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College Writing Program

Reasoning & Writing in the College
CAS 105/105E

Fall 2006

Each section has a unique content and grows out of the general CAS 105/105E course description developed by the Interdisciplinary College Writing Committee.

**Courses address issues of diversity

Writing about Cultural Studies

Big Brother in the Bedroom
Kathleen Casey, Department of History
TR 2:00 – 3:15 CRN 21635

At first glance the government of the United States and the private sex lives of American citizens seem to be two disparate topics. However, in this course, we will explore these two concepts as they converge in various cultural arenas by examining a broad range of topics including prostitution and sex education. Through reading, writing and discussion we will investigate multiple perspectives on the changing role of government in shaping the private lives of citizens in recent America. To accomplish this we will examine and discuss various texts on a weekly basis and construct argumentative essays as well as an 8-10 page research paper. In this course, our main focus will be to develop essential writing tools such as peer review and self-assessment while increasing our knowledge of on-going cultural debates.

**Whoah, Reality’s Not Real!!!!: Documentary and Mockumentary Films
Kevin Cryderman, Department of English
TR 11:05 – 12:20 CRN 21408

Through various forms of informal and formal writing, we’ll explore the genre of the documentary/mockumentary film. You’ll write mini inquiry essays to open up questions around topics such as the relationship between ‘reality’ and the representation of ‘truth’ that these films supposedly document. Although they don’t use actors and fictional stories, do documentaries nevertheless construct points of view, make arguments and tells stories by editing together raw footage of ‘real people’ and ‘things actually happening’? How do mockumentaries play upon documentary conventions- talking heads, aesthetic inserts, voice-overs, ironicizing cross-cutting, etc.-for comic effect?

You’ll also write four formal persuasive essays to explore critical debate around documentaries: a critical conversation with academic articles; a close-reading/viewing of a film; a mandatory revision and extension of essay #1 or 2; and a research paper on any topic loosely related to the class. Along the way, we’ll use peer feedback, self-assessment, class discussion and revision as core strategies for writing-as-process. With a focus on contemporary films, we’ll familiarize ourselves with the genre by examining films around a series of topics, such as: People and Pets, Kids, Obsessions, Ethnography, Comedy with a Purpose, Anti-Corporate Sentiment, Political Activism, Music, Judaism and The Holocaust, Manvs. Nature with Werner Herzog, Sports, The Media and Politics, and Public Intellectuals.

Environmental Conceptions
Ryan Harper, Department of English
TR 9:40 – 10:55 CRN 21537

Most of us hear the term “environment” often enough to accept it as a normal component of social and political discourse, but what does it really mean? What does it stand for? It often seems to be associated with some concept of “nature” or the “natural world,” but what is this “natural world” and how exactly does it relate to the “environment”? Is this “environment” of common discourse intended to be a purely ecological construct, or does it have geographical, social, cultural, physical and economic components as well? In this course we will explore such questions through both the weekly readings and student responses to them. Readings will include poetry, essays, excerpts from novels and historical studies by several writers including Edward Abbey, David James Duncan and William Cronon. Three short papers and one longer paper will be required, and all assignments will include revisions, peer feedback and self-assessment exercises.

Passing Narratives in Contemporary Film
Dinah Holtzman, Visual and Cultural Studies
MW 3:25 - 4:40 CRN 21546

The Wayans brothers as “white chicks,” Jews and blind black men as white supremacists, gay cowboys desperately posing as straight…these are just a few examples of pop culture passing narratives. Celebrities like Michael Jackson and Madonna suggest that race, gender, ethnicity, sexuality and religious affiliation are as changeable as wardrobe and hairstyle.

Some academics suggest that certain markers of identity, such as race, nationality, class and gender, are only social constructions. If this is true, are individuals free to create their own identities? How are notions of identity complicated when people choose to take on races, ethnicities, classes or genders other than those they were born into? Instances of successful passing suggest that identities can be chosen or rejected at will and are not simply inherited. Why are we so invested in defining our own and other people’s identities? What criteria do we use to assign various identities to others?

These are some of the questions we will explore through the process of learning how to write critically and present cogent arguments about film and popular culture. Students will articulate their personal and critical responses to films such as: The Jerk, Trading Places, The Talented Mr. Ripley, M. Butterfly, Six Degrees of Separation and White Chicks through the creation of a portfolio of written responses, multiple short writing exercises, peer review, self-assessments, class discussion and an 8-10 page research paper.

While the primary focus of the course will be cinematic passing narratives, we will also explore some literary, televisual, and pop cultural texts. Possible texts include: John Howard Griffin’s Black Like Me, James Weldon Johnson’s The Autobiography of an Ex-Coloured Man, Nella Larsen’s Passing and Walter Mosley’s Devil in a Blue Dress.

**Laughing in the Dark: Comedy and Gender
Jennie Lightweis-Goff, Department of English
MW 4:50 – 6:05 CRN 21477
MW 6:15 – 7:30 CRN 21431

This course builds on prior experience with argumentative writing and introduces new ideas about gender and comedy. Class conversation and writing assignments will provide open-ended inquiry into comic representations of gender and sexuality; we will also consider stand-up as a genre with recourse to sketch comedy and film comedy, two related genres. As a class, we will investigate how race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation affect the audience's pleasure, laughter, and sense of the comedian's gender identity. Required reading will mostly come from essays about gender and comedy, as well as John Limon's book-length study, Stand-Up Comedy in Theory: Abjection in America. Of course, we will also watch stand-up, including Eddie Izzard's Dress to Kill, Richard Pryor Live!, Paul Provenza and Penn Jillette's The Aristocrats, and Margaret Cho's I'm The One That I Want. Please be aware that these films contain strong language and adult content. Both comic and critical texts will provide themes and concepts for three brief papers, which will be reviewed and revised in a workshop setting. Original student research on related subjects will provide material for a long research paper. The bulk of class time will be spent in conversation that fosters a sense of community among students and instructor. During the semester, the class will function as a discourse community that encourages critical thinking, revision, and writing. In-class participation is required, and includes classroom response, self-assessment, and peer review in group settings.

