Week 15

Pray God you can cope.
I stand outside this woman's work,
This woman's world.
Ooh, it's hard on the man,
Now his part is over.
Now starts the craft of the father.

 

I know you've got a little life in you yet.
I know you've got a lot of strength left.
I know you've got a little life in you yet.
I know you've got a lot of strength left.

 

I should be crying, but I just can't let it go.
I should be hoping, but I can't stop thinking

Of all the things I should've said,
That I never said.
All the things we should've done,
Though we never did.
All the things I should've given,
But I didn't.

 

Oh, darling, make it go,
Make it go away.

 

Give me these moments back.
Give them back to me.
Give me that little kiss.
Give me your hand.

—Kate Bush, "This Woman's Work"

Week 15: Mo 11.28/We 11.30

Class: Quickwrite; Writer’s workshop

Due: RESEARCH PAPER (UP TO PG. 6; BRING 1 COPY)

 

Note: ENGLISH DEPARTMENT ASSESSMENT due visa email by 7 PM Th 12.1

Upcoming:

 

Week 16: Mo 12.5/We 12.7

Class: Quickwrite; Writer’s workshop; Presentations

DUE: RESEARCH PAPER (UP TO PG. 9; BRING 1 COPY)

Week 17: Mo 12.12 [LAST CLASS MEETING]/Th 12.15 [SEC. 3 FINAL EXAM TIME]

Class: Quickwrite; Course wrap-up

SEC. 3 ONLY:

Meet from 7:15 – 9:30 AM

Due: RESEARCH PAPER (FINAL DRAFT); QUICKWRITE JOURNAL

Week 18: Tu 12.20 [SEC. 1 FINAL EXAM TIME]
 SEC. 1 ONLY:

Meet from 7:15 – 9:30 AM

Due: RESEARCH PAPER (FINAL DRAFT); QUICKWRITE JOURNAL

Week 14

"A man's face is his autobiography. 

A woman's face is her work of fiction." 

—Oscar Wilde 

Week 14: Mo 11.21/We 11.23 [NO CLASS]

Class: Quickwrite; Writer’s workshop

DUE: RESEARCH PAPER (UP TO PG. 3; BRING 2 COPIES)*

*Note Monday due date 

UPCOMING:  

Week 15: Mo 11.28/We 11.30

Class: ENGLISH DEPARTMENT ASSESSMENT; Quickwrite; Writer’s workshop; English Department Assessment

Due: RESEARCH PAPER (UP TO PG. 6; BRING 1 COPY)

Week 16: Mo 12.5/We 12.7

Class: Quickwrite; Writer’s workshop; Presentations

DUE: RESEARCH PAPER (UP TO PG. 9; BRING 1 COPY)

Week 17: Mo 12.12 [LAST CLASS MEETING]/Th 12.15 [SEC. 3 FINAL EXAM TIME]

Class: Quickwrite; Course wrap-up

SEC. 3 ONLY:

Meet from 7:15 – 9:30 AM

Due: RESEARCH PAPER (FINAL DRAFT); QUICKWRITE JOURNAL

Week 18: Tu 12.20 [SEC. 1 FINAL EXAM TIME]
 SEC. 1 ONLY:

Meet from 7:15 – 9:30 AM

Due: RESEARCH PAPER (FINAL DRAFT); QUICKWRITE JOURNAL

Gender News 11.16.16

• Dwayne Johnson named People's Sexiest Man Alive—only third man of color to win since 1985 (Yahoo! News)
• The Internet gushes over a photo of a young Vice-President Biden (Huffington Post)
• A congressional panel recommends the Smithsonian create an American Museum of Women’s History (Washington Post) 
• The GOP will have only one woman in its new House and Senate leadership groups (NBC News)
• Fliers found at Southern Methodist University urge women not to date black men (Washington Post)
• Why is depression rising among teen girls? (CNN)

Reflection 5: Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better, Pt. 2—The Results

Here is a sampling of what you and your classmates tried for this reflection:

Week 13

“It hurts to let go. Sometimes it seems the harder you try to hold on to

something, or someone, the more it wants to get away. You feel like some
kind of criminal for having felt, for having wanted. For having wanted
to be wanted. It confuses you, because you think that your feelings were
wrong and it makes you feel so small because it's so hard to keep it inside
when you let it out and it doesn't coma back. You're left so alone that you
can't explain. Damn, there's nothing like that, is there? I've been there and
you have, too. You're nodding your head.”

