Fall 2017 Course Syllabus

English 211/202: Creative Nonfiction

The Crawfordsville Monster and Other Tales from Montgomery County

MWF 2:10 – 3:00 p.m.

 

Professor: Matthew Lambert                                             Email:  lambertm@wabash.edu

Office Location:  Center Hall 312                             Office Hours:  MWF 10:00-11:30am

Office Phone:  765-361-6049                                                (or by appointment)

 

Course Description

In the course, we will use the creative nonfiction genre to tell stories about Crawfordsville. Once referred to as the “Athens of Indiana,” the city has a long and unique history that we will explore and uncover using guest speakers (including Crawfordsville’s mayor, Todd Barton, an alumni of Wabash and former fire chief), archival materials, interviews, and other forms of research. Using these sources, we will craft narratives based on aspects of Crawfordsville’s history and culture, ranging from the city’s major historical events, notable residents, and African-American experience to its folk tales and legends, sports culture, and current environmental initiatives.  Students in the course will also have a chance to share these narrative with other students, faculty, and staff at Wabash as well as residents of Crawfordsville during a community event at the end of the semester.

Required Books:

You Can’t Make This Stuff Up:  The Complete Guide to Writing Creative Nonfiction—from Memoir to Literary Journalism and Everything in Between (Gutkind)

The Best American Essays 2015 (Levy and Atwan)

Course Goals

• Practice the various forms of writing associated with the creative nonfiction genre.
• Learn to craft informative and engaging nonfiction narratives and essays.
• Become familiar with Crawfordsville’s major figures, events, and issues, from both the past and the present.
• Gain experience using archival materials, interviews, experiential field work, and other forms of research to craft informed nonfiction narratives and essays.
• Gain experience reading original material in public setting.

Class Participation

It’s imperative that you complete all assigned homework/reading and come prepared to participate in class.  You are expected to contribute to general class discussions, to contribute to small group discussions, to seek feedback from other class members on work in progress, and to provide thoughtful feedback to other class members on their work.  Being prepared for this class includes paying close attention to the assignments for each class, doing the homework, and bringing relevant materials with you to class.  Good class participation should include listening and taking notes in class lectures, discussions and group work.  You will be graded on class participation.

Attendance and Lateness

Since this is a small discussion class, attendance is mandatory.  You are allotted three absences in this class without penalty—once you miss your fourth class, your grade will begin to drop by half a letter grade for each additional absence.  Treat this attendance policy like a “personal” or “sick day” policy you might find in a workplace.  In other words, these absences usually occur because of minor illnesses or schedule conflicts (e.g., a delayed Monday morning flight after a weekend holiday).

Please arrive on time.  Lateness not only disrupts the class but also shows a good deal of disrespect for your peers and instructor.   If lateness becomes a problem, we will need to talk.  If you are more than 15 minutes late to class, you can be marked absent—talk to me after class if you think that you were over 15 minutes late for unavoidable reasons.    Sleeping or working on work for other classes can also result in being marked absent.

Plan ahead if you think you might miss class for religious holidays or for other scheduled events.  You need to plan your semester carefully so that you do not use all of your personal/sick days at once.

In the case of university-sanctioned activities (e.g., athletics or a course-specific trip that takes you out of town), you must provide documentation for these absences so that they do not count against your final grade.

If you miss a class meeting, you are responsible to contact your peers for materials and information you have missed. Missing a class is no excuse for not completing the homework. Likewise, I expect you to have read the assigned readings and to be ready to discuss them, even if you are absent from class. All readings are immediately relevant to the course’s assignments, so consider reading just as important as any written homework.

Academic Integrity

At Wabash College, we believe in the excellence of our students and in the integrity of our academic programs.  As stated in the Gentleman’s Rule,

“The student is expected to conduct himself at all times, both on and off campus, as a gentleman and a responsible citizen.”

Being “a gentleman and a responsible citizen” includes not taking credit for the work of others.  This means properly attributing/citing the ideas of others in your written assignments, not turning in somebody else’s work as your own, and not submitting an essay already submitted for a previous course.  Blatantly taking someone else’s words, ideas or concepts, and using them without citing your source is plagiarism.  So is using another student’s essay or homework, or part of his or her essay or homework, as your own.  In the world of writing (academic writing especially), this is a serious offense and is treated as such.  Anyone who uses non-documented material from another source, including work by other students as well as online sources, could receive a failing grade for the entire course and could be referred to the Dean’s office for further disciplinary action.

While some forms of collaboration and assistance in the course are permitted—including in-class collaboration such as group work, pair work, class discussion, and peer review as well as outside assistance provided by the Writing Center—collaborating on homework assignments is not acceptable because those types of assignments are designed to monitor how you are handling specific parts of the course materials.

