Personal Anthology Project

Personal Anthology Project

American Literature

For this project, you will read, select, compile, and annotate your own collection of short works of American Literature. Though some categories of content and aspects of format are prescribed, this is by nature a personal process and an original product. You will choose what belongs in your anthology.

First, you must read widely—searching through public and personal libraries, through bookstores, through other anthologies—in order to find works worthy of inclusion in your anthology. Judge your selections using the criteria of literary merit and personal interest; ask friends, family, and teachers for recommendations. Each piece should have lasting value, raise enduring questions, and invite reflection on the American experience. At the same time, each piece should help you discover something new about yourself. Don’t choose comfortable and familiar. Choose works that speak to you of deep matters; choose works that draw you in and make you feel something.

As you read, searching for pieces to include in your anthology, you will come across stories and articles and essays and poems that bore you or for some other reason don’t meet your standards. Put them down. You needn’t read all of everything you sample. Instead, read something else that interests you, something you like and can’t put down. Search for pieces that stretch your boundaries, trigger new ideas or questions, and instigate debate about important issues.

Requirements:

Four (4) works by American authors before 1900

·  One (1) poem

·  One (1) work of short fiction

·  One (1) work of short non-fiction

·  One (1) work from a genre of your choice

Four (4) works by American authors since 1900

·  One (1) poem

·  One (1) work of short fiction

·  One (1) work of short non-fiction

·  One (1) work from a genre of your choice

Four (4) miscellaneous works by American authors of any era

·  Standard genres (including best-of lists, blogs, online forums, songs, graphic novels, drama, manuscripts, research)

Four (4) works by fellow students

·  Four (4) works from genres of your choice

Total number of works required: sixteen (16)

Note: You may not include pieces from works on any Windsor Unified School District book list. Also, you should not include selections from so-called children’s or young adult literature. Finally, this is an anthology of works that you have chosen specifically for this assignment, not a replica of an existing text.

Remember—process is as essential as product.

Format and assembly (20% of overall grade): Your anthology will include a title page with the title you have chosen, and the subtitle “A Personal Anthology”; your name, school name, and grade; and the year. Example:

Many Far Wiser than We: A Personal Anthology

Annabel Lee, Windsor High School, 12th Grade

2014

Also:

·  The anthology will be securely and permanently bound (visit FedEx/Kinko’s, or another local printing/copying business).

·  The table of contents must be clearly organized according to the list of categories. Title, author, and page number (in your anthology) must be given for each selection.

·  Pages must be numbered consecutively.

·  All work must be neatly typed, word-processed, or photocopied.

Preface (10% of overall grade): The preface will introduce your anthology. Your preface should include introductory remarks concerning the content of the anthology as a whole, any thematic elements, and types of literature included (1 page).

Introductions (30% of overall grade): An introduction to each of the four categories will include commentary on the category and the selections included. The emphasis of each introduction should be on defining the category (i.e. What characterizes American literature since 1900, or what elements make a piece women’s literature rather than simply something written by a writer who happens to be a woman?) and on making connections between the works, and between the categories. Each introduction should be a thoughtful and thorough consideration of the pieces you’ve selected (1-2 pages each).

Afterword (20% of overall grade): A reflective afterword will be the most significant essay you will compose for your anthology. It should accomplish several things: reflect your thoughts and observations about both the content of the works you have chosen and the process of choosing them; consider which category proved to be the most satisfying or the most interesting for you to assemble; connect aspects of the literature to important areas of your own life or the world around you (1-2 pages).

Documentation (10% of overall grade): Biographical sketches of each author can be included either immediately preceding each selection, after each selection or else should be included at the end of the anthology. Tell about the author and his or her life in a short but detailed paragraph. Also, a bibliography must appear at the end of your anthology. Citations should follow standard MLA style documentation. Accuracy is important, and the format should be followed faithfully.

Research and selection (20% of overall grade): Your anthology should reflect a broad range of exploratory reading. Final pieces should be selected with care; the best anthologies will embrace a theme or convey a unified vision.

May you enjoy the journey and the discovery.