—Henry Rollins, The Portable Henry Rollins

Week 13: Mo 11.14/We 11.16

Class: Quickwrite; Writer’s workshop; Presentations

Due: REFLECTION 7; RESEARCH PAPER OUTLINE (BRING 2 COPIES)

Upcoming:

Week 14: Mo 11.21*/We 11.23 [NO CLASS]

Class: Quickwrite; Writer’s workshop

DUE: REFLECTION 8; RESEARCH PAPER (UP TO PG. 3; BRING 2 COPIES)

*Note Monday due date

Week 15: Mo 11.28/We 11.30

Class: ENGLISH DEPARTMENT ASSESSMENT; Quickwrite; Writer’s workshop; English Department Assessment

Due: RESEARCH PAPER (UP TO PG. 6; BRING 1 COPY)

Week 16: Mo 12.5/We 12.7

Class: Quickwrite; Writer’s workshop; Presentations

DUE: RESEARCH PAPER (UP TO PG. 9; BRING 1 COPY)

UPCOMING:

Week 17: Mo 12.12 [LAST CLASS MEETING]/Th 12.15 [SEC. 3 FINAL EXAM TIME]

Class: Quickwrite; Course wrap-up

SEC. 3 ONLY:

Meet from 7:15 – 9:30 AM

Due: RESEARCH PAPER (FINAL DRAFT); QUICKWRITE JOURNAL

Week 18: Tu 12.20 [SEC. 1 FINAL EXAM TIME]

SEC. 1 ONLY:

Meet from 7:15 – 9:30 AM

Due: RESEARCH PAPER (FINAL DRAFT); QUICKWRITE JOURNAL

Reflection 7: All By Myself—About Heartbreak Songs

At one time or another, all of us will feel the sting of a heartbreak, be it from a break up or loneliness or unrequited love. And when we're in the grips of such pain, we most often turn to music for comfort. Yet, it's not usually cheerful, uplifting music that gets us through our darkest moments. Instead, it's sad songs that routinely makes us feel better. Why? Why do we take comfort in maudlin songs when we hurt?  What is it about hearing about other people's misery that makes us somehow feel better? Are there certain elements that make up a perfect heartbreak song? And if you've ever found yourself at the mercy of a heartache, what music got you through the pain?

Write about one of the following classic heartbreak songs AND one of your own choice (instrumentals are okay, too):

1. Toni Braxton, "Un-Break My Heart"
2. Bonnie Raitt, "I Can't Make You Love Me" 
3. Bill Withers, "Ain't No Sunshine"
4. ABBA, "The Winner Takes it All"
5. Jewel, "You Were Meant for Me"
6. Candace Glover, "I Who Have Nothing" [Tom Jones cover]
7. Jim Croce, "Operator (That's Not the Way it Feels)"
8. Patsy Cline, "She's Got You" 
9. Elvis Presley, "You Were Always on My Mind"
10. Roy Orbison, "Crying" 
11. Eric Carmen, "All By Myself"
12. Sinéad O'Connor, "Nothing Compares 2 U" [Prince cover]
13. Elton John, "Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word"
14. Bee Gees, "How Do You Mend a Broken Heart" 
15. Adele, "Someone Like You"
16. Hank Williams, “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” 
17. Carole King, "Will You Love Me Tomorrow"
18. Dusty Springfield, "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me"
19. Gloria Estefan, "The Words Get in the Way"
20. Barbra Streisand, "The Way We Were"
21. Journey, "Open Arms"
22. Mariah Carey, "I'll Be There" [Jackson Five cover]
23. George Michael, "Careless Whisper" 
24. The Platters, "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes"
25. Frank Sinatra, "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning"

