HON 389/390: The Humanities Center Seminar on Pain

Welcome!

2009-09-11T14:35:00.003-04:00

Though this class ended a few months ago, I'm keeping the blog up and alive because it seems a lot of people at other places are interested in the course and what we did. Anyone who is interested should feel free to explore.

Action List for Tuesday, April 21

2009-04-14T19:07:00.002-04:00

Compose a blog post responding to C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America and post it by noon or so on Friday.
Begin your third opinion essay and your revisions of either of the first two; they are due by noon on Friday, April 24.

Action List for Tuesday, April 14

2009-04-07T18:40:00.003-04:00

Compose a blog entry about Erin Striff's talk and post it in the next couple of days.
Get your visual art project and the accompanying essay to me by 3:00 PM on Friday, April 10. I will be in my office on Thursday from 2-3 and on Friday from 1:30-3:00 if you would like to deliver it yourself. You can email the essay. You can also email the project if it's in a standard digital format like .jpg or .pdf.

For Erin Striff's Talk

2009-04-07T18:31:00.000-04:00

Action List for Tuesday, April 7

2009-04-05T22:09:00.003-04:00

I'm sorry I have not posted this earlier, but there's nothing too unusual.

Hopefully, you have posted your blog entry about Ryan Claycomb's lecture. He was kind enough to post his lecture notes to the blog that he created for the talk, an amazing reference for all of us.
Continue working on the visual arts project. It's due next week!

Action List for Tuesday, March 31

2009-03-24T12:56:00.002-04:00

I am sorry not to be in class tonight, but the dinner for faculty who earned tenure this year is at the same time, and that is one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences that I want to enjoy (and that my partner deserves to enjoy since he had to suffer the worst of the process with me). But enjoy the film; I look forward to your blog posts about it.

Compose a blog post about Everything in Illuminated and post it by Friday.
Email the second opinion essay to me by noon on Friday, March 27.
Read Angels in America for Ryan Claycomb's lecture on Tuesday, March 31.
Begin thinking about the visual art project since it is due on Friday, April 10

Action List for Tuesday, March 24

2009-03-10T18:31:00.004-04:00

Compose a blog post about Prof. Snyder's talk and post it by Friday.
Begin the second opinion essay since it is due by noon on Friday, March 27.
Start reading Angels in America for Ryan Claycomb's lecture on Tuesday, March 31.
Begin thinking about the visual art project since it is due on Friday, April 10

Action List for Tuesday, March 10

2009-03-03T18:26:00.003-05:00

No reading for next week, but you probably have a few midterms to handle.

Compose a blog post responding to Dr. Pozorski's talk and post it by noon on Friday, March 6.

Action List for Tuesday, March 3

2009-02-24T18:49:00.003-05:00

Compose a blog post responding to Harold and Maude and post it by noon on Friday, February 27.
Email your first opinion essay to me by noon on Friday, February 27.
Read and view all materials on Blackboard for Aimee Pozorski's lecture.
If you wish to take part in donating to the Meth Project Foundation, bring $3 to Biliana.

And if you get a chance this weekend or next week, check out the gallery show on campus featuring two of your classmates!

Action List for Tuesday, February 24

2009-02-17T18:58:00.001-05:00

Post a reaction to Dr. Ealy's lecture and our discussion of it within forty-eight hours of the end of class (or so).
See The Vagina Monologues on campus if you'd like to write the extra credit blog entry.
Continue planning your first opinion essay since it is due by noon on Friday, February 27.

Extra Credit and Room Change

2009-02-15T16:02:00.004-05:00

First, I announced last week that, if you attend (or perform) in the UHart production of The Vagina Monologues and write a blog entry by the start of class the following week, then that entry will replace another one in case you miss a lecture or film. You can find out details about the performance on Facebook. If it's like last year, get there early to get a seat!

~~Second, for the film on April 14, we will meet next door to our normal room, in Dana 202. I'll do my best to remind everyone and am mainly posting this remind myself!~~ Please ignore this previous comment. There are no room changes for this semester.

Links for Nels Highberg's Lecture

2009-02-10T16:42:00.002-05:00

Here are a few links related to my talk later tonight.

