| Class Date | In Class | Writing / Reading Due |
| Tuesday, Jan. 28th | Introductions/First Day Writing activity/Syllabus Quiz | None |
| Thursday, Jan 30 | Setting up students on Blogs@Baruch site; discussion of first blog post.
First blog post completed in class. |
Read “Death of the private self: how fifteen years of Facebook changed the human condition”
Bring laptop or tablet to class for writing activity |
| Tuesday, Feb 4th | Discussion of various public and private audiences, and activity on the consequences of unintended audiences receiving the material.
Identifying the intended audience activity with handout. |
Read “What is rhetoric”
Blog post due Wed. by 10 pm |
| Thursday, Feb 6th | Scaffolding activities to prepare for first essay. Discussion of possible approaches to the essay, review of rubric and discussion of sample essays. | Read “Audience” page by Gideon O. Burton,
AND Digital Writing Wiki on Public Vs. Private Readings Blog post due Wed. by 10 pm |
| Tuesday, Feb 11th | Writing Center Workshop in Class (on topic sentences) | Plan for first essay due (bring in your first and second choice cultural artifacts to analyze and write a paragraph on why each would be interesting to explore) |
| Thursday, Feb 13th | Discussion of the intended audience and the public and private nature of this first major assignment. Writing groups convene for first time to share ideas ahead of draft deadline.
Discussion of life writing genres. Activity identifying genres and connecting them to the public or private spheres. |
Read selection from “Experiments in Life-Writing: Introduction” by Julia Novak
Novak2017_Chapter_ExperimentsInLife-WritingIntro (1)
Blog post due Wed. by 10 p.m. |
| Tuesday, Feb 18th | Peer Review of first essay
Class decides whether to post final drafts on class blog. |
First essay draft 1 due/print three copies and bring them to class for peer review—also email me your draft as a google doc before class |
| Thursday, Feb 20th | Discussion of the letter as a form of life writing/ activity analyzing the many uses and public/private natures of various letters and emails | Revise first essay ahead of final draft- add 500 words to your draft (if you are close to 1000 words currently) |
| Tuesday, Feb 25th | Individual meetings to discuss drafts/work on annotated bibs | Read “To the Countess of Bute”, Jan. 28, n.s., 1753” By Lady Mary Wortley Montagu (PDF posted to the website) Blog post due Mon. by 10 p.m. To the Countess of Bute－－By Lady Mary Wortley Montagu |
| Thursday, Feb 27th | Discussion of rhetorical devices and gendered navigation of public and private in Lady Mary Montagu’s letter | Annotated bibliographies draft due |
| Tuesday, March 3th | Discussion of the interview as a form of writing. Scaffolding for interview assignment. | First Essay Final Draft _ annotated bib due/print and bring a copy to class |
| Thursday, March 5th | Planning interview assignments. | Read Imre Kertész, The Art of Fiction No. 220 in The Paris Review
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| Tuesday, March 10th | Discussion of the various private and public roles Douglass performed throughout his career
Discussion of the constructed autobiography. Close reading demonstration/activity |
Frederick Douglass- Celebrity, Privacy, and the Embodied Self PDF posted on website. |
| Thursday, March 12th | Library Session (meet in libraryroom 130) | Read Chapters 1-3 of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass.
Blog post due Wed. by 10 pm |
| Tuesday, March 17th | Discussion of interviews with family members/share what you’ve written.
Writing Center Visit |
Interviews due in class (print and bring in a copy). |
| Thursday, March 19th | Prof. is traveling for a conference, so in lieu of class we will have an online activity aimed at planning the upcoming research paper. | Read “Notes on My Mother” by Hilton Als in The New Yorker
Blog post due Wed. by 10 pm Personal narratives written for public consumption: discussion and activities aimed at questioning the intent and approach in Als and other essay writers provided in handout.
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| Tuesday, March 24 | Writing Center Visit | Bring in ideas for research paper (3 possible topics) |
| Thursday, March 26 | Speed activity aimed at brainstorming for the research paper assignment | Read “Questions to Consider as you Choose Sources” by Lisa Ede. PDF on website. |
| Tuesday, March 31st | Peer review of research papers | First draft of research paper due in class/bring 3 copies for peer review + additional copy for prof. |
| Thursday, April 2nd | Individual meetings to discuss research projects | |
| NO CLASS NEXT TWO WEEKS | Read A House of My Own: Stories from My Life By Sandra Cisneros “Introduction.” PDF posted on website. Blog post due Monday, April 20th by 10 pm |
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| Tuesday, April 21st | Discussion of a writer’s life, as told by the writer. Discussion of the role/importance of gender and ethnicity in Cisneros’ piece. | Final draft of research paper due in class |
| Thursday, April 23rd | Workshop planning remixed versions of final projects | Bring in 3 ideas on how you could remix your paper |
| Tuesday, April 28th | Discussion of the public figure (in this case, politician) memoir: motives, audience, function | Read “Introduction” and Chapter 1, “Origins” of Dreams From My Father by Barack Obama.Barack Obama – Dreams from My Father_ A Story of Race and Inheritance-Three Rivers Press (2004) Blog post due Wed. by 10 pm |
| Thursday, April 30th | Individual meetings to discuss final projects | Revise final project |
| Tuesday, May 5th | Workshop with writer’s groups in class | Read “Another Cog in the Machinery of Divahood” by Alessandra Stanley in the NY Times |
| Thursday, May 7th | Discussion of the constructed celebrity self-image produced for public consumption. | Watch Life is But a Dream by Beyoncé. Final blog post due Wed. by 10 pm |
| Tuesday, May 12th | Flexible day | |
| Thursday, May 14th | Presentations of final remixed projects/End of year reflection | Final Projects Due in class |