Autobiography
MLS 505 - Spring 2000
steve phelan
|
Week-Date |
Reading Assignment |
Content |
Form |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1) Jan. 18 |
Introductions |
What is the self? |
our beginning dialogue |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2) Jan. 25 |
James McConkey Stories from My Life… |
memory/family |
piecing together the truth |
|
|
|
|
|
|
3) Feb. 1 |
Walt Whitman Leaves of Grass |
the species self esp. "Song of Myself" |
verse, free and organic |
|
|
|
|
|
|
4) F. 8 |
John Muir Stickeen |
adventure |
story/essay |
|
|
|
|
|
|
5) F. 15 |
Mary Austin Earth Horizon |
layers of the self in childhood |
third person and the deep self |
|
|
|
|
|
|
6) F. 22 |
Hermann Hesse Steppenwolf |
automythology |
fiction/the modern novel |
|
|
|
|
|
|
7) F. 29 |
Black Elk/John Neihardt Black Elk Speaks |
cultural vision |
myth |
|
|
|
|
|
|
8) M. 7 |
Jill Conway When Memory Speaks |
theory of autobiography feminist perspectives |
thesis/book of criticism |
|
|
|
|
|
|
9) M. 14 |
Spring Break |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10) M. 21 |
St. Augustine Confessions |
apologia/confession |
God as audience |
|
|
|
|
|
|
11) M. 28 |
Marjorie Rawlings Cross Creek |
community and place |
personal essays/the composite novel |
|
|
|
|
|
|
12) Apr. 4 |
C. J. Jung Memories, Dreams… |
dream work |
clinical study/theory of personality |
|
|
|
|
|
|
13) A. 11 |
Vincent van Gogh Dear Theo |
relationship and art |
letters |
|
|
|
|
|
|
14) A. 18 |
workshop for revisions |
bring your rough drafts |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
15) A. 25 |
show and tell party |
all projects due |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
16) May 2 |
final examination option |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CLASSWORK:
Class periods will be evenly divided between workshops on your autobiographical writing and discussions/reports on the readings. Less than 90% attendance is grounds for failure. If you are unable to attend class, please let me know in advance, if you can. Phone/voicemail: 646-2409. Email: phelan@rollins.edu.
HOMEWORK:
You are expected to do six hours of work per week. At least two of those hours should be spent reading the autobiographical writings assigned. Sometimes special sections of the books will be recommended, but otherwise you are free to read as much as you wish.
You should also spend as least two hours a week writing your own autobiography (hereafter referred to as "the journal." Each week you should try out different techniques represented by the syllabus, but not necessarily in the order of the syllabus. The idea is to find the right approach for you, the one which is creative and rewarding. Journals should be completely informal, unpolished first-draft writing. They will be collected in weeks five and eleven, due finally at week fifteen with the final paper.
MAJOR PAPER:
You have a choice for the major paper:
REPORTS:
Each student will be expected to make at least two reports associated with the readings for the week. These can be critical, biographical, theoretical, or technical analyses of the reading OR presentations on variations of the same technique in other authors. The schedule of these reports will be drawn up during the first class.
FINAL EXAMINATION:
At your liberty - to be decided at the second week of classes as follows.
|
GRADE FORMULAS: |
|
|
Plan A: |
50% reading: 2 reports, final exam, participation (10, 10, 10, 20p) 50% writing: journal, paper a (30, 20) |
|
Plan B: |
60% reading: 2 reports, paper b, final exam (10, 10, 20, 10, 10p) 40% writing: journal, participation (30, 10p) |
|
Plan C: |
40% reading: 2 reports, participation (10, 10, 20p) 60% writing: longer/more experimental journal, paper a (40, 20)
|
|
Steve Phelan, Professor of English, Orlando Hall 109 (ph: -2409) Email: phelan@rollins.edu --- Campus Mail: 2662 Website: http://fox.rollins.edu/~phelan
|
: