Professor Natalia Singer
Office: 7 University, Room 105
Office hours: Wednesday, 2-4:15 (drop-ins, no appointments needed)
Phone: 315-229-5898
e-mail: nsinger@stlawu.edu
Class Mentors
Kat Brooks (webmaster and more): 6336
Office hours: Tuesday 7-9 p.m. and Sunday 8:30-11 p.m., Whitman 252 (Kat's room)
and Friday 3-5 p.m., Whitman computer lab (169)
Sara Campos: 6796
Office hours: Sunday 7-10 p.m., ODY and by appointment
Kat lives in Whitman; Sara lives in Sykes; they will post their hours early
in the semester. They have been hired to help you on any written or oral assignment.
They have both taken this class and know what it takes to do well. They will
be reading your field notebooks each week and giving you advice on how to do
better, and they will help you with brainstorming early drafts and revising
later drafts. They are excellent writers and thinkers and doers. Kat is also
the one who will teach you how to do Dreamweaver and she’ll be assigning
you some work to complete your web pages
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Class Times and Location
Monday, 1:15 to
4:15, ODY 145, or in the field
Wednesday, 12 to 1:30, ODY 145, and computer labs (t.b.a.)
Meeting place for field trips: Vilas Parking Lot
Course Description
This seminar is for students who love to write. We’ll begin reading and
writing short memoir pieces that focus first on growing up and travel. Then
we’ll shift our focus to our shared community of the North Country and
try our hand at writing about this odd and interesting place as literary journalists
in residence. We’ll begin with a trip to the Cornell Cooperative Extension
to visit Harley, the 800-pound pig, and other friendly barnyard animals, while
our host, Betsy Hodge, gives us some background on the North Country farming
community. Our trip to the Frederic Remington Art Museum in Ogdensburg will
give us a taste of at least one artist’s creative renderings of the North
Country; the Canton town historian, Linda Casserly, will take us on a historical
walking tour; and a naturalist named Peter O’Shea will teach us how to
identify animal tracks and local trees on a snow-shoeing excursion at Lampson
Falls. Students will work in teams of four on these trips to conduct interviews,
do historical research, write “Talk of the Town” pieces (in the
literary style of The New Yorker), as well as construct web pages that
combine digital photography, sound clips, and reportage. We will also, as a
group, visit a local farmer and auctioneer, Roger Huntley, who will show us
both his sugar shack and his museum of local curiosities. For final projects,
individual students will write profiles of other North Country haunts and people
they discover on their own. In addition, students will present their final profiles
orally, in monologues, group performances, or mock interview format.
Texts
Required:
Me Talk Pretty One Day, by David Sedaris
Project Girl, by Janet McDonald
The Fun of It: Stories from The Talk of the Town, edited by Lillian
Ross
Angela the Upside-Down Girl, by Emily Hiestand
The Great South Woods: Rambles of an Adirondack Naturalist, by Peter
V. O’Shea Jr.
Recommended:
The Bullfighter Checks her Makeup, by Susan Orlean
Handouts: readings on Cornell Cooperative Extension and North
Country agriculture; “The Town Friendliness Built” (Canton history),
“The Man & The Myth” (on the life and work of Frederic Remington);
misc. profiles to be announced.
