English 114: Friendship

Transcription

1 1 Dr. Briallen Hopper Office: 35 Broadway, #207M Office Hours: TBD English 114: Friendship Wherever you are it is your own friends who make your world. William James From ancient Greece to the Facebook era, questions about friendship have obsessed thinkers and writers. What is friendship, and why does it matter? How has it changed, and how has it remained the same? How is it important, both personally and politically? In answering these questions, we will watch The Social Network, and we ll read theories of friendship by Aristotle, Cicero, Emerson, and Thoreau, autobiographical writing by awardwinning novelist Ann Patchett, and op-eds on friendship from the Chronicle of Higher Education and the New York Times. We ll also draw on scholarship in history, literary studies, gender studies, and philosophy as we embark on our own original research projects. And we ll learn to write in a variety of academic genres, from the short textual analysis to the research essay. This class is designed to prepare you for college writing in all classes and departments. The assignments will teach you how to read closely, state a claim, assemble and interpret evidence, and pursue research at the library. We will also spend a lot of time on revision, and (as in all sections of 114) you will rewrite everything you write. Like friendship, writing is a social practice: we write for others, and we depend on trusted readers to help us improve our work. In keeping with the class s emphasis on the social network, you will also be reading and commenting on your peers writing throughout the semester. By the end of the class, you will be equipped for the range of writing that college will bring. Required Texts Available at the Yale Bookstore: Graff, Gerald, and Cathy Birkenstein. TheySay/ISay: The Moves that Matter in Academic Writing. 2nd edition. Norton. Strunk, William, E.B. White, and Maira Kalman. The Elements of Style. Illustrated edition. Penguin. (We will use TEOS for in-class exercises.) The Social Network will be screened in class and will also be available to view on reserve at the Film Studies Center. You are encouraged but not required to purchase it in DVD or instant streaming formats so you can re-watch it from the comfort of home. You can find it used for about $7. Essays, Exercises, and Drafts You will write four essays in this class. Before writing the revised version of an essay, you will

2 2 submit writing exercises and a complete draft. Exercises and drafts are important aspects of your work in the class, and the more you invest in them, the better your revised version will be. When you submit your essays (both drafts and revisions) you should include a cover letter to me in which you: 1) begin with a greeting; 2) summarize your essay in a sentence or two, including your thesis; 3) describe an aspect of your essay that you think works well; 4) describe an aspect of your essay that still needs work; 5) conclude, and sign your name. You should be able to accomplish all this in a paragraph or so, though you are welcome to write more. Always double-space your work and use 12-point font, 1-inch margins, and page numbers. All drafts and revisions must be submitted both electronically and in hard copy. Submit the electronic copies of your essays via in docx or pdf format, and name your file as follows: [lastname][essay#][d for draft or R for revision]. For example, my draft for the second assignment would be named Hopper2D.docx or Hopper2D.pdf. Submit the hard copies of your essays in class. Workshops In a spirit of friendship, you will workshop your classmates drafts in class, give them spoken and written feedback, and learn to be a good editor of others work as well as of your own. An important note: Editing does not mean proofreading. Proofreading means correcting spelling and grammar. Editing means offering substantive suggestions to clarify an author s ideas and their expression. You are expected to read your classmates essays with an attentive, sympathetic, and skeptical editorial eye. You re more than welcome to proofread their prose as well, but proofreading alone is not enough. Help Each student must meet with me at least once before the revision of Essay 2 is due to discuss your work. I am always happy to meet with you during office hours as well. Academic Honesty You must give appropriate credit when you use someone else s words or ideas. When in doubt, cite. Plagiarism could result in very serious consequences including failure to receive credit for the class. You can find further information and links at

