sample works cited page handout, final paper rubric, and journal #10 (5/17)

Hello all. Find immediately below a link to the sample Works Cited page that I distributed in class on April 28th.

Works Cited Handout

This Final Paper Rubric will be distributed in class tomorrow; but I have placed it here for convenience.


For journal #10, which is due on Monday 5/17 (our final meeting before the final paper/social meeting on the 26th), I would like you to write three things.

1.) One thing about Vathek that you find to be significant. Consider comparing or contrasting this to the other texts we have read in the class thus far.
2.) Name your least favorite text or class aspect from this semester and explain in a few sentences why this is so.
3.) Name your most favorite text or class aspect from this semester and explain in a few sentences why this is so.

Today's class...

Everyone, I would like to apologize for the last-minute notice regarding my inability to hold class today. I informed the Department; however, they may not have gotten to the classroom in time therefore those who arrived most likely had to wait.

I suppose this is a good moment to instill the "15/20 minute rule." If I am not present after the aforementioned time and it has expired, then you are by all means free
to leave.

The Annotated Bibliography is to be turned in Wed.

You are responsible for the first two readings in Vathek, meaning the first eighty pages for Wed.

The last, and tenth, journal will be pushed
back until this upcoming Monday. I will update the schedule accordingly in due time.

I will be in 3308B tomorrow for office hours (9-6) should you like to receive your Prospectus early and discuss finals.

final reading assignments and VIP due dates

Just to remind...

These are the final reading assignments and the final, and indeed vital, due dates.

William Beckford
M 5/10: annotated bibliography due;Vathek, Intro (sections I and II), p.1-40
W 5/12: journal #10; Vathek, p.41-80
M 5/17: revision of short paper #3 due; Vathek, 81-120

Final Exam Week
W 5/26: final paper due (meet in our regular room at our normal meeting time)

VIP updates

Just as a reminder:

The Annotated Bibliography is due on Monday, 5/10.

Revision #3 is due 5/17, but I will accept these anytime before. 

The Final Paper is due on Wednesday, 5/26, at the latest. As with the RV#3, I will accept Final Papers before their terminal due date.

On the 26th of this month, please meet in our regular room at the regular time. We will be having a social of sorts, so feel free to bring food and drink as we say goodbye to this semester and the class!

Another great moment in the text

I know we were talking about our favorite moments in PL today, and definitely one of my favorites is on pg 163 when Raphael says to Adam "Because we freely love, as in our will To love or not; in this we stand or fall" (V.539-540). This quote struck me because of how true it is and because it says a lot about the relationship that God has with man and visa versa.
Moreover, this quote can be applied to life and human relationships. For example, are do we pick and choose who we love, or is love an innate emotion that we as humans cannot control? If the latter is true, then this quote reminds me of the "free love" concept of the 60s because humans have the ability to act upon their instinct and be with the ones they love. If the previous is true, then this leads me to believe that we choose the ones we love.
Its an awesome quote regardless and can be looked into in many ways. I think that its so true that we have a will to love or not to love, which ties into many other human emotions, which leads to either our rise or fall.

a vote!

I propose a vote concerning the Prospectus and Annotated Bibliography.

Let's keep the due date for the Prospectus set for 5/5; however, I say we can push the Annotated Bibliography back until Monday 5/10. How does that sound?

Comment below and give a "yea" if you are in favor and a "nay" if not.

journal #9 (5/3) and the final readings in Paradise Lost

Over this upcoming weekend we will be finishing Paradise Lost at Book IX. Given the amount of time left in the semester I do not think that we should try and cram in the final three books. Still, if you are planning on using this text in your final paper, come see me for passage suggestions from Books X through XII.

Please read the following segments of the ninth book, as it is vital to the poem and to our discussion of exile in literary character. Once you've finished reading, then complete the journal entry.

Book IX

• 1-13 (Milton announces a change in his theme)
• 13-47 (Milton states his epic is more important in subject than the traditional warfare which was the subject of those epics before; cf. line 42 especially)
• 53-57 *(Satan returns to Eden, improved in fraud and malice)
• 82-97 (Satan roams, looking for the "fittest imp of fraud;" deems the snake the "subtlest beast of all the field")
• 180-191 (Satan finds his target and possesses the serpent by entering the mouth!)
• 212-219 (Eve proposes that they divide their labors; cf. note)
• 232-234 (Adam's call for domesticity; cf. line 318)
• 265-269 (Adam's worry about parting)
• 322-341 *(Eve's argument)
• 370-375 (Adam's final words of strength)
• 385-386 *(their hands withdraw from one another [VIP])
• 463-493 (Satan's thoughts upon first witnessing Eve, and his monologue of rebuke)
• 531f (Satan begins his temptation)
• 546-561 ("a goddess;" Eve's response to the snake's language)
• 579-612 (hunger and thirst drive Satan to eat; he claims upon eating that he gained reason and speech; cf. note on "apple")
• 679-701 *(his guileful argument against death by the fruit)
• 708-715 *("ye shall be as gods")
• 732 ("freely taste")
• 745-833 *(Eve's rational after the serpent's speech; her transgression; the earth "felt the wound;" her "heightened" thoughts thereafter)
• 856-916 *(Eve greets Adam, persuades him; lamenting her loss he nevertheless resolves he cannot without her live)
• 955-959 (unity of man and woman)
• 960-989 (Eve's final plea to Adam [compare to the language of Satan!])
• 997-1039 *(Adam's transgression; his "enflamed" thoughts thereafter)
• 1034-1045 *(they consummate their sin with sexual intercourse, they fall asleep)
• 1053-1059 (our parents awaken with minds darkened by "guilty shame")
• 1066-1690 (Adam laments that the are not only externally naked; he is concerned only with himself in this passage; his wish to hide)
• 1119-1167 *(the internal torment of our fallen parents; they fight verbally, blaming one another; cf. line 1164 especially)
• 1179-1189 (Adam speaks cruelly of women; "neither self-condemning" they continue to argue)

Journal #9 will be due on Monday 5/3. As with previous journals, I would like you to simply react to this last segment of reading; that is, Book IX. Think of all the themes that we have been investigating thus far in the class with regards to Milton's text. How do we see those themes playing out or completing themselves by the close of the ninth book? Is there a resolution? Are you frustrated at the outcome of things, with Satan, with Fate? Are you disappointed with mankind, or do you embrace the condition that has befallen us? This reaction needs to include at least one citation in order to receive full credit.

passages for books VII and VIII

Book VII

• 1-39 (Milton invokes the muse, yet a far different one since those called upon before)
• 59-108 (Adam requests the tale of creation to be told)
• 192-209 (Christ and the angels are the architects of "worlds")
• 243-607 *(the seven days of creation)

Book VIII

• 148-168 (obedience and the sexes)
• 249-333 (Adam relates his "awakening")
• 389-392 (a commentary on fellowship)
• 439-499 (fellowship; creation of woman)
• 604-606 (union, in mind and in soul)
• 640-643 (Raphael gives his final warning or obedience to Adam and Eve)

passages for books V and VI

Sorry everyone for the delay in this posting. My internet at my home has been extremely slow/inaccessible for some reason the past two days. I've only been able to communicate to those who have emailed me via my phone, for every time I've tried to post this my internet has crashed; thus it has been a trying and irksome few days. Nevertheless, I have finally gotten through the pinhole (it seems) to offer up these helpful moments within the text.

