Response Papers

Response Paper #2

• Henry David Thoreau, “Letters from Staten Island” (pages 65-73),
• Jacob Riis, “The Down Town Back-Alleys” (pages 294-307) (supplementary images on course site)

OPTION 1:

Modeling what you think Thoreau is accomplishing (or trying to accomplish) by writing “Letters from Staten Island,” write your own series of letters from the borough of your choice. Thoreau writes to mentors, teachers, colleagues and friends—try to play with the same range of audiences. What messages do you need and want to convey?

OPTION 2:

In the “Preface” to How the Other Half Lives (the book that “The Down Town Back-Alleys” is excerpted from), Jacob Riis writes,

The belief that every man’s experience ought to be worth something to the community from which he drew it, no matter what that experience may be, so long as it was gleaned along the line of some decent, honest work, made me begin this book. With the result before him, the reader can judge for himself now whether or not I was right…

Why would Riis write this in his “Preface”? What do you think his project actually is? What does he write about? Who does he write about? As a reader, what judgment(s) do you make? Why? Is this an “ethical” project?

DUE: Wednesday, February 13 (1-2 pages typed)

 

Response Paper #1

• “Introduction” (pages xvii-xxii)
• Jane Jacobs, from The Death and Life of Great American Cities (pages 811-815)

OPTION 1:

In his “Introduction,” Phillip Lopate refers to the “premise that there really is such a thing as New York writing.” What do you think after reading this “Introduction”? Do you believe there is such a thing as “New York writing”? And, if you do, what does that writing look like? Why? Are you a New York writer? If so, how? Why do you think a label like “New York writer” matters?

OPTION 2:

Jane Jacobs’ piece begins with the idea that “the ballet of the good city sidewalk never repeats itself from place to place, and in any one place is always replete with new improvisations.” What do you think Jacobs means by “the ballet of the good city sidewalk”? How would you describe your own New York ballet? Why would a description of this genre matter or be helpful?

DUE: Monday, February 4 (1-2 pages typed)