SYLLABUS
English 398R: Writing Non-Fictional Narratives - Spring 2017
Stewart Foehl
Office Hours: T/TH 1-2pm, and by appointment
Office: 1236 Tawes Hall
Course Description: This class is geared toward students interested in careers that will involve writing and editing nonfiction narrative. Goals include creating usable forms of communication for specific audiences, learning professional standards of practice, producing credible, well-crafted texts, and developing written communication skills. Most importantly, we’ll be examining and practicing the mechanics of nonfiction narrative.
Nonfiction narrative writing draws its influences from fiction, magazine journalism, memoirs, poetry, and personal essays. Writers use many of the same tools as fiction writers, including dialogue, vivid description, character development, nonlinear structure, and shifts in tense, time, scene, and points of view. However, unlike fiction, nonfiction narrative strives to focus on what is real. As we will see, the difficult business of truth telling raises many philosophical questions about the limits of memory, interpretation, and human experience.
We’ll focus on many aspects of the nonfiction writing world, from the submission policies of literary and trade magazines to the dynamics of the New York publishing industry. At its most practical level, this class will emphasize the professional market and how to get your work published. But more globally, we’ll together work to produce narratives that are compelling, well structured, and have a unique voice.
Required Texts: Selections printed out or downloaded via email or class website on Canvas
Recommended Text: The Elements of Style by Strunk and White
(witty, concise notes on style, grammar, etc.)
Grading:
Quizzes (based on reading assignments) 10%
Audience paper, Query letter, and Entertainment Review, 1 page each 15%
A 3-5 page personal essay (memoir) 15%
A 3-5 page narrative essay (literary journalism) 15%
A 3-5 page experimental essay (hybrid/experimental) 15%
Portfolio (including expanded, 8-10 page revised essay of your choice) 20%
Professionalism (participation, attendance, etc.) 10%
Grading Standards: A grade of “C” indicates that you have adequately met all the requirements for an assignment—you’ve done what you needed to do. A “B” indicates superior work that exceeds those standards, and an “A” indicates work that is exceptional in every way. Failure to meet any of the requirements of the assignment will result in a grade of “D” or “F.” The percentages above assume that the attendance requirements are met. Excessive or unexcused absences will impact the final grade as described elsewhere in these policies. In order to receive a passing grade in this course, you must complete all of the specific assignments listed above in a timely manner.
Professional Writing Program Goals: The Fundamental Studies Professional Writing requirement strengthens writing skills and prepares students for the range of writing expected of them after graduation. On completion of a Professional Writing course, students will be able to: Analyze a variety of professional rhetorical situations and produce appropriate texts in response; understand the stages required to produce competent, professional writing through planning, drafting, revising, and editing; identify and implement the appropriate research methods for each writing task; practice the ethical use of sources and the conventions of citation appropriate to each genre; write for the intended readers of a text, and design or adapt texts to audiences who may differ in their familiarity with the subject matter; demonstrate competence in Standard Written English, including grammar, sentence and paragraph structure, coherence, and document design (including the use of the visual) and be able to use this knowledge to revise texts; produce cogent arguments that identify arguable issues, reflect the degree of available evidence, and take account of counter arguments.
Expectations: No cell-phone use is allowed in the classroom. Laptops should only be open if you need to reference the material we are discussing. I know it’s unfathomable, but you will have to live through 75 minutes without text, social media, or internet surfing. I assure you, I can tell if you’re using your laptop for anything non class related, and your “professionalism” grade will be affected. This class is about being present and engaged.
Communication: Faculty and advisors use email to convey important information, and students are responsible for keeping their email address up to date, and must ensure that forwarding to another address functions properly. Failure to check email, errors in forwarding, and returned email are the responsibility of the student, and do not constitute an excuse for missing announcements or deadlines.
Emergency Protocol
Should the University be closed for an extended period of time, the course will continue via email and Canvas.