Book V

• 17-25 (Adam's morning song)
• 28-93 (Eve relates her dream)
• 99-121 (Adam's statements on reason, fancy, the five senses and "mimic fancy")
• 145-149 ("unmediated" prayer in the prelapsarian world)
• 156-159 *(God is in all things...)
• 171-208 *(the whole universe and earth offer Him praise)
• 235-245 *(God reiterates man's free will to choose and, importantly, He releases His culpability)
• 262 (Galileo is named! see note!)
• 265-285 (Raphael flies to earth; the phoenix)
• 332-349 (Eve gathers for the feast)
• 359-360 (Adam is servile)
• 404-443 (Raphael on the necessity of nourishment for all creation)
• 452-456 *(the 2nd request for knowledge!)
• 469-479 *(on creation: its origin and end in God; the spheres of "refinement")
• 486-490 (more on creation)
• 496-503 *(man will ascend, if only obedient by choice and if in a state of grace/love)
• 507-512 *(the golden chain of existence; free will)
• 524-534 (indeed man is perfect, yet not immutable)
• 574-576 *(earth as a shadow of Heaven)
• 580-582 (see note, Milton debates time!)
• 603-608 (Christ is anointed)
• 657-693 *(Satan's envy and resolve to revolt)
• 710 (he took with him the third part of Heaven's "stock," see note)
• 760-802 *(Satan's mount and his speech to his army arguing against God's rule)
• 812-822 *(Abdiel refuses Satan's argument)
• 853-863 *(Satan's rebuttal, "self-begot")
• 886-888 *(the golden scepter to an iron rod)

Book VI

• 1-25 *(Abdiel returns to God, witnesses His army and is met by cheers)
• 41-43 (reason and merit, see notes)
• 78-187 *(Satan's army; first day's battle beings; Abdiel and Satan exchange heated words on the battlefield; Abdiel proves a defense of servitude)
• 262-280 *(Michael calls to Satan, exposing his evil and falsehood)
• 291 (Satan thinks he can "turn Heaven into hell"!)
• 320-353 *(Satan is wounded by Michael, yet he is hurt in way beyond corporal pains; a commentary on the angels' ethereal substance of which they are 'made')
• 378-380 (the erasure of the rebellious from the books of Heaven (cf. 1.361-62))
• 406-408 (night falls; first day's battle ends)
• 428-532 *("fallible," an exemplar of Satan's falsehood; pain, though not mortal in threat; "weapons more violent;" mine the "ethereous mold" for the means to make gunpowder ("blackest grain"); the second day's battle begins)
• 558-595 *(Satan unveils his cannons and fires!)
• 635-670 *(Heaven's army rallies, they drop their weapons and throw mountains, thus all Heaven goes to "wrack"!)
• 699-718 *(on the third day's battle Christ will end the war, God professes)
• 748-770 (sunrise on the third day; Heaven's army reassembles)
• 781-784 (Christ restores Heaven to its original)
• 832-834 (all Heaven shakes, except the throne of God)
• 838-879 *(the rebels drop their weapons; (take special note of 864); they throw themselves out of Heaven
• 900-911 *(one last warning to our first parents via Raphael)

journal #8 (4/21) and SP#3 notes

For this journal entry (#8) I would like you to propose a possible topic and/or thesis statement that you plan on using for Short Paper #3, which is due Monday 4/26.

If you have already used Shakespeare's The Tempest for Short Paper #2, then you must write Short Paper #3 on John Milton's Paradise Lost.


Below are some example ideas, topics, and theses to get your minds' gears turning!

-- Your paper could be an examination and interpretation (i.e., a close reading and an analysis) of a particular passage or series of related passages of importance. So, for instance, you could take a closer look at Prospero's final words in The Tempest and discuss how this speech highlights some of the major themes and issues presented by the play. Or, you could examine the moment when Satan meets Sin and Death in Book II of the epic Paradise Lost. You should essentially deconstruct the lengthy passage of choice a few lines at a time, rather than attempting to discuss the entire thing at once.

-- A few noteworthy topics in Milton's text are the following:

• Exile as a function or result or one's own free will and choice. Think about this one for a moment... I'd argue that each of the texts we have read this semester have offered at least one character who has been exiled. The interesting thing about these individuals is that when taking a closer look, it appears true that each character who is exiled has reached that state because of their own choice(s). The alchemists--the Canon and the Yeoman--desire to ever-practice their art, even if the cost is to live broke, on the fringes of towns and villages. Dante the Poet was amidst much political turmoil, and because of his desire for power and recognition he was forced into exile when the Blacks overtook the Whites. Sure, Prospero was also forcibly removed from Milan and driven to the deserted isle where the play takes place; however, could not it also be said that his love for his studies led to his neglect of "worldly ends" and thus caused his own exile from society? Satan similarily chooses his own path... obviously, we all know his rebellion is thwarted and he is cast with his crew from Heaven into a permanent state of exile; yet, the deeper and more intriguing exile Satan experiences is the internal conflict resulting from his attempted war against God. What emotions does he feel and what thoughts does he think as he gazes towards Heaven, knowing full-well that he will never again be granted access to those gates of gold?

• The commentary in Paradise Lost on the monarchy, sovereignty, tyranny, empire, and regicide! How is God's rule described? How is Satan termed in this leadership of the demonic hoard? 

• The parody and perversion of God's creations. Pandaemonium is a prime example. Consider also the falsehood of Satan; his actions, yes, but especially his words!

• Free will and the profound power of one's choice and one's mind/spirit. 

Hope these help! Remember that you can always draw from your classmates' thoughts and ideas, improving them or commenting on them accordingly to offer your own interpretation and reading.

book iv - passages of importance

Here are some passages you should read closely and pay special attention to while reading Book IV of Paradise Lost. After reviewing in my mind what we have accomplished thus far during our class discussion of the text, I feel that we need to not press too quickly... therefore, I'm pushing the fifth book back until Wednesday of this week. Be on the look out for the next journal, which I'll be posting in the next day or so.

• 5-12 ("woe" to us)
• 17-30 (Satan remembering the past; his internal thoughts and feelings)
• 31-78 (his internal battle, further described)
• 98-113 (redemption? no! "farewell to good" is Satan's resolve)
• 114-117 (to "...counterfeit") (his face changes again! cf.1.600f)
• 194-201 (Satan perches on the Tree of Life)
• 218-222 (the Tree of Knowledge)
• 285-299 (mankind is first sighted by Satan)
• 321 ("hand in hand" cf. the note to this line!)
• 389-392 (corruption via 'the state')
• 411-491 (Adam and Eve converse)
• 618-629 (daily work)
• 641-658 (the first request for knowledge! VIP!)
• 772f (no death in Eden, not even for flowers)
• 826-843 (Satan is discovered and confronted by Ithuriel and Zephon)
• 878-884 (Gabriel's stern statements to Satan)
• 976-1015 (the angels surround Satan; he stands firm, yet finally yields upon a 'heavenly sign')

Live from the South Park forum- only $49.95!!

