Instructor: Amanda Watson
Office: 3023A Tisch Hall
Office hours: 3-4 Monday, 4-5 Wednesday (and by appointment)
E-mail: alwatson@umich.edu
Phone: 764.0418

What was your first experience of the power of language? For many of us, it was listening to a story someone told us—a fairy tale, a myth, a piece of family history, even an urban legend (did you ever hear the one about the vanishing hitchhiker?). In this introductory writing course, we'll connect the drive to tell and retell stories with the elusive process of learning to write and revise at the college level. Our primary texts will be literary works (and the occasional film) that update and rewrite myth and folklore, as well as your own writing. Expect to encounter a variety of fiction, poetry, and drama from various periods, including a Shakespeare play, some very fractured fairy tales, parts of a sonnet sequence based on the ancient Greek myth of Demeter and Persephone, and a movie that resets Homer's Odyssey in the deep South of the 1930s. We'll talk about how these texts transform familiar narratives in order to communicate something new, and about how your own writing can transform from early, private drafts to polished pieces of work. You'll write a total of around 20 pages of revised prose, plus various short in-class and out-of-class writing assignments.

Course requirements: four papers; participation in workshops; miscellaneous in-class writings and short assignments; writer's notebook (to be collected at the middle and at the end of the term); regular attendance and participation.

Texts (available at Shaman Drum Bookstore):
Angela Carter, The Bloody Chamber
Homer, The Odyssey, trans. Allen Mandelbaum
William Shakespeare, The Winter's Tale
Diana Hacker, A Pocket Style Manual

A course pack of additional readings, in two parts, will be available at Accu-Copy on East William Street. Part 2 of the course pack will be available by the fourth week of the term. Readings from the course pack are designated "CP" on the syllabus.

SCHEDULE OF READINGS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Please note: This syllabus is subject to change.

UNIT 1: CONTEMPORARY FAIRY TALES

Week 1
M 1/6: Introduction to the course; policies and procedures
In-class writing: self-assessment
Assignment: read variations on "Little Red Riding Hood"; Brothers Grimm, "Cinderella"; Anne Sexton, "Cinderella" and "Little Red Riding Hood" poems (CP)

W 1/8: Discuss Sexton poems and fairy tales; sign up for 15-minute conferences
Assignment: revise in-class writing from Monday and bring revision to your conference; read Atwood, "Bluebeard's Egg"; Perrault, "Bluebeard"; Brothers Grimm, "Fitcher's Bird" (CP)

Th-F: Instructor conferences (to be held in my office, 3023A Tisch Hall); please bring revised and typed in-class writing from Monday.

Week 2
M 1/13: Discuss "Bluebeard's Egg"
Assignment: read "The Bloody Chamber" (pp. 7-41 in Carter, The Bloody Chamber)

W 1/15: Discuss "The Bloody Chamber"
Assignment: begin writing Paper 1; read "The Courtship of Mr. Lyon," "The Tiger's Bride," "The Werewolf," and "The Company of Wolves" (pp. 41-67 and 108-118 in The Bloody Chamber)

Week 3
M 1/20: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. No class meeting.

W 1/22: Discuss remaining stories from The Bloody Chamber; introduction to the workshop process
Draft of Paper 1 due in class; please bring one copy for me and one for each of your workshop group members.
Assignment: read your workshop group members' drafts and fill out critique forms for each; identify at least one aspect of your Paper 1 draft that you want to revise.

Week 4
M 1/27: Small-group workshop for Paper 1 drafts
Assignment: continue revising Paper 1

W 1/29: Screening: clips from Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Jean Cocteau's La Belle et la Bête, and Neil Jordan's The Company of Wolves
Revised, final version of Paper 1 due in class.
Assignment: read "The Minotaur"; Borges, "The House of Asterion"; Stallings, "Tour of the Labyrinth" (all in CP)

UNIT 2: GREEK MYTHS RETOLD: THESEUS AND THE MINOTAUR, ORPHEUS AND EURYDICE

Week 5
M 2/3: Discuss "The House of Asterion" and "Tour of the Labyrinth"
Assignment: begin working on Paper 2 draft; read "Orpheus and Eurydice"; Ali, "Eurydice"; and Ashbery, "Syringa" (all in CP)

W 2/5: Discuss "Eurydice" and "Syringa"
Assignment: continue working on Paper 2 draft; read Dybek, "Nighthawks" (CP)

Week 6
M 2/10: Discuss Dybek, "Nighthawks"
Draft of Paper 2 due in class; please bring one copy for me and one for each of your workshop group members.
Assignment: read full-class workshop drafts for Wednesday; before your small-group workshop meeting, read your workshop group members' drafts and fill out workshop form for each; identify at least one aspect of your Paper 2 draft that you want to revise.

