Connections A Hypertext Resource for Literature

Spring 2021, Session 1

Monday, February 1

First day: introductions and course overview

First, go to the Self-introductions document in our class OneDrive folder and introduce yourself.

Then, put the following in your classwork document:

  1. A statement of interest: based on the readings for this class so far and your previous academic work, write down a topic that you'd like to follow through the term as a way to guide your reading. Examples of possible topics include literary experimentation, sexualities, religion, animal imagery, literary form, narrative technique, race and ethnicity, money and work, and so on. You are welcome to choose any of these or create your own. Just be sure that you select something you will be excited to look for throughout the term.

  2. A writing emphasis: what is one thing you'd like to work on as a writer this semester? Think of your experiences as a writer and the feedback you've received from readers or teachers. Our conversations about writing will certainly range beyond the emphasis you choose, but I am also eager to hear about one area in which you would welcome a chance to think about your writing with me.

Tuesday, February 2

An introductory video and three poems on the United States:

Seminar day, version A, from the Weekly Routine

Wednesday, February 3

Seminar day, version B, from the Weekly Routine

Note: here and throughout this syllabus, the first (less indented) reading or link is required, while the second (more indented) reading or link is supplemental and optional. Here, for example, the first four readings are required, whereas exploring "for better or verse" is optional.

Thursday, February 4

  • Tony Hoagland, "Characteristics of the Composite Poem" (2014, PWeb Documents)

  • Wanda Coleman, "American Sonnet" (1989, PWeb Documents)

  • Harryette Mullen, "Dim Lady" (2002, PWeb Documents)

  • Kim Addonizio, "130" (2016, PWeb Documents)

  • Close Reading

Thursday reflection, from the Weekly Routine

Friday, February 5

Friday writing: Close reading exercise

Monday, February 8

  • Robert Dale Parker, "Feminism," from How to Interpret Literature

  • Connections on couplets (either through the website or, probably better, in this PDF)

  • Robert Browning, "My Last Duchess" (1842; read the text and listen to the recording by hitting the play button next to the title)

  • Erik Simpson, Five Ways of Looking at a Thesis

Monday quotations from the Weekly Routine

Tuesday, February 9

  • Parker, "Queer Studies"

  • Connections on blank verse (either through the website or, probably better, in this PDF)

  • Robert Frost, "Mending Wall" (1914; at least read the poem, then continue to these critical excerpts if you wish to)

Seminar day, version A, from the Weekly Routine

Wednesday, February 10

Seminar day, version B, from the Weekly Routine

Thursday, February 11

Poetry embodied in performance:

  • Tracie Morris, "Africa(n)" (2008, video #3 on the page)

  • Danez Smith, "Dinosaurs in the Hood" (2014): text and video

  • Ocean Vuong, two pieces from this video:

    • Introductory analogy between poetry and fashion (5:00)

    • "Threshold" (6:45, immediately following the introductory analogy)

Thursday reflection, from the Weekly Routine

Friday, February 12

Friday writing: paper prospectus (poetry paper version)

Monday, February 15

PAPER DUE BY EMAIL ATTACHMENT at 11:00 a.m. Iowa time

Because the paper is due today, the assignment is light, and we will begin the film unit by watching a scene from Citizen Kane together and applying the readings to the scene. There is no other written assignment for today.

Tuesday, February 16

  • Orson Welles, Citizen Kane (1941, PWeb Documents)

  • Corrigan, Short Guide, chapter 3 (PWeb Documents)

    • The standard resource: IMDB's page

    • Filmsite.org's page on the film has a lot of interesting information, especially about the Kane-Hearst parallel.

    • Roger Ebert's very good viewer's guide

    • Reviews from MRQE

Seminar day, version A, from the Weekly Routine

Wednesday, February 17

  • Alfred Hitchcock, Vertigo (1958, PWeb Documents)

Seminar day, version B, from the Weekly Routine

Thursday, February 18

  • Leland Poague, "Engendering Vertigo" (PWeb Documents)

Thursday reflection, from the Weekly Routine

We will discuss Poague's article and do a writing exercise in class.

Friday, February 19

Friday writing: Source Analysis

Monday, February 22

  • John Huston, The Maltese Falcon (1941, PWeb Documents)

Monday quotations from the Weekly Routine

Tuesday, February 23

  • Paul Schrader, "Notes on Film Noir" (PWeb Documents)

Seminar day, version A, from the Weekly Routine

Wednesday, February 24

Seminar day, version B, from the Weekly Routine

Thursday, February 25

In place of class, we will have individual midterm conferences at the end of this week. Continue working on your paper prospectus and paper.

Friday, February 26

Friday writing: paper prospectus (scene analysis version)

Monday, March 1

PAPER DUE BY EMAIL ATTACHMENT at 11:00 a.m. Iowa time

We will begin looking at Dubliners in class today. Because of the paper deadline, the reading is short, and you have no other written assignment for today.  

Updated plan: You have an asynchronous assignment in your classwork document. It is designed to take around the same amount of time as our usual class session, so you can simply do the assignment during class time or do it on your own schedule. It is due at 5:00 p.m. (Iowa time) on Monday.

Tuesday, March 2

Updated plan: if all goes well, we will meet by Zoom as usual, and there will be no change in the usual routine for the small groups. I will not be able to participate in the seminar session, so that group will use a shared document to record their questions/issues for the day and make sure that they all get included in the seminar discussion.

Seminar day, version A, from the Weekly Routine

Wednesday, March 3

  • Joyce, "The Dead," from Dubliners

Seminar day, version B, from the Weekly Routine

Thursday, March 4

  • Michael Levenson, "Living History in 'The Dead'" (PWeb Documents)

  • Parker, "Historicism and Cultural Studies"

Thursday reflection, from the Weekly Routine

Friday, March 5

Friday writing: creative response--note the Sunday deadline

Monday, March 8

Monday quotations from the Weekly Routine

Tuesday, March 9

  • Jones, "Marie"

Seminar day, version A, from the Weekly Routine

Wednesday, March 10

Seminar day, version B, from the Weekly Routine

Thursday, March 11

  • McQueen, Small Axe: "Education" 

Thursday reflection, from the Weekly Routine

Friday, March 12

Friday writing: Paper Prospectus (final paper version)

Monday, March 15

PAPER DUE BY EMAIL ATTACHMENT at 11:00 a.m. Iowa time

This is also the deadline for pre-portfolio revisions of earlier papers. (You can always revise your portfolio submissions until you submit the portfolio.) Remember to mark clearly the changes you have made, so I can focus on them as I read.

Because the paper is due today, you have no other written assignment for the day.

In class time, we will do a mock workshop of annotated bibliography entries. I will provide some annotated bibliography entries for you to evaluate as a way of solidifying expectations for this assignment.

Tuesday, March 16

Today will will have a peer review of research products. In your group's OneDrive folder, upload a document that contains a) two full entries for your annotated bibliography and b) two paragraphs taken from current versions of your papers in which you quote an external source.

Wednesday, March 17

Today will will have a peer review of skeleton papers. In your group's OneDrive folder, upload a document that contains a current version of one of your papers that removes the body paragraphs except for the first (transition) sentence of each one. Your version should have a title, first paragraph, transition sentences, last paragraph, and bibliography. In class, you will share this skeletal paper with a group and work through a set of questions to evaluate it.

Thursday, March 18

Last class day! We will wrap up the term and address any remaining questions about the final portfolio.

Tuesday, March 23

PORTFOLIO DUE BY EMAIL ATTACHMENT at 5:00 p.m. Iowa time