Sifting Through the Trash: Truths and Lies of the Energy Crisis
Daniel M. Martinez, Department of Chemical Engineering
TR 4:50 - 6:05 CRN 21585

Everyone has an opinion on the pending energy fallout – the one we face next year. Or is that next century? Wait, didn’t that already happen in the 1970’s? And shouldn’t the ozone layer have already peeled off by now? After scientists collect empirical data, that information is disseminated to the public in a variety of media formats. However, regardless of the findings, much of that information is misinterpreted, misrepresented, or simply misunderstood. Sorting sense from nonsense is a critical skill for people working in any controversial field.

In this course we will explore the processes used by scientists, government agencies, activist organizations, and large energy-producing companies to shape public sentiment, specifically with regards to Energy and the Environment. From editorial opinions in newspapers to Nova television programming, we will look at all of the “junk” out there available to us and try to uncover the slivers of truth buried within. Students will be expected to contribute to in-class discussion and to write papers commenting on the media samples. The writing assignments will specifically include several informal response papers, a handful of formal essays, and an 8 -10 page argumentative research paper. Emphasis will be placed on revision, peer review, and self-assessment.

Writing about English Language and Literature

The Witch-Craze: From Malleus Maleficarum to Harry Potter
Jennifer Ailles, Department of English
TR 12:30 - 1:45 CRN 21606

Witches are often vilified, discriminated against, and hunted down because they represent the mystical borders of a society and the malevolent (un)known. Witches are also celebrated as benevolent figures whose magic is an extension of the untainted natural world. What makes a person a witch or makes a society label someone as a “witch”? How are witches different from other marginalized figures? In this course we will examine how witches have been represented in film and literature over time and in different milieus. Some of the works we will discuss will be Harry Potter, The Wizard of Oz, The Witches of Eastwick, Disney cartoons, The Crucible, and The Blair Witch Project. We will also look at classical antecedents such as the goddess Diana and Hecate along with cultural documents including the Malleus Maleficarum, Newes From Scotland, and transcripts from witch trials that have been highly influential in how witches and their persecution have been understood and represented historically. Through critical and primary readings, film screenings, class discussion, and written essays, we will address issues of gender, race, class, and cultural politics that are raised through examining representations of witches. Students will be required to engage critically with the material and to actively strengthen their argumentative skills though journals, peer reviews, essay revisions, self-assessments, and in-class writing workshops.

Postmodern Outrage
Robert Baker, Department of English
TR 9:40 – 10:55 CRN 21641

Postmodernism, according to some writers, has produced a depthless world in which people are too numb to feel anything. The expression of genuine emotion is impossible because every aspect of human experience has been reduced to a commodity. At the same time, however, postmodern culture is characterized by frequent outbursts of intense, passionate anger. If it is true that emotional expression is subdued in the postmodern era, then why does it seem that so many people are so enraged? In this course, we will sharpen our rhetorical writing skills by performing a close examination of this apparent contradiction. We will explore representations of personal anger and public outrage in works by John Barth, Cristina Garcia, Robert Coover, Salman Rushdie, and others. Postmodern attitudes of detachment, irony, and complacency are radically challenged by eruptions of fierce, vehement fury. Our goal will be to find a way to reconcile these two antithetical aspects of contemporary culture. We will sharpen our reasoning skills through workshops, peer review, self-assessment, and formal and informal writing assignments, including an argumentative research paper. Because writing is a recursive process, we will pay particular attention to the role of revision. Come for the carnage; stay for the ambivalence. What you write is your only way out of the postmodern impasse.

Questioning Beauty
Geoff Bender, Department of English
MW 6:15 - 7:30 CRN 96158

Beauty. Everybody wants it, but what is it? And how important is it to us? Are we, after all, better off without it? Through an exploration of the texts of popular culture, we’ll develop a working understanding of how certain notions of beauty insinuate themselves into our lives. This investigation will include close scrutiny of how we make aesthetic judgments to determine what is beautiful. Then, we’ll take a step back to see how some questions of beauty have been understood and debated across time through a reading of paired works in philosophy and literature. These works will include excerpts from the writing of Joyce, Plato, Aquinas, Mann, and the film American Beauty. Finally, you’ll construct a research project around an aspect of beauty that you find particularly intriguing. Your work could consider some of the questions we’ll be engaging at different points in the semester: Is the desire for beauty inborn? Why can’t anything be beautiful? (Or can it?) When does the beautiful get ugly? Or you might choose to pursue a different angle or set of questions that emerges out of the ways in which this topic most directly speaks to you. Regardless, you’ll need to do two things to bring your work to successful completion: (1) remain open to changing your mind as you encounter new points of view and (2) present the results or your inquiry in a well-written analytical essay of eight to ten pages. Several short readings (and several short essays by you), opportunities for peer feedback, self-assessment, and revision will help you to develop your skills as a writer and researcher while you are simultaneously formulating and refining the terms of your study.

Slavery and Miscegenation in American Literature & History
Anita Durkin, Department of English
TR 11:05 – 12:20 CRN 21509

James Hemings, one of Thomas Jefferson’s slaves, was the son of Jefferson’s father-in-law, and thus the half-brother of Jefferson’s wife. He was, in other words, Jefferson’s brother-in-law, and yet in the United States in the eighteenth century, there was no law to name him as such. Instead, both James and his sister, Sally (also fathered by Jefferson’s father-in-law) were identified as property, despite their close familial ties to Jefferson, his wife, and his daughters. What can we say about a social, political, and economic system that allowed Jefferson to maintain this strange? perverse? cruel? hierarchy within his household? Why weren’t James and Sally Hemings treated with the respect due a family member? Or were they? Taking the story of the Hemings siblings and Jefferson as a point of departure, this course will explore the manner in which miscegenation (or intimate relationships between persons of different races) reverberates in American culture from the eighteenth century onward. Why were such relationships so taboo? Whose interests did laws prohibiting interracial relationships serve? In what ways might such relationships complicate conceptions of race?

