Day 1
Mon. Oct. 25
Intro to the course
Discussion: What is an editor?
Discussion: Observing sample publications
Homework:
➤ Read Course Handbook
Read the Course Handbook carefully (if you haven’t yet). This gives a general overview of how this course will work as well as answers to specific questions about my course policies.
➤ Start reading Meridian
Read the Editor’s Note and at least three stories of your own choosing from Meridian: A Literary Atlas of DKU. Also please generally skim through the book and familiarize yourself with what’s in there.
➤ Skim Submissions folder
Browse the Submissions folder in our OneDrive library to familiarize yourself with the kinds of stories that we might choose from to publish in Meridian Volume 2. Note that these are not the only stories we can choose from, it’s just a representative sample of stories I thought were already quite good or especially promising for some specific reason. (We can, if we wish, write more content ourselves, or choose from other stories written in WOC190, or commission other students to write more content.)
(Note that it’s not necessary to read these in detail yet. We’ll read them together on our Friday field trip — see below.)
➤ Think about Handout 4 questions, be ready to discuss
As you read Meridian and skim through the submissions folder, please think about the questions on Handout 4 and come to next class ready to discuss them.
The goal for next class will be, through group discussion, to decide collectively on a vision for Meridian Volume 2 — to decide what it’s purpose is and what that might mean for choosing what to publish.
➤ Think about your own “special role”
Read over the “special roles” described in the Course Handbook, and think about what you might want your special role to be. Message me on WeChat (or email me) before next class and tell me, tentatively, which role appeals to you most. (This doesn’t need to be your final decision; we’ll talk more.)
➤ Think about your own Independent Project
Start thinking about what your Independent Project might be, as described in the Course Handbook. You don’t need to know at this point; just start thinking. I’ll have a brief conversation with each of you during our Friday field trip.
➤ Look at sample grading contracts
Just look these documents over to get a feel for how grading will work in this class. You won’t write your grading contract till next week, though — this is just for reference.
➤ Don’t forget: Field trip on Friday!
On Friday we will spend the day together at Yuefengdao 悦丰岛 Organic Farm having a Reading Party. Together, we will read through the Submissions folder; each reader will “grade” the story and write notes about whether it should be included in our book, and what work might be necessary to ready it for publication. In addition, I’ll try to touch base with each of you about your plans for your own individual project.
I’ll send more details later about details of the trip. We’ll plan to spend the whole day there (roughly 9am through 5pm) though we might finish early; we’ll see. Lunch will be provided. If you’re unable to join, I’ll ask you to read submissions yourself, on your own time — more details later about how that’ll work.
