ENL293-01:    (Spring 2008)

Literature of the American South

Professor Luke Wallin
Class: MWF 11—11:50, Arts & Sciences, Room 204
Office MU4 #1 - Office Hours M & W 2—3:30, F 12—1
Appointments recommended.
Phone: 508-999-8393 (M/W/F)
Email: lwallin@umassd.edu; Web: www.lukewallin.com

Required Text:

• The Literature of the American South, ed. William L. Andrews, et. al.

Papers must be 1,000 words, MLA format, 14 point, and stapled. No late papers accepted.

Grades:
Three exams, 20 points each; paper 10 points; paper presentation 10 points; class participation 20 points.

Absences:
2 unexcused absences allowed; after that each one cost 1/3 off the final grade; however, I reserve the right to consider reasons for absences. Excused absences require a 300 word discussion of the day’s assignment emailed within 24 hours. Tardies and missed deadlines will affect your class participation grade. Each day, read the assignments, and come to class prepared to say five interesting things about each one. Classroom behavior: each instance of sleeping in class, or engaging in distracting behavior, costs off the final grade.


Week 1
Jan 28 Introduction
Jan 30 classes cancelled for Associated Writing Programs conference NYC; Assignment: reading: Harriet Jacobs, pp. 125-153.
Feb 1 classes cancelled for AWP Assignment: Frederick Douglass, pp. 169-183.

Week 2
Feb 4 Joel Chandler Harris, pp. 288-299. H.L. Mencken, pp. 368-378.
Feb 6 Zora Neale Hurston, pp. 405-419. / Jean Toomer, pp. 424-430.
Feb 8 William Faulkner, pp. 435-447.

Week 3
Feb 11 William Faulkner, pp. 447-466.
Feb 13 Lillian Smith, pp. 467-476. / W.J. Cash, pp. 488-499.
Feb 15 Thomas Wolfe, pp. 500-515.

Week 4
Feb 18/ No classes / meets 19 / EXAM #1
Feb 20 Richard Wright, pp. 545-573.
Feb 22 James Agee, pp. 574-582.

Week 5
Feb 25 Katherine Anne Porter, pp. 594-602.
Feb 27 Eudora Welty, pp. 616-623.
Feb 29 Eudora Welty, pp. 624-627.

Week 6
March 3 Ralph Ellison, pp. 698-720.
March 5 Albert Murray, pp. 741-749.
March 7 Carson McCullers, pp. 750-757.

Week 7
March 10 To Be Announced.
March 12
March 14 EXAM #2

Saturday 15th—Sunday 23rd - Spring Break

Week 8
March 24 Flannery O’Connor, all
March 26 Charles Gaines, all
March 28 Bobbie Ann Mason, all

Week 9
March 31 Lee Smith, all
April 2 Alice Walker, all
April 4 Henry Louis Gates, Jr., all

Week 10
April 7 Spirituals & Gospel Music, all; The Blues, all
April 9 Paper Topics for Approval: 1 page overview
April 11 Paper Topics for Approval

Week 11
April 14 TBA
April 16 TBA / sign up for your presentation day
April 18 EXAM #3

Week 12
April 21 No classes
April 23 Paper Presentations
April 25 Presentations

Week 13
April 28 Presentations
April 30 Presentations
May 2 Presentations

Week 14
May 5 Presentations - Papers Due
May 7 Presentations
May 9 Presentations

Week 15
May 12 Presentations
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ENL356-01:    (Spring 2008)

Language and Culture

Professor Luke Wallin
Class: MWF 1-1:50 PM, Arts & Sciences, Room 103
Office MU4 #1 - Office Hours M & W 2—3:30, F 12—1
Appointments recommended.
Phone: 508-999-8393 (M/W/F)
Email: lwallin@umassd.edu; Web: www.lukewallin.com

Required Text:

• Orality and Literacy, by Walter J. Ong.
• Conservation Writing, by Luke Wallin.

All work for this class must be 14 point and double spaced. All papers must have the assignment description, the date handed in, your name and email, and must be stapled.

Grades
First essay, first draft, 10 points, second draft, 10 points; second essay, single draft, 10 points; third piece, single draft, 10 points; fourth essay, 20 points; final presentation, 10 points; exam, 10 points; class participation, including reports, other contributions to daily discussions of reading assignments, and your courtesy to the class and help to colleagues during workshops, 20 points. Come to every class with interesting things to say about the readings. Late papers not accepted.

Absences: Three allowed for any reason. Each additional one costs 1/3 letter on final grade. Exceptions may be made for good cause. If you have a good cause, email an attachment of a 300 word discussion of the day’s assignment, within 24 hours of your absence.


Week 1
Jan 28 Introduction
Jan 30 Class cancelled for the Associated Writing Programs conference in NYC. Assignments: Read Chapter 6 in Conservation Writing. Pay particular attention to the discussion of Environmental Autobiography. Think about writing your own.
Feb 1 Class cancelled for the AWP. Read Chapters 1 and 4 in Conservation Writing. Write your own Environmental Autobiography, 600 words, due Monday, Feb. 4.

Week 2
Feb 4 Environmental Autobiographies, draft one, due. Workshop.
Feb 6 Workshop. (Note readings for next week and give yourself plenty of time.)
Feb 8 Workshop.

Week 3
Feb 11 Read Chapter 2 of Conservation Writing.
Feb 13 Read Chapter 3 of Conservation Writing.
Feb 15 Discussion of readings continued.

Week 4
Feb 18/ No classes / meets 19 Read pp. 1-74 in Orality and Literacy. Group reports.
Feb 20 Group reports.
Feb 22 Group reports.