Course readings may include excerpts from the writings of W.E.B. DuBois, William Faulkner’s Absalom! Absalom!, and Toni Morrison’s Tar Baby, as well as other literary and historical documents. The major means of evaluation for students will be three short papers and one longer research-based paper. Peer review and self-assessments will also play a critical role in the process of paper revision.

Individualism in a Mass-Produced World
Dustin Hannum, Department of English
TR 9:40 – 10:55 CRN 21514

We live in a society in which we have nearly unlimited choices. The clothes we wear, the food we eat, the entertainment we enjoy- all of these categories feature numerous options, and we generally consider the options we choose to be reflections of ourselves and our personal taste. We also live in a society in which most of the products we buy are mass-produced and bought by thousands-if not millions- of others. Does the unprecedented number of choices available to us now allow us more freedom to be ourselves than ever before, or do we increasingly define who we are by the products and images that others create for us? In this course, we will examine the ways in which we imagine ourselves to be individuals in a mass-produced world. You will be asked to think and write about the concept of individualism in our society. We will discuss various aspects pf popular culture, including advertising music, fashion, film, television, and other components of popular culture. The course will also feature secondary readings that explore the idea of individualism in a contemporary culture. You will be responsible for writing a few shorter papers, leading up to a major 8-10 page research paper. The writing process will involve drafting, peer feedback, self-assessment, and revision. In addition to this, you will be asked to participate in and contribute to class discussion on writing and the course theme.

Failure and the Heroic Self
Leah Haught, Department of English
MW 12:30 - 1:45 CRN 21523

When William Wallace is drawn and quartered at the end of Mel Gibson’s Braveheart, he dies without actually having accomplished his goal of liberating Scotland from English rule. And yet, his dying exclamation—“Freedom!”—is clearly meant to cement his position as the film’s unquestioned hero.

The history of Western civilization is frequently described as a history of heroic exploits undertaken in the name of progress. Why then does so much of what we tend to refer to as heroic narrative depict its heroes as failing? What exactly is meant by the terms “success” and “failure”? How are they defined differently within different contexts? Are they gender or class specific? Can failure ever be productive? Drawing on sources from a variety of literary periods and genres, as well as film and theatre, this course will investigate these and other related questions while paying special attention to the process by which critical analyses are made. Through a variety of formal and informal writing assignments culminating in an 8 to 10 page research paper, students will develop the skills necessary to be both critical and effective participants in the academic discourse of their choosing. Since this is primarily a writing class, assessment will emphasize the importance of self-evaluation, peer feedback, and revision as essential components of the composition process. Readings might include but are not limited to works by medieval writers like Chretien de Troyes and the anonymous writers of The Battle of Maldon and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, as well as selections from Alfred Tennyson, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Wilfred Owen, and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Films and plays might include Braveheart, Run Lola Run, and Epitaph for George Dillon.

Voices of Dissent
Joel Helfrich, Post-Doc
MW 2:00 - 3:15 CRN 95578

This course explores the lives and writings of several ntellectuals who are rarely known for their roles as dissenters in order to discuss topics such as war, peace, disability and class, world governance, human and civil rights, and social justice. For example, while Albert Einstein is known for his theories of relativity and Helen Keller is widely recognized as the deaf and blind girl portrayed on screen in The Miracle Worker, few people know about their opposition to militarism, their support of socialist agendas, and their general rabblerousing. In this class, you will read writings by Clarence Darrow, Helen Keller, Albert Einstein, Jeanette Rankin, and Smedley Butler, among others, to see if there are ways in which they can help you find your voice and passions, construct stronger arguments, and become better at stating your position. We will place a strong emphasis on self-assessment, peer review, drafting, and revision. Students are required to complete a number of short essay assignments, as well as a longer 8-10 page paper.

Green is Beautiful: Environmental Movements
Joel Helfrich, Post-Doc
MW 3:25 - 4:40 CRN 95580

In this course, students will explore various green "movements." Among other environmental initiatives, we will look at green architecture, green hospitals, eco-organizations such as Earth First!, the Earth Liberation Front, and the Green Belt Movement, and automobile manufacturers' efforts to be eco-friendly. We will examine local plans, such as DestiNY, Syracuse's planned green mega-mall, and a proposal to make Western New York a center for fuel cell technology. Throughout the course, we will discuss recent environmental initiatives, current writings and policies about global warming, environment as a political issue, and the role of science in government. Students will spend a great amount of time in this class thinking, writing, and discussing concerns about democracy and its relation to the environment, while exploring issues about the environment that they find interesting. Students are expected to participate in class discussions, workshops, and peer reviews, as well as to complete self-assessments, maintain a teacher-guided journal, and write four essays, including an 8-10 page research paper.

Expectations of Manliness: The Politics of Masculinity in America Today
Daniel Hutchins, Department of English
TR 9:40 – 10:55 CRN 21459

It’s safe to say that the idea of masculinity in our culture has taken a few twists and turns in the past half-century. In this course, some examples that we will be touching on include: the gender dynamics of professional sports, the rise of the “metrosexual” man, changing attitudes about homosexuality, and depictions of traditional male archetypes in media and popular culture. We’ll be thinking about manhood or ‘manliness’ as a category of identification that is consistently reinvented and redeployed in a variety of settings for a range of different motives. Students will engage with a number of sources in order to unpack various contrasting notions of ‘what makes a man’. The primary goal of this class will be for students to improve their writing, reading and critical thinking skills. Formal assignments will include one 8-10 page research paper and three shorter analytical essays as well as self-assessments and peer reviews of rough drafts. We will be reading non-fiction essays, articles and short stories as well as viewing documentaries, movies and television shows.

