English 104.012 and 104.014: Academic Writing I
Lee Gould
Fall, 2002
Office Hours: 2:00-4:00 p.m., TTH, Wed. by appointment in Van Meter 107
Telephone: 410-825-7458 (h) between 8:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m., 410-337-6216 (w)
Gould8@juno.com or lgould@goucher.edu

Texts: Mehmedinovic, Semezdin. Sarajevo Blues. San Francisco: City Lights
                    Books. 1998.
           Hacker, Diana.  A Writer’s Reference. 4th ed. Boston: Bedford Books. 1999.


Welcome to English 104! This semester we will concentrate on issues important to us as both world citizens and as writers.

Too often, states translator Ammiel Alcalay, the literary public “has very little sense of what is actually going on in the rest of the world while purporting to be at the center of it.” This statement applies particularly to struggles in such-far away places as Bosnia-Hercegovina where Semezdin Mehmedinovic, one of Bosnia’s most prominent poets and writers, created  Sarajevo Blues a volume of short essays, vignettes and poems that depicts daily life under siege. In English 104, class discussion and writing will focus on the issues that Mehmedinovic’s writings suggest.

“A writer,” said poet William Stafford, “is not so much someone who has something to say as…someone who has a process that will bring about new things…”  The vitality and originality of Mehmedinovic’s work will hopefully stimulate us as both craftspeople and thinkers. In this course, students will write a series of short (1-5 page) formal and informal essays of the various kinds required in academic life.

Policies:

Writing, as those of you who keep journals and write frequently know, is one of the great human pleasures.  Although it is work, it is work of an ordinary and, not a heroic kind.  We all write.  We all know how, and with practice, we all improve.  Good writing grows steadily from the practice of a body of skills. In this class, we will work to develop and practice this body of skills. We will write in many class sessions and at home. The practice of writing skills will help each of us teach ourselves to write well.

Attendance: Since  practice and skill-building will, for the most part, take place in class, attendance is crucial. Absences from either class or conference in excess of two will be penalized one-third of a grade each (3.3 points). Class sessions are sometimes cancelled so that individual conferences can take place.  Therefore conferences are counted as individual class sessions. Students are responsible for all work missed when absent.  Choose a buddy on whom you can depend to keep you up to date.


Gould/104                                                                                                     -2-


Assignments:  You will write one-page exploratory essays, process papers, two different kinds of drafts, as well as final essays.  Length of essays range from three to five pages. All work that is handed in must be typed. Occasional announced quizzes also occur. 

Expect to work two hours out of class for every in-class hour so schedule six hours a week for your English 104 assignments.

E-mail submissions: In general, email submissions are not accepted. However, exploratory papers due when you must be absent from class may be submitted as long as they are sent by the time the class is scheduled to meet.  Drafts, under unusual circumstances and with permission obtained in advance, may be submitted by email.  No final copy can ever be submitted by email.
  
Portfolios:  Hand in your first paper with notes and drafts in a folder; keep all of your papers all semester in that folder.  At the end of the semester, hand in your complete portfolio. You may rewrite one assignment.  For your rewrite, include a cover letter telling me: 1) the major strengths and weaknesses of the original, 2) what you did to improve your paper, 3) what help you got.  You are encouraged to use the Writing Center.