Week 5
Feb 25 Draft two of Environmental Autobiography due. Read pp. 77-135 in Orality and Literacy. Group reports.
Feb 27 Group reports.
Feb 29 Group reports.

Week 6
March 3 Essay Two due, 600 words. This is a persuasive essay on some aspect of the presidential primary races. Display what you have learned about metaphor, and about rhetorical appeals. Workshop.
March 5 Workshop.
March 7 Workshop.

Week 7
March 10 Read pp. 136-end of the book, Orality and Literacy. Reports.
March 12 Reports.
March 14 Exam on readings so far.

Saturday 15th—Sunday 23rd - Spring Break

Week 8
March 24 Read Chapter 4 in Conservation Writing. Turn in Journalism topics, on some aspect of nature and culture.
March 26 Read Chapters 7 and 8 in Conservation Writing. Reports.
March 28 Read Chapters 9 and 10 in Conservation Writing. Reports.

Week 9
March 31 Journalism pieces due, 600 words. Workshop.
April 2 Workshop.
April 4 Workshop.

Week 10
April 7 Read Chapter 11 in Conservation Writing.
April 9 Read Chapter 12 in Conservation Writing.
April 11 Read Chapter 13 in Conservation Writing.

Week 11
April 14 Persuasive Essay on as aspect of nature and culture due, 600 words. Presentations.
April 16 Presentations.
April 18 Presentations.

Week 12
April 21 No classes.
April 23 Presentations.
April 25 Presentations.

Week 13
April 28 Presentations.
April 30 Presentations.
May 2 Presentations.

Week 14
May 5 Presentations.
May 7 Presentations.
May 9 Presentations.

Week 15
May 12 To be announced.
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ENL360-01:    (Spring 2008)

Advanced Thinking and Writing

Professor Luke Wallin
Class: MW 3:30—4:45 Arts & Sciences, Room 108
Office MU4 #1 - Office Hours M & W 2—3:30, F 12—1
Appointments recommended.
Phone: 508-999-8393 (M/W/F)
Email: lwallin@umassd.edu; Web: www.lukewallin.com

Required Text:

• Darwin’s Origin of Species, by Janet Browne.
• The Metaphysical Club, by Louis Menand.
• Other readings will be assigned.

All work for this class must be 14 point and double spaced. All papers must have the assignment description, the date handed in, your name and email, and must be stapled.

Grades:
First essay, first draft, 10 points, second draft, 10 points; second essay, single draft, 20 points; third essay, single draft, 30 points; reports, other contributions to daily discussions of reading assignments, and your courtesy to the class and help to colleagues during workshops, 30 points. Late papers not accepted.

Absences: Two allowed for any reason. Each additional one costs on final grade. Exceptions may be made for good cause. If you have a good cause, email an attachment of a 300 word discussion of the day’s assignment, within 24 hours of your absence.


Week 1
Jan 28 Introduction: Discussion of some aspects of advanced writing and thinking: 1. unconscious assumptions, 2. the necessity for premises, 3. rules of reasoning, 4. mediation of culture, 5. standards of truth, 6. standards of morality, 7. standards of beauty. Some roles of writers: time to research, importance of judgment, and the structure of persuasive appeals. This paragraph should serve as a guide for writing your essays, and will be used in grading them.
Jan 30 Class cancelled for the Associated Writing Programs conference in NYC. Assignment: Read Browne’s book. For next week, five groups (to be assigned) prepare discussions on the five chapters. If you miss this assignment, choose a group. Also, go online to the New York Times, then to the search box for David Brooks, and read his opinion essay called "How Voters Think."

Week 2
Feb 4 Reports from students, and discussion of Darwin’s ideas and their contexts. Today focus on his personal and cultural origins, and the background of his scientific thinking.
Feb 6 Reports, and focus on what was unique in Darwin’s ideas.

Week 3
Feb 11 Reports, and discussion of effects of Darwin’s work on science, culture, religion, and ethics.
Feb 13 Topics and brief outlines due for first papers: persuasive essays of exactly 600 words: choose one of the current presidential candidates, and argue why this person has appeal, and why he or she should, or should not, become president. Use what you have learned in our readings and discussions about the interplay of ideas and culture.

Week 4
Feb 18/ No classes / meets 19 Essays presented, draft one (50% of grade): workshop.
Feb 20 Workshop.

Week 5
Feb 25 Workshop.
Feb 27 Workshop.

Week 6
March 3 Read Part One of The Metaphysical Club, pp. 3-72. Reports from groups.
March 5 Reports continued. Essays returned.

Week 7
March 10 Club, Part Two, pp. 73-150. Reports. Essay One, Second Draft due.
March 12 Reports.

Friday 15th—Sunday 23rd - Spring Break

Week 8
March 24 Club, Part Three, pp. 151-234. Reports.
March 26 Reports. Essay Two due. Persuasive essay on a topic of your choice. Make it exactly 600 words, and have it reflect what you have learned in this course.

Week 9
March 31 Club, Part Four, 235-336. Reports.
April 2 Reports.

Week 10
April 7 Part Five and Epilogue, 336-442. Reports.
April 9 Reports.

Week 11
April 14 Reports.
April 16 Reports.

Week 12
April 21 No classes
April 23 Final essays due: persuasive essay on a topic of your choice, 600 words, reflecting what you have learned. Workshop.

Week 13
April 28 Workshop.
April 30 Workshop.

Week 14
May 5 Workshop.
May 7 Workshop.

Week 15
May 12 Workshop.