W 2/12: Full-class workshops 1, 2, and 3
Assignment: begin revising Paper 2; read full-class workshop drafts for Monday

Week 7
M 2/17: Full-class workshops 4, 5, and 6
Assignment: finish revising Paper 2

W 2/19: No class meeting. Instructor conferences, round 2.
Revised, final version of Paper 2 due to my mailbox by no later than 5 p.m.
Assignment: read Homer, Odyssey, books 1, 6, and 9; excerpt from Dante's Inferno (CP); Tennyson, "Ulysses" (CP)

Week 8: No class meetings. Happy spring break!

UNIT 3: REVISIONS OF HOMER'S ODYSSEY

Week 9
M 3/3: Discuss Homer, Dante, and Tennyson
Assignment: read Odyssey, books 10-12; Cavafy, "Ithaka," and Stevens, "The World as Meditation" (CP); begin working on Paper 3 draft

W 3/5: Discuss Homer, Cavafy, and Stevens
Assignment: read Odyssey, books 21-23; Parker, "Penelope," Hacker, "Mythology," and Stallings, "The Wife of the Man of Many Wiles" (CP); continue working on Paper 3 draft

Week 10
M 3/10: Discuss Homer, Parker, Hacker, and Stallings
Assignment: finish Paper 3 draft

W 3/12: Screening: O Brother, Where Art Thou? (Joel Coen, 2000)
Draft of Paper 3 due in class; please bring one copy for me and one for each of your workshop group members
Assignment: read your workshop group members' drafts and fill out critique forms for each; identify at least one aspect of your Paper 3 draft that you want to revise; read full-class workshop drafts for Monday

Week 11
M 3/17: Full-class workshop 7; discuss O Brother
Assignment: start revising Paper 3; read full-class workshop drafts for Wednesday

W 3/19: Full-class workshops 8, 9, and 10
Assignment: finish revising Paper 3

UNIT 4: GREEK MYTHS RETOLD (TAKE 2): THE DEMETER AND PERSEPHONE MYTH

Week 12
M 3/24: Discussion topic TBA; possible trip to Undergraduate Library
Revised, final version of Paper 3 due in class.
Assignment: read "Demeter and Persephone" and excerpts from Rita Dove, Mother Love (CP)

W 3/26: Discuss Dove, Mother Love excerpts
Assignment: read Shakespeare, The Winter's Tale, and Ovid, "Pygmalion and Galatea"; start thinking about your Paper 4 draft

Week 13
M 3/31: Discuss The Winter's Tale
Assignment: begin writing Paper 4 draft (if you haven't already)

W 4/2: Continue discussing The Winter's Tale
Assignment: finish drafting Paper 4

Week 14
M 4/7: Discussion topic TBA
Draft of Paper 4 due in class; please bring one copy for me and one for each of your workshop group members
Assignment: read your workshop group members' drafts and fill out critique form for each; identify at least one aspect of your Paper 4 draft that you want to revise; read full-class workshop drafts for Wednesday

W 4/9: Full-class workshops 11, 12, and 13
Assignment: begin revising Paper 4; read full-class workshop drafts for next Monday

Week 15
M 4/14: Full-class workshops 14, 15, and 16
Assignment: finish revising Paper 4

W 4/16: Conclusion; end-of-term party

F 4/18: Final, revised version of Paper 4 due to my mailbox (3167 Angell) by no later than 4 p.m.

Course Policies and Procedures

• Attendance: Since so much of this course depends on your presence in workshops and other group activities, regular attendance is mandatory. More than three unexcused absences will lower your grade by as much as one letter grade. Frequent or excessive tardiness will also adversely affect your grade; three tardies will equal one absence.

If you need to be excused from class because of a medical or family emergency or a religious observance, please see me in advance or as soon after the event as possible. I will require that you bring in documentation of the reasons for your absence where appropriate.

• Participation: Participation in class counts for 10% of your grade (see grade breakdown below). Participation includes your active involvement in both class discussions and in workshops. You are expected to have read the text(s) listed on the syllabus for each class meeting. Since our readings will serve as the basis for both discussion and, on occasion, in-class writing, it is crucial to your participation grade that you complete the reading on time. It is also crucial that you participate in workshops (see below).