Hey guys, check out this funny South Park commercial that was sort of related to today's class discussion. Its really short, enjoy!

Discussions on religion, theology, philosophy, etc.

I figure since we're dealing with highly concentrated theological texts, that it would be fun to entertain ideas about both the text and the nature of god/religion in general. The discussions can range from a myriad of topics, but it would be nice if we could keep in context to spiritual themes, e.g. god vs the devil, prophecies, angels, polytheism, etc.

If I could invent my own special topics class, I would start a God Theory class, where we study and attempt to understand the mind of god. Milton and Dante barely scratched the surface, hence the use of the ancients as muses. Anyone want to share their own conception of god or the lack thereof? Or comment on Milton and Dante?

book III - passages of importance

My apologies for the lateness of this posting, yet this morning and afternoon has been hectic for a number of reasons...

Please pay close attention when reading the following sections of Book III in Paradise Lost:

• 1-55 (Milton's invocation of the Muses and commentary on his blindness)
• 86-102 (from "And now...")(on man's choice to fall)
• 111-134 (God's claims he is not responsible for the fallen creatures of the universe; his merciful plan for redemption via grace)
• 156-166 (Christ questions the situation)
• 183-202 (commentary on predestination)
• 209-212 (a sacrifice to atone for the treason against God must be made)
• 236-238 (Christ accepts the 'mission' as sacrificial savior)
• 326-337 (Last Judgment and the New Earth)
• 442-459 (Satan's exile in chaos)
• 481-483 (Ptolemaic structure of the universe; cf.p.101)
• 523-525 (Satan's sadness at the gate of Heaven)
• 601-612 (alchemy!)
• 654-685 (Satan's false pledge to Uriel)
• 708-735 (the creation of the earth; four elements; and earth, the seat of man and Paradise)

reading for 4/14 and journal #7

Hello all.

For this Wed. please have read Book III of PL. (I will post sections of importance on the blog tomorrow morning, so check sometime after 11am)

Also remember JOURNAL #7!!!

NOTE: EMAIL THIS ASSIGNMENT TO ME!!! (I know I said today I wanted it typed, but Miss Elms has requested that these letters be electronically sent.)

1) If you went to see The Tempest at BAM, then compose a paragraph-long thank you note to Miss Cassidy Elms and the Borough as Classroom program. Describe how the experience enhanced your reception of the text, and how it served as both an educational and cultural experience.

Format the heading as you would any other paper in my class. Right-justify the following: Name, CC 10.02, Prof. D'Amato, 4/14/10.

Give it a good title if you can, please.

Sign your name at the bottom too.


2) If you did not attend the BAM show, then compose a one-paragraph response to the written text of The Tempest or to Paradise Lost. These too must be emailed before class time on Wednesday.


Questions or comments? Email me. Thanks,
s.

Call for submissions: BC Undergraduate Research Journal, Vol. 2

The Brooklyn College Undergraduate Research Journal is now accepting submission for its second issue.  The first issue was released in Fall, 2009 and can be found under "Academics" in the description of Undergraduate programs. (http://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/pub/academics.htm)

We published 25 abstracts last year.  The website lists the student names and their faculty mentors and the abstracts and then a link to the full paper (which might have been published elsewhere).  In addition, the journal website recognizes the paid research externships gained by BC students.

Submission process
Students cannot directly submit their research papers.  All submissions must be approved by faculty mentors and submitted through department chairs or delegated member of the department or through coordinators in interdisciplinary programs, including the Honors College and Honors Academy.

Types of papers to submit
Except in unusual circumstances, these papers should reflect term projects in semester-long courses, including independent studies, or comparable efforts in research labs.  They should be more than literature summaries.

Schedule and instructions
All submissions should be made to Robert Cherry or a member of the editorial board by May 15th.   It should include the proposed paper and name of the faculty mentor.  Final papers and abstracts (with approval by the faculty mentor) should be submitted by June 30.    We publish the abstracts so that they should be accessible to non-specialists.  The recommended length of abstracts is 200 to 400 words.   While our goal is to publish all submissions as we did in our first year, the editorial board reserves the right to reject papers that do not have a sufficient research component.

Other research accolades
Finally, we hope to expand our listings of student research activities.  If you have students who are awarded external research grants, have made presentations at professional conferences, or engaged in other noteworthy research activities, please communicate that information to Stephen Gracia (Scholarship Office) so that they can be listed in our journal.

Robert Cherry (editor-in-chief)

Editorial Board: Isabelle Barriere; Jillian Cavanaugh; Janet E. Johnson; Paula Massood; Michael Menser; Herve Queneau; Lisa Schwebel; Gunja SenGupta; Laura L. Tesman; Micha Tomkiewicz; and Noson S. Yanofsky.

the rubrics from Wed. 3/14, the assigned readings to be completed over the spring break, and journal #6 (4/7)

Immediately below find the links to the two rubrics handed out in class on Wednesday, 3/24. It would greatly behoove you to thoroughly digest the guidelines and examples outlined on these documents.

Prospectus

Annotated Bibliography

---

Below you will find a list of sections to read closely as you are making your way through Milton's great epic, Paradise Lost. Remember you are responsible for the entirety of each of the Books, including the "Argument" that precedes each Book. Still, I'd like you to pay particular attention to the following sections. Notice that, to be kinder and more fair, I've lessened the reading load to only bring us to Book II by the time we reconvene. Also, I have included bulleted-summaries (in parenthesis) of the marked sections; these should serve as an apt reference for you. Remember to annotate and take notes as you are reading!!!

Introduction

• xi-xiv - "Meditating Flight" (on Milton's Life, quick biography)
• xiv-xxviii - "This Subject for Heroic Song," "With Dangers Compassed Round," "This Great Argument," "My Adventurous Song" (an introduction and discussion of Milton's great epic)
• xli-xliv - "To Model Heaven and Calculate the Stars" (on Milton's hierarchy of the universe; i.e., the circles of the heavens, the planets, and the earth)
• xlvii-li - "Sense Variously Drawn Out" (on Milton's style of verse and use of language)

Book I

• 1-26 (Milton's 'thesis')
• 26-124 (How Satan's crew came to be chained to the floor of Hell)
• 241-270 (Satan speaks on their present "clime")
• 316-375 (Satan rallies his troops)
• 566-669 (begin from "He through the armed files")(Satan raises and reforms his army, stating their new mission in the battle again God)
• 670-798 (the fallen angels mine the surface of Hell and construct Pandaemonium in order to call and hold a council)

Book II

• 1-105 (Satan argues for "open war")
• 161-169 (Belial's argument)
• 274-283 (Mammon's argument)
• 344-378 (from "What if we find / [...] / Hatching vain empires.") (Beelzebub's argument to "seduce" the "puny inhabitants" of earth)
• 427-466 (Satan's resolution to perform the mission alone)
• 506-513 (a fine example of god-parody)
• 552-628 (the fallen angels cheer; a 'map' of the universe)
• 629-889 (Satan at the gate of Hell; his encounter with Sin and Death)
• 890-942 (Satan ventures into the "wild abyss" of Chaos)
• 1023-1055 (the 'highway' from Hell; the "golden chain" of the universe)

---

For journal #6 I'd like you to do the following: Pick a favorite passage and briefly discuss it's importance and significance to you and to the epic itself.  This is due before class meets again on Wed. 4/7.

