22 IAN SHANK – HUMOR WRITING – 2020

Art and Craft of Humor Writing

MWF 12:30-1:20 p.m., Zoom Town, USA

Instructor: Ian Shank

Course Supervisor: Bonnie Sunstein

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION

“Are you afraid you have an underdeveloped—or nonexistent—sense of humor?” Did you know that “Humor can be learned”? Are you aware that the staff of the Mayo Clinic––the #1 ranked hospital in the nation––has, in addition to the above, written that laughter is “no joke” the “best medicine,” that it can “stimulate many organs” by “enhancing your intake of oxygen-rich air,” and that we should all “go ahead and give it a try”?

Per the recommendation of Minnesota’s finest doctors, we WILL give it a try. Over the course of the semester, we’ll explore the different ways humor is used across a wide range of genres––from personal essays, to history, to criticism––as both a literary tool and a goal unto itself. We’ll also look at the way that form, audience, and persona shape the way we engage with humor, both as readers and writers of creative nonfiction. Along the way, we’ll take our cues from some of history’s most incisive humorists and use what we learn to craft humorous essays of our own.

 

COURSE DELIVERY

This class will be online. On Mondays and Wednesdays, we’ll learn synchronously (i.e. attending class over Zoom). On Fridays, we’ll split between synchronous and asynchronous learning (i.e. working from home). I’ve highlighted asynchronous days in yellow in our Major Assignments Calendar on page five.

 

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Explore the World of Creative Nonfiction

Maybe you’re totally new to creative nonfiction. Maybe you’re kinda new to creative nonfiction. Maybe you are and have always been so obsessively dedicated to creative nonfiction that certain persons in your life have worried aloud about your future job prospects and/or general wellbeing. Regardless of your background, my first priority is that everyone leaves this class with a deeper understanding of the genre. This need not translate to liking everything we encounter (though I sure hope you do) or even liking creative nonfiction in general (though I extra surely hope you do) but simply using this class to read widely, grow your knowledge, and better pinpoint your literary tastes.

 

Murder Frogs

As E.B. White once wrote, “Explaining a joke is like dissecting a frog. You understand it better, but the frog dies in the process.” Fair enough. Over the course of the semester, we will, accordingly, strive to massacre untold scores of proverbial frogs in explaining how humor is working across a variety of nonfiction forms. In doing so, my hope is that you leave this class not only better able to articulate what makes something funny––or, just as importantly, not––but also more aware of the many different means of building and using humor to enrich your writing.

 

Refine Your Sense of Humor

But, like, in a number of different modes, to a number of different ends. That is: I want you to approach the writing you do in this class, first and foremost, as an opportunity to experiment; to not only stretch yourself to imagine different ways of writing humor, but also different ways of using that humor in service to goals both humorous and not. If you author some heart-clutching hilarity along the way, more power to you. But I’ll always value growth over how well you land a punchline.

COURSE EXPECTATIONS

Jokes temporarily aside: for this class to succeed it is essential that we hold ourselves to the highest standards of respect. With that in mind, you are forbidden to keep yourself from asking a question because you fear it will sound stupid or obvious. It follows that I also forbid any behavior that would make anyone else in the class feel attacked or the subject of ridicule, particularly on the basis of identity. Take care to remember your classmates’ pronouns and how to pronounce their names. Do not repeat slurs or hate speech even if they appear in the texts we are discussing. Be willing, most of all, to learn from each other. Most importantly: in this class we will treat others not as we wish to be treated, but as they wish to be treated. If you ever feel the class is not living up to this promise––and especially if I am not living up to this promise––I would ask that you please write me directly so that we can repair the harm together.

 

REQUIRED TEXTS TO BE PURCHASED

There are none. Lucky you! If you catch yourself staring forlornly at your empty book bag, don’t despair: almost all of our readings this semester can be found in books (many of them physical!) which you are free to track down at Prairie Lights, the moldering ruins of a Barnes & Noble, or the ever-metastasizing empire of Jeff Bezos. Should you desire guidance in making such a purchase/quest, I am at your service.

 

READINGS

They are all available on ICON, generally in PDF format, often scanned by my own hand. No, you are not required to print them. That said, you are still required to do the readings by the day on which we’ll discuss them, and should generally expect to do 40-80 pages of reading per week. I promise the texts are fun/good/interesting/instructive and that I spent a lot of time picking them. So, you know, do the reading. Class will be boring and pointless if you don’t. Again––I cannot stress this enough––do the reading.