Clips from the South Park episode (also here)

The Testees episode, "Herfume"

The rape scene from Irreversible

The trailer for Descent

Action List for Tuesday, February 17

2009-02-10T16:40:00.003-05:00

Post a reaction to my lecture and our discussion of it within forty-eight hours of the end of class (or so).
Read the articles in the folder on Blackboard for Dr. Ealy's lecture next week. Remember that you can print articles in the computer lab where we had class last semester from 12:15-1:45 on TR.
Continue planning your first opinion essay.

Action List for Tuesday, February 10

2009-02-03T12:52:00.004-05:00

Post a reaction to Requiem for a Dream within forty-eight hours of class.
Read the article in the folder on Blackboard for my lecture next week. Remember that you can print articles in the computer lab where we had class last semester from 12:15-1:45 on TR.
Start planning your first opinion essay.

Syllabus, Schedule, and Assignments Posted

2009-01-27T14:43:00.001-05:00

Everything you need to know for HON 390 for the Spring 2009 semester has been posted. Read through it all, and let me know if you have any questions.

Prompt for Final Essay (Spring 2009)

2009-01-27T13:56:00.005-05:00

When I asked people about assignments they wanted to complete this semester, several people talked about a final essay, but there was disagreement about the style. Some wanted to go a more traditional route and produce something academic that might be useful for graduate school applications or jobs that request writing samples. Some wanted to go the personal essay route again. I thought, why not allow for both?

Write an essay of no more than ten pages where you answer this question: how can we learn to live with pain in our contemporary lives? Feel free to go academic with this and do traditional research. Or feel free to get personal. Frankly, I think the best essays will do a bit of both. Everyone should make some reference to things we have read or seen in class. Include a Works Cited list for anything you cite or reference.

As usual, your audience consists of readers who do not know what you know or what we have done in class. Think that you are writing this for a general magazine or academic journal. I want you to try to answer this really large question while choosing your evidence and arguments carefully. You'll need to select well since you can't do it all, but I still want you to answer the large question and not just write about torture or rape or illness.

Like last semester, we'll meet as a class on the last day, Tuesday, May 5, and you'll read a couple of pages from a draft. There will be no formal peer response, but you can meet in smaller groups and do that on your own. The final draft (not able to be revised) will be due by email by noon on Friday, May 8. Because grades are due so fast, I cannot accept any late essays. They must be in on time to be counted.

ETA: When I say that the essay can be personal, I want to be clear that it should still have an argument with details and evidence. In the fall, the final essays focused more on telling rich, detailed stories. This time around, these essays should be more thesis-driven. Now, the thesis does not necessarily need to be the last sentence of the first paragraph, but it should be clear that your essays have an argument. And you should develop that argument with evidence, much of which should be taken from course readings and films. It's fine to get personal, and this doesn't have to look like a traditional essay written in first-year composition, but it should develop a somewhat traditional argument with evidence.

Prompt for Visual Art Project

2009-01-27T13:42:00.004-05:00

When I asked people what kinds of assignments they wanted to complete this semester, a few people said that wanted to do something visual (and, no, it wasn't the artists in the class, so don't blame them!). So, create a piece of visual art influenced by what we have done in class.

When I say visual, I'm keeping things broad. Record a video that you post to YouTube where you read one of your original poems or essays and let strong, evocative images flow behind the words. Create a collage that represents something we have read or your feelings about an event we discussed (e.g., 9/11, Abu Ghraib). Take a series of photographs that represent some of the ideas about photography that Sontag described.

You should also submit a one to two page statement to me that describes what your tried to do in this project. Describe your goals and your influences. For example, what have we read or seen that provided you with a sense of direction? What did you want this final project to look like? The biggest thing I'll be looking for in this project is not your artistic ability but the thinking behind it, so this document should have some detail to it. I want to know that you put serious thought to this project. It's not enough to put a black dot on a big piece of paper and say this represents the isolation that Precious felt in Push. But you could do a collage that does the same thing where you choose particular images and colors that your statement describes.

If you create something digital, email it to me (or a link to where it appears on line). If you create something else, bring it to my office. Whatever you do, I need to have your art piece and your statement by 3:00 PM on Friday, April 10. I will be in my office on Thursday from 2:00-3:00 or Friday from 1:30-3:00 if you'd like to deliver it in person.

