Day 1

M-Tu Aug. 26-27

Intro to the course
Self-introductions and definitions of home
Close reading: “The Old House at Home”

Homework:

➤ Read “The Old House at Home”

Featured

Joseph Mitchell, "The Old House at Home"

Joseph Mitchell’s classic piece of literary journalism, published in 1940, paints a vivid portrait of a neighborhood saloon in New York’s Lower East Side.

Read however much you are comfortable with. Prioritize paragraphs 1-3 and 9-13; feel free to just skim the rest. I highly encourage you to consult the annotated version made by my former students for notes on cultural background. (If you have trouble accessing the annotated version, please message me!)

Come to next class prepared to share your favorite detail — a detail that really makes you feel like you’re “there” — and explain why you like that detail.

➤ Type up / revise definitions of home

Type up your definition of home. Make any changes you wish to make the reader feel like they’re really “there.” Make it about 100 words long. Your document should be double-spaced and in Times New Roman font. Print it and bring it to next class.

➤ Read “How Class Works: Questions and Answers”

Course Documents

WOC190 - How Class Works

Answers to all the questions you may have about how this class works.

Message me if you have any questions.

➤ Make time this weekend for an outing in Kunshan

Your first writing assignment will involve visiting a nearby place you find interesting. Make sure you plan time to do this!

WOC190 Fall 2019 Session 1