3 3 If you have any questions about this, please come talk with me. Grading Come to class prepared to discuss the readings and participate in activities and workshops. You can t make up in-class work, so attendance is absolutely essential. More than one unexcused absence will lower your grade. Late exercises drafts, and revisions will lower the final assignment grade one-third of a letter grade for each day late. Late work may not receive written feedback. This is the grading breakdown: Essay 1 (close reading, 4-5 pages) 10% Essay 2 (analysis, 5-6 pages) 25% Essay 3 (researched argument, 8-10 pages) 30% Essay 4 (cultural criticism, 3-4 pages) 20% Participation (includes attendance and contributions to class discussion; exercises; responses to peers work; etc.) 15% All assignments must be completed to receive a passing grade for the course. Other Important Information Library orientation: You need to familiarize yourself with Yale s Library resources at Click on Workshops & Tutorials, and then browse the tutorials. Yale Writing Center: The Yale Writing Center s web pages have many useful resources for English 114 students. See their web site at Special needs: If you need assistance or accommodation due to physical, learning, or language issues, please contact me privately as soon as possible. Course Calendar Essay 1: A Reading of The Social Network Some people have a large circle of friends while others have only friends they like. Laurence J. Peter Week 1 Monday, 7-9 Introductions Essay 1 assigned The Social Network screening (part 1)

4 4 Wednesday, 7-11 The Social Network screening (part 2) TSIS, Film discussion Friday, 7-13 Essay 1 Draft due Bring 2 copies of your paper to class! Peer review and writing workshop Essay 2 assigned Essay 2: An Analysis of a Theory of Friendship The scholar sits down to write, and all his years of meditation do not furnish him with one good thought or happy expression; but it is necessary to write a letter to a friend and, forthwith, troops of gentle thoughts invest themselves, on every hand, with chosen words. Ralph Waldo Emerson Week 2 Monday, 7-16 Tuesday, 7-17 Wednesday, 7-18 William Deresiewicz, Faux Friendship (online) Samuel Johnson (online) Aristotle (in-class handout) Cicero (in-class handout) TSIS, 1-29 Choosing a research topic homework assigned Essay 1 Revision due Choosing a research topic homework due Ralph Waldo Emerson, Friendship (online) (note: this is a complex essay begin reading several days prior to discussion) Thoreau, Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers (excerpt in-class handout) Finding Sources homework assigned Essay 3, research proposal, annotated bibliography, and evidence homework assigned Friday, 7-18 Essay 2 Draft due Peer review and writing workshop; bring 3 copies of your paper to class TSIS, Essay 3: A Research Paper

5 5 A library is a collection of friends. Lyman Abbott Week 3 Monday, 7-23 Wednesday, 7-25 Thursday, 7-26 Friday, 7-27 John T. Lysaker and William Rossi, Emerson and Thoreau: Figures of Friendship (online) Carroll Smith Rosenberg, The Female World of Love and Ritual (online) TSIS, Library research workshop Finding Sources homework due Essay 2 Revision due Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, Between Men (excerpt) (online) Writing workshop: structuring your research paper TSIS, Research paper proposal and annotated bibliography due via Readings: A primary source for your research essay AND a secondary source for your research essay (bring to class) TSIS, Week 4 Monday, 7-30 Essay 3 First Draft Due Peer review (part 1) and writing workshop: bring two copies of your paper to class Writing workshop: Evidence TSIS, Wednesday, 8-1 Friday, 8-3 Tutorial Meetings with Instructor: No class meeting TSIS, Essay 3 Second Draft Due Peer review (part 2): bring two copies of your paper to class Sample Paper discussion Writing workshop: Polishing your paper Essay 4: Public Writing on Friendship Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend. Martin Luther King, Jr. Week 5 Monday, 8-6 Essay 3 Revision due Ann Patchett, The Face of Pain Emily Rapp, Transformation and Transcendence: The Power of

6 6 Female Friendship TSIS, Paper #4 assigned Wednesday, 8-8 Friday, 8-10 Essay 4 Draft due; peer review and writing workshop William Deresiewicz, A Man. A Woman. Just Friends? Elizabeth Bishop, North Haven TSIS, Essay 4 Revision due Presentations Course conclusion