Prompt for Opinion Essays

2009-01-27T13:37:00.002-05:00

You will write three opinion pieces much like those that appear in newspapers and magazines. Each one will be no longer than 600 words. In these pieces, you will relate the ideas and readings from the course to a news article that has appeared online or in print since July 15, 2008. The point is to relate what we have done in class (in either semester) to something that is happening in the world around us.

The best place to find a news article is to use the library's databases. Google News is also a strong source. If you find something online, paste the URL at the end of your essay. If you are working with a hard copy, bring a copy to the class meeting after the essay is due.

Remember that your audience--general, adult news readers--does not know what we have done in this class, so you need to describe things for them. Be brief but specific. You will need a clear focus for whatever you write. Provide a title for your essay, too. It should be specific for your essay, saying something about its content.

Essay one is due on by email (in .doc or .rtf) by noon on February 27, essay two on March 27, and essay three on April 24. You will not have the chance to revise any of these, but I will drop your lowest grade; your two highest grades will count.

Final Action List!

2008-12-09T14:00:00.004-05:00

It's true that the course continues next semester, but we're just about done with this one and can take a break.

First, take the three drafts you have and email comments to the original writer by noon on Friday. I want your comments to focus on larger, global concerns. Point out places where you are confused and have questions. Ask the writer lots of questions to get them thinking about where they can take this essay next. Just say things like, "On page two, when you are talking about your mother, it would be great if you could describe her. What color is her hair or her eyes? What's the thing that people always see about her first?" Copy me on the email you send to each writer.

Then, email your final essay to me (in .doc or .rtf format) by noon on Tuesday, December 15. I will not accept any late essays. It is very possible that I will get grading done fast that afternoon and submit final grades, so make sure I have this on time. Feel free to send it early if you get done with it.

Finally, if you have an opinion, please let me know what assignments you would like to complete next semester. I'd like to know your thoughts by December 30 so that I can finish the syllabus in early January. I'm going to a workshop on autobiographical narrative in Puerto Rico the second week of the month.

Assignments for Next Semester?

2008-12-09T12:08:00.000-05:00

We have a lot of options for what we can complete next semester, and I'd like to hear your opinions. We'll be spending most of class time listening to lectures and watching films with some discussion time after each. But what are your thoughts on what I should use as a basis for your final grade?

I will ask you to keep up with the blog, posting entries after each lecture/film. But what would you like to do for your more formal assignments? Would you like to complete a traditional research essay? Would you like to complete another podcast on a different topic? Would you like to complete another personal essay or extend the one you were wrote this semester? Would you like to write an op-ed piece (or two or three) for a local newspaper? Is there something else you have in mind?

Keep in mind that this is a 300-level honors seminar in the humanities, so assignments must fit what is generally expected for courses like that (to an extent). There must be some rigor involved. Also, we will not meet often as a class, so all assignments must be things you can generally complete on your own (or by talking with me in my office). It can't be just a blog! But I'd like you to have a say in what we do, so let me know what you would like to do and what you clearly do not want to do. You can comment below, send an email to me, or leave an anonymous note in my mailbox.

Action List for Tuesday, December 9

2008-12-02T14:29:00.003-05:00

Ah, the last class. All you have to do for it is bring three copies of a draft of the personal essay to class; it should be at least four pages long but can be the entire thing. You will read a couple of pages to the entire class and share the entire draft with three of your peers for peer response (three people will take drafts with them and email comments to you (and me) by noon on Friday, December 12.

Action List for Tuesday, November 25, and Tuesday, December 2

2008-11-18T16:42:00.006-05:00

We will not meet as a class next week. For Tuesday, November 25:

Email the podcast to me as an MP3 (if you are working on a PC, you will need the LAME Encoder to convert it).

We will meet the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. For Tuesday, December 2:

Read the essays on Blackboard (under "readings").
Compose a blog posting describing your response to the readings.
Start thinking of your topic and approach for the personal essay.

Don't forget that revisions of the photo essay are due by noon on Wednesday, December 2. I will not accept any late submissions of these revisions.

My Podcast

2008-11-18T15:46:00.003-05:00

I told you that I would do this assignment with you. I wanted to have it done now so that you could listen to it and ask me any questions before you turn in yours next week. Mine could still use a little work, but it does offer one example of how you can integrate other audio files with the recording of your own voice. Give it a listen, and let me know if you have any questions about your own project.

