28 ALEXANDER PINES POLITICS FALL 2018

Art and Craft of Writing About Politics: The Revolutionary Essay

Fall 2018

3:30-4:45 MW

Instructor: Alexander Pines

Course supervisor: Bonnie Sunstein (bonnie-sunstein@uiowa.edu)

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Can an essay be a revolution? How does writing become a political act? James Baldwin tells us that we write to change the world and this class, drawing from literary traditions ranging from memoir to documentary poetics, will explore ways in which voices both explicitly personal and political can help clarify pressing and often controversial issues close to home and impossibly far away. Our work together will combine frequent readings alongside shorter essays that you’ll produce each week and longer pieces that you’ll share with the community of writers within the classroom. No subjects are off limits, but we’ll keep in mind that our goal here is to grow, individually and collectively, as readers and writers, not to win people over to our respective sides (and hopefully to see, too, that “sides” may not even be relevant to nuanced writing on social and political issues). Among our guides this term are Gloria Anzaldúa, Claudia Rankine, Kiese Laymon, Solmaz Sharif, Bhanu Kapil, Kate Zambreno, Eula Biss, and more.

COURSE GOALS (OR WHAT I HOPE THIS CLASS WILL GIVE YOU)

• Help defining your sensibilities as a writer and member of the larger literary community
• Hands-on exposure to the workshop method, and how you can use it to develop into a more thoughtful and empathetic editor of others’ work, as well as your own
• Experience writing in a variety of styles about a subject (or subjects) of your choosing
• Lots of practice at being active readers—able to identify and articulate what a writer is attempting in a particular text and why (or why not) it works
• Permission to take risks and to push your writing toward new forms and ideas

TEXTS

All of the books for this course are available at Prairie Lights Bookstore (15 S Dubuque St.), although you may have luck finding used copies of many of these texts online or elsewhere around town. Other readings will be posted to the course page on ICON.

Ban en Banlieue, Bhanu Kapil (2015) (Nightboat, ISBN 978-1937658243)

Don’t Let Me Be Lonely, Claudia Rankine (2004) (Graywolf, ISBN 978-1-55597-407-7)

Look, Solmaz Sharif (2016) (Graywolf, ISBN 978-1555977443)

For each class I expect that you will come prepared with an annotated copy of whatever text we will be discussing that day, as well as a dedicated notebook for any in-class writing assignments. While I would prefer that you bring each reading to class in hard copy, I will allow the use of electronic devices so long as they do not become a distraction. You will not, however, be allowed to use your laptops or other devices during peer workshops.

A NOTE ON READING

The best writers, in addition to putting time into their own work, read exhaustively. They read to be inspired, to be shocked, amazed, or even enraged. But most of all, they read to figure out other writers’ tricks. The best way to “practice” your writing is through reading. So we’ll be doing a fair bit of that. You will be required to bring your readings to every class, and they should be marked up with notes, questions, moments that inspire you, and moments that make you angry. You’ll need to show up ready to engage in a thoughtful discussion about what you’ve just read that goes beyond I like this or I don’t like that. I have chosen each of these texts to help broaden your understanding of political writing and literary nonfiction in general, and many of your assignments will be directly linked to the weekly readings.

You will also be required to attend two readings over the course of the semester: one reading by an “established” author of your choice, and another reading by emerging writer(s) of your choice in any genre. I will provide you with a general overview of readings happening over the course of the term (and almost all of them are free), but feel free to get creative in seeking out literary events—perhaps your friend is hosting a house party that includes an open mic, maybe you’re part of a literary-themed club on campus that highlights undergraduate work, or there’s another type of literary event I haven’t thought of.

WRITING ASSIGNMENTS

You will need to turn in all assignments in hard copy at the start of class on the day that they are due, and I ask that you generally use standard formatting for all written work (12 pt. Times New Roman or equivalent font, double sided, 1” margins). You are welcome to experiment with alternate formatting if it best suits the piece, but please don’t use Papyrus and wacky margins just for the sake of doing so.

Generative exercises (9-10): More or less each week, you will turn in 1-2 page (or, flexibly, 300-600 words) pieces inspired in some way by the texts up for discussion that same week. I would encourage you to work with the same (or a series of linked) subjects throughout the semester, but you are more than welcome to switch things up from week to week. If you are up for workshop on a given week when the generative essays are due, you may choose not to turn yours in. The main objective here is for you to take something from what we’ve read and run with it in your own work—perhaps Baldwin has a particular syntax that you admire, or after reading Bhanu Kapil you’re moved by her fragmentation, or maybe there’s a particular structure or genre that you’d like to try your hand at. These exercises should be exploratory, and more about taking risks and finding new forms than turning in a polished/finished work, and the overall goal is to not only add a variety of new tools to your writing kit, but also to push one of these imitations into a full-length text by the end of the term.

You may want to turn in a piece or mini-essay that thinks through one of our texts in critical yet formally interesting ways (in other words, instead of using stylistic features of a given reading to write about something else, you may wish to use the text itself as your subject). You’re welcome to do this, as long as you’re still taking stylistic and formal risks to produce a work of literary merit (as opposed to compiling a book report).