Provocative Solicitations: The Art of Seduction in Advertising
Gilbert Kirton, Department of English
TR 12:30 – 1:45 CRN 21424

This course will explore the persuasive rhetoric and enticing images found within various forms of modern advertisements in Western civilization. Such an exploration into sensual advertising is needed in order to better understand the seductive power of lightly sheathed visual and verbal messages in the television commercials, magazine ads, and newspaper articles that consumers come into contact with every day. In order to strip advertisements down to their bare essentials, we will consider the following questions: What are the implications of saying that sex sells? In what ways could one’s culture be sexualized? Are advertisements promiscuous? What type of response do different types of advertisements seek to elicit from one audience or another? Through our active engagement with such questions, we will develop skills in analysis, critical thinking, and writing. Thus, students will be expected to participate in class discussions, peer-reviews, and ongoing revision as well as complete self-assessments, multiple essays, and an 8-10 page research paper.

Writing Space: Explorations of Domestic, Urban, and Textual Spaces
Rachel Lee, Department of English
TR 6:15 - 7:30 CRN 21653

What do feng shui, graffiti, urban exploration, and installation art all have in common? They all illustrate our interactions with space, both public and private. In this course, you will encounter poets, fiction writers, and architects interacting with all kinds of spaces, including domestic and urban, public and private, remembered and imaginary. We will also examine our own relationships with urban buildings and environments through a selection of architectural writings and investigate the roles of dreams and memory in our experiences of houses and cities. These readings, and the conversations and writing they will inspire, will focus on such questions as: How do we affect the space we inhabit? How does our surrounding physical space affect us? What determines the borders between public and private spaces, and what happens when we transgress them? We will be using the approaches of exploration, navigation, and transgression as models of reading and writing, and through class discussion, group work, individual exercises, peer review, and self-assessments, we will explore the writing process. Writing assignments will include two short papers (with revisions), a project proposal, annotated bibliography, and final research paper. This class satisfies the primary writing requirement at the University of Rochester. However, in order to fulfill this requirement, you must pass CAS 105 Reasoning and Writing in the College with a grade of C or better.

The Crusades and Popular Culture
Lelia Kate Norako, Department of English
TR 4:50 – 6:05 CRN 21619

“War has not changed much in nine hundred years, only its weapons and tactics. Rather than fighting for a patriotic vision of a nation-state, thousands of medieval Europeans marched off [on Crusade] to fight for Christ.” As Thomas Madden points out, the Crusades were a thoroughly medieval phenomenon, one that is rarely understood today.

What exactly were the Crusades and are they still relevant and worth talking about in the context of the modern world? How did these violent (and at times peaceful!) encounters influence the cultures involved? Moreover, how did these contacts influence “popular” art and literature and do the Crusades still resonate in popular culture today?

These questions and others will provide the main thrust for the course. We will approach the material through daily discussion and various forms of writing: informal response papers, formal argumentative essays, and a final research paper of 8-10 pages. Self-assessment and peer review of rough drafts will also play a vital role in the development of students’ critical thinking and writing skills. Reading assignments will range from medieval romance and epic to modern fiction, scholarly works, and film and may include the following: The Song of Roland, Richard the Lionheart, excerpts from Tasso’s Jerusalem Delivered, A Concise History of the Crusades, the novel The Booke of Days, and two films (The Crusades and Kingdom of Heaven).

Interpreting AIDS: Representations of the Pandemic in Literature and Visual Culture
Amira Richler, Department of English
TR 2:00 – 3:15 CRN 21560

This class will explore diverse representations of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in a variety of contemporary cultural narratives. During the course of the semester, we will grapple with some of the following questions: How have the meanings surrounding the virus changed since the 1980s, when AIDS was largely understood as a gay male disease? How might one represent the virus in an ethical manner? What is the significance of individual and collective acts of mourning and memorialization? What role do factors such as sexuality, gender, race, ethnicity, and geography play in recent constructions of HIV/AIDS? From an interdisciplinary perspective, we will examine fiction, memoirs, critical essays, film, and other visual media to begin the complex process of addressing these questions. Texts include (but are not limited to) Jamaica Kincaid’s My Brother, Amy Hoffman’s Hospital Time, and Jonathan Demme’s Philadelphia. One of our primary goals this semester will be to sharpen our understanding of the pandemic through argumentative writing, revision, in-class discussion and debate, peer review, and self-assessment. Students are required to complete several short papers, as well as a longer research paper of approximately 8-10 pages.

Constructing Conscience
Emily Spear, Department of English
TR 6:15 – 7:30 CRN 21486

At first, the term “conscience” may call to mind images of guilt-racked individuals, yet the fact that convicted criminals who express remorse often receive lighter sentences reveals some sort of social value attached to the concept. Does “conscience” function primarily as a religious faculty, or does it exist as fully and frequently in secular settings? Does its formation vary from culture to culture, or even from person to person? Are any absolute statements applicable to it? This course will consider these and related issues, including questions about the nature of memory and its role in the development and workings of conscience, and the effects of secrets on human interaction. Since the course will focus on writing, the readings will be rich but brief, consisting mostly of short stories. In order to encounter a range of cultural contexts for our exploration of conscience, authors will include at least some of the following: Borges, Chekov, Faulkner, Gordimer, Hemingway, Joyce, Kafka, Lu Xun, O'Connor, Poe, Sartre, Singer, Tagore, and Tanizaki. Students will work to produce persuasive and coherent argumentative essays that draw on the class readings and their own thoughts and experience. These written assignments will allow for a more focused investigation of the questions raised by the course, and provide an opportunity to propose possible answers. Following peer review and self-assessment during in-class writing workshops, students will have the opportunity to refine their reasoning and revise their writing. Coursework will culminate in an 8-10 page research paper.