Shakespeare in the Park-Please let go!

Hello everyone.

Lilly has been kind enough to offer up a posting, her first, regarding the Shakespeare performances being held over the summer. Follow this link to the Shakespeare in the Park homepage. Please read this posting's comments and feel free to add your own.

I think that some of us would like to regather, informally, as a group whose appreciation for Shakespeare's work extends beyond the classroom walls.

Hope to hear from you below... and of course, I hope that we concretize this idea from "illusion" into reality!

textbook purchase reminder

Hi everyone,

I have received notice from the sellers at Shakespeare and Co. that they are in the process of returning many, if not most, of their unsold Spring 2010 textbook stock to their distributors. This means that if you have not bought the remaining two textbooks for this class (i.e., Paradise Lost and Vathek) you must do so within the next few business days! Used editions--the cheaper ones!--are to be returned first apparently, so get to Shakespeare soon if you still need the final two texts we will be reading for this course.

Best,
s.

Helpful tip on use of semicolon.

I've received permission to post this little comic/article about how the many uses of semicolon. Enjoy!

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/semicolon

journal #5 and paper topics for SP#2

First, I'd like to say that today's discussion was very fruitful, as we identified a number (if not most) of the major themes which are present in the current Shakespearean piece we are investigating; especially for its dealing(s) with literary character(s)... 

Second, for this journal entry I would like each of you to PROPOSE A POSSIBLE THESIS STATEMENT for your second Short Paper. That is, all you need write for this journal is a few sentences which introduce and offer your thesis statement, nothing more...

As classmates, you may (and should) comment and help explicate your fellows' thoughts and ideas. That is, provide page numbers; specific act(s) and scene(s) and line numbers... all for the purpose of easing the production of the upcoming short paper assignment.

Here are some of the primary lines-of-thought when it comes to The Tempest and the various number of themes that we as critics can expound upon...

1) Nature v. Art (these terms need to be capitalized; think Civilization v. Non-Civil...  aka read the Introduction for more on this topic, as it should help ground this line of interpretation)

2) renewal and rebirth (on an individual level, yes; but also consider the island as the "seat of change")

3) illusion v. reality (those scenes which are deliberately fabricated, both for the players and for the audience are VERY significant)

4) (self-)control v. fate --- who IS REALLY in control? (consider this: Ariel as an "elemental spirit" v. Caliban as a "base creature")

5)  righteousness v. corruption (i.e., contrast Gonzalo v. Antonio and/or Sebastian)

6) the "drunken" monarchy as a parody of "true" monarchy

7) the isle as the center and source of change (think ALCHEMICAL/MERCURIAL change; that is, the isle could be viewed as a lead chuck placed into a pool of mercurial water, the sea, to become gold, hence altered and purified)

8) discuss Ariel's androgyny

9) any (dis)connection that can be drawn between the physical production (@ BAM) of the play and the written tex; that is, offer a comparison or contrast between the performance and the text

10) discuss the "habit" (i.e., one's clothing) in which one appears and how their character or personae is affected or changed when they "inhabit" new or different garments

reactions from the performance tonight

I'd really like to entertain some general reactions from those of us who went to see The Tempest @ BAM this evening. Let's make this as informal as possible. Just conversation.

Here are some of my personal reactions to this 399 year-old drama:

-- as this was my first viewing of The Tempest on any stage, I was quite lost at times by the lines (the words) being spoken; this is because of Shakespearean language, with all its syntactic crooks and twists, antiquated references, and thee and thous and shall-ts... and also because of the physical dimensions of the venue; i had to strain much to listen carefully and pay attention in order to get the sense of the line

-- conversely, I did like that the actors' own voices were their only source of projection

-- it was very interesting to see, listen, and witness this play in a venue--once abandoned now thankfully reclaimed--that has sought to revitalize those great works by Shakespeare; although the near-toppling angle and height of seating made me a bit dizzy at times

--  despite these elements to weather, I was able to gain a good sense of the meaning of the plot and action; as Shakespeare aptly wrote his plays for a stage and an audience inhabiting much simpler settings

-- Ariel's wings were awesome

-- let's assume that as audience members we expect for there to be clear delineations between scenes and acts, we expect an intermission; here we were given little as far as scene change and the like... i felt that this (in combination with the seating) created an uneasiness within me, a tempest if you will, that was at once unsettling and powerfully captivating

-- the theme of one's ability to change in their character (e.g., Prospero's ability to forgive his brother and give up his "art") presented itself quite "loudly" for me

-- I was curious as to the role that clothing played; or rather, the effect of changing one's clothing and inhabiting some new threads

-- the theme of exile via political overthrow was the driving force of the plot, and near-death occurred many times; yet, as a departure from Shakespeare's earlier works there is in fact no death -- if there is anything there is renewal and rebirth via the marriage of Ferdinand and Miranda, as well as the freedom of Ariel

Event

If anyone is interested in attending, topics include Life after Death, something we can relate to Dante. All events take place in the Student center. Free food. Everyone's welcome.

the handouts from today's class (3/10)

Here are the handouts from class, just in case you need to reference them via the web. I'm very excited to see you on Friday for The Tempest! Cheers,

s.

Tempest Performance and Playhouse Information

Correction/Revision Symbol Key

In-text Quotation and Parenthetical Citation

journal #4 (3/8) and The Tempest @ BAM

Journal #4 for Monday, March 8th will involve Cantos XVIII-XXXI. Feel free to click the image below to enlarge it. It shows the path of the poets through the section of Hell we are currently reading.

As we readers continue with Dante and Virgil further through the depths of Hell, moving now from the Seventh Circle into the Eight Circle, we notice a distinct change within the poem, the structure of the underworld and its once-human captives, and indeed within the traveling poets themselves. We enter the Eight Circle, which is appropriately named Malebolge (the evil ditches or well-pits), in Canto XVIII and are immediately confronted with a new reality of sinners and punishments unlike any other we have seen before. In this journal I want you to discuss this dramatic shift and provide textual evidence to support your observations. Here are some prompts to get you started:

-- Whereas the first seven circles were dominated by the lost souls seeking fame (via Dante's writing) in the living world above, these darkened wraiths in Malebolge only wish to hide and be forgotten; as one whom Dante encounters is described, "that flayed spirit, seeing me turn around, / thought to hide his face" (XVIII.46f). Discuss this change in the sinners' demeanor and explain why they have no desire for worldly remembrance.

