College Writing 1: “Writing Culture and Identity”

CWP (L59) 100 Ÿ Section 64 Ÿ M/W/F Ÿ 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. Ÿ Lopata Hall 201

Instructor: Nick Miller

E-mail: n.e.miller@wustl.edu
Office: 005 Duncker Hall
Office Hours: Tuesday/Thursday Ÿ 1:30 – 3:00 p.m.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course teaches writing as a way of thinking and learning. We will also practice writing about ourselves and
others in the context of a different cultures and identities. How do we negotiate cultural norms, expectations,
rituals, and practices through writing? How does culture shape us as individuals and as writers? And how do we,
as writers, shape the cultures in which we live? Throughout the semester, students will explore writing as both a
creative and an intellectual process. They will learn how to brainstorm, explore, and structure ideas on a page;
share their writing and learn how to give and take constructive criticism; and learn how to revise their work, both
for issues related to the paper’s larger idea, and for issues related to grammar and style. By regularly working
their way through the writing process, students will develop the habits and skills that make advanced study
possible: paying close attention to the words and ideas of others; coming up with and responding to arguments of
others; and refining a lucid style of prose that meets the expectations of the audience and occasion.

REQUIRED TEXTS

TWW — The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts, Maxine Hong Kingston (1989)
TWP — The Writer’s Presence: A Pool of Readings, ed. Donald McQuade and Robert Atwan (2015)
SW — So What?: The Writer’s Argument, Kurt Schick and Laura Schubert (2014)
BH — The Bedford Handbook, Ninth Edition, ed. Diana Hackers and Nancy Sommers (2014)
Required texts are available for purchase at the campus bookstore. All other readings, which have been
denoted with the abbreviation (BB) in the course calendar, can be found on Blackboard (http://bb.wustl.edu).

ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING

Personal Essay (3-4 pages) 15%

Visual Analysis Essay (3-4 pages) 15%
Rhetorical Analysis Essay (4-5 pages) 20%
Argumentative Essay (4-5 pages) 20%
Research Essay (8-10 pages) 30%
All papers should be submitted via Blackboard by the beginning of class on the assigned due date. Papers
should also be printed out and submitted as a hard copy at the beginning of that class period. Any paper not
submitted at the beginning of class is considered late. The grade for that paper will be lowered by one grade
increment every day it is late. Showing up late the day a paper is due makes both you and the paper late.
Your papers should be typed and carefully proofread, double-spaced, with one-inch margins on each side.
This means changing the default margins in Word and disabling the “extra space between paragraphs”
feature. Please use 12-point Times New Roman font for all of your papers. You will be penalized for attempts
to doctor assignment length by changing fonts, margins, etc. If you have questions on how to format a paper,
see me early in the semester. If you have questions on how to staple a piece of paper, see me immediately.

ADDITIONAL COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Revisions: There are two required paper revisions for this course. Both the original paper and the revision will
be graded, and the two grades will be averaged. Additionally, as part of the process of drafting the final
research paper, you will also be turning in an annotated bibliography, research prospectus and complete
draft. These assignments will receive extensive comments, but will not be graded.
Participation: My philosophy on class participation is stolen from an old syllabus written by David Foster
Wallace: “Our class can’t really function if there isn’t student participation—it will become just me giving a
half-assed ad-lib lecture for [50 minutes], which will be horrible in all kinds of ways. There is, therefore, a
small percentage of the final grade that will concern the quantity and quality of your participation in class
discussions. But the truth is that I’m way more concerned about creating an in-class environment in which
all students feel totally free to say what they think, ask questions, object, criticize, request clarification, return
to a previous subject, respond to someone else’s response, etc.” Participation will affect your final grade.


