Boston University Fall 2014Arts and Sciences Writing ProgramWR100: The Novel TodaySection F9: M/W/F 1-2 p.m. SOC B59Section H2: M/W/F 3-4 p.m. CSS 440 Instructor: William MarxOffice: Boston University Center for Writing, located in the Center for Student Services 100 Bay State Road, Third Floor, Room 336Office Hours: M/W/F 2-3 p.m., and by appointment.Office Telephone: 617-358-1506E-mail: wmarx@bu.edu: please allow 48 hours for a response.

Course Description

WR100 and WR150 make up a two-semester sequence of writing courses required of most Boston University undergraduates. These seminars are designed to help students acquire skills and habits of mind essential to their academic success as well as to their future personal, professional, and civic lives. WR100 and WR150 are taught as small topic-based seminars; various sections focus on a wide range of topics across the disciplines.

This seminar will investigate different approaches to novels published after 2000. We will read three volumes -- Haruki Murakamis Sputnik Sweetheart, Tim Wintons Breath, and Cormac McCarthys The Road. By way of class discussions and encountering various critical approaches to the books we will examine their literary styles, plots, characters, and themes with an eye on exploring the light they cast on contemporary life.

Course Goals

Although they vary in topic, all sections of WR100 and WR150 have certain goals in common. In WR 100, you will develop your abilities to:

craft substantive, motivated, balanced academic arguments write clear, correct, coherent prose read with understanding and engagement plan, draft, and revise efficiently and effectively evaluate and improve your own reading and writing processes respond productively to the writing of others express yourself verbally and converse thoughtfully about complex ideas.

In WR150 you will continue developing all of these abilities while working intensively on prose style and learning to conduct college-level research.

Course Requirements

As a writing seminar, WR100 requires both a good deal of reading and writing and your active involvement in a variety of class activities. Specific course requirements are: self-assessment additional exercises as assigned three major papers final portfolio one conference with your instructor regular attendance and participation

Required Texts and Materials

Please purchase the following books in the designated editions. They are available at the BU Barnes and Noble at Kenmore Square, fourth floor. I encourage you to buy pre-owned copies.

Kate Turabian. Students Guide to Writing College Papers. University Of Chicago Press, Fourth Edition (2010). ISBN-10: 0226816311 Winton, Tim, Breath (Picador)Murakami, Haruki, Sputnik Sweetheart (Vintage International)

McCarthy, Cormac, The Road (Vintage)

--A folder or ring binder to contain your typewritten work as well as course handouts.

--A notebook for taking notes and for in-class writing. I would like you to take notes and to do in-class writing assignments with a pen and paper instead of a laptop. We will discuss this strategy and its usefulness over the course of the semester.

--At the end of the semester, you will be required to hand in a spiral-bound copy of your final portfolio; you can have the portfolio bound at Kinkos for approximately $5.00.

Electronic Resources

Norton/Write: www.wwnorton.com/write/fieldguide/: an online grammar and usage reference available at no charge on the Internet. We will be using this website instead of a hard-copy grammar handbook.

Blackboard: Our class has a Blackboard Learn site that contains the syllabus, assignments, handouts, and other course-related information. You can log in to our Blackboard page at http://blackboard.bu.edu

NB: On the date they are due, please email me all writing assignments, including exercises and drafts, in addition to submitting them in hard copy at the beginning of class.

Assignments

You will be given a range of assignments in this course, including a self-assessment, various reading and writing exercises, three major papers, and a final portfolio. Much of this work will not be graded, but that does not mean it is unimportant. Students who prepare diligently for class, participate actively, and take the homework exercises and drafts seriously generally learn more and write better final papers than those who do not.

We will be reviewing your drafts both on the computer screen and in hard copy. Please consult the syllabus for when you should bring your laptop and when you should bring a draft in hard copy.

Self-Assessment: At the beginning of the semester, you will be asked to submit a written self-assessment in which you take stock of your reading and writing abilities and establish some personal goals you wish to pursue over the course of the semester. For grading purposes, your self-assessment will be considered your first exercise.