Dear Diary: Private Lives on Public Display
Jennifer Thompson Stone, Department of English
MW 12:30 – 1:45 CRN 90387

How would you feel if the innermost thoughts of your diary or email were suddenly displayed for mass public viewing? In this course we will read, discuss and write about private, personal writings that were never intended for publication. Our engagement with these texts will provoke questions about authorship, historical record, invasive reading, and the acts of editing and publication, such as: How does the presentation of personal writing illuminate and/or mistreat historical events or political movements? Is it ethical to publish the private thoughts of the sensational and famous posthumously? And is our voyeuristic eye always only trained on their flaws? How is the presentation of a writer affected by an editor’s agenda and/or personal interest? Readings for this class might include: The Motorcycle Diaries, Journals by Kurt Cobain, A Writer’s Diary, and The Journals of Sylvia Plath. Personal authorial identity and presentation are also accessible via published letters. Selections of love letters, war letters, activist’s letters, and letters written by famous luminaries will provide another interesting entrance into private “life writing” with an intended reader. By examining these important forms of writing, and thinking through these questions we will attempt to translate the personal voice of our own “life writing” into more formalistic, audience conscious academic writing. The most important emphasis of this course is on writing as a constantly evolving process. As such, students will be expected to develop their writing skills through multiple essays, peer review, ongoing revision, and self-assessment, culminating in an 8-10 page research paper.

Ghost Stories of the 21st Century
Kathryn Van Wert, Department of English
TR 9:40 – 10:55 CRN 21622

Not all ghosts rattle chains and howl in the night. Some are haunted by the “ghosts” of divorce, some by the loss of childhood, and still others by national tragedy. In this class we will examine the ghosts of various types that have appeared in short fiction from around the world, and ask what they have to tell us about the nature of loss, grieving, identity, and transformation. How do today’s ghost stories address issues such as leaving home, understanding war, and coping with illness? And why use fiction to write about those issues? We will explore such questions with our own writing. Our primary texts will be short stories published in the last decade, as well as critical responses to them. We’ll read stories by popular authors such as Joyce Carol Oates, Rick Moody, and Dave Eggers alongside the work of emerging writers. Through discussion, weekly reading/writing assignments, and a final research paper (8-10 pp.), we will think critically about works of fiction and ground our opinions in close reading. The course emphasizes revision, self-evaluation, feedback from peers, clear argumentative technique, and the development of a compelling rhetorical style.

American Dreams
Stefanie Vischansky, Department of English
TR 11:05 – 12:20 CRN 21413

From the Declaration of Independence to American Idol, stories of individual opportunity and self-made success are a mainstay of American history and culture. Despite their diversity, these narratives are classified together as manifestations of "the American Dream." This phrase permeates our national discourse, shaping our conceptions of success and failure, but we rarely step back and critically evaluate its meaning. What is/are the American dream/s? Who creates the dreams? Who are the dreamers? Is the dream realizable? We will address these questions, embarking on an analysis of American dreams and their role in shaping various conceptions of national and individual identity.

Through our examination of a diverse array of texts—fiction, historical documents, scholarly articles, film, music, contemporary journalism—we will consider the concept of the American Dream from a variety of cultural and historical perspectives.

Authors will include, among others, Walt Whitman, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Barbara Ehrenreich. Since this is primarily a writing class, the theme of American dreams serves as an interesting topic to consider as we practice and discuss strategies for becoming more confident and effective academic writers. The class will emphasize the writing process, incorporating self-assessment, peer-review, and revision. Formal paper assignments include a few shorter analytical essays and one longer research paper.

Searching Words: Writing with the Metaphysical Poets
Andrew Wadoski, Department of English
MW 12:30-1:45 CRN 90903

Essay writing is an art and a craft of seeking, the word essay deriving from the French verb essayer (to try, attempt, put to the test, or to make trial of). The essay is a process of intellectual refinement and clarification by which we test out new ideas, place old ones in new configurations, find the limits of easy and familiar ways of thinking, and discover new ways of addressing ourselves to the world that surrounds us. In this course, we will focus on developing this sense of writing as a searching process by examining the works of a group of seventeenth-century poets known as the metaphysicals for whom language was a tool with which to delve into the darkest corners of their imaginative lives in the world. Examining the works of John Donne, George Herbert, and Richard Crashaw, among others, we will consider the ways these poets allowed words to discover (in Marvell’s words) “Far other Worlds, and other seas; / Annihilating all that made / To a green thought in a green shade.” Throughout the semester, and as we work towards the final research paper, our overall goals will be the development of our critical and analytical skills as readers and writers through in-class discussions, group work, and, like the poets we study, by placing a particular emphasis on the constant revision, peer-review, and self-critique of our writing.

Is English Going to the Dogs?:Myths & Controversies about Language
Rebecca Webb, Department of Linguistics
MW 2:00 - 3:15 CRN 91924

In this course we will examine a variety of controversial questions and myths about language, which may include: Is slang ruining our language? Is the Internet destroying the quality of students' papers? Are some dialects and accents better than others? Is writing more perfect than speech? Should Ebonics be used in the classroom? Are "ain't" and "aks" (for "ask") ungrammatical? Are "aha!" and "uh-oh" in the dictionary? Did human language evolve from gesture or grunts?

Students will start by examining their own views on these issues, then gather more information through weekly readings from popular sources, academic texts, and film. Students will develop argumentative writing skills through class discussions, peer feedback, self-assessment and revisions. Writing will include in-class writing exercises, 2-3 short papers and an 8-10 page research paper.

Writing about Economics

Reality and Perception of Class in Modern Societies
Salim Furth, Department of Economics
MW 2:00 – 3:15 CRN 21571

The reality of socio-economic class is one of the great enduring realities of human existence and endeavor. So too is the perception of class and the remarkable differences among perspectives on a particular society.