COURSE POLICIES

Attendance: You may miss up to three classes, no questions asked. Each additional absence will result in a
one-third reduction of your final grade (for example, B to B-). If you miss more than a third of any class
period, you will be considered absent for that day. More than six absences is reason for a failing grade in this
course. Certain types of absences will be excused, but these include only serious illness, extreme hardship, or
religious observances. If you have any questions or conflicts, please contact me in advance.
Tardiness: Come to class on time. That means early enough to unpack your books and be in your seats
when class begins. You will not be able to make up assignments you miss if you are late, and it is
disruptive if you walk in after we have started class. Coming in after the ten-minute mark constitutes
tardiness. Three tardies constitute an absence and the attendance penalties will be in force.
University Writing Requirement: All students must earn a grade of C- or better in College Writing 1 in
order to fulfill the University Writing Requirement. Please note that ALL assignments must be completed to
receive a passing grade in the course and to satisfy the University Writing Requirement.
Academic Integrity: Students are bound by the University policy on academic integrity in all aspects of
this course. All references to ideas and texts other than the students’ own must be so indicated through
appropriate footnotes, whether the source is a book, an online site, the instructor, etc. All students are
responsible for being aware of and following the rules regarding the University academic integrity policy:
http://www.wustl.edu/policies/undergraduate-academic-integrity.html
Students with Disabilities: If your work for this class requires special arrangements because of a disability,
please contact WU Disability Resources (DR) at (314) 935-4062 or drc@dosa.wustl.edu. As long as your
instructor receives timely guidance in writing from the Disability Resources office, you may receive any
specific accommodations for which you are eligible. Disability Resources serves as the official university
resource for approving and arranging students’ accommodations, and handles all information confidentially.
Requests for accommodation must be made to Disability Resources at the beginning of the semester.
Safe Educational Environment Policy: This course involves discussion and collaborative problem solving.
This means that all of us will be responsible for contributing to our own learning as well as the learning
experiences of others. To make open dialogue possible, the questions and answers of every student are
essential, and any behavior that makes other students feel unwelcome or unsafe in this classroom will not be
tolerated. Examples of this range from simply interrupting or ignoring others while they are talking to overt
harassment or intimidation with reference to race, gender identity, sexual identity, religion, ethnicity,
nationality, citizenship status, or ability. These expectations are essential to maintaining a classroom
environment in which everyone can feel safe discussing, examining, and responding to the content of the
course. Please bring any violation of this policy to my attention as soon as possible.
Bias Reporting: Washington University has a process through which students, faculty, staff and community
members who have experienced or witnessed incidents of bias, prejudice, or discrimination against a student
can report their experiences to the Bias Report and Support System (BRSS) team at http://brss.wustl.edu.
Accommodations Based On Sexual Assault: Washington University is committed to offering reasonable
academic accommodations to students who are victims of sexual assault. Students are eligible for
accommodation regardless of whether they seek criminal or disciplinary action. Depending on the specific
nature of the allegation, such measures may include but are not limited to: implementation of a no-contact
order, course/classroom assignment changes, and other academic support services and accommodations. If
you need to request accommodations, please direct your request to Kim Webb, Director of the Relationship
and Sexual Violence Prevention Center, at kim_webb@wustl.edu. Kim Webb is a confidential resource;
however, requests for accommodations will be shared with the appropriate university administration and
faculty. Washington University will maintain as confidential any accommodations or protective measures
provided to an individual student so long as it does not impair the ability to provide such measures. If a
student comes to me to discuss or disclose an instance of sexual assault, sex discrimination, sexual
harassment, dating violence, domestic violence or stalking, or if I otherwise observe or become aware of such
an allegation, I will keep the information as private as I can, but as a faculty member of the university, I am
required to immediately report it to my Department Chair, Dean, or Jessica Kennedy, the University’s Title IX
Coordinator. If you would like to speak with the Title IX Coordinator directly, Jessica Kennedy can be reached
at (314) 935-3118, jwkennedy@wustl.edu, or by visiting her office in the Women’s Building.
Mental Health: The professional staff members at Mental Health Services work with students to resolve
personal and interpersonal difficulties, many of which can affect the academic experience. These include—but
are not limited to—conflicts with or worry about friends or family, concerns about eating or drinking patterns,
and feelings of anxiety and depression. Please see http://shs.wustl.edu/mentalhealth for more information.


COURSE CALENDAR

WEEK 1 INTRODUCTION TO COLLEGE WRITING 1

W 1/20: Course Introduction, Syllabus, and Class Culture
Read and Discuss “Why I Write” by Julia Alvarez (In-Class)
Read and Discuss “Power” by Audre Lorde (In-Class)
Introduction to the Writing Diagnostic Assignment
F 1/22: Writing Community, Writing the Self
Read “Home at Last” by Dinaw Mengestu (TWP)
Optional Reading: “Word Choice” (BH—Chapters 16-18)
Introduction to the Personal Essay Assignment
WRITING DIAGNOSTIC DUE

