English R1A

Reading & Composition: Ideas of the University: School, Work, and the World

Book List

Bronte, C.: Jane Eyre; Hardy, T.: Jude the Obscure

Other Readings and Media

A course reader

Anderson, Wes. Rushmore (film)

Description

This seems like a good a time to figure out, and maybe even start to articulate, what we are all doing here. We will read and write around the concepts of education, work and leisure, trying to come to some understanding of how they function and interact in our culture and, most importantly, in our own lives, at our own University. We will engage a few novels, some poetry, essays, films, and other documents, using our readings as an impetus to thinking, discussion, and lots of writing.

At the same time we will work hard on our own writing, on how we construct sentences and paragraphs and develop arguments. Our assignments will lead to increasingly complex applications of these skills in the academic environment. We’ll write a short diagnostic essay at the beginning of the semester, followed by three papers of increasing length. An extensive peer-review process during our longer papers will orient you to your audience, sharpen your critical skills, and improve your writing in the way only heavy revision can.