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Writing Assignments (And How Much They are Worth,
Grade-Wise)
1. A short memoir, 2-3 pages long, which will be performed
aloud on 1/27
(due 1/27 and revised for Midterm Portfolio, due 3/10). 10%
2. Annotated Bibliography 1 and Profile Precis: Select two to three scholarly sources, preferably journal articles (not books), that fit the “Profile” topic you have selected. Summarize the main points of these articles, emphasizing the aspects of the articles that relate directly to your topic. Summarize the main theses/arguments in the articles. This means that you do not tell us what they are about; summarize them directly in 150 words per article. Attach Profile Precis to this. It should include the name and phone number of your contact person, research trips planned, transportation logistics worked out, and any other relevant details. (due Feb 26)
3. Annotated Bibliography and Profile Angle 2 Do enough more annotations from popular, alternative or web, and scholarly topics related to your profile to have a total of five, with some from each of the above categories (when added to the ones you did already) Discuss, in a brief paragraph, your angle for your profile-in-progress. (due March 28) (1 and 2 together) 5%
4. Revised Annotated Bibliography 2, with the seven to ten sources you intend to quote (with good balance between scholarly, alternative or web, and popular sources, plus cited personal interviews with more than one person) (due April 9) 5%
5. Field Notes/Reading Notes/Research Log. During the semester you’ll be asked to keep a journal, which will include field notes for every field trip, reading notes for both the assigned texts and the articles you read to do your research, and a record of each ODY print-out as you go to the library to find more sources. This will be on-going, and will be due every Wednesday. For field notes, in addition to always including reading notes and interview questions informed by the reading, always write at least two pages of a) quotes from interviewees (to supplement what you tape record), physical descriptions of the people and place you encounter, and any facts you pick up; be sure, also, to check spelling of each name you come across during the field work. (on-going every Wednesday beginning Feb 5) 10%
6. Talk of the Town. A short, 500-700 word literary journalistic profile of a place we visit in February as a group, in the style of The New Yorker’s “The Talk of the Town.” These “Talks” must include good physical description of the setting, quotes from interviewees, and some factual research related to the topic, including the assigned readings I give you to prepare for the trip. The various Talks will be used as text, or edited into one Talk, for the group web pages. See below for a contact list for Talks. You are required to quote from one of these people in your Talk. (first draft due the Monday after your group’s field trip, in my mailbox in Richardson and on the T-drive for peer-review) 10%
7. Profile: This 5-7-page essay, to be done during the second
half of the semester, will feature a North Country place or a person. The essay
will be a well-researched piece of literary journalism that incorporates interviews,
local history, and scholarly research of various kinds depending on the topic.
• Option A will be to simply return, on three different
occasions, to a set location, conduct interviews, weave in appropriate research,
and bring that place alive in your writing. This can be somewhere walking distance
in Canton, or further afield. Students will be encouraged to work alone but
may be able to work in small groups to share rides to one place, as long as
they take different angles on the profiles.
• Option B will be to find an interesting person and
to follow him or her around on three different occasions, interviewing not only
him/her but others who know him/her, weave in appropriate research, and to bring
that person alive through your writing.
• (due April 19 and May 5) 25%
8. Portfolios. I will collect a midterm portfolio on Mon,
March 10, in which you will
hand back revised versions of the memoirs and Talk of the Towns, and include
a one-page typed account of your contribution to the group web page. These will
get final grades. I will collect a final portfolio May 5, which will include
your annotated bibliographies and revised “Profile,” Assignment
7.
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Other Assignments
1. Web page. Teams of four will be asked to create web pages
that document our group field trips (Cornell Cooperative Extension, Remington
Museum in Ogdensburg, Canton historical walking tour, Nature Hike at Lampson
Falls). These web pages will include at least one Talk of the Town;
digital photography including a photo of the guide; brief, digitized sound bites
from interviews; and links to interesting related web sources.
(due March 3, 5, and 10) 10%
2. Orals 1: Students may choose from among the following: a) perform a mostly memorized version of your revised memoirs/ monologues from early in the semester; b) write and perform an engaging speech based on information (local history, natural history, etc.)you gleaned on your field trips; c) do a group performance with people in your web group or in another group that allows you to convey information you learned in the field work in an interesting, engaging way. Orals should take 3-4 minutes per person. (March 10) 5%
3. Orals 2: Students will rehearse, revise, revise, and rehearse to perform in group performances which allow them to share the work they did on their profiles. Orals should take 5 minutes per person (i.e., group of 4 = 20 minutes) (April 28) 10%
4. Cumulative Oral Participation. Students are expected to
contribute vigorously to group discussion, have excellent attendance, and have
a positive attitude (especially on field trips, and when working with outside
speakers and librarians, etc.) Students will be expected to lead discussions
on assigned texts and to engage with one another avidly in all seminars. To
get a 4.0 in cumulative oral participation, you must contribute keenly to each
discussion. To get a 4.0 in oral participation, it will certainly help if you
also have perfect attendance. If you come to class without your book,
the student peer-reviews, or whatever else was required to be read, and if you
do not contribute to our discussion, you will be marked absent. 10%
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Other Exciting Events
You are required to go to a minimum of two, but hopefully as many readings as
you can fit in from the St. Lawrence University Writers Series, and to write
about them in your field notebook. There are four scheduled—Feb 6, March
6, April 3, and April 24, the first three of which are at 8:15 in Eben Holden,
and the last one wish is at 8 in Herring-Cole.