We will read and discuss writing on class from sources encompassing various classes in modern societies. Among these will be the primary text, the Oxford Reader on Class, edited by Patrick Joyce, as well as "The Persistence of Poverty in the United States", by Stephen Mangum et al. We will also look into the many sources of economic data available to students and at some popular and scholarly interpretations of the data.

Students will choose and research new sources on a society for discussion, and the progress and direction of the class will depend on their choices. We will look at questions pertaining both to the reality of class – how is it defined? By whom? When is it formed? How enduring are class distinctions? How much does class differ among cultures? – and to its perception – how do groups see themselves? How differently do various classes perceive their common reality? We will pay particular attention in our writing to dividing perception from reality by rigorous documentation, comparing and cross-referencing sources, and relying on data to draw conclusions.

The writing and editing process will include outlining, drafting, workshops, peer feedback, and self-evaluation, and emphases on revising and distilling verbiage and presenting data. Students will write informal reaction papers as well as more formal descriptive and persuasive essays. The latter part of the semester will focus on the production of an 8-10 page persuasive research paper that will be characterized by concise, clear writing, fully developed ideas, and well-marshaled sources.

Writing about History

Reason and the Political Imagination
Julie Langenbrunner, Department of History
MW 3:25 – 4:40 CRN 21445

What are the complications inherent in developing and defending political beliefs? How can one employ reason and counterargument in addressing these complications? To explore these questions, this course will focus on persuasive political literature, which constitutes an interesting and practical setting for evaluating the merits of our own reasoning in light of the arguments of others. Potential readings include popular political writings (such as Letters to a Young Conservative, by Dinesh D’Souza and Reason: Why Liberals Will Win the Battle for America, by Robert B. Reich) as well as classical political philosophy (such as Locke’s Second Treatise on Government and Edmund Burke’s A Vindication of Natural Society). By understanding and critiquing the written arguments of the authors and other members of the class, students will cultivate their own convictions as well as improve their ability to express these convictions in writing. Written work will consist of several short reaction papers, two five page persuasive essays, and one eight to ten page argumentative research paper. The course itself will consist of seminar discussions and writing workshops, with an emphasis on self- and peer-assessment, revisions, and the writing process.

Democratic Despair: 1900-2000
Patrick Lapierre, Department of History
MW 12:30 - 1:45 CRN 91931

The content of this course will center upon the arguments of 20th century American commentators who questioned both the ideal and the practice of American democracy. As we confront their enduring analyses, their questions will become ours: Is democracy just a form of mob rule? Can individuals really be expected to offer informed opinions on important and complex issues? Do democratically elected leaders have the authority to act in opposition to the people? Can popular indifference about politics be a good thing for democracy? Has economic inequality rendered democracy ineffective? We will also pay close attention to the historical contexts (e.g., World War Two) in which such questions were raised. In response to economic and political upheaval, as well as new ideas about human nature, political behavior and the course of modern life, these writers reassessed American democracy and found it wanting. In all cases, their fascinating accounts will be of use to us as we create compelling arguments of our own via informed class discussion, peer reviews, self-assessments, and formal essays, culminating in an 8-10 page paper.

Stereotypes and Uncle Sam: Popular Views of Race and Ethnicity in American History
Tara McCarthy, Department of History
MW 2:00 - 3:15 CRN 21490
MW 3:15 - 4:40 CRN 91913

In 1902, members of Irish-American organizations hissed, or hurled rotten eggs and tomatoes, in protest at a play called “McFadden’s Row of Flats,” which featured an Irish character with a monkey face and green whiskers. This is just one example of stereotyping in American popular culture. In this class we will examine cartoons, films, and texts to reveal racial and ethnic stereotypes. In addition to analyzing these primary sources, we will also read scholarship about common images (Paddy, Sambo, Mammy, etc.), placing their popularity and purpose into a historical context. We will practice interpreting sources as preparation for writing argument based papers, culminating in an 8-10 page original research paper. Developing analysis and argument skills is a central goal of the course. Revision will help you meet this goal. After each assignment, you will have the opportunity to revise your work several times, giving and receiving feedback in class through peer review, and reflecting on your own writing process through self-assessment activities.

Writing about Philosophy

Space and Its Occupants
Greg Fowler, Department of Philosophy
MW 12:30 - 1:45 CRN 21462

Consider a statue and the lump of clay that has been molded to form it. Whenever the statue exists, it and the lump are located at the same place. However, the clay existed before the statue did, and so it seems that they must be distinct. These observations raise one of the questions that students will explore: Can two or more objects be located at the same place at the same time? Other questions that will be examined include the following: (A) Are there any spatial regions, or are there merely spatial relations (e.g., the relation of being five feet from)? (B) If there are spatial regions, can every one of them have an object located at it? (C) If an object is located at a spatial region, is there a part of the object for every part of the region, and vice-versa?

Students will learn to write clear and effective argumentative essays. The skills required to write such essays will be developed via consideration of issues in the metaphysics of space and spatially located objects like those raised by the above questions. Students will develop their views on these topics by constructing cogent and compelling arguments in required writing assignments. These assignments will include in-class writing, short essays, and a longer research paper. Peer review and self-assessment will help to teach students the skills required to complete these assignments successfully.

Physics and Philosophy
Joshua T. Spencer, Department of Philosophy
MWF 10:00 – 10:50 CRN 90393

Physicists and philosophers both study the fundamental features of reality. But how are their respective beliefs related? In this class, students will be introduced to topics at the intersection of philosophy and physics. We will investigate whether or not there really is a fundamental level of particles and if so whether those particles are more real than our tables and chairs. We will try to determine how objects move about in space and time. Maybe some things move faster than light or maybe time travel is possible? Through these kinds of investigations, we will discover how physical and philosophic theories interact. Specifically, we will learn about how philosophic theories provide foundations for theoretical physics.