Exercises: We will use the term exercises to refer to various low-stakes assignments and activities that you will be asked to complete over the course of the semester. You will do some of these exercises in class; others will be given as homework. I recommend that you purchase a notebook to contain your in-class writing exercises and that you bring this notebook with you to each class, since we will have shorter in-class writing exercises in addition to the ones scheduled in the syllabus. Your exercises will not receive letter grades, although you will receive credit for completing them on time. Your performance on these assignments may also affect your participation adjustment (see below).

Format: All papers, including drafts and homework exercises, must be word-processed and adhere to MLA format. Times New Roman 12-point type, double-spaced, is standard. You should type up the handwritten versions of your in-class writing exercises soon after completing them.

Major Papers (drafts and final versions): We will use the term draft to refer to unfinished or preliminary versions of your three major papers. You will be required to write at least two drafts of each paper. One of your drafts will receive comments from me, either in written or verbal form; the other will receive feedback from your classmates. Drafts will not receive letter grades, although you will receive credit for completing them on time. Remember that you are more likely to write a better final paper if you write a well-developed draft. Your performance on your drafts may also affect your participation adjustment (see below). Your course grade will be determined primarily by the quality of the final versions of your major papers.

As your instructor, I am committed to providing you with timely written or verbal feedback on one draft of each major paper, and written feedback and a grade on the final version of each major paper. You can expect to receive my response to your drafts within one week of your punctual submission of them; graded final versions will be returned to you within two weeks.

I will review drafts electronically and final versions in hard copy according to the scheduled deadlines. If you dont send me your draft by the deadline, I might not have time to review it; if you dont hand in the final version in hard copy, I will consider it late.

Final Portfolio: At the end of the semester, you will be asked to submit a portfolio containing your major papers (drafts and final versions), homework exercises, in-class writing assignments, other supporting artifacts, and an introductory essay. The portfolio will provide you with an opportunity to document and reflect on your development as a reader and writer over the course of the semester. Your portfolio will contain work that has already been graded in addition to your ungraded work and the final version of Paper 3. The work that has been graded will not be re-graded. The grade for your portfolio will be based on the final version of Paper 3 and may be adjusted up or down by as much as one-third of a letter grade to reflect the quality of the introduction and supporting materials as well as the selection and arrangement of artifacts.

Sharing of Student Writing and Workshopping: Experienced writers routinely share their work with others because they understand that the best way to improve a piece of writing is to test it out with actual readers. In this seminar you will learn how to respond productively to the writing of others and how to use feedback from readers to improve your own work. All students in the class will be required to share at least one draft of each paper. If you are concerned about other students reading and responding to your writing in public, please arrange to speak with me privately.

Grading and Evaluation

Your final grade will be calculated as follows:Assessment Paper: 5%Paper 1: 15% Paper 2: 30% Paper 3 / Final Portfolio:50%

Your final grade may also be adjusted to reflect your attendance and participation as described below.

Late and Missed Assignments: Graded assignments will be penalized by one-third of a letter grade for each day they are late, counting weekends. I do not accept computer problems as a valid reason for handing in assignments late, and I do not give extensions because of computer problems. Please back up your work on a portable drive (i.e. thumb or flash drive) every time you finish writing. Waiting for a computer tech to restore your files or to restore them through a service like Carbonite are also not valid reasons. If your computer crashes, you should be able to take the portable drive to the library and continue working on your project without interruption.

Writing exercises and drafts of major papers will not receive grades, but they must still be completed on time (see below for explanation of participation grade). If you submit a draft late, I cannot promise to read it in time for my comments to be useful to you. If you do not turn in drafts, you are still responsible for turning in final versions of major papers when they are due. Please also note that we will work regularly with our writing exercises and drafts in class. If you are habitually late with these assignments you will be unable to participate fully in the class, and that will be reflected in your final grade.