WEEK 2 WRITING CULTURE, WRITING THE SELF

M 1/25: Naming Gender, Naming the Self
Read “Blank Slate” by Silas Hansen (TWP)
W 1/27: Writing the Self: Language and Identity
Read “Aria: A Memoir of a Bilingual Childhood” by Richard Rodriguez (TWP)
F 1/29: Writing the Self: Silence and Identity
Read “No Name Woman” (TWW)
WEEK 3 WRITING CULTURE, WRITING THE SELF
M 2/1: Writing the Self: Voice and Identity
Read “White Tigers” and “Shaman” (TWW)
W 2/3: Writing the Other, Writing the Self
Read “At the Western Palace” (TWW)
F 2/5: Autobiography vs. Memoir
Read “A Song for a Barbarian Reed Pipe” (TWW)

WEEK 4 INTRODUCTION TO VISUAL ANALYSIS

M 2/8: Shifting Gears: The Personal vs. The Analytical
Read “Analyze, Don’t Summarize” by Michael Bérubé (TWP)
Read “Patriarchy Gets Funky: The Triumph of Identity Marketing” by Naomi Klein (BB)
Introduction to the Visual Analysis Essay Assignment
PERSONAL ESSAY DUE
W 2/10: Visual Analysis: Attention to Detail
Optional Reading: “Images and Multimodal Texts” (BH—Chapter 5)
Introduction to Visual Analysis [Meet at the Kemper Art Museum]
F 2/12: Visual Analysis: Advertising and the Construction of Gender
Read “Gender and Advertising” by Kim Bartel Sheehan (BB)
Collaborative Visual Analysis (In-Class)
WEEK 5 VISUALIZING CULTURE AND IDENTITY
M 2/15: Visual Analysis: Culture and Consumption
Read “Veiled Images in Advertising” by Faegheh Shirazi (BB)
Collaborative Visual Analysis (In-Class)
W 2/17: Visual Analysis: Graphic Storytelling and Stigma
Read “Chapter 4” in Marbles by Ellen Forney (BB)
Read “Adventures in Depression” in Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh (Online)
Read “Depression: Part 2” in Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh (Online)
F 2/19: Shifting Gears: The Visual vs. The Textual
Read “My Speech at West Point” by Marjane Satrapi (TWP)
Read “Marjane Satrapi on the Language of Words and Images” (TWP)
Optional Reading: “Revising, Editing, and Reflecting” (BH—Chapter 2)
VISUAL ANALYSIS ESSAY DUE
WEEK 6 SMALL-GROUP WORKSHOPS: VISUAL ANALYSIS ESSAY
M 2/22: Workshop: Group One
W 2/24: Workshop: Group Two
F 2/26: Workshop: Group Three


WEEK 7 INTRODUCTION TO RHETORICAL ANALYSIS

M 2/29: Rhetoric, Assumptions, and Privilege
Read “White Privilege and Male Privilege” by Peggy McIntosh (BB)
Read “Why Do We Argue?” (SW—Chapter 1)
Introduction to the Rhetorical Analysis Essay Assignment
REVISION OF VISUAL ANALYSIS ESSAY DUE (GROUP ONE)
W 3/2: Rhetorical Analysis: Language and Identity
Read “On Being a Cripple” by Nancy Mairs (TWP)
Read “The Writer at Work: Nancy Mairs on Finding a Voice” by Nancy Mairs (TWP)
REVISION OF VISUAL ANALYSIS ESSAY DUE (GROUP TWO)
F 3/4: Rhetorical Analysis: Language and Identity Revisited
Read “The Art of Translation” by Benjamin Alire Sáenz (BB)
Optional Reading: “Reading and Writing Critically” (BH—Chapter 4)
REVISION OF VISUAL ANALYSIS ESSAY DUE (GROUP THREE)
WEEK 8 CLAIMS, EVIDENCE, AND THE EVOLVING THESIS
M 3/7: Rhetorical Analysis: The Evolving Thesis
Read “Bloodchild” by Octavia Butler (BB)
Read “Where Can We Find a Compelling Thesis?” (SW—Chapter 5)
W 3/9: Rhetorical Analysis: Culture, Community, and Interpretive Contexts
Read “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin (BB)
F 3/11: Rhetorical Analysis: The Language of Liminality and Loss
Read “A Temporary Matter” by Jhumpa Lahiri (BB)
Read “My Two Lives” by Jhumpa Lahiri (TWP)
RHETORICAL ANALYSIS ESSAY DUE
WEEK 9 NO CLASS: SPRING BREAK
M 3/14: NO CLASS (UNIVERSITY HOLIDAY)
W 3/16: NO CLASS (UNIVERSITY HOLIDAY)
F 3/18: NO CLASS (UNIVERSITY HOLIDAY)
WEEK 10 INTRODUCTION TO ARGUMENTATION
M 3/21: Switching Gears: The Rhetorical vs. The Argumentative
Read “Stories Hollywood Never Tells” by Howard Zinn (TWP)
Read “How Do We Argue?” (SW—Chapter 2)
Optional Reading: “Reading and Writing Arguments” (BH—Chapter 6)
Introduction to the Argumentative Essay Assignment
W 3/23: Argumentation: Developing Arguments Against “Diversity”
Read “People Like Us” by David Brooks (TWP)
Read “The Trouble with Diversity” by Walter Benn Michaels (TWP)
F 3/25: Argumentation: Anticipating and Addressing Counterarguments
Read “Sex and the Muslim Feminist” by Rafia Zakaria (BB)
Read “Hiring Quotas for White Men Only” by Eric Foner (BB)
Read “What About Faults and Gaps in Arguments?” (SW—Chapter 7)
WEEK 11 AUDIENCES, APPEALS, AND ARGUMENTATION
M 3/28: Argumentation: Emotional Appeals and the Personal Narrative
Read “A Question of Class” by Dorothy Allison (TWP)
Read “Learning in the Shadow of Race and Class” by bell hooks (BB)
Optional Reading: “How Do We Read Arguments?” (SW—Chapter 3)
W 3/30: Argumentation: Satire and Social Commentary
Read “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift (TWP)
Read “The Overhauling of Straight America” by Marshall Kirk and Erastes Pill (BB)
F 4/1: Switching Gears: Primary vs. Secondary Sources
Using the Library and its Resources (In-Class) [Meet at the ARC Lab]
ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY DUE
WEEK 12 SMALL-GROUP WORKSHOPS: ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY
M 4/4: Workshop: Group Three
W 4/6: Workshop: Group Two
F 4/8: Workshop: Group One


