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Work by my creative writing students
 
Dr.Thomas Palakeel tjp@bradley.bradley.edu Bradley Hall 415  Phone: 677-2477.

Office Hours:TT 12:00-1:30 pm and W 5:00-6:00 pm and by appointment.
 

COURSE DESCRIPTION: This expository writing class is designed to help you write sophisticated, thoughtful prose.  The writing assignments for the semester will draw on the present social, economic, and cultural environment in America. We are particularly interested in the cultural mythology that shapes our perception of ourselves and our world.  The textual readings will help us rethink myths about education, family, gender, and about notions of progress and freedom.  As writers and critical thinkers, our goal is to distinguish between appearance and reality, and of course, to express our views with clarity and coherence.

GOALS: From a rhetorical perspective, the key lesson of our class must be the fact that effective writing is an elaborate process involving invention, drafting, and constant revision, and that the craft of writing is accessible to anyone willing to write and rewrite.  To be more specific, the many goals of this course are as follows:

1.  Developing a fluent, accurate writing style suitable for your chosen audience.
2.  Increased competency in grammar, mechanics, and research.
3.  Ability to synthesize and critique a wide of range of texts and to produce sophisticated essays that are informative, expressive, and persuasive.

TEXT:  Gary Colombo/ Robert Cullen/ Bonnie Lisle. Rereading America. Fourth Edition.

Your final grade is based on the following:

1.    Write four papers of 4-5 pages in length.  We will also write a short in-class essay for the final exam. At first, each essay is submitted to class in a typed first draft which will be discussed and revised in groups.  Failing to bring the typed first draft to class on the day of group reading will cost you 2 points. Please don't ask for exceptions.  Students must make a final revised version to be handed in on specified deadlines. These essays will have to be well-developed and error free to receive full grade. Don't forget to revise and develop each of your papers before submitting your final draft.

2.    Keep a log of Daily Journal Entries, DJEs, (in-class writing and home-work). You are expected to write at least one page for each entry, often responses to textual readings or free writing based on some aspect of a paper topic. Think of each DJE as brainstorming, a part of the invention process. Remember, you may be asked to read your DJE's to class.

3.   Attend classes regularly, read all the assigned texts, and be a responsible group member.  Each unexcused absence will cost you 3 points. Since we meet only once every week, it is important that you are present in every class. Of course I will make exceptions if you have a valid, documented reason for absence.

4.   The four papers carry 80% of the final grade and the final exam essay will be worth 20%. If you do not submit a complete journal dossier at the end of the semester, I reserve the right to deduct up to 15% of your final grade.  A=90^ B=80^ C=70^ D=60^ F=59>.

5.        Follow this schedule. Changes may be announced in class or I will send you an E-mail. I  might add a few new readings and DJE's as we go along. Come prepared with the day's  reading and a journal response. A journal response could be a combination of summary,  synthesis, and/or critique of textual readings. I think of the journals as a record of your  reading and thinking for this class.  Yes, it could be rough. Why not?

1/20  Introduction. Paper #1 Myths of Education

1/27  Read Malcolm X, (p.219). Write a playful DJE on a dozen words you look up in the  dictionary in the manner of Malcolm's home-made educational experience.
 Read Jean Anyon (p.186) and write a summary and critique on the essay.

2/3  DJE on Gatto (p.166) and DJE on Rose, (p.174)

2/10  Typed first draft of paper #1 due for group work. Read Roszak (p. 277. No DJE)

2/17  Final draft due.......
 
We also begin work on Paper #2 Myths of the Model Family
 DJE on Soto's "Looking for Work" (p.42).
       DJE on Hochman, (p.47)

2/24    DJE on Gillis (p. 25) DJEs on Coontz, (p.55).

3/3      Typed first draft due for group reading. Read Jack, (p.109. No DJE)
3/10    Final draft due.
 We begin Paper #3 Myth of Individual Opportunity
 DJE on Studs Turkel's (p.575) oral histories of C.P. Ellis and Stephen Cruz (p.326).
 DJE on Politics of Class by Gregory Mantsios, (p.331)

spring break

3/24  DJE on Steele, (p.356). DJE on Garland, (p.390).
3/31  Typed first draft due for class reading. Colin Powell, (p.314. No DJE)

4/7    Final draft due.
 
Begin work on Paper #4 Myth of Freedom
DJE on Thomas Jefferson, (p. 684) and Galloway, (p.688)
4/14 DJE on Spence (p.695). DJE on McKibben (718) Mairs (p.769)
4/21  Typed first draft due for group work. Read Boaz (p.732) and Brail (p. 755 No DJE)
4/28     Last day of class. Final draft due.  Turn in your complete journal dossier.

Final exam.....Wednesday, May 12, 8:00-10:00 pm. Paper #5 in class. Topic will be announced.
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