(This syllabus is divided into the seven-day A-G schedule cycles)
IN CLASS
Day B will generally focus on skills that we need to learn
Day C will be a workshop day
Day E will be a Read & Respond Day
Days F & G will generally allow us to brainstorm and write new material, OR revise our finished works
OTHER HOMEWORK
Jan 22-30 – INTRO & MEMOIR
Workshop (Day C): N/A
Read & Respond (Day E): Finding a Wife by Gary Soto and Pictures of my Father by Marion Winik
Something New (Due Day A by 2:00 PM): Memoir #1 – 2.5 pages minimum, double spaced
Jan 31 – Feb 9 – The Untrustworthy Storyteller
Workshop (Day C): Group 1 (Memoir)
Read & Respond (Day E): L’Épée de Damocles (The Sword of Damocles) by Roxane Gay
Something New (Due Day A by 2:00 PM): Memoir #1 – 3 pages minimum, double spaced
Feb 12-27 (TRANSITION FROM MEMOIR INTO FICTION – VIGNETTE)
Workshop (Day C): Group 2 (Memoir)
Something New due on Day A
Read & Respond (Day E): Hands & Paper Pills by Sherwood Anderson
Something New (Due Day A by 2:00 PM): Short Story #1 – 3 pages minimum, double-spaced
Feb 28 – March 8 – DEVELOPING CHARACTER
Workshop (Day C): Group 3 (Short fiction)
Read & Respond (Day E): The Invisible Japanese Gentlemen by Graham Greene
Something New (Due Day A by 2:00 PM): Short Story #2 — Vignette – 1.5 pages MAXIMUM, double spaced
IN CLASS (Day G): Revision day
March 9-19 – HORROR
Revision (Day B): Revision of workshop piece due today
Workshop (Day C): Group 1 (short fiction)
Read & Respond (Day E): Popsy by Stephen King
Something New (Due Day A by 2:00 PM): Short Story #3 – SCARE FICTION 3 pages min, double spaced
Mar 20-28 – SATIRE (TRANSITION INTO POETRY)
Workshop (Day C): Group 2 (short fiction, preferably scare fiction)
Read & Respond (Day E): The Boarded Window by Ambrose Bierce
Coyote v. Acme by Ian Frazier (Spring ’18… ignore this link… respond to The Boarded Window above…)
Something New (Due Day A by 2:00 PM): Short Story #4 – SATIRE – 2 pages minimum, double spaced
March 29 – April 9 – INTRO TO POETRY
Workshop (Day C): Group 3 (Short fiction, preferably scare fiction or satire)
Read & Respond (Day E): Pylons & The Springboard (PLEASE NOTE: For poetry responses, please bring in a FULLY annotated copy of the poems – if you did not receive a copy in class, please email me. CLICK HERE to go to my page that details the difference between a thorough and a weak poetry annotation)
Something New (Due Day A by 2:00 PM): Poem #1 – 20-line minimum (not insanely short lines, please)
IN CLASS (Day G): Revision day
April 10-25 – SONNETS & METER
Revision (Day B): Revision of second workshop piece due today
Workshop (Day C): Group 1 (poetry)
Read & Respond (Day E): Fairy-Tale Logic, On the Archaic Torso of Apollo, and Design (CLICK HERE for sample poetry markups)
Something New (Due Day A by 2:00 PM): Poem #2 – 20-line minimum
April 26 – May 4 – FREE VERSE
Revision (Day B): Two completed revisions due today
Workshop (Day C): Group 2
Read & Respond (Day E): The Gift and Names of Horses. (CLICK HERE for sample poetry markups)
Something New (Due Day A by 2:00 PM): Poem #3 – 20-line minimum (not insanely short lines, please)
May 7-15 – HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR WORK
Workshop (Day C): Group 3
Read & Respond (Day E): Facing It and Another Feeling – Maybe? We may have to change gears… (CLICK HERE for sample poetry markups)
Something New (Due Day A by 2:00 PM): Nothing new – instead, bring in a completed second draft
IN CLASS (Day G): Revision day
May 16 – End of year…
Revision (Day B): Revision of workshop piece due today
IN CLASS (Day B): Revision day
Workshop (Day C): N/A – instead, bring in a completed second draft
Read & Respond (Day E) – N/A
FINAL PORTFOLIO DUE: TBD (The day of our final)