At the end of your generative pieces, I would also like you to include a few sentences (basically a paragraph) explaining the choices you made in crafting your piece and reflecting on what you did—which “tool” did you borrow from which author from the reading? What surprised you while writing? What did you feel like “worked” and what didn’t?

Final essay (1): Toward the end of the semester you will turn in a longer essay to be workshopped by our class. This piece should be between 6-12 pages long (or approximately 1800-3600 words, should you choose to work with unconventional formatting) and may arise out of one (or more) of your generative exercises. When it’s your turn to be workshopped, you will submit one copy of the essay to each of your classmates and one copy to me, and you will be asked to turn in your essay a week before your scheduled workshop to give everyone a chance to read it carefully and compose a response. Always include page numbers with your workshop submissions.

Reading responses (2): Within a week of the reading(s) you decided to attend, please email me a 1-2 page/300-600 word response to the event. Include who read what and where, your general impressions of both the text itself and the ways in which the performance added (or detracted) from your understanding of that text, and a reflection about what, if anything, this reading gave you permission to do in your own work.

Workshop responses: Once we begin our formal workshops, everyone will be expected to write one page of feedback for each essay that is submitted. These responses will form the basis of our conversations during workshop and will offer the writer something concrete to refer to when she sits down to develop her essay further. Please bring two copies of your responses with you to class on the day of our discussion—one for the writer and one for me.

Revision (1): At the end of the course you will have substantially revised one piece (and we will talk in class about what constitutes a substantial revision). After your workshop, you will be responsible for finding a time to meet with me—either during my office hours or at another time that better suits your schedule—and we will discuss both your essay and the suggestions your classmates provided in writing and during the day of the workshop. This will be due during the last week of the term, to be submitted with your final portfolio.

Portfolio: Your portfolios will be due at the start of finals. It should contain your nine to ten generative essays, your two reading responses, the original draft of the piece you turned in for workshop, and your revision, plus a one-page single-spaced letter reflecting on your growth as a writer over the course of the semester. I will use the portfolio to review your work for the entire semester and assign your final grades.

GRADING

This class is meant to push your work toward new forms and ideas (regardless of your subject matter). How much effort have you put into truly exploring this genre and working on your capabilities as a reader, writer, and member of the literary community? What risks have you taken, creatively and otherwise? You will find that genuine and earnest effort will be rewarded in this class. On the other hand, this is not an easy A, and anyone who is a good writer but simply wants to coast, or dash things off at the very last minute without thought, care, or reflection is likely to be frustrated.

I will provide thorough written and spoken feedback on each of your generative pieces and workshop submissions. That said, none of your individual pieces will receive a letter grade, as such things are difficult to quantify and, from my experience, discourage experimentation in subject and style. I will let you know if your overall performance ever drops below a “C” in this class, and you may feel free to make an appointment with me outside of class to discuss your progress overall at any time.

For your generative essays, I will also include a general assessment as follows: work that feels rushed, thoughtless, or completely divorced from the weekly reading will receive a check-minus. Work that incorporates recognizable stylistic elements from the assigned reading, and shows promise toward a larger project or idea will receive a check. Work that integrates its formal/stylistic innovations and inspirations in such a way that feels absolutely essential to the overall piece and shows great promise towards a larger project or idea will receive a check-plus. If you receive nothing but checks over the course of the term, you’re in a great place—check-plus exercises really go above and beyond.

Participation (including workshop comments): 30%

Generative essays: 20%

Final essay: 15%

Reading responses: 10%

Portfolio (including revision and one-page reflection): 25%

To give you a more concrete idea of what I’ll be looking for when I review your portfolios and your efforts for the semester:

A: Exceptional work that shows sophistication and effort that goes beyond the general expectations of the class. The writing is well crafted and reflects a commitment to the creative process. The writer is capable of analyzing, reflecting, and revising both her own work and the work of her peers. The writer pushes herself in interesting ways that ultimately benefit the work.

B: Strong work. The writing is well crafted and demonstrates that the writer’s abilities and efforts are above average. The writer demonstrates an attempt to reflect, and analyze their writing (and the writing of their peers), and has clearly incorporated new ideas into the revised piece. The writer has taken risks in their essays, some that may be more successful and resonant than others.

C: Adequate work that meets the basic requirements. The writer’s work could be stronger with more engagement with the creative process. The writer has composed essays that reflect varying levels of success. There is some revision, but it’s superficial. This writer has clearly read and provided some thoughtful comments on their peers’ work, but may not be consistently engaged with the discussion. This writer may have taken some risks in their work, but ultimately they may not be in service to the overall project.

D: Weak work that falls below the basic requirements. The writing produced is brief or not fully developed. This writing does not show an engagement with the creative process and does not reflect the writer’s potential. This writer does not seem to engage fully with their peers’ work.

F: Unacceptable work. The pieces exhibit fundamental problems that consistently go unaddressed or ignored. The work is frequently incomplete or submitted late. This writer has clearly not read their classmates’ work and fails to participate in workshop. Writing that does not represent the writer’s original work will get an F.