• Writer's notebook: You will be required to keep a notebook to record your responses to the readings. More detailed instructions will be given separately. I'll collect notebooks two or three times during the semester.

• Workshops: A substantial portion of our class time will be devoted to the writing workshop process. Workshops will occur in small groups of three or four and in large groups. In each small-group workshop, you will work together to edit and comment on each other's writing. Before the workshop, you will need to fill out a workshop critique form (which I'll provide) for each of your group members' drafts. Once per term, each of you will also circulate a paper draft for the entire class to read. You'll receive more information about workshops within the next two weeks of class.

• Paper format: Unless otherwise specified, all assignments for this class must be typed, in a 12-point font, and double-spaced. Your margins should be approximately 1" wide. Multiple-page assignments must be stapled (I will not be held responsible for missing pages!) and have page numbers. You don't need to provide a separate title page for your papers; just put a header with your name, the date, and the course number at the top of your first page. And remember: every paper should have a title!

• Late papers: Late workshop drafts will not be accepted and will result in a lower grade, at my discretion, on the revised paper. Late revised papers will be marked down by three grade points per day. I will allow one extension of up to seven days, but you must notify me at least 24 hours before the final due date for the paper if you wish to request an extension. There will be no extensions on the final paper. Early papers, on the other hand, are welcome.

• Rewrites: As this course is designed to teach you how to revise your work, opportunities for rewriting are already built into the syllabus. However, a paper with a grade of check-minus (see "Grading system," below) may be rewritten to receive a check. If you would like to revise a check-minus paper, you must schedule an appointment with me to discuss potential revision strategies, you must turn in the revision no later than a week after this appointment, and you must also highlight the changes you've made when you turn in the revision. There will be no rewrites on the final paper, owing to end-of-semester time constraints.

• Computer emergencies: If you are prevented from turning in a written assignment on time because of a computer or printer emergency, I will allow you to send me your assignment by e-mail. However, please provide me with a hard copy as soon as you can.

• Office hours: You are welcome to visit my office to discuss any aspect of the class or your writing during the scheduled office hours (to be announced). If you'd like to make an appointment but can't make it during office hours, contact me to schedule an alternate time for a meeting.

• If you want to discuss a paper grade: Please contact me at least 24 hours after you have received your grade, and please be prepared to respond to the comments written on the margins and at the end of your paper.

• A note on cell phones: If you have one, please turn it off before you come to class. Few things are more disruptive than a ringing cell phone in the middle of a discussion.

• How to contact me: The best way to reach me outside of class is over e-mail; I check messages daily and will usually respond as soon as possible. You can also call the phone number listed on the first page and leave a message with the First and Second Year Studies office staff, but I may not receive phone messages immediately.

• Plagiarism: See the attached handout on plagiarism for details on what constitutes plagiarism and how to avoid it. The University takes plagiarism very, very seriously. It's considered a breach of academic standards and a form of theft. If you use someone else's words and/or ideas without appropriate attribution, you will fail the assignment and be placed on academic probation. In short, just don't do it. And if you aren't sure how to cite a source, please ask!

Grading system

Instead of assigning letter grades for individual papers, I will grade your written work on a check-plus/check/check-minus system. Each of your four papers is worth 20 points (20% of your final grade); a check-plus equals 20 points, a check equals 17 points, and a check-minus equals 13 points. Attendance, participation, and other written assignments make up the remaining 20 points. Your final letter grade will be calculated on a numerical scale based on the total number of points you receive (A range=90 to 100, B range=80 to 89, C range=70 to 79, etc.). Accordingly, the highest possible grade (check-plus on all papers, excellent attendance and participation, and good work on all miscellaneous assignments) is 100 points (A+); check-minus grades in all categories will add up to 65 points (D). No points will be given for missing, incomplete, or plagiarized papers.

There are many factors that distinguish one paper grade from another, but in general, a check-plus paper is above average, with a strong argument, clear use of evidence, original thinking, and stylistic flair. A check means that the paper adequately fulfills the terms of the assignment, but the writer could still afford to push his or her thinking further. A check-minus means that the paper needs further revision. Such papers come in a variety of forms; the topic may not be complex or developed enough to permit a strong thesis to emerge, or the argument may be hard to follow, or there might not be sufficient evidence to back it up, or there might be promising thought buried underneath a multitude of confusing syntax and grammatical errors. As noted above, check-minus papers may be rewritten with my permission.

Grade breakdown

Papers: 20 points each (80 points total)
Other written assignments: 10 points
Attendance & participation: 10 points