Tues. May 5
Share “postcards from the present”
Reading by Ellen
Homework
Work on final project
Rewrite your “postcard” as a poem
Be ready to talk about endings
Fri. Apr. 30
Reading by Flora
A word on revising
Homework
Write a “postcard from the present”
Look at endings
Decide which essay to revise for final
Begin revising
Final project due Sun. May 10
Tues. Apr. 28
Share details from “Mazie”
Share aphorisms and “postcards from the past”
Reading by Cara
Homework
Essay 3 (Character in Context) due next class
Optional Chinese reading
Think: What would a “postcard from the present” be like?
Fri. Apr. 24
Share details from “Mazie” and “The Man Who Eats”
Share aphorisms
Reading by Wenjie
Homework
Decide on a character for your essay
Read classmates’ aphorisms and “postcards”
Read “Mazie”
Tues. Apr. 21
Mini-lecture: “form“
The Proverbs of Hell: Introduction to aphorisms
Share details from “Uncle Pat”
Reading by Irene
Homework
Begin working on Essay 3
Read “The Man Who Eats” and/or “Mazie”
Write your own aphorisms
Fri. Apr. 17
“Once; now”
Observations on Sheng Keyi
Reading by Meixuan
Intro to character essay and “Proverbs of Hell”
Homework
Write a “postcard from the past”
Read instructions for Essay 3
Read “Uncle Pat”
Read “The Proverbs of Hell”
(Optional) start reading “Mazie” or “The Man Who Eats”
Tues. Apri. 14
Share micro-poem titles
Discuss “The Mwiko”; share new endings
Lesson: symbolism
Homework
Object essay due next class
Read 《怀乡书》(“The Book of Homesickness”) excerpts
Fri. Apr. 10
Creating tension: “Orange Crush” and “Southern Summers”
Share objects
About grading
Homework
Read poem titles
Read “The Mwiko,” think of a new ending
Read and write observations on Place essay excerpts
Begin Object essay
Tues. Apr. 7
Share scenes
Intro to concrete & abstract
Homework
Read “Orange Crush” and “Savoring a Sweet Taste of Southern Summers”
Optional: Read “Buckeye”
Think of an object
Give titles to “micro-poems”
Fri. Apr. 3
Practice observation on a Place essay
Practice observations on excerpts of Home definitions
“The Game of Details”
Homework
Write 2 scenes
Write observations on home definition excerpts
Reread Orlean and White excerpts
(Optional - in Chinese) Eileen Chang reading
Tues. Mar. 31
Share favorite details from McSorley’s
Intro to Essay 1: Portrait of a Place
Share Home definitions
Homework
Write Essay 1
Read excerpts from “Here is New York” and “Short Cuts”
Tues. Mar. 24
Intro to the course, self-introductions
Literary writing and concrete details
Definitions of home
Homework
Finish / type up / revise definitions of home
Read “The Old House at Home”
Plan time this weekend for an outing