Participation and Attendance: Since this course is a seminar, your regular attendance and participation are essential both to your own learning and to the learning of your classmates. Consequently, your final grade may be adjusted up or down by one-third of a letter grade to account for the quality of your participation and ungraded work over the course of the semester. Habitual lateness (more than two or three times) will also affect your final grade: three times late = one absence.

Under ordinary circumstances, missing more than one week of class will lower your final grade; missing three weeks of class may lead to a failing grade in the course. Note that these absences need not be consecutive.

You may miss three classes without penalty. I do not usually distinguish between excused and unexcused absences, so please save your absences for when you need them. If you exceed the number of allowed absences, your grade for the course may be lowered as follows:

Number of absencesFinal grade penalty41/3 of a letter52/3 of a letter6full letter71 1/3 letters81 2/3 letters9F

If you have a special obligation that will require you to miss one or more classes (e.g., varsity athletics, religious observances), please let me know on the first day of class and we will devise a plan for you to make up the work. If you miss classes because of special obligations, you must make up the work. I do not give extensions on deadlines for written work because of special obligations. Conferences or tutorial appointments canceled without sufficient notice or missed as no call/no show will count as absences.

The Writers Studio

At the Writers Studio in the CAS Center for Writing (100 Bay State Road, 3rd floor with a satellite office at Mugar Library) students enrolled in WR courses can receive one-on-one consultations about their writing with well-trained tutors familiar with WR assignments. When you visit the Writers Studio, you should expect to be actively involved in your session. Tutors will work with you at any stage in your writing process, but they will not edit or correct your paper for you. Rather, they will work with you to help you do your own best work. The Writers Studio is a resource for all WR students. Whether you consider yourself to be a strong writer or a weak one, you can benefit from consulting with a tutor. If you need additional support after I have reviewed your draft, please make an appointment with a tutor in the Writers Studio.

The Writers Studios hours are Monday through Thursday 9:00 am to 7:30 pm and Friday 9:00 am to 5:15 pm. While the Studio accepts walk-in visits, you are strongly encouraged to make an appointment in advance. Because of the high demand for consultations, students are limited to one reservation per week. You may schedule a session online at:

http://www.bu.edu/writingprogram/the-writing-center/

You may also schedule a session in person at the CAS Center for Writing or by calling 617-358-1500. Cancellations must be made at least 12 hours in advance.

WR

The Arts & Sciences Writing Program publishes an online journal of exemplary writing from WR courses. If you are interested in looking at samples of successful WR papers, or if you just want to read some good essays, I encourage you to visit the journal at:

http://www.bu.edu/writingprogram/journal/

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the attempt to represent the words or ideas of another person as your own, and it is a serious academic offense. Cases of plagiarism will be handled in accordance with the disciplinary procedures described in the College of Arts and Sciences Academic Conduct Code. All WR students are subject to the CAS code, which can be read online at:http://www.bu.edu/academics/resources/academic-conduct-code/ Penalties for plagiarism can range from failing an assignment or course to suspension or expulsion from the university. In this class, we will discuss conventions for using and citing sources in academic papers. If you have any questions about plagiarism, please ask them in class or speak with me privately. When in doubt about citing a source, cite it.

Resources Arts & Sciences Writing Program: Administers all WR courses and the Arts & Sciences Writing Center. You may contact the Writing Program if you have any concerns about your WR class.

100 Bay State Rd., 3rd Floor 617-358-1500writing@bu.edu

Boston University Libraries: Offer a wealth of online and print resources. Research Librarians will introduce you to the many resources the library offers in any field of research. They can work with you to develop a research plan and organize your sources. The Research Center welcomes you for walk-in consultations on the first floor of Mugar Memorial Library or at any other library on campus.

Research appointments can be made at http://www.bu.edu/common/request-an-appointment/.

Mugar Memorial Library771 Commonwealth AvenuePhone: 617-353-2700http://www.bu.edu/library

Educational Resource Center: Offers tutorial assistance to all undergraduate students in a range of subjects, including writing. You should use the Writing Programs Writing Center for your WR classes, but you may wish to visit the ERC for tutorial assistance in other subjects.

