9 LULU DEWEY – HUMOR WRITING – 2019
The Art and Craft of Humor Writing
Instructor: Louisa (Lulu) Dewey
Required Texts:
Short readings posted each week on ICON (please bring a printed copy of each reading to class)
One Day We’ll All Be Dead by Scaachi Koul
Available at Prairie Lights Bookstore on Linn Street
Course Overview:
Humor is not just for entertainment. In our writing, it can serve as a powerful tool to drive our narratives, give depth to important moments, and create lasting relationships with our readers. But truly funny writing, the kind that makes us clutch our sides and howl with laughter, involves much more than just cracking a joke or landing the punchline. It’s about knowing when to push and when to ease up, where to provide release and when to pack on the suspense, and how to leverage the unexpected to leave your readers in stitches. In this course, we’ll look at writers who have made humor into an art form and dissect their writing to see what makes it tick. We’ll discuss the many merits of comedy and learn how to craft our own hilarious essays along the way.
Course Objectives:
The point of this class is to read, interpret, analyze, discuss, and write humorous essays. We’ll also work together to define what constitutes humorous writing. Throughout the semester, you’ll be engaging in dialogue with your classmates to brainstorm, define, and mold your ideas of what it means for writing to be humorous. You’ll earn grades for those discussions, for a presentation on a funny “essay” of your choosing, and for a series of humor-driven essays that we workshop as a class.
Course Expectations:
This is a reading and writing intensive course and requires that you diligently read and write throughout the whole of the semester.
I expect you to come to class with a deep reading of the assigned texts, whether they are from established authors or from your classmates; your own independent thoughts, questions, and interpretations; and the desire to discuss those ideas and questions with your peers.
Many weeks, we will engage in a Writing Lab, where you’ll get a prompt from me and in-class time to begin working on an essay that you could potentially submit for workshop. I expect that you take this time seriously and dedicate yourself to the writing process.
Collaborative discussion and engaged participation characterize this course. Both students and myself as your teacher will contribute significantly to the learning community in classroom conversations, workshops, and our written work. This approach aims to cultivate creativity, encourages personal initiative, and expects caring consideration toward everyone in the class. Thank you for demonstrating compassion and respect toward all class members and their perspectives, identities, and positions. This is a space for you to curiously and freely explore ideas, some of which can generate controversy.
Attendance:
You may miss two classes excused or unexcused—but will not be able to “make up” any missed work. If you anticipate that you will miss class for some reason, please just shoot me a quick email noting that you will miss class and why. No matter what it is that’s causing you to miss class, it’s very helpful for me to know that you will not be in attendance.
Technology Policy:
During class discussions and activities, laptops and cell phones should be put away unless otherwise instructed. Keep in mind that your participation grade will be adversely impacted by inappropriate use of technology during class time.
Assignments:
ICON Posts – 15% of Final Grade
Part of this course will involve taking part in a collaborative, creative experiment. Starting in Week 2, you will have an ICON post due by midnight on the Wednesday before class (in the first case, September 4). We’ll be working together to figure out if we can come to a consensus about two pressing matters:
- What constitutes humorous writing?
- What makes something funny?
I’ll open up discussion boards for each week, and you’ll be responsible for posting a thought, a question, an imposition, a quid pro quo (anything!), on ICON to contribute to this discussion. Some weeks, we’ll bring the discussion into the classroom to challenge and hone each other’s perceptions. At the end of the semester, we’ll see if we can come up with concrete answers to these two questions as a class. This will be the chance for open discussion, energized debate, civil disagreement, creativity, and intellectual collaboration.
Workshopped Essays (Final Portfolio) – 15% Each, Totaling 30% of Final Grade
Each of you will produce two five-to-fifteen-page original, creative, humorous (in whatever way you define) essays. These will be works of nonfiction prose. You will bring a copy for each person in the class one week ahead of your assigned workshop date. These essays can take whatever shape you want them to be. They can be heavily researched, journalistic, personal, observational, performative, lyrical, etc.! There are no limits on style or form, with the caveat that you should be attempting to write humorously in your own way (which, of course, means you’re also allowed to fail at that task). We will be doing a considerable amount of prompted, in-class writing this semester, and you should be using those days as breeding grounds for the essays you share with the class.
You will schedule a meeting with me in the first few weeks of class to discuss possible topics for your creative essays. I’ll give you the green light and you should get into the practice of regularly writing and thinking about your essay topics. This is the time for you to have fun, challenge yourself, and try writing something in a new or different way.
At the close of the semester, you’ll turn in your two revised essays, as well as a 1-page reflection as part of a final portfolio. This will be due Monday, December 16th.
Presentations – 25% of Final Grade
In pairs of two, you will sign up to give one presentation about the week’s assigned reading, providing some background on the piece, any relevant information about the author, and what reception the piece/the author has received (if any). You’ll also come up with 2-3 questions to pose to the class about the piece that will help us to facilitate discussion. These presentations should be 10-15 minutes long.
Class Participation – 25% of Final Grade
I will objectively grade your presence in class each day by taking roll, and I will grade your contribution subjectively by making note of how present, active, and interesting you are in class. And I do mean interesting. I want to hear new, exciting, personal, creative ideas about how you interpret these texts.
If you actively participate—talking in discussion, showing that you’ve read, demonstrating independent thought, asking questions, being kind and respectful to your fellow students—you’ll be successful in this course. It is important to note that simply talking “a lot” does not guarantee you a better grade.
Skip class, and you get a zero for the day. During your workshop feedback meetings, you may feel free to discuss your participation grade with me.