Meeting Deadlines

All written assignments must be submitted on the due date, by the beginning of class. Lateness will be dealt with as follows:

• Rough draft. For every day that a rough draft is late, you will be subject to a 1 point deduction on it.  If you do not submit a rough draft, I will not grade a final draft, since drafting is a crucial step in the process of writing.  A rough draft is considered late if not submitted before the class in which it is due.
• Final draft. For every day that a final draft is late, you will be subject to half a letter grade deduction on it.  A final draft is considered late if not submitted by time set by instructor.
• Class work. I do not generally accept late daily assignments or quizzes unless you are absent on the due date for an excused reason.
• Homework assignments: I generally do not accept late homework assignments. If you cannot attend class, please email or send your work in with another student.  If you cannot send it by email or through another student because of extenuating circumstances (e.g. illness, emergency, etc.) you will need to contact me when you can to explain the situation.

Writing Assignment Extensions

Everyone has one extension pass good for up to two days.  The extension is only good for final drafts of essays and must be requested by email 48 hours before the essay is due.  If you request an extension and end up turning the final draft in on time, I will return the extension pass back to you.

Points of Interest Assignment

You will be asked to visit at least three points of interest in Crawfordsville over the term.  While visiting each place, I would like you to take a picture (cell phone cameras are fine) of the location, unless photography is prohibited.  After your visit, I would like you to write a 250-word description, reflecting on your experience of the place, what you learned there, and the importance of the place to Crawfordsville.

Cell Phones, Laptops, and Other Related Technologies

By the time class starts, cell phones and laptops should be turned off and put away unless you have received permission from me to use them.  Cell phones and laptops are distracting to members of the class, including me.  I will allow you to use tablets/e-readers for reading materials if you can show that you are able to effectively mark up and make textual notes using these devices. There will be certain days during the semester you will be able to bring a laptop to class, which I will inform you of as they approach.

Writing Center

The Wabash Writing Center is dedicated to coaching Wabash Men to become the best writers that they can be. When a Wabash Man comes into the Wabash Writing Center, he will meet one-on-one with a trained writing consultant, or the director. Writing Center sessions are scheduled to last 45 minutes, which is enough time to review 6-7 pages of writing.

Writing consultants can work with writers at any stage of their writing process. A writer can come to the Wabash Writing Center with a couple of notes on a napkin, and our consultants can help him turn it into the best paper the writer can produce. Writers have to do their own work, but our consultants will make suggestions and offer advice to make a paper better. Consultants are also well versed in grammar concerns, MLA, and APA, and they are happy to answer questions or make minor corrections. However, we leave the line editing and final revisions to the writer.

Located on the second floor of the Lilly Library, the Wabash Writing Center is open to all students, faculty and staff.

To make an appointment, go to http://www.wabash.edu/writingcenter (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site., select the button labeled “Click HERE to make an appointment,” and register in the scheduling system.

If you have any questions, please email the director, Dr. Koppelmann, at koppelmz@wabash.edu.

The Office of Student Enrichment

The Office of Student Enrichment (OSE) provides Wabash Men with one-on-one counseling regarding time management skills, study skills, reading skills, and Academic Honesty. The OSE also offers one-on-one support for English Language Learners.

Contact Dr. Koppelmann at koppelmz@wabash.edu to arrange for a meeting if would like assistance regarding time management, study skills, reading skills, understanding Academic Honesty, or if would like support for learning American English.

Disability Statement

Students with disabilities (apparent or invisible) are invited to confidentially discuss their situation with the disability coordinator, Heather Thrush, Director of Student Engagement and Success. If a student wishes to receive an academic accommodation, it is required that his documentation of the disability be on file with Heather Thrush, who can, in confidence, provide information and guidance. Early notification helps us all work together in the most effective ways.  Heather Thrush can be reached at her office (Center Hall 112A), by phone (x6347), or by email (thrushh@wabash.edu).

Communicating Through Email

Emailing about coursework is a type of formal communication.  Be sure to include a salutation (e.g. “Hello Prof./Dr. Lambert,”) and a signature (your first name is fine).  Use appropriate language and proofread your emails—mechanical errors can cause readers—in this case, me—to misunderstand your message or question your ethos/credibility.

Essays                                                                        60%

Daily Work

Quizzes, points of interest, peer review, etc.              20%

Class participation                                                       10%

BAE presentation                                                         10%

Total:                                                                                 100%

Point Ranges for Letter Grades

A (93 – 100%), A- (90 – 92%), B+ (87 – 89%), B (83 – 86%), B- (80 – 82%), C+ (77 – 79%), C (73 – 76%), C- (70 – 72%), D (60 – 69%), F (0 – 59%) 

Rubric for minor assignments.

Canvas Postings (3 point assignments)
3: excellent	2: acceptable	1: poor
The assignment criteria have been met thoughtfully and with insight.  Assignment is well planned and articulated with convincing detail.There are no mechanical errors.	The assignment criteria have been met, and there is evidence of effort and thought in this assignment, however there may be a minor problem with completion of task.	The assignment criteria may have been met, but these assignments do not move beyond broad generalizations. The work is hard to read or presented sloppily.

Tentative Schedule:

I will make changes to the schedule as needed throughout the semester.