100 Bay State Rd, 5th floorPhone: 617-353-7077.http://www.bu.edu/erc

Dean Ralph W. Taylor Academic Advising Center: A central resource for all questions concerning academic policy and practice in the College of Arts and Sciences. The office is headed by the Associate Dean for Student Academic Life and has a staff of fifteen faculty advisors and five academic counselors. All students can receive academic advice about and assistance through this office. Students who have not yet declared concentrations can receive pre-registration advising through this office.

Dean Ralph W. Taylor Academic Advising Center100 Bay State Rd. 4th FloorEmail: casadv@bu.edu Phone: 617-353-2400http://www.bu.edu/cas/students/undergrad-resources/advising/

Office of Disability Services: Responsible for assisting students with disabilities. If you have a disability, you are strongly encouraged to register with this office. You may be entitled to special accommodations in your courses, such as additional time on tests, staggered homework assignments, or note-taking assistance. This office will give you a letter outlining the accommodations to which you are entitled and that you can share with your teachers. If you require accommodations, you must present me with an official letter from Disability Services. If you have an ongoing condition that will require accommodation, you must go through the Office of Disability Services and provide me with the appropriate documentation. 19 Deerfield Street, 2nd floorPhone: 617-353-3658 http://www.bu.edu/disability/

Student Central: Web page that provides direct access to public and personal academic, financial, and institutional data maintained in the Universitys central computer system.

http:// www.bu.edu/students

Student Health Services: Offers an array of health services to students, including wellness education and mental health services (behavioral medicine).

http://www.bu.edu/shs/ http://www.bu.edu/shs/wellness/index.shtml http://www.bu.edu/shs/behavioral/index.shtml

Calendar

The final deadline for adding or changing all WR courses is Monday, September 8, one week earlier than the deadline for most other departments at Boston University; the last day to drop a class without a W is Monday, October 6; the last day to drop a class with a W grade is Friday, November 7.

The assigned texts should be read in advance of the class in which they are scheduled to be discussed; handouts will be distributed at least one class ahead of schedule. If you are absent, the assigned handouts will be posted on Blackboard; it is your responsibility to print them and to bring to class.

This syllabus is intended as a blueprint and is subject to change based on the needs of the class. All changes will be announced in class and also sent via e-mail. Please check your e-mail before every class.

Wednesday, September 3: Please read the syllabus, the Academic Conduct Code, and the policy on religious observance (all posted on Blackboard). If you will be missing more than one class because of a special obligation such as varsity athletics or religious observance, please give me the dates today. -- Discussion of the nature and aim of novels: Please write down some thoughts about what you think a novel is and what you expect from it. Why are you taking this course and what do you expect to learn about fiction? What interests you most about novels? Exercise 1: Please write a two-page essay in which you reflect on your strengths and weaknesses as a reader and writer and also consider what you would like to accomplish in WR100 this semesterparticularly with respect to your major area of study at BU. Where do you want your writing to go, and what are some things we can do to take it there? Consider this essay the start of creating a blueprint for yourself in the course. Would writing an essay like this be helpful in other courses you are taking this semester? --Please print out all exercises and bring them to class with you.

Friday, September 5--Tim Winton: Breath, pages 1 through 50-- Singing the Great Creator: the Spiritual in Tim Wintons Novels.Assessment Paper (2-3 pages): Identify an important problem or question posed by how Winton is working with the material. Explain why it is an important problem or question and how it affects the way you read and respond to Breath. Refer to specific places in the text. Be sure to include accurate summary and direct citation and analysis of both texts, along with correct parenthetical citations and a Works Cited page formatted according to the MLA documentation style. SGWCP 1: Topic, Question, Significance 9: Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing Sources 10: Preventing Plagiarism 19: MLA Style Please refer to Norton/Write for questions about American grammar and usageand of course I encourage everyone to ask such questions in class.