Shared Drive
Our class will be relying a great deal on our shared T-drive. Go to that drive,
then find Singer Spring 2003. Open the folder there marked This
Place 2003. There are several sub-folders on that file. This is the place
where you'll store and retrieve your work and your peers' work for critiquing
in workshop. It's where you'll store your photos and web work. It's where you
can find the handouts and other assignments I give out in class.
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More on Participation
This course requires a great deal of team work. We will be riding in vans together
in wintry weather, we will be meeting and speaking with non-SLU North Country
experts as well as other SLU staff in the library, and I'm asking you all to
be really considerate and thoughtful and respectful. Please be cheerful and
attentive when meeting our guest speakers; you are ambassadors for SLU and I
hope you will make me proud. When we are off on trips, always (even if you aren't
"on" that week) ask good questions, take notes, pay attention to your peers'
questions, and be ace reporters. Ask if it's okay before you tape record interviews
and conversations or if it's okay to take pictures. When you work with teams
on web work and peer review and other matters, please remember the golden rule
to do onto others as you would have them do onto you: do more than your fair
share and do it thoughtfully, punctually, and with the utmost professionalism.
Become the person that everyone wants to work with.
This bears repeating: If you come to class without your book,
the student peer-reviews, or whatever else was required to be read, and if you
do not contribute to our discussion, you will be marked absent.
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Grading Policies
• Late stuff: Because there is something short due every
week, usually every class, there is no room for late work. Get it in as assigned.
In most cases, I will not accept a late assignment and you will get a 0. Plan
on IT or printers having problems at some point; get things done early. Should
a legitimate (in my book) crisis erupt, there will be a .25 per day
late grade deduction from the final grade (these really can hurt you),
but doing this even once will greatly inconvenience both you and the instructor.
Any assignments not turned in on time will be recorded as a 0.
• Folders: Buy a cheap folder with two pockets, and always
give your work to me in the folder.
• Revisions: Again, always use the folder to give work
to your instructor. When handing in a revision, be sure to change the
date on the work, put it on top, and include all the drafts I critiqued
as well as peer reviewed critiques. I will always want to see the old drafts
again when you revise, so hang onto everything.
• Team work: When work calls for team collaboration,
try to be really considerate of your peers. Although I plan to give one grade
for group web work, I may change this idea if it looks like one person is doing
all the work.
• Checks, etc. First drafts will be given a check, check-minus,
or check-plus, and will not be graded until they are revised for the portfolios,
due on March 10 and May 5.
• Format. Please remember to number your pages, do word
counts when required, use double space and normal one-inch margins, and to send
anything to me electronically as a word file, not html unless we are doing web
work together. Always have a title you make up, not a generic one like “Profile”
or “Talk of the Town.”
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Attendance
• I am really hoping for perfect attendance, given that most things we
are doing can’t be redone or reproduced in any way. But if you are sick
with a nasty flu, or have a fever, etc., you belong in bed.
• The most you can miss, under normal circumstances, is three hours total:
the equivalent of one Monday or two Wednesdays.
• Beyond this, you will get a .5 deduction from the final grade for each
additional Monday absence, and .25 from the final grade for each additional
Wednesday absence.
• If you get extremely sick, we will discuss other options, but I hope
you will be healthy and strong!
• If you do miss class, you are responsible for retrieving the
handouts I gave in class. I will usually put some things (the ones
I type myself) on the shared drive, but not things I Xerox. Ask someone to bring
a copy to you in advance, or else go to my office at 7 University, where I will
always put extra copies in a big yellow envelope tacked my door.
Lateness
It’s really important that you be in class on time, especially since we
are going to be going on field trips sometimes and will be standing in a cold
parking lot in Vilas waiting for you, and on other days, will need everyone
there to get started. Three lates (five minutes or more) count as an
absence to a 90-minute class. Please be thoughtful and considerate.
This is one of those classes where group dynamics are important, and we need
to count on each other.
