English 201:
Introduction to the Writing
of Non-Fiction Prose
Instructor: Dr. Keith Dorwick
Required Texts:
Knefel, Don. Aims of the Essay: A Reader and
Guide. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1991.
Zinsser, William. On Writing Well. New
York: Harper Collins, 1998.
Required Software:
Redline (an interactive editing space found on the World Wide Web):
You must have a credit card to sign up; the fee is $4.95 for six months. If you do not have a charge card, see me immediately! Redline only requires access to the World Wide Web, as does my virtual office. We'll meet in Scailab (Addams Hall, First Floor) for the second session of class for a demonstration.
Academic Dishonesty:
You will fail the course if you plagiarize your work.
Goals:
By the end of this course, you will have read some examples of the art of the non-fiction essay, and learned the basics of writing in this form. The development of your own voice, including the ability to handle a number of tones and styles while staying true to your own self, is the greatest task of this course.
Note: I assume a basic level of competence in grammar and usage from students entering this course.
Attendance:
Poor attendance and tardiness will affect your final grade for the course, at my discretion. This criterion includes online participation.
Readings:
Read Zinsser, Parts I, II, and IV by September 1, 1998.
Read sections of Zinsser and Knefel as appropriate during the semester. For instance, if you're writing humor, see chapter eight of Knefel, and read the essays included as examples.
You'll also need to choose one essay from Knefel to present to the class, and the essay you choose will be required reading for ALL class participants. Have your selection ready by next class. Choose an alternate or two, in case of duplicate selections by other students.
Assignments:
You will write four examples of creative non-fiction with revisions; three of the pieces will be open topic. You will write the fourth in response to an assignment I will give you in the seventh week to demonstrate your ability to write to a given topic, a must for professional writers. As you revise, please turn in ALL drafts so that I can evaluate how your texts are growing and changing.
One of your texts may be a native hypertext (see http://www.uic.edu/depts/engl/projects/dissertations/kdorwick/hyper.htm for a definition of "native hypertext") suitable for the World Wide Web. I'll train you in the writing of hypertext, if you're interested.
Throughout the semester, each student will choose and make a presentation of one of the essays in Aim of the Essay to the class, arguing why or why not it is well written, and discussing how it works. Other students will be asked to read the essays beforehand. Presentations will be half an hour long, and will include a ten minute question and answer period.
You will participate in face-to-face and online evaluations/peer group review of student work along with your classmates. If you choose to be evaluated face-to-face, you must provide copies of your essay to your classmates one week ahead of time. If you choose to be evaluated via Redline, the system provides a copy of the text to all participants. I'll talk more about this matter during the first session of class.
There will be a public reading at which all members of the class will present one of their essays. No one is exempted! I'll schedule this reading during the fifteenth week of the semester, and supply a cheese tray and wine.
Evaluation:
Four Essays: 15% each
Presentation: 20%
Participation: 20%
TOTAL: 100%
To Be Determined From Student Choices of Essays - Schedule Handed out to Class Participants by September 1, 1998.
This class will consist of a mixture of online and face-to-face meetings. The only electronic environment necessary will be the World Wide Web, available in many labs on UIC's east campus. No other client software is necessary.
See http://www.uic.edu/depts/adn/cso/imagemaps/map_east.html for lab locations; you may also use Scailab open lab (Addams Hall) any time it is open.