WEEK 13 INTRODUCTION TO RESEARCHED WRITING

M 4/11: Academic Integrity and Writing the Researched Paper
Read “How Do We Use Sources Responsibly?” (SW—Chapter 9)
Optional Reading: “Researched Writing” (BH—Chapters 50-52)
Introduction to the Research Essay Assignment
REVISION OF ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY DUE (GROUP THREE)
W 4/13: Posthuman Writing: Revisions and Revisionist Identities
Read “A Cyborg Manifesto” by Donna Haraway (BB)
Read “Cyborg Vision for Cyborg Writing” by Kristie S. Fleckenstien (BB)
REVISION OF ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY DUE (GROUP TWO)
F 4/15: Transmitting Culture, Transmitting Bias
Read “Fatheralong” by John Edgar Wideman (TWP)
Read “What About Style?” (SW—Chapter 10)
Watch “Emmett Till, 1955” by Blackside and PBS (In-Class)
REVISION OF ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY DUE (GROUP ONE)
WEEK 14 MODELING THE ACADEMIC RESEARCH PAPER
M 4/18: Modeling Interdisciplinary Research on Identity: Intersectionality
Read “Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex” by Kimberlé Crenshaw (BB)
Read “Writing the Wrongs of Identity” by Meri Nana-Ama Danquah (BB)
RESEARCH PROSPECTUS AND ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY DUE
W 4/20: Modeling Interdisciplinary Research on Identity: Body Image and “Fat Studies”
Read “My Body is Wildly Undisciplined” by Roxanne Gay (BB)
Read “A Jiggle in My Walk” by Wendy A. Burns-Ardolino (BB)
F 4/22: Modeling Interdisciplinary Research on Identity: Sports Studies
Read “Sexual Identity and Sport” by Kerrie J. Kauer and Vikki Krane (BB)
Optional Reading: “Writing in the Disciplines” (BH—Chapters 64-65)
WEEK 15 STRATEGIES FOR REVISION
M 4/25: Strategies for Revision: Structures, Sentences, and Syntax
Read “How Do We Develop and Organize Arguments?” (SW—Chapter 8)
In-Class Activity: Belcher Diagnostics Worksheet
RESEARCH ESSAY DRAFT DUE
W 4/27: Closing Thoughts: Privilege, Culture, and Identity
Read “Toward a New Vision” by Patricia Hill Collins (BB)
F 4/29: Closing Thoughts: Reflections on College Writing 1
Compose Writing Portfolio Letters (In-Class)
WRITING PORTFOLIO DUE
WEEK 16 COMPLETE COURSE EVALUATIONS (evals.wustl.edu)
F 5/6: RESEARCH ESSAY DUE