Class Notes and Homework Assignments
A word of advice about revising
Finish sharing “I Remembers”
Reflect on postcards-turned-poems
How to keep writing without deadlines?
Final revision due 10pm on Wednesday (China time)
Course evaluation
Read Austin’s aphorisms on literary writing
Talk about endings
Share “I Remembers”
Work on final project
Read poems
Think about the question: How to keep writing without deadlines?
Share “postcards from the present”
Share observations on “I Remember”
Start writing “I Remembers”
Work on final project
Rewrite your “postcard” as a poem
Write “I Remembers”
Look at endings
A few words about revising for the final
Share more aphorisms
Capturing a moment
Read “I Remembers” together and observe
Decide which essay to revise for final
Write “postcard from the present”
Read and observe “I Remember”
Redo aphorisms
Share details from “Mazie” and “The Man Who Eats”
Share aphorisms
Essay 3 (Character in Context) due next class
Read classmates’ aphorisms
Share details from Uncle Pat
Share aphorisms
Share details from “Mazie” and “The Man Who Eats”
Read “Mazie” or “The Man Who Eats”
Read classmates’ aphorisms, pick a favorite
Write aphorisms for your character
Start writing your essay!
Share “postcards from the past”
Share characters based on aphorisms
Share details from “Uncle Pat”
Be ready to talk about “Uncle Pat”
Write three new aphorisms
Read “The Man Who Eats” and/or “Mazie”
Think of a character to write about, be ready to share
Observations on Sheng Keyi
Introduction to form
Intro to character essay and “Proverbs of Hell”
Write a “postcard from the past”
Read instructions for Essay 3
Read “Uncle Pat”
Read “The Proverbs of Hell,” pick one and imagine a character
(Optional) start reading “Mazie” or “The Man Who Eats”
Discuss “The Mwiko”; share new endings
Lesson: symbolism
Share micro-poems
Object essay due next class
Read 《怀乡书》(“The Book of Homesickness”) excerpts
Creating tension: “Orange Crush” and “Southern Summers”
Share objects
About grading
Start working on Object essay
Read “The Mwiko,” think of a new ending
Read classmates’ poem titles
Read handouts on grading and Literary Atlas
Share scenes from Short Cuts and Here Is New York
Share scenes based on micro-poems
Intro to concrete & abstract
Read “Orange Crush” and “Savoring a Sweet Taste of Southern Summers”
Think of an object
Give titles to “micro-poems”
Share Place essay adventures
Practice observation on a Place essay
Practice observations on excerpts of Home definitions
“The Game of Details”
Write 10 observations on a classmate’s Place essay
Write 2 scenes
Reread Orlean and White excerpts
Sign up to read out loud
Share favorite details from McSorley’s
Intro to Essay 1: Portrait of a Place
Share Home definitions
Write Essay 1: Portrait of a Place
Read excerpts from “Here is New York” and “Short Cuts”
Intro to the course, self-introductions
Literary writing and concrete details
Definitions of home
Write definition of home as a list of concrete details
Read “The Old House at Home”
Read course handbook, skim syllabus
Plan time for an outing this coming weekend