You do not have to create a video of yours unless you want to post it on your blog. I just expect you to create an .mp3 file. I converted mine to video just so I could post it here.

Action List for Tuesday, November 18

2008-11-11T19:09:00.002-05:00

It's the last book and quiz!

Read Push by Sapphire and prepare for Reading Quiz #6.
Compose a blog post about the book and post it before class.
Begin work on your podcast, which will be due the following week.

Audacity Resources

2008-11-11T19:06:00.002-05:00

You can download Audacity here and find help for it here and here. The best way to learn is by diving in and doing it. Practice, and don't wait until the last minute. Feel free to ask questions, and I'll do my best to find answers.

Actiona List for Tuesday, November 11

2008-11-04T16:46:00.004-05:00

Ah, for good or bad, the end of the semester draws closer.

Read the prompt for the podcast and final essay; check out the links and start exploring ideas for each project.
Go to Blackboard and listen to the sixteen songs under the "Songs" button.
Compose a blog posting about your reactions to the songs and their uses of pain to create music and achieve popularity.

Prompt for the Podcast and Final Essay

2008-11-04T14:46:00.005-05:00

The last two formal projects for the course have the same goals. You will just be meeting them differently by completing work in different genres. You will complete a podcast and a personal essay. In both of these, the goal is to say something about pain. I do not want you to get too wrapped up in formal conventions; I want you to use each of these projects as spaces to present your gut-level feelings about something related to pain.

There are a couple of different directions you can take for each project. The first is represented by This I Believe, essays where people express their opinions about particular topics. The second direction is represented by This American Life, essays where people tell stories about their lives. In both of these, the point is to speak honestly and offer your individual perspective clearly and forcefully. Do not tell the same story or offer the same argument for each assignment; each one should be a separate piece.

For each project, ask yourself this question: what are you burning to tell the world?

Each project is a space where you can get personal, but no one is required to do or say anything that makes you feel uncomfortable. If you wish to tell a story about a friend who suffered from drug addiction, you can do that (within standard boundaries of ethics), but you do not have to get that personal. You could offer an editorial about issues surrounding drug addiction instead. Or you could do one for one project and the other for the other. Just remember that you are not auditioning for the latest reality TV program. You are supposed to be offering a thoughtful, individual perspective on subjects related to pain.

You will not be able to revise either project, so give me your best efforts on each.

Podcast: You will create a 4-6 minute podcast and email it to me as an .mp3. If you have a Mac with GarageBand, you can use that, but you can use Audacity on any computer, including the ones in our lab. It's very easy to use, and you can download it on any computer; you may want to download it on a flash drive so you have it with you wherever you work. In this podcast, I expect you to use more than one audio track. The second track can be another person (perhaps as an interview), a piece of music, or an audio selection from a film or TV show. You can do more, too. I just want to make sure you do something with other audio tracks/files. You must email it to me by 6:00 PM on Tuesday, November 25. I will try to post them on Blackboard for everyone to hear.

Essay: You will write a 6-10 page personal essay; please do not go over this length by too much. It's not supposed to be a formal, academic essay, and we'll read some in class if the genre is new to you. You will bring a draft of this essay to class on Tuesday, December 9, for peer response. You must email the essay to me (in .doc or .rtf) by noon on Tuesday, December 16. This essay cannot be late. If it is not on time, I will not accept it.

Revisions of Photo Essay

2008-11-01T16:59:00.003-04:00

I forgot to say in class last week that I am going to allow everyone to revise their photo essays. I made this decision before you turned them in, so it's not that they are so bad that I think you all need to revise. But it's an odd assignment, and if I want you all to do your best, it makes sense for me to comment and then for you revise, if you choose to do so. Revisions are due by noon on Wednesday, December 3. You can send only revisions of the annotations if you are keeping the photos and numbering the same. If you are changing the photos or numbering, then send those, too (.ppt or .pdf is fine). Anyone should feel free to make an appointment to go over the comments I made on your essays or the revisions you make in response to them. That's what my office hours are for.

Action List for Tuesday, November 4

2008-10-28T19:00:00.006-04:00

Nothing too unusual for next week.