Course Procedures and Policies: A full list of course-related policies and relevant links to resources may be found at: http://www.ugst.umd.edu/courserelatedpolicies.html
Attendance: Students are expected to attend classes regularly. Consistent attendance offers students the most effective opportunity to gain command of course concepts and materials. Events that justify an excused absence include: religious observances; mandatory military obligation; illness of the student or illness of an immediate family member; participation in university activities at the request of university authorities; and compelling circumstances beyond the student’s control (e.g., death in the family, required court appearance). Absences stemming from work duties other than military obligation (e.g., unexpected changes in shift assignments) and traffic/transit problems do not typically qualify for excused absence.
Students claiming an excused absence must notify the course instructor in a timely manner and provide appropriate documentation. The notification should be provided either prior to the absence or as soon afterwards as possible. In the case of religious observances, athletic events, and planned absences known at the beginning of the semester, the student must inform the instructor during the schedule adjustment period. All other absences must be reported as soon as is practical. The student must provide appropriate documentation of the absence. The documentation must be provided in writing to the instructor by the means specified in this syllabus.
To succeed in this course, regular attendance is required. Classroom discussions and in-class work account for a significant part of your grade, and class participation, once missed, cannot be restored. Please note that missing more than three classes for any reason may result in a zero for the participation portion of your grade—and may jeopardize your overall course grade. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to make up what you’ve missed. Missing class will make catching up difficult, if not impossible.
Unexcused absences: You may miss two classes of no-questions absences for both the expected (i.e., a family wedding) and the unexpected (i.e., a flat tire). If you take an unexcused absence, however, you are still responsible for whatever material was covered in class. If a major grading event is scheduled for that class period, and you use an unexcused absence, then you will lose points for that activity.
Excused absences: The University excuses absences for your own illness or the illness of an immediate family member, for your participation in university activities at the request of University authorities, for religious observance, and for compelling circumstances beyond your control. Documentation is required for all excused absences. If you have an anticipated excused absence, you must let me know in writing by the end of the schedule adjustment period or at least two weeks in advance.
Absence for one class due to your own illness: You must provide written documentation of the illness from the health care provider who made the diagnosis. No diagnostic information shall be given. The provider must verify dates of treatment and indicate the time frame during which you were unable to meet academic responsibilities.
Absences due to religious observance: It is your responsibility to notify me within the first three weeks regarding any religious observance absences for the entire semester.
The full university attendance/absence policy can be found here: http://www.ugst.umd.edu/courserelatedpolicies.html
Tardiness: If you arrive after I take roll, you are welcome to stay, but you will be marked absent.
Participation: You are responsible for the assignments and reading as they are listed for the day—come to class prepared! Your professionalism grade includes class discussion, peer-review workshops, conferences, contributions to group work, attendance, and your general demeanor toward everyone in the room. Listening can often be as important as the act of responding; it’s up to you to carry yourself in a thoughtful, measured, and professional manner.
Papers: I will be providing assignment sheets for each of your writing assignments. These will contain clear instructions as well as grading guidelines.
Grammar: You are expected to demonstrate mastery of standard English grammar. I encourage you to seek out and take advantage of available resources (such as the above recommended style manual, available websites, and the Writing Center). Papers with excessive grammatical, mechanical, and proofreading errors will be returned to you unread for correction, and the final grade will be downgraded accordingly.
Formatting: Papers are expected to meet professional standards. You will be tailoring your formats to the audience you’ve chosen for your arguments. This means that you’ll still be working within a formatting system. Papers that do not follow clear formatting guidelines will be penalized up to one full letter grade.
Late Papers: Papers are due in class on the date specified. For each day that an assignment is late, you will be penalized one letter grade. Papers more than one week late will not be accepted; you will receive a zero. Papers will not be accepted via email.
Semester Portfolio: All writing assignments must be saved in a folder, which will then be turned in at the end of the semester, with any edits I have made corrected, old and new versions.
Conferences: During the course we will be having conferences to go over your grades and your writing progress. You are expected to contribute thoughtfully during these one-on-one sessions.