-- A.T. MacAllister mentions in the Introduction to our edition of the Inferno that Dante's language is coarse and purposely so; he writes, "Dante had established a basic rule that the poet must make his style match his material. In accordance with this we should expect the style of the Inferno to be lower than that of the other divisions [Purgatorio and Paradiso]--and that is exactly what we find" (xxiii).  Discuss how the vulgarity of some of the language and words that Dante uses are there simply to expound upon the fact that he is dealing with a vulgar and debased topic, i.e. the sins, sinners, and punishments of Hell. Recall that Hell is a parody or perversion or reversal of all things...

-- Discuss the emotional (or even, physical) responses of Dante and/or Virgil while they travel through Malebolge. Compare and/or contrast these to earlier responses in this Canticle of Pain, as Dante terms it in Canto XX.

-- Discuss the developmental changes within the poem in conjunction with the development within Dante the Poet. Recall our discussion on Wednesday about Dante's conception of his poetic "project" and the "message" he need deliver to his readership; such recollection should help concretize an answer to this prompt.

Here is a funny article from the Onion (seriously... I include this for humor only). It deals with the many circles of Hell and an added "new" one. Take a glance should you be interested in a good laugh... and gathering a sense of the impact on culture that Dante's text has truly had!

---

Important information regarding The Tempest.

(1) The reading schedule has been posted! Please check the schedule of readings and written assignments page as soon as possible so that you are aware of what segments of this Shakespearean play we will be reading and when. In order to prepare for the field trip I've required that we (especially those of you who have never encountered Shakespeare before) read some prefatory material from our edition of The Tempest.

(2) Remember that we, as a class, are all going to see this play performed live, on the stage, at BAM (the Brooklyn Academy of Music) on Friday, March 12th, 2010!!! Follow this link to see BAM's webpage dedicated to the production, for subway/travel info, and so on. We are lucky to have this opportunity for two reasons. One, the timing of this production is incredible! Not only are we reading this play for our CC 10.02 class, but moreover this is the production's WORLD PREMIERE! Two, we have been granted these expensive tickets for free!!! Therefore, we should not waste this opportunity. To encourage your attendance and goad you even further... I am offering an extra journal credit to those who attend the performance and complete the subsequent "thank you" writing assignment (indeed, we must thank those who have provided us these tickets).

new syllabus version

Please view, download, and print the new syllabus. It is version 2.3. Take note of the new clauses regarding the REVISION OF PAPERS as well as updated Prospectus/Annotated Bibliography descriptions.

updated Dante reading schedule

I've updated the larger "schedule of readings and written assignments" page and have reproduced the most important changes---i.e., those regarding Dante's Inferno---below for easy access. Please make note that we will need to cover on average five cantos per class period to remain on schedule. Make sure to keep up with the reading as we head into the depths of the text's final cantos.  

PLEASE READ UP TO CANTO XIII by this Wednesday!

M 2/22: Inferno, Cantos 4-7.
W 2/24: journal #3; Inferno, Cantos 8-13.
M 3/1: short paper due; Inferno, Cantos 14-18.
W 3/3: Inferno, Cantos 19-24.
M 3/8: journal; Inferno, Cantos 25-31.
W 3/10: Inferno, Cantos 32-34.

journal #3 (3/24)

For this e-journal I'd like you to consider one aspect of Dante's Inferno that has struck you as interesting, enlightening, important, striking, confusing, unsettling, strange, and so on... You must describe your aspect and why you have chosen it. You also need to support your statements with textual evidence, explaining how this evidence exemplifies (i.e., to show by example) your aspect.

Think of this journal as excellent preparation for your first short paper. You can explore a possible thesis statement right here and now! Also, remember that you can always reply to another student's post, offering your own interpretation or take on the passage they have selected or the argument(s) they have made.


For example, you could find Dante's efforts at aligning himself with the past poetic greats of history (i.e., Virgil, Homer, Ovid, etc.) as particularly noteworthy. This initial insight may lead to a line of questions such as: Why is Dante attempting to place himself amongst and equal to the greatest poets of all time? How is he continuing poetic convention(s)/tradition(s)? How is he breaking them? What kind of statement is he trying to make via his poem? Where exactly does his provide the reader with evidence of his poetic career (aka, Virgilian Career) coming to fruition?

An e-journal topic could be some lines which you favor.  For instance, Dante describes damned souls passing over the river Acheron in Canto III, writing, "And all pass over eagerly, for here / Divine Justice transforms and spurs them so / their dread turns wish: they yearn for what they fear" (121ff). This is a key moment in the text because it describes an allegory which persists throughout the Inferno. As Ciardi notes, each soul who is damned actually desires his or her own eternal punishment (24, n.123). Thus, Dante aptly points out the internal transformation from "dread" to "yearn[ing]" as they pass over the river Acheron and into the first circle of Hell. What kind of statement(s) does this make about Dante's sense of the human character or psyche?

As a last example, you could always write about the historical context of the poem and how those concurrent events and personae are included and illustrated in the text.

short papers rubric, and list of texts on reserve and valuable recommended texts

Below you will find two links to the important handouts that I distributed in class last Thursday. Please reference these two documents, as they are vital to your completion of and success in these important writing assignments. Note: These files tend to "read" better if you first download them and then open them with MS Word.

Remember that I have some key secondary texts in my office! Stop by during my scheduled office hours to "rent" them from me. And, we can always chat about paper topics/theses too!

• The Short Paper 
• Recommended Texts and Library Texts

more announcements for writing contests and awards

(1) The English Department will be collecting short stories for the Goodman awards. There are two categories of awards. The Bertha and Philip Goodman Short Story Award (to the three undergraduate students who write the best short stories in a contest conducted by the English department), and The Goodman Short Story Award (first, second, and third prizes). Students may submit no more than a single short story for each category, not to exceed 5,000 words. Submissions should be typewritten, and three collated copies of the story should be given to the department. Students should submit the essay under a pen name, along with an entry form (available in the department) to Corinne by March 3rd. These competitions are open to all undergraduate students registered at Brooklyn College.

(2) The Poetry Exegesis Award Contest will be held on Wednesday February 24, from 4-6 pm, in Room 3108 Boylan. The award is given for the best exegesis of a single poem, which will be handed out at the time of the contest. Students may bring non-electronic pocket dictionaries, and should bring pencils, but no other resources. Students who plan to enter should register with Corinne Amato in the English department by February 23.

(3) The deadline for The Grebanier Sonnet Award, for the best single sonnet or sonnet cycle, is Wednesday, March 3 in the English department Office. Students should submit their entries under a pen name (on each page), accompanied by a cover sheet listing their names and pen names, social security numbers, addresses and phone numbers.