		IN CLASS	READING DUE	WRITING DUE
Week 1 Friday, Aug. 25		Introductions   In-class writing assignment: Formative Scene
Week 2 Monday, Aug. 28		Syllabus quiz   Go over syllabus   Discuss common errors in student essays.   What is creative nonfiction?	Course syllabus   Rd. Lunsford, “The Top Twenty”   Rd. Perl and Schwartz, “Why Creative Nonfiction”   Rd. “Maurine Watkins Makes Satire Out of Murder” (on Canvas)	Formative Scene Freewrite.
Wednesday, Aug. 30		Truth in creative nonfiction.	Rd. Gutkind, pp. 14-41   Rd. “The Legacy of the Jewish Tailer” (on Canvas)
Friday, Sept. 1		Balancing the personal with the public.	Rd Gutkind, pp. 55-76.   Rd. “Elizabeth Boynton Harbert and the Pursuit of Suffrage” (on Canvas)
Week 3 Monday, Sept. 4		Discuss “highlighting” scenes, “Difficult Decisions,” and “Three Spheres.”	Rd. Gutkind, pp. 99-113, 140-167	Complete underlining exercise for “Three Spheres” (exercise 12 on p. 151).
Wednesday, Sept. 6		Lecture on Crawfordsville by Beth Swift, Archivist at Lilly Library
Friday, Sept. 8		Scenes. endings, dialogue, and Reflection, Hook, Framing, and Focus	Rd. Gutkind, pp. 114-139, 183-185, 204-215, 218-229.	BAE Presentation 1:  Instructor
Week 4 Monday, Sept. 11		Discuss “Courthouse” essay.   Small group workshops on Essay 1.	Rd. “The Courthouse Tower Is Going to Fall (Or Is It?)”   Rd. Perl and Schwartz, “Workshopping a Draft”	BAE Presentation 2
Wednesday, Sept. 13		Revising Essay 1	Rd. Perl and Schwartz, “The Craft of Revision”	Essay 1(formative scene) draft
Friday, Sept. 15		Class Trip: Carnegie Museum
Week 5 Monday, Sept. 18		Practice interview in class.	Rd. Gerard, “The Art of Interview”	BAE Presentation 3
Wednesday, Sept. 20		Discuss Research	Rd. Gerard, “Researching” (on Canvas)	Essay 1(formative scene) final
Friday, Sept. 22		Trip to Lilly Library Archive
Week 6 Monday, Sept. 25		Class visit:  Mayor Todd Barton
Wednesday, Sept. 27		Selecting subjects, immersion	Rd. Gutkind, pp. 78-95	BAE Presentation 4
Friday, Sept. 29		-Practice immersion on campus.		BAE Presentation 5
Week 7 Monday, Oct. 2		Workshop interview in small groups.  How might you turn this interview into a creative nonfiction essay and/or narrative.		BAE Presentation 6
Wednesday, Oct. 4		Trip to Crawfordsville Public Library
Friday, Oct. 6				BAE Presentation 7
Week 8 Monday, Oct. 9				–BAE Presentation 8
Wednesday, Oct. 11		Trip to Lilly Library Archive
Friday, Oct. 13		FALL BREAK NO CLASS
Week 9 Monday, Oct. 16		TBA	TBA	Off campus immersion and interview (can submit earlier).
Wednesday, Oct. 18				BAE Presentation 9
Friday, Oct. 20				BAE Presentation 10
Week 10 Monday, Oct. 23		Trip to Archive at Crawfordsville Public Library
Wednesday, Oct. 25		In-class writing day on Essay 2.
Friday, Oct. 27		Essay 2 Workshop (Round 1) (Sign up for a workshop class on Canvas)
Week 11 Monday, Oct. 30		Essay 2 Workshop (Round 1)
Wednesday, Nov. 1		Essay 2 Workshop (Round 1)
Friday, Nov. 3		Essay 2 Workshop (Round 1)
Week 12 Monday, Nov. 6		Essay 2 Workshop (Round 1)
	Wednesday, Nov. 8	Essay 2 Workshop (Round 2) (Sign up for a workshop class on Canvas)
	Friday, Nov. 10   Bell Game	Essay 2 Workshop (Round 2)
	Week 13 Monday, Nov. 13	Essay 2 Workshop (Round 2)
	Wednesday, Nov. 15	Essay 2 Workshop (Round 2)
	Friday, Nov. 17	Essay 2 Workshop (Round 2)

 

THANKSGIVING BREAK, NOVEMBER 19-27

 

	Week 14 Monday, Nov. 27	In-class writing day on Essay 2.
	Wednesday, Nov. 29	In-class peer review on Essay 2.		-Revision of Essay 2.
	Friday, Dec. 1	No class.  Individual conferences with instructor.
	Week 15 Monday, Dec. 4	Practice reading essays for Wednesday’s public reading.
Wednesday, Dec. 6		Public reading of Essay 2 (in Malcolm X Institute, Rm. 109)
Friday, Dec. 8		Class Wrap up.
FINALS WEEK		·      FINAL ESSAYS DUE to Canvas by 5pm on Monday, DECEMBER 11th