 

WORKSHOPPING

Twice a semester (i.e. for Essay #1 & #2) your writing will be “workshopped.” We’ll talk more about what this means as the first one approaches, but the gist is this: for one half of one class period (so twenty minutes) the entire class will discuss your work to give you a sense of what’s working, what stands to be improved, and how you might approach a revision. As a writer, your job is to turn your work in on time (everyone’s pieces will be turned in on the same day) and come to class ready to listen and take notes on my and your peers’ feedback. As a workshop participant, your job is to read each workshop submission twice before class (we’ll do two workshops per day) and come ready to share your ideas and comments. Because these workshops will be very brief, and because this will be many of your first workshop experiences, my goal is to keep the vibe mostly in the territory of Encouraging Group Brainstorming.

 

LATE WORK, ABSENCES, AND EXTENSIONS

Oh buddy. Let me start by saying: if you feel sick, for the love of gosh stay home. Otherwise, you are expected to turn in your work on time, and should shoot to miss no more than two classes over the semester. Extensions can be discussed in exceptional circumstances but will usually not be granted at the last minute. Please consult the assignment descriptions on the next page for further details.

 

Grade Breakdown Part I: Nuts and Bolts

Participation                                                                25%

Presentation                                                                 15%

Mini Essays                                                                 15%

Essay #1                                                                      10%

Essay #2                                                                      15%

Final Portfolio                                                             20%

Grade Breakdown Part II: Notably Nuttier and Boltier

Participation (25%):

Allow me to preempt the question that haunts this large and mysterious chunk of your grade: if you are hoping that I am going to reveal a sophisticated algorithm that objectively quantifies your class contributions, I am sorry to report that this technology continues to elude us, or at least those of us that break out in a cold sweat at the very mention of the word “algorithm.” Here’s what I can tell you: I will take attendance every day, and if you have more than a couple unexcused absences, your participation grade will suffer. I can also tell you that I’ll be paying particularly close attention to your participation during workshops, that “participating” is any behavior that raises the level of discourse, and that I’ll give you a sense of how you’re faring about halfway through the semester. In short: if you do the readings, come to class ready to listen, learn, and share, all will be swell.

 

Presentation (15%)

Once during the semester, you and a partner will kick off our discussion of the day’s readings by giving a brief presentation on the author of those very readings. This need not be A Big Deal––we’re talking 10-15 minutes max, skewing hard in the direction of 10 minutes––in which you provide some of the writer’s personal bio, an overview of their major works/themes/literary influences/critical reception, some articulation of their particular brand/use of humor, and whatever other miscellaneous information you find pertinent. Once we get the first one out of the way I promise this will all become very formulaic very fast.

 

Mini Essays (15%)

Five times over the semester, I’ll assign you a “Mini Essay” that will give you a chance to try some of the humorous forms/approaches that we’ve studied the week before. By “Mini,” I mean that this “essay” will be 1-2 pages long (either in toto or as the beginning to a longer piece). In case you’re now in mid-cardiac arrest at the prospect of such regular, compulsory tomfoolery, allow me to chew some baby aspirin on your behalf: a big reason for the speed and number of these deadlines is (ironically) to keep each Mini Essay as low stakes/stress as possible. Let me spell this out even more clearly: for each essay, if you hit at least 300 words, you’ll get 100%. If an essay is partially complete, you’ll get 50%. You are also allowed to skip one Mini Essay at no penalty. Because Mini Essays will essentially be pass/fail––and also because I don’t want you spending tons of time agonizing over these––extensions will be given only under extraordinary circumstances.

 

Essay #1 (10%)

4-6 pages, building off one of your first three Mini Essays. Because you will all be turning in on the same day, and because I want to ensure everyone has adequate time to read and comment on submissions, it is essential that we all meet the same deadline. When the times comes, you will upload your piece to BOTH the assignment section on ICON (for me to grade) AND the designated discussion board on ICON (for your peers to read). Failure to do so will result in a penalty of a letter grade for each late day. This also applies to Essay #2.

 

Essay #2 (15%)

Again, 4-6 pages, building off any Mini Essay except the one expanded upon for Essay #1. OR: if you’re tired of Mini Essays, you can opt out of Mini Essays #4-5 by instead demonstrating progress towards a longer (5-7 pages) research-forward piece for Essay #2.

 

Final Portfolio (20%)

You Final Portfolio will have five parts: your two strongest Mini Essays (as judged by you), a revision of Essay #1 or #2, the original draft of your revised essay, and a brief letter of reflection about your revision/selection process.