Write a blog entry about "torture porn."
Read the Sheff book assigned to you.
Prepare for Reading Quiz #5.
Write a blog entry about the book; try to relate the book you read to some of the frameworks that Arthur Frank creates (e.g., when do you see different "bodies" at work or what parts feel like a quest or other narrative?)

Action List for Tuesday, October 28

2008-10-21T19:00:00.003-04:00

Well, some of you might not call slasher films "fun," but we are taking a bit of a turn this week. Because this involves seeing an outside movie, we'll end class by 9:00 next week.

Email the Photo Essay to me in PDF format; if you wish to convert your PowerPoint and Word citations to PDF in class, then bring your documents to class to convert here (remember that our lab only has the 2003 versions of Microsoft Office).
See Saw V as we discussed in class.
Read this article by Gabriele Murray and the optional article by Nicola Rehling.

Action List for Tuesday, October 21

2008-10-14T18:22:00.003-04:00

You know the drill.

Write a blog post about Ghosts of Abu Ghraib.
Read The Wounded Storyteller: Body, Illness, Ethics by Arthur W. Frank; to prepare for Reading Quiz #4, keep track of the categories of narrative that he creates.
Write a blog post about Frank's book.
Continue working on the photo essay; it is due a week after this class meeting.

Grading Rubric

2008-10-09T12:20:00.000-04:00

Grading is a part of the course in which I do not necessarily find pleasure. While I enjoy responding to your essays and helping you improve your writing and deepen your thinking, having to put a letter at the end as sort of a final act is not fun. Still, grades are necessary parts of a college education, and after teaching for several years, I do have a clear sense of how to grade particular essays. It is my responsibility to be as clear as possible to you about how I grade and what you need to do to receive the grade you want. This rubric is meant to stimulate discussion between us about what makes strong writing. Let's go over your assignments together and talk about what to do to improve them. Use this as a starting place for learning and a guide as you draft and revise.

A "C" Essay:

Meets the general requirements of the prompt,
Follows a clear organizational plan,
Centers on a thesis or controlling purpose,
Uses concrete and specific details,
Provides supporting reasons and information,
Exhibits a basic sense of structure, and
Displays few grammatical and stylistic errors that do not impede meaning.

A "B" Essay:

Meets the requirements of the prompt fully,
Follows a clear organizational plan that does not feel rigid or confining,
Focuses on a specific and clear thesis or controlling purpose,
Uses concrete and specific details so that almost all reader questions are addressed,
Provides a range of supporting information, and
Displays strong sentence styles and structures.

An "A" Essay:

Goes beyond the requirements of the prompt,
Exhibits an original and insightful perspective,
Includes rich and vivid details that do not feel extraneous or overbearing,
Flows freely and never causes the reader to stumble or pause,
Explains ideas completely yet succinctly, and
Follows rules of grammar while also using a variety of sentence styles and structures.

A "D" Essay:

Generates text without much connection to the prompt,
Shows some problems in organization,
Follows tangents and irrelevant points,
Uses few details or only keeps things abstract,
Provides few reasons for support, and
Exhibits a disregard for sentence structure and grammar that impedes meaning.

An "E" Essay:

Does not meet the general requirements of the prompt including page length,
Uses little or no detail or support,
Does not display a clear plan for organization, and
Exhibits a clear and obvious disregard for sentence structure and style that impedes meaning.

Action List for Tuesday, October 14

2008-10-07T18:42:00.003-04:00

Not a whole lot to do for next week specifically as we're watching another movie, so get ahead on other things.

Begin reading The Wounded Storyteller by Arthur W. Frank; we will be discussing it on October 21.
Start drafting your photo essay; in other words, select your photos and begin planning your commentary and analysis.

Action List for Tuesday, October 7

2008-09-30T19:02:00.001-04:00

Nothing unusual for next week.

Read The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation.
Complete a blog post about the book and post it before class.
Prepare for Reading Quiz #3.
Start finding photos for the Photo Essay.

Action List for Tuesday, September 30

2008-09-23T19:05:00.000-04:00

For next week:

Create a blog post about Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
Read the Prompt for the Photo Essay and start thinking about what you will produce for it.
Read Regarding the Pain of Others by Susan Sontag and prepare for Reading Quiz #2.
Create a blog post about Sontag's book.
Remember that we will be discussing The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation for October 7, so you may want to start reading it early.
Check the list of who is reading which Sheff book and make sure you have/get the book you need.