(4) The deadline for The Academy of American Poets Award for the best single poem or portfolio of poems, is Monday, March 15 in the English Department office. Students should submit up to five poems, accompanied by a cover sheet listing their names, pen names, social security numbers, addresses and phone numbers, and listing the titles of all poems submitted.

the Yeoman, his Canon, and the canon: "roote of al trecherie"

I'd like to offer this posting as a space to continue the discussion of the "CYTale" by specifically focusing on the different characters we encounter in the text, namely the Yeoman, his Canon (from the prima pars), and the canon (from the pars secunda). Notice that I've capitalized the former to differentiate between the two canons, you should do the same. We could also focus on the final statements or warnings that the Yeoman provides at the end of the pars secunda.

Feel free to participate, this is not required, but I know that more discussion could only serve to benefit our understanding of this strange, weird, and (dare I say) elvysshe story! I'll award one extra point (to journal #2) to anyone who contributes to this posting before the first short paper is due.

Here a link to an article involving Chaucer's characters/characterization, perhaps it will help contextualize what some critics have said about Chaucer's ability to create "understandable interior lives" (Ganim 254). The article is by John Ganim and is titled "Identity and subjecthood." It appears in a larger text, here is the bibliographic information: Chaucer: An Oxford Guide. Ed. Steve Ellis. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005.

Below you'll find some prompts. REMEMBER, THESE LINES OF DISCUSSION CAN EASILY BECOME PAPER TOPICS FOR THE FIRST SHORT PAPER THAT IS DUE 3/1/10!!!

How can we differentiate between the two different canons? That is, what about their characters' (their internal persona, their morals/ethical beliefs, their "true" selves) stands out to us as readers? How do we know these things? Where can we locate such details? For example, the Yeoman claims the purpose of his second tale is "to set right the evils that I mention" (bottom, 461) and he describes the canon as "a crook in deed and word" (mid, 469). But what does the canon do and say within the tale that proves his so-claimed treacherousness? Therefore, when discussing this topic/question further  you can describe the canon's character in two ways, (1) by the numerous descriptions and name-calling via the Yeoman--think of and locate the numerous key words that the Yeoman uses, e.g., "false"--, and (2) the words the canon utters to his priest-victim and the actions he takes during his "alchemical spectacle" in the priest's chamber. 

Another point of contention is the difference(s) between the Modern English translation of the Middle English. Where are their distinct differences? How do these change our reading of the text. A tip: look up the various words of importance in the OED (Oxford English Dictionary), as this dictionary will give you the etymological history of the target words; i.e., how the meaning of a particular word has changed over time.

What is the Yeoman calling for in the end? Where is the "knowledge" of alchemy contained? Where does this knowledge reside? How is it to be communicated, and to whom? What or who are the "true" philosophers? Why are alchemists called and/or considered "philosophers"? Is this change in tone at the end of the "Tale" Chaucer's voice? Could we consider that it is Chaucer speaking here rather than the Yeoman? Why, what tell us so? Or, is this final part just a continuation of the Yeoman's admonishment of the two canons, all who practice alchemy, and the art of alchemy itself?

How does the Damascene tale which I handed out in class today compare to the pars secunda?   

contests, awards, and conference papers

Below I have transcribed a number of writing submissions currently offered by the English Department. Such "publication" opportunities present themselves only every so often, and having your work as a undergraduate accepted for any of the following will certainly look nice on your future resume or CV when you apply for jobs and/or graduate school. I'd be happy to help edit any piece you are considering for submission...

1.) The deadline to nominate papers for the Undergraduate Research Conference is Wednesday, Februrary 24th. Please submit your papers to me so that I can email them as attachment or as a paper copy to Nicola Masciandaro (nicolam@brooklyn.cuny.edu). Be sure to include the student's email address on the paper so the committee may contact them later.

The conference will take place on Thursday, March 25th, 12:30-2:00, Oriental & Occidental Lounge.

2.) The English Department is currently collecting poems for The Beatrice Dubin Rose Award for the best undergraduate poem or poems. Students may submit up to five poems. They should submit them under a pen name, along with an entry form (available from Corinne in the department) to Corinne by March 2nd. If you have any questions, please contact Lou Asekoff at lasekoff@webjogger.net.

3.) The English Department is currently collecting essays for The Shakespeare Contest, supported by Randolph Goodman. Students can submit essays on any aspect of Shakespeare's writings, of any length. They should submit the essay under a pen name, along with an entry form (available from Corinne in the department) to Corinne by March 3rd. Please let me know if you have any questions.

more office hours!

Hello all,
I am pleased to announce that I am available for extra office hours during the academic week! Recall that I am a writing tutor for the Philosophy Dept., so please feel free to stop by for anything related to your academic writing assignments, regardless of which course the work is for. Below you will find my updated schedule, so please take note of the hours and rooms. I have reproduced this on the right-hand side of the blog for easy reference as the semester moves forward.

2311 Boylan
~ Mondays 10a-12p
3308 Boylan
~ Tuesdays 9a-1p, 2p-6p
~ Thursdays 9a-1p, 2p-5p

Remember that you can always schedule an appointment outside of these times should you need to see me.

s.

journal #2 (2/18) and homework update

For your reading assignment over this short recess, please finish the "Canon's Yeoman's Tale" as scheduled. Also, you should begin Dante's Inferno by reading the Translator's Note and the Introduction, including the first three "chapters" of the poem, i.e., Cantos 1 - 3. Completing this will adequately prepare you for next week; remember we meet Wednesday and Thursday, back-to-back, therefore leaving little time for you to cram in the first, and most important, readings of Dante.

I cannot stress enough the importance of reading the introductory material that prefaces Dante's Inferno. There is a great deal of historical, social, and political context which you must learn of in order to truly understand Dante's writing, and its significance within the world of literature. Indeed, much of the events in his actual life spurred the genesis of this infamous work. These events and their consequences directly relate to the themes and topics of our course involving the Self, exile, and journey. Critics and scholars of Dante also make many arguments concerning the style, language, and form in which he composed this work; you will learn of these things in the Introduction. In closing, it was stated above that much of this poet's personal life was metaphorically and allegorically transposed into his writing; thus it is important to highlight that the characters of his actual life mirror those fictional characters in his texts. Such correlations should never go unnoticed. 

And, because you may have been wondering... the image which adorns the top-right of our e-journal blog is Dante at the entrance of The Dark Wood. It is the work of Gustave Doré, a nineteenth-century French artist, sculptor, and engraver. I will be bringing facsimiles of Doré's complete Dante collection to class here shortly.


Okay, on to the journal, which is due anytime before class meets on Wednesday, 2/17.

Journal #2:
This journal consists of multiple short answers, you may choose to respond to either numbers one or two, but you must complete number three. When writing your two different responses below, be sure to CITE A PASSAGE FROM THE TEXT for each part, thereby providing evidence and support for your claims and reasoning.

1. Pick one moment from the prima pars on the "Canon's Yeoman's Tale" that you found to be important and/or significant. It could be an event, or perhaps something that the Yeoman says, a detail, or even a section that appeared mysterious to you. Explain why you have chosen your passage as such. How can it relate to the things we have been discussing in class so far?
2. Pick one moment from the pars secunda that displays or fulfills the issues, warnings, or moral imperatives presented and discussed by the Yeoman in the "Prologue" and/or the prima pars. In a few sentences detail how your selected passage exemplifies (or shows as/by example) the Yeoman's efforts to impart his audience with such information.
3. Revisit those textual moments you selected in the previous two answers, yet this time go to the Middle English copy of our assigned reading. Try and find discrepancies or perhaps striking similarities… comment on any thoughts or illuminations you may have upon seeing the text in its original versus a modern rendition. 

