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Required Texts

• Roorbach, Bill. Writing Life Stories. Cincinnati, OH: Story Press, 1998.
• Gontarski, S.E. The Grove Press Reader, 1951-2001. New York: Grove Press, 2001.

Description

As an advanced writing workshop, Genre Bending will focus on the creation of student writing. To this end, we will bring play and experimentation into the writing process, explore different models of form and content, and, perhaps most importantly, work to develop each writer's voice.

Students will participate in peer group workshops, writing exercises, conferences with the instructor, and discussions of published work. In addition, we will attend literary readings and colloquia on campus and in the Boston area. At the end of the course, each student will create a final portfolio of his or her work.

The course is comprised of three elements:

• Class meetings and workshops. During class meetings, we will participate in short writing exercises, group workshops, and discussions of writing by professional writers.
• Conferences. In conference (three times during the semester), we will brainstorm ideas, organize drafts, tackle stumbling blocks, and discuss revision.
• Online writing. This is a community space for writing and opinions to be posted, discussed, critiqued, and sometimes even debated.

In the first third of the course, we will read extensively, write many exercises and short assignments, and discuss published writing that cuts across genres. In the second section, we will workshop student work in class. In the last section of the course, we will focus on the revision of our work, prepare class presentations, and workshop in small groups.

Attendance and Participation

You are required to attend all class meetings and conferences, and to participate in online writing. Most importantly, attendance and participation means that you arrive to class meetings prepared to think, to work, and to write.

Since this course only meets once a week, it is imperative that you prepare for and attend all class meetings. You are allowed one unexcused absence. After one unexcused absence, your final grade will drop one unit (for example from B to B-) for each absence. After four absences, I will ask you to withdraw from the course.

If a family, work, or personal situation interrupts your studies, please talk to me rather than stay away from class. In the case of any emergency, I suggest you contact the Dean of your college. He or she will keep all of your professors apprised of your situation.

Writing

This is an upper-level writing course and your grade will be based, in part, upon both informal and formal writing. As a rule, expect to write a minimum of 10 pages per week in this course. Save all drafts, notes, outlines, doodles, or your written work!

What will we write/do?

• Many exercises and short assignments
• 3 "finished" pieces
• 1 final portfolio
• 1 group project

What's the difference between these types of writing?

• Exercises and short assignments are freewrites, in-class exercises, online postings, journal entries, observations, annotations, interviews, drafts, and feedback on other student work.
• A "finished" piece is a work that has been significantly revised.
• The final portfolio is a collection of your writing, both informal and formal, that shows your understanding of the writing process.

Late Assignments

The general rule is that I do not accept late assignments.

In the case of an emergency, please talk to me. If I agree to accept a late assignment, one letter grade will be dropped for each class meeting after the deadline.

Plagiarism

The Boston College Office of Student Services has instituted an Academic Integrity Policy regarding plagiarism. Students are expected to read and adhere to this policy, which states:

"Students at Boston College are expected to have high standards of integrity. Any student who cheats or plagiarizes on examinations or assignments is subject to dismissal from the College. Cases involving academic integrity shall be adjudicated according to the policies and procedures of the appropriate school or college."

Grading

• Attendance and participation 30%
• Weekly assignments 30%
• Final portfolio 40%

The Boston College Office of Student Services publishes the university-wide grading policy. It is defined as follows:

The grading system consists of twelve categories, as follows: A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, F.

A is excellent; B is good; C is satisfactory; D is passing but unsatisfactory; F is failure.

 

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