Any questions? Let me know!

Prompt for the Photo Essay

2008-09-23T16:17:00.002-04:00

For this assignment, you will select five photographs of people in pain. The photos you choose should be "public" in that they are intended to be seen by a range of people beyond a family or group of friends. In other words, photos from Facebook or Flickr would not work. Find photos from news sites, organizational webpages, and other places aimed at a wide-range of viewers.

Your images can be contemporary, historical, or both. Just keep the context of the photograph in mind. Where and when did it first appear? Who is or was the intended audience? How might changing the context change interpretations of the image? Reflecting on context may help you create these annotations.

Ultimately, the point of the annotations is to break the image down into its parts and analyze how and why it depicts pain as it does. Refer to our readings and discussions for ideas. For example, is there a way that Sontag scrutinizes a particular image that you can apply to one of your images? As you write your annotations, write them for readers who do not know what we have read of discussed in class. In other words, explain things beyond, "This connects to Wall's points about dualism." In this case, define dualism, quote Wall, and explain specifically how it fits with your image. Use MLA formatting when you quote or paraphrase anything (if you want to use another citation style, just let me know which one so I can grade you fairly).

In terms of creating this document, the easiest program to use (and the one I will show you how to use) is PowerPoint. I will go over this in class on October 7, but for now you should know that you should import each image onto an individual slide and use text bubble to point to various parts of those images. In those bubbles, you should type a letter or number. On a separate sheet of paper, write out an annotation that corresponds to that number. Provide three to five annotations for each image. In the document that contains the annotations, provide an introduction that describes connecting the images/annotations as well as a conclusion that brings it all together. Keep this document single-spaced.

This is due at the start of class on Tuesday, October 28. You will email the PowerPoint to me as a .pdf document and the annotations to me in .doc or .rtf format. In class on that day, I can show you how to create a PDF from the PowerPoint on our computers, but to open the PowerPoint in our lab, it needs to be in .ppt format (not .pptx). Once you have it converted, create one email that has both the photos and the annotations attached so it's clear what goes with what. Give me a couple of weeks to get grades to you because I want to take serious time reading and commenting.

Sheff Books

2008-09-23T15:48:00.001-04:00

Below is the list of who is reading which of the Sheff books. You have the option of reading both, of course, but this is the book you will be responsible for in terms of the quiz and in terms of discussion. Please get your book at the bookstore or online soon. If anyone has one they would like to sell to a classmate, leave a comment below or speak up in class.

Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines by Nic Sheff
Gigi J.
Blair A.
Brian S.
Rich O.
Jill B.
Rebecca B.
Ashley C.
Lauren H.

Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction by David Sheff
Biliana M.
Torin S.
Julia F.
Stephanie D.
Nadya K.
Courtney M.
George M.

Action List for Tuesday, September 23

2008-09-16T18:16:00.000-04:00

Next week is relatively easy.

Post an introduction of yourself to your class blog if you have not done so. Think especially of anyone who might come along from the outside world and what you might want them to know about you.
Post comments to the blogs of a few of your colleagues. See the Prompt for Blog Postings linked to in the sidebar for ideas.
If you have not done so, Email me with whether or not you want to read the book by Nic Sheff or David Sheff. If you don't care, that's fine. If you do care, let me know. If I don't hear from you by noon on Friday, September 19, I'll make a random choice for you.
Email me with whether you want this class to count as an advanced elective for your major or minor. I'm finding out exactly what I need to do to make this happen in terms of doing this for those in Arts and Sciences.
Start reading Susan Sontag's Regarding the Pain of Others. We'll be discussing it in two weeks and there will be a quiz.

The work for next week is almost nonexistent, true. Next week, I'll give you the prompt for the first major assignment, so enjoy the slight break and be aware that things will pick up. As usual, if any questions or concerns arise, let me know.

Action List for Tuesday, September 16

2008-09-09T16:21:00.000-04:00

There's not a lot to do for next week in terms of number of items, but there is a book to be read.

Post an introduction of yourself to your class blog. Think especially of anyone who might come along from the outside world and what you might want them to know about you.
Email me with whether or not you want to read the book by Nic Sheff or David Sheff. If you don't care, that's fine. If you do care, let me know.
Email me with whether you want this class to count as an advanced elective for your major or minor.
Read Pain: The Science of Suffering by Patrick Wall.
Prepare for Reading Quiz #1.
Post response to Wall on your blog by the start of class.