Email with questions or concerns. Happy reading and writing, and enjoy the long weekend everyone!
s.

class cancelled today

I'm sure that you've heard, but to reiterate: there is NO CLASS TODAY as the COLLEGE IS CLOSED due to the weather advisory.

Please exercise caution should you be traveling today or heading to the park to make snow-angels and snow-men.

PLEASE CHECK THE BLOG SOMETIME LATER TONIGHT and especially OVER THE WEEKEND, as I will be requiring a JOURNAL ENTRY to be due WEDNESDAY when we return to normal classes. All this information will be posted on the blog accordingly.

journals = COMMENTS!!!

Hi everyone. Well, it would not be the first time this has happened, and I must apologize for the possible confusion that I have caused because of my fluid use of the term "post" to indicate a number of written actions that you can take on this web site.

A post is a new thread of discussion, essentially. Thus, a single topic, message, or prompt is considered a post.

A comment or reply is when one offers a remark under (literally, underneath) one of these larger threads. Your journal entries are essentially always going to be comments; that is, replies to the larger post-topic itself.

To publish a comment, simply click on the title of the post or on the link at the bottom of the post which appears as: "## comments". Go to the bottom of the post and you'll find a blank text box in which you can type. I would suggest typing your e-journals on MS Word before and saving them... just in case anything goes wrong with the internet or your computer. It's never a good thing to lose your work, so back it up by saving a hard copy in a folder on your hard drive.

Therefore, to clear things up please only COMMENT to the posts labeled as journals; you do not need to post a new thread of discussion in order to complete your journal entries unless told to do so.

Attn: David Tran and  Sylwia Wiecek. I have moved your posts and published them as comments under journal #1. If you'd like to copy and paste, and republish them yourselves, please do so and I will delete my entry.

Questions? Email me, or... comment to this posting!

Happy writing.

journal #1: welcome all, offer us an intro

To complete your first journal entry by commenting below you must receive a reply email from me inviting you to join. Once you have joined, please compose the following before we meet for class again this following Wednesday. In truth, this entry should take no more than fifteen minutes to complete and you may find yourself freely writing, so don't rush or limit yourself. Let this and all other writing assignments come organically and from the gut at first; you'll produce better results if you follow such advice. 

1.) State your name and the username that you've chosen as your identity on our e-journal.
2.) Answer the following prompt: Have you ever felt exiled in your life? Or, have you taken a serious journey, traveled great distances, gone on a religious retreat or pilgrimage? Tell your story briefly. If you haven't experienced exile or a journey first-hand, has a close friend or family member done so? Tell their story as if you lived it yourself. If there is no one... then explain your favorite tale or narrative of exile/journey. This favorite of yours can be from any medium of presentation; that is, a book, a movie, a musical album, etc. Which ever you choose, consider this: how were the "characters" changed by their exile and/or travels? Was their journey merely physical?


PS: In the news today I saw this article on NPR about aging, which is truly one of life's greatest journeys. Enjoy.

schedule of readings & written assignments

M 2/1: intro to course; distribution of syllabus; discussion of goals, expectations, and requirements

Geoffrey Chaucer
W 2/3: journal #1; Canon’s Yeoman’s Prologue in the Middle English found in the Riverside handout (p.270-72), as well as in the Modern translation found in the Canterbury Tales course text (p.449-54).
M 2/8: Canon’s Yeoman’s Tale – prima pars, Riverside handout (p.272-75) and Canterbury Tales course text (p.454-61).
W 2/10: snow day! hooray!
M 2/15: no classes - college closed

Dante Alighieri
W 2/17: journal #2; Canon’s Yeoman’s Tale – pars secunda, Riverside handout (p.275-81) and Canterbury Tales course text (p.461-74).
R 2/18: conversion day – follow a Monday schedule; Inferno, Translator's Note, Introduction, and Cantos 1-3.
M 2/22: Inferno, Cantos 4-7.
W 2/24: journal #3; Inferno, Cantos 8-13.
M 3/1: short paper #1 due; Inferno, Cantos 14-18.
W 3/3: Inferno, Cantos 19-24.
M 3/8: journal #4; Inferno, Cantos 25-31.
W 3/10: Inferno, Cantos 32-34.

William Shakespeare
F 3/12: The Tempest, Shakespeare: An Overview (p.vii-xxiii); class field trip to see The Tempest @ BAM (curtain is at 7:30p, so try to arrive at least one-half hour prior).
M 3/15: The Tempest, Introduction (p.lxiii-lxxvii), Acts I-II (p.1-47).
W 3/17: journal#5; The Tempest, Act III (p.47-62); observation day; Happy St. Patrick's Day!
M 3/22: The Tempest, Acts IV-V and Epilogue (p.63-87).
W 3/24: short paper due #2; revision of short paper #1 due; The Tempest, secondary articles TBA; prospectus and annotated bibliography rubric distributed.

Midterm Recession
M 3/29 – T 4/6: no classes – spring break... get a tan while reading Milton

John Milton
W 4/7: journal #6; Paradise Lost, Introduction
M 4/12: Paradise Lost, Books I-II
W 4/14: journal #7; Paradise Lost, Book III
M 4/19: Paradise Lost, Books IV
W 4/21: journal #8; Paradise Lost, Books V
M 4/26: short paper due #3; revision of short paper #2 due; Paradise Lost, Book VI
W 4/28: Paradise Lost, Books VII-VIII
M 5/3: journal #9; Paradise Lost, Book IX
W 5/5: prospectus due; bring two extra copies of your prospectus to class


William Beckford
M 5/10: annotated bibliography due;Vathek, Intro (sections I and II), p.1-40
W 5/12: journal #10; Vathek, p.41-80
M 5/17: revision of short paper #3 due; Vathek, 81-120

Final Exam Week
W 5/26: final paper due (meet in our regular room at our normal meeting time)

introduction: how to join and contribute

As a member of Prof. D'Amato's CC 10.02 course it is your responsibility to join this e-journal blog and, crucially, to participate throughout the semester. You will do this in two ways: (1) submitting comments to posts of at least 150 words, and (2) sometimes writing your own posts.

Importantly, this site will also serve as a message board from me to you and you to me. I will most likely have to pass on important information regarding class meeting times, assignment deadlines, changes in the syllabus, etc. throughout the term. Therefore, be sure to check this site frequently, especially on days before and after we meet for class, to be sure you are current with the goings-on of the class.


Okay, so what's next?
Below I am going to detail how to join this blog and how to contribute. If you are unfamiliar with using blogs have no fear, Blogger is quite user-friendly and you should catch on quick. Remember, you can always email me with questions and you should email me immediately if you are having trouble with the site. For those who are quite internet savvy, disregard this most-likely redundant information; you may wish to glance in brief, however, to see how things will specifically function on this site.