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Citing, Plagiarism, and Ethical Use of Sources
You will note that most of our readings in creative writing and journalism do
not include MLA citing and bibliography lists, but the sources for all quotes
are made quite clear. You, however, will be required to cite using the MLA method
and to always create a References Cited list for your Profiles. You are expected
to become familiar with MLA citing methods and to use them. For both Talks and
Profiles, when anything is put in quotes—dialogue, an excerpt from reading—you
must quote exactly what was said or written; there are no exceptions
to this rule. This means that you must transcribe interviews quite carefully.
No dialogue can be made up or edited (beyond making minor cuts); all quoting
from text must be done carefully and painstakingly. When anything is paraphrased,
you are still expected to provide the source, conversationally or parenthetically.
We will discuss these rules at length in class. All St. Lawrence University
students should have signed the Honor Code cards in the fall semester and are
expected to be familiar with the Academic Dishonesty Procures and Academic Honesty
policies as listed in pages 147-148 of The St. Lawrence University Student
Handbook.
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Class Schedule
Week 1: Introductions, Memoirs Begun
Mon, Jan 20 Discussion of selected chapters from Me Talk
Pretty One Day: “Twelve Moments in The Life of the Artist,”
“The Youth in Asia,” “Me Talk Pretty One Day,” “Jesus
Shaves,” and “I’ll Eat What He’s Wearing” Introductions
In-class writing Homework: Read: Project Girl, Part
I (1-97) Begin to write a short, colorful, first-person narrative, 2-3 pages
long (Due 1/27)
Wed, Jan 22 Continuation from Monday; Project Girl, p 1-97 Field trips and groups arranged and discussed Homework: Complete and practice performing Memoir
Week 2: Performance of Memoirs; Web Training on Dreamweaver
Mon, Jan 27 1:15 to 2:30: Memoirs performed in class
2:45 to 4:15: workshop on Dreamweaver, ODY 140 B Homework:
web practice assigned by Kat
Wed, Jan 29 Class meets in Richardson 302 for Web training continued Homework: Read: (handout) to prepare for Cornell Extension Farm trip Begin Field Notes by taking notes on the reading and coming up with three interview questions that are informed by the reading; put in the notebooks in advance of the trip
Week 3: Visit to Cornell Extension Farm; Introduction to Talk of the
Town
Mon, Feb 3 Group field trip to Cornell Extension Farm; everyone
brings field notebooks; web teams bring tape recorders, cameras, etc.
Homework: Everyone must bring in Field Notes for next seminar
that include quotes from reading, from Betsy Hodge, other interviewees, and
each other; physical descriptions and facts learned from the tour, and an idea
for an angle or theme; students must do these each week in their journals, after
each trip—due Wednesdays in seminar Read: The Fun of It: Editor’s
preface (xvii-xxi), “The Old Lady” by James Thurber (22-23), “Potter’s
Field” and “Harriett” by E.B. White (26-29), “Corsets
De Luxe” by Geoffrey Hellman (43-44), “Painter in Town” by
Murdock Pemberton and E.B. White (45-46.)
Wed, Feb 5 Field notes on Cornell Extension Farm due Practice turning Field Notes into “Talk” pieces Group brainstorms on different leads for Cornell “Talks” Discussion informed by the above-listed “Talks” from The Fun of It Homework: **Note: Students required to submit tentative Profile topics to me by e-mail by Friday. Read: (handout): “The Man and the Myth: Remington,” By Louise E. Levathes (National Geographic, August 1988) Begin Field Notes by taking notes on the reading and coming up with three interview questions that are informed by the reading; put in the notebooks in advance of the trip
Week 4: Visit to Remington Museum; First Talks Peer-Edited in Class
Mon, Feb 10 by noon: First Talk Pieces (Cornell) put on T-drive
Group field trip to Remington Museum, Ogdensburg (do field notes) Homework:
All students must print the Cornell group’s Talks, mark them up with suggestions
for revision and other comments, to bring to class on Wed Everyone does field
notes for next seminar that include quotes from Ms. Hamilton, physical descriptions
and facts learned from the tour, an idea for an angle or theme; students must
do these each week in their journals, after each trip Read: The Fun of It:
“The High Place” (51-52), “Al” (57-58), “The Frescoer”
(63-64), “Lenox 1734” (79-80) all by James Thurber; “The Dakota”
by Charles Cooke and Harold Ross (85-86)
Wed, Feb 12 Cornell Extension trip Talks discussed and critiqued in class; Discussion will be informed by the above-listed readings from The Fun of It. Homework: Read: The Great South Woods, by Peter O’Shea: Chapters 1-3 (1-60); Chapter 7, (105-125); Chapter 9, (147-168: focusing on white pine, tamarack, hemlock, white birch, yellow birch, sugar maple and red maple) This is for the folks going snow-shoeing this week.or “The Town Friendliness Built” by Judith C. Liscom and students (handout) This is for the folks touring Canton this week. Begin Field Notes by taking notes on the reading and coming up with three interview questions that are informed by the reading; put in the notebooks in advance of the trip **Note: By the end of this week, students should have gotten my feedback, via e-mail or in-class conference, on your profile topic. Be sure to call me if you haven’t heard from me.
