Things are winding down...

..So here are a few end of semester tips.

Remember, the final exam is scheduled for Tues. Dec. 12 10:45-1:15. To help you to really focus on developing your readings (and thus your final exam essays) in detail, I have decided that the final will cover only the three novels since the midterm: Dessa Rose, Middle Passage, and Beloved. The exam question will ask you to include each of these books in your answer. However, your answer should also demonstrate an awareness of the "big ideas" in our course going back to the beginning.

Next week's blog post/comments will be our last blog assignment for the semester. The deadlines and expectations are the same as always. While your final post can address the end of Morrison's Beloved, you can also use those last posts to wrap up some of the ideas in the course and to brainstorm about the final exam. As always, it may be helpful to think in terms of themes that have connected the texts--what might some of those be? I would also think in terms of each author's style--what is unique about each book, stylistically speaking? Remember that you don't want to merely describe what happens in each book. Instead, you want to ask yourself what each writer is "doing" in his/her novel? What message is he/she trying to communicate through his/her unique choices with respect to language, character, plot, setting, etc.?

A few quick announcements...

A few of you have asked whether I am making any changes to our blogging schedule for this week due to the upcoming holiday. I wasn't sure whether Tuesday was officially a day off, so I consulted the St. Rose academic calendar, which lists the Thanksgiving holiday as Nov. 22-24. Since Tuesday is a "school day," we'll stay with our usual schedule of posts due by 6:00 Sun. and comments by 6:00 Tuesday. However, to help classmates who may need to get their comments posted before traveling (and before the usual deadline), I would encourage everyone to get their posts up as soon as possible. If you're leaving campus before Tuesday, just be sure to do your comments a bit earlier.

Also, I'm returning your midterms before the break. I am posted a grading "key" to help people understand my system of evaluation.

As I explained in class, I am always looking for a strong grasp of both the themes of the course and of individual texts. I really want to see your interpretation of the texts; I am looking for analysis (vs. summary) and for detailed evidence to back up your assertions.

A: Demonstrates an excellent understanding of the texts discussed; includes in-depth, detailed analysis of these texts; offers a clear and well-argued answer to the exam question; includes an introduction and conclusion that make connections (comparisons and contrasts) across texts, and are not mere restatements of my question.

B: Demonstrates a good grasp of the texts and the issues discussed in class; gives a clear answer to the exam question. Uses examples from individual texts to back up own ideas.

C: Displays a basic understanding of the texts but lacks detail or depth. May be more summary than analysis. May lack a clear, definitive answer to the exam question.

D-F: Essay lacks a clear understanding of the texts and the issues of the course. May distort elements of the texts, suggesting inattention or incomplete reading. Weak or incoherent response to the exam question.

I am happy to answer your questions about your performance on the exam and to offer advice for the final. For obvious reasons, I cannot do this effectively through e-mail, so please schedule an appoinment if you'd like more feedback.

Blogs This Week

I thought the blog posts were really insightful and interesting this week; your grades reflect this. Kudos!

Now, this having been said, I've also noticed that more people were late with posts and/or comments. Thus I'm establishing a policy for late blogging. Any post submitted after the Sunday 6 p.m. deadline will be penalized 10 points. And no late posts will be accepted at all beyond the deadline for comments (Tuesday 6 p.m.). And no credit will be given for late comments, although you may still earn up to 50 points for the week on your post.

The philosophy behind these policies is that neither your classmates nor I will really have time to go back and read your late work. When the moment has passed, it's passed, and we need to keep forward momentum in this course. So everyone's good this week, but this policy will go into effect starting next week and for the rest of the semester.

Also, note that next week is the Columbus day holiday, so we'll have to make an adjustment for next week only. What I've decided is that you may just post your reading responses by Tuesday at 6 p.m., and we'll skip the comment part of the assignment this week. So your whole grade will be based on the post. Don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions about this.

Monday assignments

Just to remind everyone, you are blogging as usual on Monday's reading (the WPA slave narratives) in addition to finishing the prospectus to turn in on Monday. A few people had asked about this.

The Confessions of Nat Turner for 10/4

Some of you have mentioned difficulty finding the page numbers that you need for the novel _The Confessions of Nat Turner_. I checked with the Reserve desk and realized that they don't make my reserve form avaliable to students (this had the page numbers). So here's what you need to read/copy:

Author's Note; "To the Public"; Pt I 1-41 (end at sentence beginning with Justice...");
PtIII 387(start at "The sharp piney odor...")-415.

Please don't hesitate to let me know if there's further confusion. Don't forget to get the assigned essay "You've Taken My Nat and Gone" as well.

Success Stories

I’ve read your first blog posts and I have to say, they look pretty good. As a group, I found them to be fairly strong on the whole. To give you a sense of what I think worked especially well (and to alert you to techniques and approaches that you might wish to try in your own blogging), I give you these “success stories”:

* Andrea’s post is detailed and thoughtful. More importantly, she brings up a question that she felt the text to be raising (but not resolving). She zeros in on that line on p. 373, asking what Douglass really means when he talks about the brutalizing effects of slavery on slave masters. By doing this, she gives us a lot to think about—it’s a good question.

* Danielle’s post is excellent because it demonstrates real engagement with the text and real reflection at a personal level. You can see that she put considerable thought and energy into this post.

* Laurie took a different tack with the post by comparing Douglass and Equiano. She sketches broad connections between the two, and then offers specific passages from the Douglass text to illustrate her ideas in depth. This is a good because it shows specific attention to detail but also wider thinking across texts.

* In general, the posts that were most successful used passages from the text vs. speaking more generally. Some other students’ posts that stood out: Jenn, Ashlee, Liza, Merissa, and Vanessa.


So this gives you something else to think about as you read through and offer comment on this week’s blog posts. I am also happy to offer individual feedback as well—just ask. Weekly blog grades will be posted in your blackboard gradebook after the comments are completed.

Project Assignments

Here is the schedule for the presentations; I have assigned you a broad topic and a partner based on your preferences (when possible). Your next step is to meet with your partner and discuss a specific topic for your project. For instance, if you were assigned film, you need to choose a film that depicts slavery; some examples might be Beloved or Gone with the Wind.

The next deadline coming up is 10/2, when you must turn in your prospectus.

Mon., 11/27: Courtney Longton & Eric Bell: film
Danielle Scott, Rebecca Sarnecki, & Amanda Richards: television

Weds., 11/29: Laurie Byrnes & Ashlee Kronau: documentary film
Ariel Davis & Wendy Ulloa: African American actor depicting slave

Mon. 12/4: Mary Lewis & Vanessa Mann: poetry
Merissa Saburro & Shannon McAllister: children’s lit in elementary curriculum

Weds. 12/6: Jennifer Carey & Carey Foley: children’s lit
Andrea Griffin & Jessica Gist: visual arts

Mon. 12/11: Liza Sowle & Lacy Bartkey: young adult lit
Dianna Bolton & Scott Szeli: music