LATE WORK AND TIME SPENT OUT OF CLASS

Assignments submitted late will receive a grade deduction at my discretion for each day it is late. If you know in advance that you will be missing a class and an assignment is due, you must turn it in (either in person or in my mailbox in 308 EPB) before the start of class. That said, life happens, so if you anticipate having difficulties meeting a deadline or experience an emergency, contact me as soon as possible (i.e. not the night before) and we may be able to work out an extension.

This is a three semester-hour class, which means that you should expect to spend at least six hours per week preparing outside of class (as defined by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences). This workload may fluctuate over the course of the semester, so look ahead on the course schedule and prepare accordingly.

ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION

You can’t participate in class if you’re not there and the bulk of this class will involve serious and thoughtful consideration of our literary guides and your classmates’ writing. This class can only be as strong as the community of writers that make it up so I will expect you to be consistently engaged and invested in each reading we discuss.

That said, occasionally everyone needs to miss class, either because of illness, family or personal emergency, or something else entirely. You can have up to two absences over the course of the semester. If you are able, please shoot me an email before class letting me know that you won’t be there. You will still be responsible for any work that you miss, and it will be your responsibility to check in with classmates to familiarize yourself with what was covered in class. This exception to this rule is your workshop date; if you fail to show up on that date or fail to turn in your essay when it is due, there will be negative consequences to your grade.

Any more than two absences will result in a reduction of your grade for the entire course. For each absence beyond two, I will lower your final grade by a half-letter (so if you were on track for a B+ and you have four absences, your final grade would be a B-).

I understand that some of you may not feel comfortable with speaking in front of a group—first of all, you’re not alone! I’m sure that many of your classmates feel the same way or have felt that way at some point. While your class participation will make up a significant portion of your final grade, I also recognize that “participation” comes in many forms. I am most concerned with the quality of the contributions you make over the course of the semester, not the quantity. Please keep in mind that showing up late, being unprepared (such as failing to bring your reading to class), or acting obviously unengaged will negatively affect your participation grade. Always feel free to come speak with me in office hours if you have any concerns about participating, particularly around sensitive topics that may emerge from our reading and writing.

RESPECT AND CONFIDENTIALITY

In order for us to nurture an environment that supports artistic experimentation and risks, as well as make space for the variety of experiences and identities that we bring into the classroom, it is important to remember that the texts that we read and write are fundamentally grounded in the lived experiences of real people and as such we should treat them with respect. This means that any potentially sensitive information revealed in your essays should not be discussed outside of class and that I expect each of your to respond to the readings and workshop submissions with maturity, an open mind, and most importantly a willingness to be uncomfortable. I encourage you to think of your classmates less as adversaries to take down in a debate and more as collaborators working toward increasingly high levels of critical and artistic reading, writing, and thinking.

OFFICE HOURS, CONFERENCES, AND COMMUNICATION

I hold office hours on Mondays and Wednesday from 1:30-3pm in EPB 405. To find my office, go to the Nonfiction Writing Program suite on the fourth floor (there’s a sign that says “Essays” above the door), walk inside and, if you don’t find me in the main lounge, my office will be down the hall on your left. If you cannot make those hours, send me an email with your availability and we can figure out an alternate time to meet. Office hours are a great opportunity to get more in-depth feedback on your assignments, hash out ideas toward new drafts or revisions, and get clarification on certain texts and projects. Should you start composing an email to me and realize you’re typing multiple paragraphs, that’s a good indicator that you should come to office hours. I will not address questions about your grades over email.

Check your @uiowa.edu address and ICON regularly, and please note that I am unable to answer emails that are sent from addresses outside the University (gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc.). For the most part I’ll reply to your messages within 48 hours although it may take me longer on weekends. I encourage you to reach out to me with any questions or concerns you may have about the course. That being said, before emailing me about a course policy or assignment deadline, please refer to this syllabus first—likely your question has already been addressed here. Finally, please practice good email etiquette—complete sentences, professional tone, etc.

Within a few days after your first workshop you will be expected to schedule a conference with me to discuss the piece, your classmates’ comments, and your general experience of the workshop itself. These meetings should be a half-hour to an hour long, and please send me an email in advance of the meeting even if it is during my normal office hours.

 RESOURCES

COURSE CALENDAR

Be advised that this calendar is subject to change based on the needs of the class. Updates will be posted to ICON and shared in class. Reading and assignments (in hard-copy) are due on the date listed.

Week 1: Introductions

Week 2: Meditations on place and familiar objects (or, when a thing is more than just a thing)

Week 3: Workshop practice

Week 4: Interview and reportage

Week 5: Documentary poetics

Week 6: Writing as refuge

Week 7: Rupture, trauma, and writing narratives about violence

Week 8: Rants, raves, wants, and longing

Week 9: Dispatches

Week 10: Elegy, mourning, loss

Week 11: Making monuments and breaking monuments (or, the art of the profile)

Week 12: Personal is political, using the individual to access the collective

Week 13: Workshop

Week 14: Thanksgiving—NO CLASS

Week 15: Workshop

Week 16: Conclusions

Final Portfolios are due on ICON by MIDNIGHT on Monday, December 10th.