As planned, I scanned an excerpt from Persepolis and was intending to post it here for you to read in preparation for Wednesday’s class.  Unfortunately, because I did a high resolution scan to preserve the integrity of Satrapi’s drawings, the file I created is quite large and can’t be posted to this blog or sent as an attachment to an email.  I spent hours trying to find a way around this (creating a zip-file, etc…), but can’t make it work, so I will be bringing xeroxes for you to Wednesday’s class.  Sorry for any confusion this causes.

Remember – you are still expected to post three questions about the film on the blog.  I see that Rafael has already posted three great questions; now let’s hear from the rest of you.

Have a great day!  I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts about Persepolis tomorrow!

3-5 pages, 12pt. type, double-spaced

Draft Due: Wednesday, Feb. 17th in class.  Bring 3 copies of your draft with you to class.

Essay Due: Uploaded to turnitin.com by 11p.m. on Sunday, February 21st.

For this first formal writing assignment, respond to one of the following prompts.  Remember that in order to be successful, a personal essay must be rich in detail.  As you draft and revise, be careful not to fall back on generic formulations, clichés, or banalities.  Think about anchoring your essay in a particular small anecdote or example.    A successful essay will read as if only YOU could have authored it!

Describe an experience in which you (or your family) were “displaced.”  What was it like to move into a new and unfamiliar space, either literally or metaphorically?  What significance did this displacement hold for you? What happened? What was your experience like?  What issues were raised for you by this transition?
Describe a leave-taking that you have experienced.  Again, this could be literal or metaphoric.  What were you separated from and why?  Dig deep to figure out the emotional, psychological, or cultural significance of your leave-taking experience.
Explore a place that is meaningful to you (a la Andre Aciman.)  What layers of memory or emotion are encapsulated for you in this particular place?  What narrative(s) does this place connect to for you? What is the relationship between this place and the larger narrative of your life?
Using Tan and Rodriguez as your jumping off point, explore your own relationship to language.  What different “languages” do you speak?  What does it mean to move between or among different linguistic modes?  How do these languages reflect or express the various aspects of your self?

I am very excited to be working with all of you this semester and to be incorporating this blog into our studies.  I will be using the blog to post assignments, link to our readings, and make announcements, so be sure to check the blog regularly!  Additionally, you will be sharing your work and ideas with the class via this blog at various points during the semester.   You should also be aware that this is a public site, so anything you post here will also be available to readers outside of our class.  I am a blogging novice, so please be patient with me as I  get acquainted with this platform.  I think it’s going to be a wonderful extension of our classroom space.  If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me at [email protected]

Looking forward to a great semester,

Jennifer Sylvor