Include at least one of the following in your discussion:

• "Five Scientific Reasons Why Breakups are Devastating" (Huffington Post)
• "Seventeen Songs for Every Stage of a Bad Break-Up" (Buzzfeed)
• "Anatomy of a Tear-Jerker" (Wall Street Journal)
• "Why Sad Songs Make Us Happy" (Popular Science)
• "Couple Announces Their Breakup With an Extremely Touching Music Video" (Jezebel)
• "Why Do We Need Breakup Songs? Aren't We Suffering Enough?" (NPR)

Requirements:

• Must be in MLA Style
• Must be 1.5 pages in length
• Must include a works cited page

Due: Wed. 11.16

Gender News 11.10.16

• Hillary Clinton to young girls in her concession speech: "You are valuable" (Vanity Fair)
• White women broke for Donald Trump at larger numbers than they did for Hillary Clinton (Mic)
• Late Night's Seth Myers speaks to our future first female president (People)
• What do we tell young girls about Hillary Clinton's loss? (Fortune)
• Here is Patton Oswalt's take on race and gender on election night (Huffington Post)
• FLOTUS Michelle Obama and Melania Trump have awkward first meeting at White House (Washington Post)

Persuasive Essay (Outline): Reining In the American Wedding

Americans spend some $40 billion on weddings annually. Luckily for us, we have a well-oiled wedding industry only too eager to help us spend our money. And while they readily offer us all the accoutrements for our special day, what they really sell is dreams. Thus, the rise of the "Fairytale Wedding" in America has coincided with ever more lavish and elaborate ceremonies. Everyday brides, once simple and demure, have changed, too. The so-called "Bridezilla," is now given broad license to demand and demean in pursuit of her dream day. The contemporary American obsession with weddings has led to ceremonies that emphasize status over substance. But can the American wedding be reclaimed? Can Americans forgo the trappings of status and refocus on the sanctity of a couple's union? In a concise persuasive outline, explore the ways in which we can rid the American wedding of excess consumerism and commercialization. Cite exclusively from Rebecca Meed's One Perfect Day to support your thesis.

In-class outline: 11.9.16

Week 12

“The mouth is made for communication, and

nothing is more articulate than a kiss.”

―Jarod Kintz, It Occurred to Me

Week 12: Mo 11.7/We 11.9

Class: PERSUASIVE (OUTLINE); Quickwrite; Writer’s workshop; Presentations

Due: REFLECTION 6; RESEARCH PAPER THESIS (BRING 2 COPIES)

Upcoming:

Week 13: Mo 11.14/We 11.16

Class: Quickwrite; Writer’s workshop; Presentations

Due: REFLECTION 7; RESEARCH PAPER OUTLINE (BRING 2 COPIES)

Week 14: Mo 11.21*/We 11.23 [NO CLASS]

Class: Quickwrite; Writer’s workshop

DUE: REFLECTION 8; RESEARCH PAPER (UP TO PG. 3; BRING 2 COPIES)

*Note Monday due date

Week 15: Mo 11.28/We 11.30

Class: ENGLISH DEPARTMENT ASSESSMENT; Quickwrite; Writer’s workshop; English Department Assessment

Due: RESEARCH PAPER (UP TO PG. 6; BRING 1 COPY)

Week 16: Mo 12.5/We 12.7

Class: Quickwrite; Writer’s workshop; Presentations

DUE: RESEARCH PAPER (UP TO PG. 9; BRING 1 COPY)

Week 17: Mo 12.12 [LAST CLASS MEETING]/Th 12.15 [SEC. 3 FINAL EXAM TIME]

Class: Quickwrite; Course wrap-up

SEC. 3 ONLY:

Meet from 7:15 – 9:30 AM

Due: RESEARCH PAPER (FINAL DRAFT); QUICKWRITE JOURNAL

Week 18: Tu 12.20 [SEC. 1 FINAL EXAM TIME]

SEC. 1 ONLY:

Meet from 7:15 – 9:30 AM

Due: RESEARCH PAPER (FINAL DRAFT); QUICKWRITE JOURNAL

Reflection 6B: I Feel Pretty—On the Perks of Good Looks

Note: With Reflection 6, you will have two options (A or B) to write about; choose one. 