Workshops: We’ll be conducting formal workshops in which, as a class, we will critique another student’s work. During these workshops, it is important that your comments, both written and verbal, are respectful and professional. Do not come to class without having read/being prepared to discuss your fellow student’s work (even if you are not a “critic” for that day).
Writing Center: The Writing Center is located at 1205 Tawes Hall (x53785). This is a great resource to help improve your writing in order to better present your ideas. Try to call ahead to schedule a full appointment with lots of lead-time. For quick questions, call the Writing Center Grammar Hotline (x53787). If the Center is closed, leave a message and they will return your call. Appointments can also be scheduled online: http://english.umd.edu/academics/writingcenter/undergraduate/schedule.
Academic Integrity: The UMD Honor Code prohibits students from cheating on exams, plagiarizing papers, submitting the same paper for credit in two courses without authorization, buying papers, submitting fraudulent documents and forging signatures. On every examination, paper or other academic exercise not exempted by the instructor, students must write by hand and sign the following pledge:
I pledge on my honor that I have not given or received any unauthorized assistance on this examination (or assignment).
Allegations of academic dishonesty will be reported directly to the Student Honor Council: http://www.shc.umd.edu
Disability Support: Students with a documented disability should inform the instructors within the add-drop period if academic accommodations will be needed. NB: You are expected to meet with your instructor in person to provide them with a copy of the Accommodations Letter and to obtain your instructor’s signature on the Acknowledgement of Student Request form. You and your instructor will plan together how accommodations will be implemented throughout the semester. To obtain the required Accommodation Letter, please contact Disability Support Service (DSS) at 301- 314-7682 or
Copyright notice: Class lectures and other materials are copyrighted. They may not be reproduced for anything other than personal use without written permission from the instructor. Copyright infringements may be referred to the Office of Student Conduct.
Sexual Misconduct: The University of Maryland is committed to providing support and resources, including academic accommodations, for students who experience sexual or relationship violence as defined by the University’s Sexual Misconduct Policy. To report an incident and/or obtain an academic accommodation, contact the Office of Civil Rights and Sexual Misconduct at 301-405-1142. If you wish to speak confidentially, contact Campus Advocates Respond and Educate (CARE) to Stop Violence at 301-741-3555. As ‘responsible university employees’ faculty are required to report any disclosure of sexual misconduct, i.e., they may not hold such disclosures in confidence. For more information: http://www.umd.edu/ocrsm/
Diversity: The University of Maryland values the diversity of its student body. Along with the University, I am committed to providing a classroom atmosphere that encourages the equitable participation of all students regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, national origin, race, religion, or sexual orientation. Potential devaluation of students in the classroom that can occur by reference to demeaning stereotypes of any group and/or overlooking the contributions of a particular group to the topic under discussion is inappropriate. http://www.umd.edu/catalog/index.cfm/show/content.section/c/27/ss/1584/s/1541
For information on elms, counseling, health, learning workshops, tutoring, writing help, student rights in undergrad courses, questions about graduation or add/drop/withdraw, please see: http://www.ugst.umd.edu/courserelatedpolicies.html
Some Quotes on Writing in General:
I believe more in the scissors than I do in the pencil.
-Truman Capote
To gain your own voice, you have to forget about having it heard.
-Allen Ginsberg
Who wants to become a writer? And why? Because it’s the answer to everything…It’s the streaming reason for living. To note, to pin down, to build up, to create, to be astonished at nothing, to cherish the oddities, to let nothing go down the drain, to make something, to make a great flower out of life, even if it’s a cactus.”
-Enid Bagnold
Some Quotes on Nonfiction, Narrative, and Memory:
I have been corrected on some points, mostly of chronology. Also my mother thinks that a dog I described as ugly was actually quite handsome. I’ve allowed some of these points to stand, because this is a book of memory, and memory has its own story to tell. But I have done my best to make it tell a truthful story.