Workshop Responses – 5% of Final Grade
A thoughtful letter responding to, supporting, and critiquing your classmates’ essays, at least one paragraph in length, written or typed, for each essay you workshop. Graded for completion, one point for each workshop that is not your own.
Grade Breakdown
| ICON Posts – 15% |
| Final Portfolio – 30% |
| Presentations – 25% |
| Class Participation – 25% |
| Workshop Responses – 5% |
| TOTAL – 100% |
Grades:
For Creative Work
{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 so that the work improves over time and reflects skills gained in the course of the class. 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 his or her writing and can make some choices about revision. Risks are taken, some may be more successful and resonant than others, but they show an attempt to serve the work.
{C} Competent 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. Overall the work does not show a full commitment to receiving and incorporating feedback.
{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.
A—F scale based on performance in the grade categories detailed above.
A+:98-100 B+: 87-89 C+: 77-79 D+: 67-69 F: 59 and below
A:93-97 B:83-86 C:73-76 D: 63-66
A-:90-92 B-: 80-82 C-: 70-72 D-: 60-62
Course Calendar:
Titles listed underneath dates will be discussed on that day. Come prepared with notes and points to discuss during that day.
All items on the calendar are subject to change.
*****
WEEK ONE
Monday, August 26
Who the heck are you people? Also, the syllabus.
Wednesday, August 28
“Lightness” and “Quickness” from Six Memos for the New Millennium by Italo Calvino (on ICON)
Friday, August 30
“On the Pleasure of Hating,” William Hazlitt (on ICON)
Writing Lab – Love / Hate
WEEK TWO
Monday, September 2
Labor Day– NO CLASS
Wednesday, September 4
“Why I’d Rather Live Alone,” Samantha Irby (on ICON)
“George Will vs. Nick Hornby,” Chuck Klosterman (on ICON)
Presentation by ____________ & _______________
Friday, September 6
Writing Lab – Building a Persona
WEEK THREE
Monday, September 9
“A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again,” David Foster Wallace (on ICON)
Presentation by ____________ & _______________
Wednesday, September 11
David Sedaris, selections from Me Talk Pretty One Day (on ICON)
Presentation by ____________ & _______________
Friday, September 13
Writing Lab – Humorous Narratives
WEEK FOUR
Monday, September 16
“The Doctor Is a Woman,” Sloane Crosley (on ICON)
Presentation by ____________ & _______________
Wednesday, September 18
“I Shit My Pants in the South of France,” Jonathan Ames (on ICON)
Presentation by ____________ & _______________
Friday, September 20
Writing Lab – Bodily Humor
WEEK FIVE
Monday, September 23
Workshop day!
1.____________________ 2. ____________________
Wednesday, September 25
Workshop day!
1.____________________ 2. ____________________
Friday, September 27
Workshop day!
1.____________________ 2. ____________________
WEEK SIX
Monday, September 30
Workshop day!
1.____________________ 2. ____________________
Wednesday, October 2
Workshop day!
1.____________________ 2. ____________________
Friday, October 4
Workshop day!
1.____________________ 2. ____________________
WEEK SEVEN
Monday, October 7
Workshop day!
1.____________________ 2. ____________________
Wednesday, October 9
Workshop day!
1.____________________ 2. ____________________
Friday, October 11
Workshop day!
1.____________________ 2. ____________________
WEEK EIGHT
Monday, October 14
Chapter from Heavy, Kiese Laymon (on ICON)
“Eat, Memory,” David Wong Louie (on ICON)
Presentation by ____________ & _______________
Wednesday, October 16
“My 1980s” excerpted from My 1980s, Wayne Koestenbaum (on ICON)
Presentation by ____________ & _______________
Friday, October 18
Writing Lab – Humor & Pain
WEEK NINE
Monday, October 21
One Day We’ll All Be Dead, Scaachi Koul Day 1
Presentation by ____________ & _______________
Wednesday, October 23
One Day We’ll All Be Dead, Scaachi Koul Day 2
Friday, October 25
One Day We’ll All Be Dead, Scaachi Koul Day 3
WEEK TEN
Monday, October 28
“The Case Against Babies,” Joy Williams (on ICON)
Presentation by ____________ & _______________
Wednesday, October 30
“A Modest Proposal,” Jonathan Swift (on ICON)
Presentation by ____________ & _______________
Friday, November 1
Writing Lab – Satire
WEEK ELEVEN
Monday, November 4
Elena Passarello, selections from Animals Strike Curious Poses (on ICON)
Presentation by ____________ & _______________
Wednesday, November 6
Matthew Gavin Frank, selections from The Mad Feast (on ICON)
Friday, November 8
Writing Lab – Playfulness
WEEK TWELVE
Monday, November 11
“Prepare Ye,” Kevin Roose (on ICON)
Presentation by ____________ & _______________
Wednesday, November 13
Writing Lab – Immersion
Friday, November 15
Workshops!
1.____________________ 2. ____________________
WEEK THIRTEEN
Monday, November 18
Workshops!
1.____________________ 2. ____________________
Wednesday, November 20
Workshops!
1.____________________ 2. ____________________
Friday, November 22
Workshops!
1.____________________ 2. ____________________
WEEK FOURTEEN
Thanksgiving Break!
WEEK FIFTEEN
Monday, December 2
Workshops!
1.____________________ 2. ____________________
Wednesday, December 4
Workshops!
- ____________________ 2. ____________________
Friday, December 6
Workshops!
1.____________________ 2. ____________________
WEEK SIXTEEN
Monday, December 9
Workshops!
1.____________________ 2. ____________________
Wednesday, December 11
Workshops!
1.____________________ 2. ____________________
Friday, December 13
Last day of class!