Students will develop the ability to extract and evaluate arguments for various positions in a clear and concise way. We will learn to formulate and defend our own views about these topics by writing several short papers and a final research paper. Through focused writing and revision of original essays, students will explore ideas related to reality and its structure. This process will include peer review and self-assessment of their written work. By the end of this course students should be able to write strong essays in which they clearly present and defend theses about any subject matter.

Time Travel and Philosophy
Andrew Wake, Department of Philosophy
MWF 10:00 – 10:50 CRN 21592

Time travel is a common theme in fiction and film. It is, however, more than just an entertaining plot device. While our best science seems to allow for the possibility of time travel, various philosophical arguments purport to show that it is impossible. In this course we will primarily be concerned with such arguments. Evaluating these arguments will require us to consider questions like the following: Is it possible to change the past? Do the past and the future even exist? Can an effect precede its cause? By carefully considering selected philosophical essays related to these questions, stories by authors such as H.G. Wells, Robert Heinlein, and Washington Irving, and viewing films such as 12 Monkeys and Back to the Future, this course will equip students with the ability to extract, analyze, and construct arguments. Through focused writing assignments, revisions, peer reviews, and self-assessments, students will learn to craft their own carefully reasoned argumentative papers in clear and effective academic prose.

Writing about Psychology

What's So Funny? Psychological Theories On Humor
Ron Friedman, Department of Clinical and Social Sciences in Psychology
TR 4:50 – 6:05 CRN 21558

Humor is just another defense against the universe.--Mel Brooks

What is comedy? Is there a precise formula for making people laugh? Many psychologists, philosophers and professional comedians believe there is. Freud, Nietzsche, David Letterman. They all have their theories on the underlying structure of comedy, and this class will explore the merits of their views in depth.

Through formal and informal writing, we will explore psychodynamic theories of humor, moving on to philosophical and modern day cognitive accounts. Then we’ll analyze what comedians themselves have to say about their craft. Why is Jon Stewart so popular? How about Dane Cook and Jerry Seinfeld? What makes them funny? We’ll find out.

Our coursework will include watching sitcoms, hearing stand-up, reading numerous short stories, and reviewing academic articles. We will evaluate the extent to which any given theory explains a comic’s effectiveness through various assignments, including formal essays, informal papers and a final research paper at the end of the semester. In addition, we will be conducting peer-reviews and self-assessment activities on an ongoing basis, helping us sharpen our writing skills and raising them to a college level.

Extended Courses (105E) (Program Permission Required)

The Witch-Craze: From Malleus Maleficarum to Harry Potter
Jennifer Ailles, Department of English
TR 3:25 - 4:40 CRN 21725

**Students must register for recitation section M 1:00 – 1:50(CRN 21826) when registering for this course**

You are What You Eat: Writing about Food & Culture
Tanya Bakhmetyeva, College Writing Program
TR 12:30 – 1:45 CRN 21757

**Students must register for recitation section M 12:00 – 12:50(CRN 21733) when registering for this course**

In nineteenth-century England, people believed that by finding out what a person ate, it was possible to discover the person's social status. "Tell me what you eat and I will tell you who you are," they declared. This formula does not seem to work any more in our age when everyone eats at McDonalds and gets their coffee at Starbucks. Or does it? In this course we will look at and write about the different ways food serves as a means to preserve and strengthen (or change) our personal and ethnic identities, to make friends (or enemies), to celebrate, to mourn and to pray. Drawing on sources from various academic disciplines, as well as film and literature, we will explore questions such as why do we diet? Why do we eat out? Why do all religions require fasting? And others. Furthermore, similar to the way we use food to enter and be part of a community of people, we will use writing to begin entering an academic community. Be prepared to share your own work and taste the work of others through peer-reviews and self-assessments. Come hungry to learn, to write and maybe even sample some new flavors.

Writing Ourselves: Identity, Language, and Power
Heidi Bollinger, Department of English
TR 11:05 – 12:20 CRN 21834

**Students must register for recitation section M 1:00 – 1:50 (CRN 21779) when registering for this course**

We often think about how to define the words we use. But how do the words we use define us? Language allows us to share ideas and establish relationships, but it also reveals our individual differences. This course will explore how we imagine, construct, and revise our identities using language. We will consider how the acts of speaking and writing are tied to issues of race, gender, power, citizenship, community, and self-definition. Our reading on these themes may include The Autobiography of Frederick Douglass and Sandra Cisneros’ The House on Mango Street. We will also look at contemporary debates in American culture ranging from hate speech to bilingual education.

Our own formal writing projects will include several short argumentative papers and an 8-10 page argumentative research paper. As members of a writing community, we will use the idea of a “conversation” or “dialogue” as the model for our writing practices. The class will emphasize peer review, self-assessment, and revision as strategies for becoming more confident, effective writers in an academic and professional setting.

Does it have to be this way?: Writing about Social, Political and Cultural Reform Movements in US History
Shane Butterfield, Department of History
TR 9:40 – 10:55 CRN 21697

**Students must register for recitation section F 9:00 – 9:50(CRN 21817) when registering for this course**

Achieving lasting national agreement on compelling issues has been a rare occurrence in US history, and the reform movements involved in these conflicts have influenced America in profound ways. Through the writings of groups such as the American revolutionaries, transcendentalists and civil rights activists, as well as writing of our own, we will investigate various reform efforts, constructing arguments and sharing insights. In evaluating these attempts at change, we will ask important questions, such as: what have been the primary motivations for the various reform efforts? Which social groups were most active in their attempts at reform, and why was this so? What place did these reformers have in the dominant American ideology? In the course of our examination, we will explore issues, search for answers, and work to convey ideas effectively in our writing. Through classroom discussion, the drafting of short essays, revision, self-assessment, peer feedback and an 8-10 page argumentative research paper, students will gain experience in making inferences and presenting arguments in writing.