How to Join
Email me, (prof.damato@gmail.com), with the email address you are associating with this class (one that is checked daily) so that I can invite you! From there you'll receive a link allowing you to gain authorial access. Follow the link and you'll have the opportunity to create a new Google username and password and officially join Blogger and the course e-journal.


From now on you'll use the username and password you select or create to log into this blog before you add a comment or a post. So write it down or email it to yourself so you do not forget this information.


How to Comment & Post
First, you must log in.

To comment to any post click on the post's title or on the "## comment" link at the bottom of the post. You can also click on the post's title found under the archived posts on the right side of the site. At the bottom of the post you'll find an editable text box. Remember to write at least 150 words! You can offer something in response to the main post thread, or you can reply to a comment written by another student. If the debate gets intense enough then you, or I for that matter, may decide to move the discussion into a new thread (i.e., post) all its own.

To post a new topic or thread once logged in, go to the top of the site and at the right of your email address/username on the navbar you'll see a link titled "new post". This is your ticket. Once you've arrived at the post-editing screen you'll notice it's a bit more complicated than the comment box; yet, think of it like a word document screen and you'll catch on quickly.


More Editing & a Disclaimer
If you happen to know html and/or java scripts you can use these to edit your posts to a greater degree---adding images, video, links, and more.

If a you should choose to add media to a post, keep in mind that inappropriate material will be subject to immediate removal. Depending on the level and degree of inappropriateness, the student faces disciplinary action such as receiving a zero on the assignment (minimum) or being reported to the Dean of Student Affairs (maximum). Please see the Division of Student Affairs website concerning the disciplinary process and other such information.


In Closing...
Be sure to bookmark this site on your personal computer so that you can check the blog frequently. As I recommended above, nearly once a day you should be visiting our e-journal. While you are required to only submit one writing per e-journal assignment, you may write as much at you wish on this blog. Contributing more with extra effort certainly weighs positively on your overall class participation.

Remember, the point of this blog is not only for me to impart important class announcement nor for you to just submit a weekly journal entry; rather, it serves as a birthplace for written ideas. The things discussed and argued here will undoubtedly come up in class, and should, so feel free to reference the blog's content while we are in the classroom. Paper topics and angles of argumentation will also present themselves here. This is a vital component and goal of this site: for students to test and share ideas with one another, furthering understanding of specific subject matter thereby deepening one's ability to discuss the course's texts and topics.

I hope to get an email from you as soon as possible so that you can join your classroom community to a further extent by contributing commentary and content to what is now your CC 10.02 blog!

formal paper/essay descriptions

The descriptions below detail the qualities of certain “types” of papers. These are for your benefit. The following have been adopted into my own language from descriptions published by Princeton University and Harvard College.

The Unsatisfactory Paper. The D or F paper demonstrates that the writer does not understand the relevant text(s) at hand. There is no thesis, or the thesis is not clearly defined. Overall, this type of paper is underdeveloped, disorganized, and it does not fulfill the requirements of the assignment. This type of paper is filled with mechanical, grammatical and spelling errors, indicating that the writer did not proofread or revise their work. The result is unsatisfactory.

The Mediocre Paper. The C paper shows that the writer has a limited grasp of the text(s) at hand. The thesis is usually broad, vague, or obvious. The thesis does not advance an argument that anyone might care to debate. The paper does not show that the writer is interacting with the text(s) because it fails to offer any quotations and/or textual evidence. While there may be some organizational structure to the paper, it does not demonstrate that the writer has complete control over this structure. This type of paper meets some of the assignment’s requirements, but not all. There are some mechanical, grammatical and spelling errors. The paper may have been proofread; however there is little evidence that suggests it was revised. The result is mediocre.

The Acceptable Paper. The B paper illustrates that the student has a strong understanding of the text(s) at hand. The thesis is developed, meaning that it is narrow in scope and worth arguing. There are numerous quotations present within the body of the paper, and the writer demonstrates a thoughtful analysis of the things being quoted. This textual evidence is relevant and it advances and supports the thesis. The paper is well organized, and the reader can easily follow the flow of the paper. This type of paper meets all of the assignment’s requirements. There are no mechanical, grammatical and spelling errors. Furthermore, the paper suggests that the writer has proofread and revised the work. The A paper has all of the qualities of the B paper, but in addition this type of paper is lively, well paced, interesting, and even exciting to the reader! The thesis is fully developed and is completely fulfilled by the body of the paper. By reading an A paper, the reader gets the sense of the writer’s mind at work, engaging with the text(s) to create a piece of writing that fulfills the assignment at hand while, importantly, going beyond those requirements to offer something more. This result is acceptable.

class email roster

Please reply to this post by offering any revisions/corrections to the the email address that you check most frequently. The purpose for this list is so that not only myself but also your classmates can easily reach you via an email message at any time, for any number of academic reasons.

[[[current as of 2/17/10]]]

ADAMS, LEON -- leadams81@yahoo.com
AHMED, RAHELA -- humaun3@hotmail.com
AMIROV, KHASKIL -- nysfinest1989@yahoo.com
BAZELAIS, BARBARA -- lusciouskiss83@yahoo.com
BERNARD, PATRICK -- ptrckbrnrd@gmail.com
BONAIR, RASAAN -- rasaanjeremey@gmail.com
CHEN, YONG YU -- Simply_Lost21@yahoo.com
CRAWBUCK, ALLISON -- Acrawbuck@gmail.com
GOYKHBERG, AL -- pyrojoke@gmail.com
HAVER, ERIC -- evil1fearsnone@aol.com
LEMBERSKAYA, JENNY -- jlemb17@yahoo.com
KABASSO, ORIT -- sunshine102749@gmail.com
KESTENBAUM, LILLY -- lillybeth930@gmail.com
KLEINMAN, MICHAEL -- mokleinman@gmail.com
KOUTROS, LOUIS -- louster003@yahoo.com
LEUNG, ANNA -- rainyskae@gmail.com
MELLA, MILAGROS -- milagros.mella@gmail.com
MOURRA, SAMANTHA -- samsam5ht@yahoo.com
MUHAMMAD, MUSLIMAH -- muslimah4jennah@yahoo.com
NEKRASOV, DIANA  -- dinka0401@aol.com
SHNAYDMAN, YEVA -- Yevashnaydman@yahoo.com
SITNIKOVA, LENA -- aprismoi@hotmail.com
TAHER, ABU -- abutaherbc@gmail.com
TAN, ERIC (QING) -- eric.chicken@gmail.com
TRAN, DAVID -- d_dtran30@yahoo.com
TUFAL, MOHAMMAD -- birthstar3@aol.com
VELEZ, AMENTA  -- amenta.velez@yahoo.com
VILLACRES, DIEGO -- diego4189@yahoo.com
WACHAA, JAMIL -- nycboy12@hotmail.com
WIECEK, SYLWIA -- swiecek@hunter.cuny.edu
YANG, ZHEN YU -- zhenyubox@gmail.com