FYS:The Self, the Other, and the Self as Other
Announcements and Assignments--Sept. 30

---Please read this carefully---.

Special announcements about class sessions.

Next Tuesday (Oct. 5) is the special session on “Writing Out Loud” from 3:10-5 PM Please make an effort to be in class on time and “ready to go.”

Tuesday, Oct. 12 class is cancelled, but you are expected to go to one of the public events from the “Beyond the Stigma: Palestine/Israel/USA” mini-course. The list of events is on the web site if you go to the course web site for: “Beyond the Stigma” and go to the course calendar. Let me know which event you are planning to attend. If you are undecided I’ll help you pick one. Please write notes and do a reflection on identity issues that are apparent in the Palestine/Israel situation. It will be best if you can actually quote from things you hear at the event. This may or may not be something that you decide to develop into a paper at some point.

Thursday, Oct. 14, we are attending the workshop by Liz Magnes (see web site) in the Auditorium during our class time. Her workshop goes until 5 pm, so I’m hoping that you can stay on that date a little longer, too, but if you cannot please slip out quietly at 4:30.

Since we will not be discussing any texts during that time except on Oct. 7, I would like for you to explore the coursepack on your own and reflect in your journal on things you read. Please read from the second half of the coursepack, perhaps starting with “the Stories we Tell” (McAdams) and the chapters by Kath Woodward. (The coursepacks are arranged alphabetically.) Try to read a little bit every day and to journal for at least 20 minutes/day. Remember, you can put sketches, pictures, newspaper articles in your journal. That colored masking tape works well to stick things in your journal that didn’t originate there.

On Communication

Bi-weekly individual conferences with me to go over journals , papers, readings, reflections. . .
I’ve met with/ am meeting with/ some of you a couple of times already. We’re going to begin regular conferences, a chance for us to work more closely on your writing. My goal is to meet with each of you for at least 20-30 minutes every other week. This is a requirement for the course and you are responsible for making an appointment with me (sign-up sheet will be on my door) ; you should make it a habit to do so no less than once every two weeks. Please bring your journal and all papers to our conferences. You may recall that I had asked you to send me at least 3 questions you think are worthy of discussion (from each reading). This is another thing you can bring up in the conferences. We can discuss individualized writing projects, improving your writing, readings, and more. . .

Please become a person who reads emails from me and checks the web-site regularly. A simple response to emails, i.e., “Got it, read it! “ will do. It is the most effective way for me to make announcements, plan upcoming interviews, etc. I have found that many students do not “hear” announcements made in class, so email and the web-site become the best way to make sure that you get and understand assignments. Many of you are already emailing me regularly with questions and topics for discussion and with questions you have about assignments. This is GOOD!

Assignments

The next writing assignment you can design on your own, though it should be inspired by the reading assignment from: How the Garcia Girls. . .. I recommend that you email the topic you plan to write on before you actually write it. I will let you determine the length, meaning: it can be longer this time. You can also change the format (write a small book chapter with illustrations or family photos). It can/should be a fictionalized account of family relationships or family dynamics with special regard to personal identity and how one sees oneself/how others see one. It may include poetry. It is due anytime between now and Oct. 11.

Creative Assignments Please work on some of these assignments and complete one or more during the next 10 days.

Make a self-portrait of any size, using any medium. Include in this, some found objects demonstrating aspects of your personality or your self image. (N.B. Self image is not restricted to Body Image.)

Strike out on foot by yourself in a direction you have never walked. Take your journal or some paper and pencil with you. Find a place to sit and spend at least 1/2 hour there, observing what there is to observe. Write a meditation or reflection on something you have discovered on this outing. Sketch or paint something while you are there. Make sure that you take your time on this. Take your time walking and being observant and appreciative of sounds, smells, sights, feelings. Take your time sitting there, and take your time doing the active/reactive part of the assignment. If you have a camera, take a picture of where you were when you did the assignment. Include this assignment in your journal and bring it to a conference with me.

Find or draw or assemble an object that can serve as one symbol for you and your life when you are age 80. Then, write a retrospective reflective piece about the previous ten years of your life (age 70-80) that alludes to but never names the object. Include the object or a picture of it with the written piece. The writing may be a poem and you may overlap your text with the image.

These and additional recommended creative assignments will be posted on the web site soon.

Questions???
Email me, sign up on my door, or check the web site! : )

Have fun. . .