Monday, September 8: final day for dropping, adding, or changing all WR courses.

Monday, September 8-- Inspire, Expire: Masculinity, Mortality and Meaning in Tim Wintons Breath-- Tim Winton: Breath, pages 51 through 104

Wednesday, September 10: -- Tim Winton: Breath, pages 105 through 150-- Inspire and Expire: On Tim Winton's Breath

Friday, September 12: Tim Winton: Breath, pages 151 192-- Reviving Eva in Tim Winton's BreathIn-class writing 1: Write an essay evaluating the novel according to one of the essays we have read. Choose one to use as your lens. --Please type up all in-class writing assignments and keep them in a folder along with your homework exercises and other course material. I encourage you to expand and revise your in-class writing assignments as you type them up, and to reflect on the process by which you go from handwritten to typewritten work. What does that tell you about your drafting process?

Monday, September 15--Tim Winton: Breath pages 193 through 218."More blokes, more bloody water!": Tim Winton's "Breath"

Exercise 2: Type out the ten most important sentences in the essay, arrange them in order of importance, and then paraphrase them. When youve finished paraphrasing, make a list of the ten most important words in the original sentences. SGWCP 5: Engaging Sources

Paper 1 (4-5 pages): Taking a position in a conversation about Breath (see assignment sheet).

Wednesday, September 17: -- An Interview with Tim WintonApply the assigned chapters in SGWCP to Breath. Be prepared to discuss. SGWCP 2: Finding a Research Question; Ch. 3: Planning for an Answer .SGWCP 7: Planning a First Draft

Friday, September 19: Exercise 3: Write down a specific topic and a set of related questions. Explain why the questions are important, i.e. what happens if you answer them? Does one question emerge as most important? Can you develop that one as your problem statement?

Monday, September 22: Workshop the first draft of Paper 1 .Wednesday, September 24: Workshop the second draft of Paper 1 . SGWCP 6: Planning Your Argument; SGWCP 8: Drafting Your Paper

Friday, September 26: -- Haruki Murakami: Sputnik Sweetheart, pages 1 through 53-- Haruki Murakamis Storytelling World.

Monday, September 29-- Haruki Murakami: Sputnik Sweetheart, pages 54 through 96- Haruki Murakami In Search of the Real

Wednesday, October 1 -- Haruki Murakami: Sputnik Sweetheart, pages 97 through 141 - Haruki Murakamis Postmodern WorldExercise 4: Type out the five most important sentences in the essay, arrange them in order of importance, and then paraphrase them. When youve finished paraphrasing, make a list of the ten most important words in the original sentences.

Friday, October 3: Final version of Paper 1 due.In-class writing 2: Write an essay that reflects on the process by which you constructed Paper 1. Consider some of the problems you had along the way, how you addressed those problems, and the extent to which you think the paper succeeds in arguing the position you establish in your introduction. If the paper falls short, where does it fall short and what would you do if you had another chance to revise it? SGWCP 12: Revising Your Draft

Monday, October 6: Final day to drop a WR course without a W on your transcript.

Monday, October 6 -- Haruki Murakami: Sputnik Sweetheart, pages 142 through 210. - Postmodern Consciousness in the Novels of Haruki MurakamiIn-class writing 3: What question does the end of the novel raise? Connect your ideas with a one key idea in one of the essays we have read on the novel or Murakami.

Paper 2 (5-6 pages): A claim-driven essay that engages with one or more sources on a important question posed by Sputnik Sweetheart (see assignment sheet).

Wednesday, October 8: Present topics and questions for Paper 2. Exercise 5: Write down a specific topic and a set of related questions. Explain why the questions are important, i.e. what happens if you answer them? Does one question emerge as most important? Can you develop that question as your problem statement?

Friday, October 10: Discuss Counter-claim statements for Paper 2. In-class writing 4: What would be the counter-claim statement for Paper 2?

Monday, October 13: Columbus Day Holiday, classes suspended.