Grade Breakdown Part III: Nuttiest Nuts and Boltiest Bolts 

I will determine final grades on the University’s A-F grade scale (see below) with A as the highest possible grade. Given that this is, you know, a creative writing class, your final grade will depend overwhelmingly on the creative writing you produce. That said, as mentioned before, I will always strive to prioritize effort and growth over ability. If I see you working hard to improve––participating in class, coming to office hours, putting in the time to revise and reflect thoughtfully––you will be fine. By contrast, if you intend to skate by on talent alone, I should hope that you are very talented indeed.

A: 93-100%	B+: 87-89%	C+: 77-79%	D+: 67-69%	F: 59% or below
A-: 90-92%	B: 83-86%	C: 73-76%	D: 63-66%
	B-: 80-82%	C-: 70-72%	D-: 60-62%

My more granular grading policy is as follows:

 

A: Excellent work that shows initiative and sophistication that goes beyond general expectations. The writing is well crafted and reflects a commitment to the creative process. The writer is capable of analyzing, reflecting and revising. The writer takes risks in service to the work.

B: Strong work. The writing is well crafted and demonstrates that the writer is engaged with the creative process in ways that are above average. The writer demonstrates attempts to reflect and analyze their writing and can make some choices about revision. Risks are taken (some may be more successful and resonant than others) but all show an attempt to serve the work.

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. Some risks might be taken, but they may not be in service to the work.

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

F. Unacceptable work. It exhibits fundamental problems which consistently go unaddressed or ignored. The work is frequently incomplete. Writing that does not represent the writer’s original work will get an F.

 

Accessing Your Grades:

All grading will take place on ICON, which you will be able to access at any point in the semester. Please write me if you have questions about your grade in the course.

 

PLAGIARISM

Plagiarism is the unattributed recycling of others’ words or ideas and constitutes intellectual theft. CLAS has a uniform policy for proceeding when students plagiarize. That academic honesty code is available at http://clas.uiowa.edu/students/handbook/academic-fraud-honor-code.

 

That’s technical talk. Here’s the simple way of saying it: DON’T PLAGIARIZE. Quote information correctly when you’re taking it from another source. Don’t purchase essays—it’s a waste of money, and even more embarrassing when you’re inevitably caught. Not sure if you’re plagiarizing? Just ask me to help––that’s what I’m here for.

MAJOR ASSIGNMENT CALENDAR

	Monday	Wednesday	Friday
Week 1 1/25–1/29	Welcome	Syllabus	Class Contract
Week 2 2/1-2/5			Assign Mini Essay #1
Week 3 2/8–2/12			Turn in Mini Essay #I Assign Mini Essay #2
Week 4 2/15-2/19	Sullivan Presentation		Turn in Mini Essay #2 Assign Mini Essay #3
Week 5 2/22-2/26	Sedaris Presentation		Turn in Mini Essay #3
Week 6 3/1-3/5	Irby Presentation	Brosh Presentation	Turn in Essay #1 Assign Mini Essay #4
Week 7 3/8-3/12	Workshop!	Workshop!	Workshop!
Week 8 3/15–3/19	Workshop!	Workshop!	Workshop!
Week 9 3/22–3/26	Workshop!	Workshop!	Workshop! Turn in Mini Essay #4 Assign Mini Essay #5
Week 10 3/29-4/2	Ka.ling Presentation	Passarello Presentation	Turn in Mini Essay #5
Week 11 4/5–4/9	Batmnan Presentation	Lockwood Presentation	Essay #2 Meetings
Week 12 4/12-4/16	Essay #2 Meetings	Turn in Essay #2	Workshop!
Week 13 4/19–4/23	NO CLASS	Workshop!	Workshop!
Week 14 4/26–4/30	Workshop!	Workshop!	Workshop!
Week 15 5/3–5/7	Workshop!	Workshop!	Turn In Final Portfolio

 

 

Week 1: Welcome Week (1/25–1/29)

Monday January 25                Who the heck are you people?

 

Wednesday January 27        Syllabus & Signups

 

Friday January 29                   “There is No Secret to Writing About People Who Do Not Look Like You,” Brandon Taylor “Yes, Make Coronavirus Jokes,” Tom McTague “Political Correctness Isn’t Killing Comedy,” Rebecca Krefting

 

Week 2: Intro to Prose & Parody (2/1-2/5)

Monday February 1                “Joy,” Zadie Smith “How Do We Write Now,” Patricia Lockwood

 

Wednesday February 3           “18 Reasons To Quit Your Job and Come to Australia,” Buzzfeed “7 Reasons To Quit Your Job And Travel The World, Maybe Swinging Through Indonesia To Help Me Climb Out Of This Quarry,” Clickhole “21st Century Cooler That’s Actually Cooler,” Kickstarter