Week 5: Visit to Lampson Falls, Historical Tour of Canton, Library Session
Mon, Feb 17 by noon: Remington Talks on T-drive Half the class
meets at Canton Municipal Building at 1:30 for meeting with Linda Casserly,
Town Historian The other half meets in Vilas Parking Lot at 1:15 for field trip
to Lampson Falls with Peter O’Shea and Outdoor Studies guide Must do relevant
Canton or O’Shea reading and have questions informed by the reading—include
in field notes Homework: Complete field notes for next seminar
that include quotes from Mrs. Casserly or Mr. O’Shea, physical descriptions
and facts learned from the respective tours, and an idea for an angle or theme
Print the Remington Talks; mark them up with suggestions and bring.
Wed, Feb 19 Field notes due; critiqued Remington Talks returned to students in class. ODY Workshop with Joan Larsen on Proposed Profile Topics Homework: Complete Annotated Bibliography 1 Be prepared to hand in profile precis next week Read: O’Shea or Canton (switch from last week) Begin Field Notes by taking notes on the reading and coming up with three interview questions that are informed by the reading; put in the notebooks in advance of the trip
Week 6: Visit to Lampson Falls, Historical Tour of Canton, Annotated
Bibs due
Mon, Feb 24 by noon: Talk pieces on Canton and Lampson Falls
put on T-drive Student teams swap places; half go on Canton tour, half on hike
(See last week for details and be sure to have done assigned reading from Mr.
O’Shea’s book or Canton history reading and put in Field Notes)
Homework: Print and generously critique assigned Talks (on e-mail Natalia
will send handout of small groupings and who-reads-what) Read: The Fun of
It: “Scouting” by Susan Orlean (384-385), “The Smell”
by John Seabrook (386-388), “Beautiful Dreamer” by Alison Rose (389-390),
“The Shit-Kickers of Madison Avenue” by Lillian Ross (402-404),
“After Midnight” by William Finnegan (406-408), “Naked and
Truthful in the Bronx” by Lillian Ross (455-457). Complete Annotated Bibliography
1 and Precis
Wed, Feb 26 Talk Pieces on Remington and Canton and Lampson Falls critiqued in small groups; Critiques will be informed by the above-listed readings from The Fun of It. Annotated Bibliography 1 due (topic for profile, 2-3 annotations, each entry 100-150 words in length) attached to profile precis; precis should include contact person and phone #, trips planned, dates and agenda of each trip, research agenda. Brief discussion of upcoming assignments including Oral One Homework: Read: Angela: The Upside Down Girl: “Store” and “Hymn” and “Errand” as sample profiles on place
Week 7: Web Pages Completed, Profile on Place Discussed
Mon, Mar 3 Discussion of Angela: The Upside Down Girl
(essays listed above). Last team time for web groups and orals 3:15 to 4:15:
Class meets in ODY B for Web Workshop led by Kat Brooks; Each team must bring
web page text and all Talks to be included, web-links, sound bites/interviews/digital
photography, etc.—each separate piece that will be in the pages Homework:
Compiled draft of team web pages completed
Wed, Mar 5 Class meets in ODY B for Web Work led by Kat Brooks
Each team must bring first draft of web page, on P-drive All “Talk”
text, sound bites/interviews/digital photography must be done
Week 8: Orals, Midterm Portfolios, More Library Research for Profiles
Mon, Mar 10 Midterm Portfolios due: (Rewrites of “Talk
of the Town” due, revised memoirs); Orals; literary readings/performances
3:15-4:15 Web Page Show and Tell
Wed, Mar 12 Class meets with Joan Larsen to fine-tune research search A few students go to Roger Huntley’s sugar shack, Crary Mills Bring money if you want to buy some maple candy or syrup Homework: Read and annotate the articles you assemble in today’s class. You are responsible for calling your contact person and finalizing the details of your 3/24 field trip before you leave; You should call again when you return on Sunday to remind them.