As Americans, we are all told that "beauty is only skin deep," and that "real beauty lies on the inside." We are told that, but the realities of our culture tell quite a different story. Beauty, as it turns out, is not only celebrated in our society, but rewarded. Good looks can land a person preferential treatment everywhere from restaurants to court. It's almost as if beautiful people are allowed to live in a bubble. What do you feel are the benefits of being attractive in American society? Are good looking people treated more favorably than the general population? What roles do race and social class play? Finally, what, if any, downsides are there to being beautiful in America? 

Include one of the following texts in your discussion:

• "Science Says that Being Too Good-Looking can Screw Up Your Career, Especially If You're a Woman" (Business Insider)
• "Here’s More Evidence that Good-Looking People Can Get Away with Anything" (Huffington Post)
• "Ten Pleasures and Pains of Being Beautiful" (PsyBlog)
• "How Much is Being Attractive Worth?" (Smithsonian) 
•  "Good Looks Will Get You that Job, Promotion, and Raise" (Psychology Today)
• "It’s True – Being Handsome is a Living Hell" (Guardian)

Required:

• MLA Style
• 1 page in length
• Works cited page 

Due: Wed 11.6

Reflection 6-A: I Kissed a Girl—Lesbianism in Pop Culture

Note: With Reflection 6, you will have two options (A or B) to write about; choose one. 

In recent years, lesbianism has become increasingly visible in American pop culture. In television, music, and film, lesbianism has seemingly reached a higher level of mainstream acceptance. Of course, lesbianism in the media has not always encountered total acceptance as its portrayal still carries with it an element of taboo. Add to this complaints from the lesbian community that the lesbianism portrayed in popular culture is often "faux-lesbianism," defined by heterosexuals and crafted for the pleasure of men. In fact, one need only look the prevalence of "lesbians" in straight male porn to see how lesbian sexuality has been co-opted. Nonetheless, the past two decades has seen an exponential increase in lesbian imagery from Ellen DeGeneres to Katy Perry to Orange is the New Black. Why have lesbians, or at least acts of lesbianism, become so much more prominent? And why has popular culture not embraced male/male displays of sexuality in the same way? Finally, has the media made it okay for heterosexual women to be open about their sexual appreciation for other women?

Include at least two of the following pieces in your discussion:

• "Why Straight Men Gaze at Gay Women" (Atlantic)
• "Femme Invisibility" (Huffington Post)
• "Why All these Public Displays of Faux-Lesbianism Need to Stop" (TheDebrief)
• "Shakira and Rihanna Need to Stop with the Faux-Lesbian Posturing" (Jezebel)
• "Eleven Lies Pop Culture Tells You about Lesbians" (Cosmopolitan)
• "The Emptiness of MTV’s Faux-Lesbian Dramedy Faking It" (Flavorwire)

Required:

• MLA Style
• 1 page in length
• Works cited page 

Due: Wed 11.6

Gender News 11.4.16

• Harvard University cancels men's soccer season after discovery of a "scouting report" about women's team (New York Times) 
• Why women are wearing white on election day to support Hillary Clinton (Refinery29)
• Pope Francis: No female priests ever (CNN)
• If you're a grown man and you've always wanted your own advent calendar, your time has come (GQ)
• What to do about teen boys and muscle-building products? (Philadelphia Inquirer)
• Are we headed toward the biggest gender gap in election history? (NPR)

 

Gender News 11.1.16

• Texas water commissioner (and Trump supporter) calls Hillary Clinton a "cunt" in tweet (Huffington Post)
• Photos of Hillary Clinton and her most steadfast supporters: young girls (Time)
• President Obama asks men to reflect on sexism before they vote (Huffington Post)
• Model Ashley Graham says the term "plus size" has to go (Glamour)
• Study: Children adopted by LGBT parents show no difference in behavioral issues (MedicalResearch.com)
• North Carolina high school votes for trans student as prom queen (Attitude)