“Help Me Follow My Sister into the Land of the Dead,” Carmen Maria Machado

 

Friday February 5                   “One-Star Yelp Reviews of Heaven,” Jay Martel “College Application Essay Prompts for the 2020-2021 Cycle,” Eric Shan

 

Week 3: Intro to Satire & Persona (2/8-2/12)

Monday February 8                “Flattening the Truth on Coronavirus,” Dave Eggers

“Now Introducing Personal Protective Gear––For Him!,” Alexandra Petri “Your University is Here to Help by Offering You More Ways to Pay Your Full, Unreduced Tuition,” McSweeney’s

 

Wednesday February 10         “In Which I Fix My Girlfriend’s Grandparent’s Wifi and am Hailed as a Conquering Hero,” McSweeney’s

“Fuck Everything, We’re Doing Five Blades,” The Onion

“It’s Decorative Gourd Season, Motherfuckers,” “In Drafts,” McSweeney’s

 

Friday February 12  Turn in Mini Essay #1: Formal Parody

 

Week 4: Travel Humor (2/15–2/19)

Monday February 15              “A Rough Guide to Disney,” “Upon This Rock,” John Jeremiah Sullivan

Presentation: John Jeremiah Sullivan By __________

 

Wednesday February 17         “I Went to Disney World,” Graeme Wood

“Shipping Out,” David Foster Wallace

 

Friday February 19            Turn in Mini Essay #2: Rants and Raves

Week 5: FamilyHumor (2/22–2/26)

Monday February 22              “You Can’t Kill the Rooster,” “Genetic Engineering,” “I’ll Eat What He’s Wearing,” “Repeat After Me,” David Sedaris

Presentation: David Sedaris by __________

 

Wednesday February 24         “A Man and His Cat,” Tim Kreider; “Boys,” Rick Moody

 

Friday February 26                 Turn in Mini Essay #3: A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again

 

Week 6: Painful Humor (3/1–3/5)

Monday March 1                    “A Total Attack of the Heart,” “A Blues for Fred,” “Yo, I Need a Job,” Samantha Irby

Presentation: Samantha Irby By _____________

 

Wednesday March 3               CW: Descriptions of Suicidal Ideation

“Adventures in Depression,” “Depression Part Two,” Allie Brosh

Presentation: Allie Brosh By ____________

 

Friday March 5                       Turn in Essay #1

 

Week 7: Workshop! (3/8–3/12)

Monday March 8                 ___________

 

Wednesday March 10          ___________

 

Friday March 12           ___________

 

Week 8: Workshop! (3/15–3/19)

Monday March 15                 ___________

 

Wednesday March 17         ___________

 

Friday March 19                     ___________

 

Week 9: Workshop! (3/22–3/26)

Monday March 22                   ___________

 

Wednesday March 24         ___________

 

Friday March 26                   ___________

Turn in MiniEssay #4: GrowingPains

Week 10: Imaginary Humor (3/29–4/2)

Monday March 29                  “How I Write,” “Revenge Fantasies While Jogging,” “Coming This Fall,” “A Perfect Courtship in My Alternate Life,” Mindy Kaling

Presentation:  ___________

 

Wednesday March 31             “Lancelot,” “Koko,” “Mike,” Elena Passarello

Presentation: Elena Passarello By  ___________

 

Friday April 2                         Turn in Mini Essay #5: Flights of Fancy

 

Week 11: Critical Humor (4/5–4/9)

Monday April 5                      “The Possessed: Introduction,” “Who Killed Tolstoy?”, Elif Batuman

Presentation: Elif Batuman  ___________

 

Wednesday April 7                 CW: Descriptions of Sexual Assault “Malfunctioning Sex Robot,” “Rape Joke,” Patricia Lockwood

 

Presentation: Patricia Lockwood By ___________

 

Friday April 9                         Essay #2 Meetings

 

Week 12: Final Workshop Preparation Week(ish)––Turn in Essay #2

Wednesday, April 14

 

Friday April 16                       ___________

 

Week 13: Workshop! (4/19–4/23)

Wednesday April 21             ___________

 

Friday April 23                       ___________

 

Week 14: Workshop! (4/26–4/30)

Monday April 26                   ___________

 

Wednesday April 28           ___________

 

Friday April 30                       ___________

 

Week 15: Workshop! (5/3–5/7)

Monday May 3                       ___________

 

Wednesday May 5               ___________

 

Friday May 7                          Last Class!

 

Turn in Final Portfolio