HAPPY SPRING BREAK!
Week 9: Individual Field Trips and Maple Sugaring Fun Trip
Sun, Mar 23 Don’t forget to call guides/hosts again to
remind them about tomorrow
Mon, Mar 24 Individual Field trips
Wed, Mar 26 Field notes due Fun trip to Roger Huntley’s sugar shack
Fri, Mar 28 Annotated Bibliography 2 and Profile Angle due by 4 PM, my mailbox in Richardson
Week 10: Individual Field Trips and Profile on a Person Discussion
Mon, Mar 31 Individual Field Trips Homework:
Read: The Bullfighter Checks her Makeup, by Susan Orlean: “The
American Man, Age Ten,” (3-14) “Her Town,” (167-176) The
Fun of It: “Tou-Tou-Toukie, Hello” by Hilton Als (398-399)
and “A Battalion of Bellas” by James Traub (409-410) Do field notes
on trip.
Wed, Apr 2 Field notes due Discussion of reading listed above;
jazzing up your style. Discussion of ethical use of sources—how to quote,
how to paraphrase, How to avoid plagiarism, how to avoid making research sound
stiff
Week 11: Individual Field Trips and Profile on People in Action Discussion
Mon, Apr 7 Individual Field Trips Homework:
Read: The Fun of It: “Good Citizen” by Joan Acocella (381-383),
Angela, The Upside Down Girl: “Angela, The Upside-Down Girl”
(3-14) Revise Annotated Bibliography one last time.
Wed, Apr 9 Field notes due. Discussion of profiles that show
characters in action. Revised Annotated Bibliography Due (rewrite of old Annotated
Bibliography with new sources added; you must replace ones you don’t
Intend to quote from with new ones; update your profile angle) Continued discussion
of ethical use of sources, avoiding plagiarism and using research in writing
(avoiding the “biting into wood when you eat a cookie” syndrome)
Homework: Write the lead/opening scene from the profile (minimum
of 3 pages) Read: Angela, the Upside Down Girl: “Watershed: An Excursion
in Four Parts”(128-158)
Week 12: Profiles Peer-Edited, Discussion of Working with Research,
Profile Organization and Craft
Mon, Apr 14 Discussion of “Watershed” and working
with research; small groups Critique your opening scenes for profiles Groups
for Oral 2 formed One student puts complete profile up by bedtime tonight! Homework:
Complete draft of profile Critique peer’s draft for Wednesday
Wed, Apr 16 Whole class critiques one student’s profile
Groups of 3 critique drafts of paper (complete as homework)
Sat, Apr 19 First Draft of Profiles sent to Natalia Singer by e-mail by noon (improved after peer review; hand out peer edits during conferences) Students should work together over the weekend on orals
Week 13: Conferences and Oral Rehearsals
Mon, Apr 21 Conferences for 9 people; Oral Rehearsals
Tues, Apr 22 Conferences for 2 people (4:10-4:50)
Wed, Apr 23 Conferences for 6 people; Oral Rehearsals
Week 14: Orals and Party
Mon, Apr 28 Orals and celebration
Wed, Apr 30 Class Picnic
Mon, May 5 Final Portfolios and Field Notes/Research/Readings
Journals due at 1 PM in my office at 7 University
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Contact List for Talks
Linda Casserly, Canton Historian
Municipal Building
Main Street
386-1633
mamacass@aldus.northnet.org
Peter O’Shea
P.O. Box 15
Fine, New York 13639
848-2178
no e-mail
Betsy Hodge
Cornell Cooperative Extension
1894 Route 68, Canton
379-9192
379-0607 (home)
bhodge@northnet.org
Gwynn Hamilton
Educator, Remington Museum
303 Washington
Ogdensburg
393-2425
ghamilton@fredericremington.org
Site Designed by Kat Brooks. Last Updated: May 8, 2003