Tuesday, October 14: substitute for Mondays class.Workshop the first draft of Paper 2 Wednesday, October 15: Workshop sample paper Friday, October 17: Workshop the second draft of Paper 2 SGWCP 6.4: Acknowledgement and Response

Monday, October 20: Workshop the third draft of Paper 2 . SGWCP 14: Revising Sentences; SGWCP 22: Punctuation

Wednesday, October 22: The Road --Cormac McCarthy: The Road, pages 1 through 54

Friday, October 24: -- Cormac McCarthy: The Road, pages 55 through 100-- Golden Chalice, good to house a god: Still Life in The Road

Monday, October 27In-class writing 5 Develop a claim by discussing the novel in terms of an important idea in the essay we have read.

Wednesday, October 29 -- Cormac McCarthy: The Road, pages 101 through 150-- Secular Scripture and Cormac McCarthys The Road

Friday, October 31: Final version of Paper 2 due.In-class writing 6: Write an essay that reflects on the process by which you constructed Paper 2. Consider some of the problems you had along the way, how you addressed those problems, and the extent to which you think the paper succeeds in arguing the position you establish in your introduction. Spend some time reflecting on your introduction, claim, reasons and evidence, acknowledgement of and response to other critics. Write a balanced essay that considers the weaknesses of the paper as well as its strengths. SGWCP 13: Writing Your Final Introduction and Conclusion Monday, November 3: The Route and Roots of The Road-- Cormac McCarthy: The Road, pages 151 through 196

Wednesday, November 5 Hospitality in Cormac McCarthys The Road--Cormac McCarthy, The Road, pages 197 through 243In-class writing 7: Develop a claim-driven essay by discussing The Road in terms of an important idea in this essay.

Friday, November 7: Last day to drop classes with a W on your transcript.

Friday, November 7: --- Sighting Leviathan: Ritualism, Daemonism, and the Book of Job in McCarthys Latest Works- Cormac McCarthy, The Road, pages 197 through 243

Monday, November 10- Cormac McCarthy, The Road, pages 244 through 287Exercise 6: What do you make of the ending of The Road? Develop a claim based on your response that engages one of the essays we have read or directly refers to a class discussion.

Paper 3 (6-8 pages): A claim-driven essay that engages multiple argument and theory sources on some important question posed by The Road (see assignment sheet).

Wednesday, November 12: Secular Scripture and Cormac McCarthys The Road

Friday, November 14: Apply the assigned chapters in SGWCP to The Road. Be prepared to discuss. SGWCP 2: Finding a Research Question; Ch. 3: Planning for an Answer .SGWCP 7: Planning a First Draft

Monday, November 17: Present topics and questions for Paper 3.Exercise 7: Write down a specific topic and a set of related questions. Explain why the questions are important, i.e. what happens if you answer them? Does one question emerge as most important? Can you develop that question as your problem statement? Wednesday, November 19: Workshop the first draft of Paper 3 Friday, November 21: Workshop sample paper

Monday, November 24: Workshop the second draft of Paper 3 (laptop).

Thanksgiving Recess: Wednesday, November 26 through Sunday, November 30.

Monday, December 1In-class writing 7: Write an essay in which you reflect on the ways in which your writing has changed and developed over the course of the semester. What ideas from the other short reflective papers strike you as most important? What ideas and suggestions from your fellow students have most influenced you? Which of the texts weve read have most influenced you as a writer? What would you like to be able to say about your writing by the end of the semester? How would you describe your academic style? What are its characteristics? In what areas has your writing shown the most improvement? Can you develop a claim about your writing that you can substantiate with reasons and evidence? Consider this in-class essay the first draft of the introduction to your portfolio.

Wednesday, December 3: Workshop the third draft of Paper 3 Friday, December 5: Workshop Portfolio.

Monday, December 8: Workshop Portfolio.

Wednesday, December 10: Last Day of Classes: Final Portfolio due (see assignment sheet). Concluding conversation about the authors, plays, and films weve discussed this semester.1