Metamorphosis
John Chandler, Department of English
MW 12:30 – 1:45 CRN 21664

**Students must register for recitation section F 1:00 – 1:50(CRN 21766) when registering for this course**

Everyone knows some stories of change; indeed, they are among the oldest known tales. They range in tone from children’s stories, such as Beauty and the Beast, to horror tales, such as those featuring the werewolf. This course will look at some of these tales of transformation and discuss the continuing interest in changing one’s shape, for good or ill. What makes these tales so popular? How have they adapted to reflect society’s changing concerns? We will look at a variety of sources, from Roman mythology through faerie tales and modern fiction. Coursework will be geared towards creating a portfolio of reaction papers and essays, including a formal research paper. Through classroom discussion, peer evaluation, self-evaluation and on-going revision, students will develop critical reasoning and writing skills, to the end of transforming their reasoning and writing skills for the better

Performing Ourselves
Jenny Douglas, Department of English
TR 9:40 – 10:55 CRN 21782
**Students must register for recitation section M 11:00 – 11:50 (CRN 21670) when registering for this course**

TR 12:30 - 1:45 CRN 90726
**Students must register for recitation section M 10:00 – 10:50 (CRN 90734) when registering for this course**

Performance pervades our everyday life, from the must mundane aspects of our daily interactions to the latest film we’ve seen. Writing itself is performance because it requires attention to audience and the attempt to meet that audience’s needs. In this course, we’ll be looking at performance across the spectrum, from the mundane to the spectacular and some of what’s in between. Our central questions will be questions of identity: How do performances shape gender, racial, sexual, or religious identities? How do we read and interpret the myriad of performances we witness and participate in every day? We will be reading about, viewing, discussing, and writing about various kinds of performance, which may include the following: dramatic texts, live stage productions, reality TV, sports, advertisements, and observations of everyday life. Throughout the writing process—which we might call the rehearsal process—students will assess their own work and receive feedback from peers and instructor, thus preparing for opening night: the final draft. During the semester, students will write three 3-5 page papers and one 8-10 page research paper.

Heroes and Battles: Building National Identities from Legendary Histories
Annie Heckel, Department of English
TR 2:00 – 3:15 CRN 21700

**Students must register for recitation section M 10:00 – 10:50 (CRN 21711) when registering for this course**

What do George Washington and the Boston Tea Party have in common with the Trojan War and King Arthur? Not much, until one starts examining the way that these people and events became a part of the popular imagination, lending their ideals and events to the creation of national mythologies. Heroes and Battles will examine the use of legendary histories in the creation of a national identity. As an example, the class will study the idea of “Englishness,” working to understand the way that myths and legends, even when they fall outside the boundaries of “fact,” can contribute to the way that citizens understand their country and their national ideals. The class will culminate in individual research papers that focus on the legends and identity of a country of the student’s choice. Throughout the class, students will exercise their critical reading and writing skills through weekly reading journals and formal papers (three short and one long research paper). Students will practice giving and incorporating paper critiques through a system of peer review and instructor feedback, and will practice evaluating their own works through regular self-assessments.

Democratic Despair: 1900 - 2000
Patrick LaPierre, Department of History
MW 2:00 - 3:15 CRN 21798

**Students must register for recitation section R 12:30 - 1:20 (CRN 21688) when registering for this course**

Relationships 101: Questions about Modern American Marriage
Aaron Lehman, Department of English
MW 12:30 – 1:45 CRN 21843

**Students must register for recitation section R 1:00 – 1:50 (CRN 21851) when registering for this course**

Recent political debate over same sex marriage has brought the “state” of American marriage to the fore of the public sphere. In this course, we will examine several questions about past, present, and future notions of marriage in the U.S. What exactly are the historical, economic, religious, and sociological positions that inform public views on marriage? What factors shape legal definitions of marriage? How do gender, race, and class play a role in the institutionalization of marriage? To address these and other questions, we will first deconstruct arguments about marriage written from various perspectives (policy makers, lawyers, historians, medical professionals, and cultural critics) and then formulate our own written arguments in response to those positions. Through class discussion, informal in-class exercises, peer reviews, and formal writing assignments (one 8-10 page research paper and several shorter analytical essays), students will develop a portfolio of work that will reflect their growth as writers and critics. Paying special attention to the writing process, students will engage in multiple drafts and self-assessments of their work.

Training the Eye: Disputes in 20th Century American Art
Shaila Mehra, Department of English
TR 4:50 – 6:05 CRN 21802

**Students must register for recitation section M 12:00 – 12:50 (CRN 21744) when registering for this course**

In 1989, the director of the Contemporary Art Center in Cincinnati is arrested on charges of pandering to obscenity after opening night of a retrospective exhibit of photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. That same year, the federal agency that commissioned a massive work of public art by Richard Serra destroys it in the middle of the night. These and other art controversies, which took place at a pivotal moment in recent American history, were motivated by larger questions about freedom, control, and looking. They magnified key debates on such issues as censorship, the body, public space and surveillance, and racial, gender, and sexual identity. In this class, we will examine specific case studies of art controversies (and controversial art) in order to respond to the grounding question of the class: what is the status of art in a free society?

These artistic objects provoked plenty of debate and argument in their time. This class asks you to reflect upon these debates through the production of coherent and persuasive arguments. To this end, we will use peer review, self-assessment, class discussion, formal and informal writing, and revision to improve reading, writing, and reasoning skills. The culminating project will be an argumentative research paper.

Please note: Course content includes explicit sexual imagery.

last updated June 26, 2006

College Writing Program

Reasoning & Writing in the College CAS 105/105E

Fall 2006

Reasoning & Writing in the College
CAS 105/105E