Action List for Tuesday, April 21

• 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

• 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.
  

Action List for Tuesday, April 7

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

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

• 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

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

• 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

• 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.

Action List for Tuesday, February 17

• 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

• 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.
  

Final Action List!

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.

Action List for Tuesday, December 9

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

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.

Action List for Tuesday, November 18

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.
  

Actiona List for Tuesday, November 11

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.
  

Action List for Tuesday, November 4

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

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

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.
  

Action List for Tuesday, October 14

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

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.