As usual, if any questions or concerns arise, let me know.

Prompt for Blog Postings

2008-09-06T17:51:00.000-04:00

I believe that writing in a public space can be very beneficial. I think it's something that can really enhance your learning. As stated on the syllabus and schedule, you will post a response to the class readings by the start of class on the day we discuss that reading. You can post your response days early or in the hour or two before class, just as long as it's up before class begins. I plan to read through as many of the posts as possible to get a feel for what everything thinks so that I can decide how to shape our class discussion.

Each post you make should have some substance to it. It should be at least a couple of hundred words or so. Other than that, there are various directions you can take. This is where you can give your gut level reaction to the texts. What did it make you think and/or feel? You can ask questions about it. Did it confuse you? Does it get you thinking about something bigger? Once we're into the course, you can make connections to other things we've read, pointing out connections (or disconnections). Just respond. Grammar and organization and all that are not a big deal for these posts. It's okay to write quickly from the gut.

A few times each week, you should also post comments to posts by your classmates. Again, go for some substance, something more than "I agree." Ask them questions. If they say something about one part of the book that reminds you of another part, describe it. Basically, extend what they said in some way.

Remember that anything you write is publicly available. It's even possible that the authors of what we are reading could read your responses to their work. That does not mean you should not be critical. Just be professional and detailed. If you didn't like something, explain why. Does the language seem too affected for you? Do you think they don't provide enough details or evidence for their points? Even if you love it, be clear about why.

In the end, what you write is not as important as the fact that you describe your gut-level responses to what we've read. There will be times when I ask you to do something specific in your postings, but most of the time, it's about your thoughts. I'm looking forward to reading them!

Contacting Nels

2008-09-03T14:56:00.000-04:00

It's very important that we stay in contact with each other throughout the course. If problems arise or you ever have any questions or concerns, you have to let me know as soon as possible. Luckily, there are lots of ways to contact me.

1) The best way to reach me is to email me. I love email because it creates a clear record of our conversation that we can refer back to later. I'm sure you, like me, have a lot going on in your life, so being able to go back and check what we talked about after the fact is very useful.

2) Come by my office (Auerbach 212B) and see me. As stated on the syllabus, my office hours are from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. If you're in the area during those times, drop by. I do recommend that, when possible, you set up a time to meet by email or when you see me in class because I do have various meetings on and off campus. I am in and out of the office a lot, but we should be able to make a time to meet easily. It's great to meet face-to-face to go over drafts of your formal assignments or my comments on graded versions or when we need to talk about something in detail.

3) You can send messages or post on my wall on Facebook. I never add students as friends first (because I know you may want to keep some things private), but if you add me as a friend, I will confirm it. Then, you can contact me on there. Know that I get notification of all Facebook messages and wall posts by email, so email is still the quickest way to get to me, but Facebook will work.

4.) Instant message me if you have Gmail or are on Facebook. When I'm logged into email or Facebook, you can message me, which is great for a quick question. Many times, especially when I'm home outside office hours, I'm just jumping on and off quickly, or I'm logged in but away from the computer, so I may not respond or may have to leave quickly. But this can work for a quick question or if you want to make sure I'm in my office if you are hoping to stop by.

5) Comment here on the blog. If you have a question you can ask publicly about something in a post on here, feel free to leave a comment. I'll respond when I get it. Like Facebook, though, I get email notifications of comments first, so that is quicker, but I will read all comments posted to this blog.

Like I said, stay in touch and let me know whatever it is you think I need to know thoughout the semester. And let's talk whenever you have any concern in mind.

Welcome!

2008-09-03T14:48:00.000-04:00

If you're reading this, there's a good chance that it's because you are enrolled in the Humanities Center seminar on pain at the University of Hartford for 2008-09. At the time I'm writing this, it's still a few days before our first class meeting on September 9, but I'll be adding information to this blog throughout the week.

I have to say that I'm really excited about this class. I love what we're going to be reading and watching, and I think it really will be possible to have fun with what we're doing this semester. I know I'm going to enjoy it, and I hope everyone else does, too.