Street and are on reserve at Grossman Library. For more information, see the Expository Writing Program s Writing Resources here. Grades Final portfolio grades for the class will broken down accordingly: Active participation: 10% Evidence of Revision: 10% Unit 1 Memoir: 20% Unit 2 Memoir: 25% Unit 3 Memoir: 35%

4 Unit One The Personal & The National 1/29: Scenes & Settings: The Establishing Shot Reading: Baldwin, Hongo, & Haines Focus: Finding a Motive 2/1: Post: Your National Story 2/5: Letting Imagery Tell Your Story Reading: Baldwin, Hongo & Haines Due: Draft One (one copy, printed out) Focus: Images 2/8: Revision 2/11: Post: One paragraph reflection 2/12: On Perspective: The Dance Floor & the Balcony Reading: student unit one memoirs Focus: transitioning between stories 2/19: On Metaphor: The Unfamiliar & the Known Reading: student unit one memoirs Focus: getting rid of explanation 2/22: Post: Flash Memoir, focused on place 2/24: read all the Flash Memoirs on the website, vote for your three favorites and them to me. denotes a due date outside of our Thursday class.

5 Unit Two Have Small Memories, But Tell Big Stories 2/26: Making Maps, Making Memories Reading: David Halperin, Out of Australia & Peter Weiss, How to Get Out of a Locked Trunk Due: Narrative Map of one of today s readings Focus: the mindful motive 3/1: Post: Your mindful motive 3/5: Letting Rhythm Tell Your Story Reading: Mary Oliver, Waste Land: An Elegy Due: Draft Two (one copy, on paper) Focus: sentence modeling 3/8: Revision 3/12: On Analysis: Thinking Critically in Memoir Reading: student unit two memoirs Focus: revealing yourself 3/18: Post: One paragraph reflection 3/19: On Movement: The Timing of Revelation Reading: student unit two memoirs Focus: tone & voice 3/26: SPRING BREAK denotes a due date outside of our Thursday class.

6 Unit Three Aren t Memories Always In the Now? 4/2: Narrative in the Now Reading: bring in reading from unit one and unit two Due: post reflections to class website Focus: putting together puzzles 4/9: Letting Dialogue Tell Your Story Reading: Esmeralda Santiago, Jíbara Due: overheard conversation Focus: the way we speak 4/16: Unsightly Observations Reading: Esmeralda Santiago, How to Eat a Guava Due: Long Memoir Focus: letting the outside come in 4/19: Revision 4/23: Acts of Juggling Workshop: Four Model Memoirs Reading: student memoirs Focus: a balance of elements 4/30: Constructive Criticism Reading: your group s memoirs Focus: gaining independence 4/3: choose one early work to revise 5/7: Memoir as Revision Workshop on early work Reading: your group s early work Focus: looking back to look forward 5/14: Veering into the Future Due: portfolios Focus: the possibility of publication 5/21: Last Class: On Publication Due: three possible places to submit Focus: putting together a submission