Yesterday, we chose to read and discuss Don Delillo’s White Noise.  Unfortunately, because it is an amazing book and the world is against us, there is a shortage of copies in Tulsa.  For your convenience, here are the number of books and their locations around the city:
Border’s 81st: 6
Border’s Midtown: 3
B&N 41st: 1
Steve’s Sundry: 0
Gardner’s Used Books: 0
Waldenbooks in Promenade: 0

Grab a copy if you have a chance.  I’ve ordered five more copies from B&N at 41st, but they will take around a week to come in.  I’ll let you know when they arrive.

We will begin this unit with shorter works that are thematically related to White Noise. The first of these will be "Raj, Bohemian" by Hari Kunzru (originally published in The New Yorker), a short story about modern identity and consumer culture.  As we dive in, feel free to bring to class anything you feel will supplement our discussions.

Remember, article analyses are due every Tuesday and Thursday.

Enjoy your weekend.  Go outside!  Read near an open window if it’s raining!

on this session’s final paper, check out RottenTomatoes.com for articles on An Inconvenient Truth.  George F. Will is an op-ed columnist for The Washington Post, and has written a scathing counterargument to Gore’s movie. 

For the good of the community, post any other online articles you find.

For this assignment you will be responding to the two attached photographs. Taking into consideration the composition and layout of the two pictures, answer the following prompt in a two-page argument:

Who is affected most profoundly in these two photographs? Using evidence from the photographs, defend your choice in a well-developed essay.

Because this is a argumentative essay, you must state an argument in your thesis then back it with evidence from the texts. This may seem difficult without words to cite, but take a few minutes to look over the images while you mark interesting parts. Some questions to help you get started:

New York Times Image
How would you characterize the boy’s clothing? Is this dress ironic?
How would you characterize the soldiers’ dress? That is the most distinctive thing about the soldier with his back to the camera?
What are the soldiers looking for? Do they have a right to search the boy?

Time Image
What do the eyes in the photograph tell you?

Both
Why is it surprising that children are included in these photographs?

Discuss in the comments section if you are stuck. Remember, you are making an argument. Use your thesis statement to state the argument, then back it with your ideas supported by the text. You will be counted off if you write an opinion paper or stray too far from the photographs.

This essay is a bit different from those we have written before. You are asked to defend or attack the importance of The Island as a piece of cinema. Keeping your personal reactions out of this paper will be difficult, but you should be able to do it. Frame your argument around what it means for a movie to be “quality”; does it mean that it is possible to discuss? Should a quality movie reflect the culture in which it is written? Should it receive excellent reviews and do well in ticket sales? This is where your opinion comes in.

After you decide how you would like to argue your point, begin writing your thesis. Here’s an example: Although The Island was not a critical success, the movie’s representation of popular culture (for better or worse) makes this movie important as a reflection of the contemporary zeitgeist.

We will work on this a bit on Wednesday, but come to class with an outline and be prepared to discuss.

I have received several messages from you guys about the essay we are currently writing. Here is a quick overview of what we went over in class:

An essay has three parts:
An Introduction
A Body
and a Conclusion

The introduction should be one paragraph long and contain several elements:
An introductory sentence containing the author’s name and the name of the work you are discussing.
Your thesis statement, or the point you are trying to make with your essay. This is the most vital part of your writing. Present a solid thesis statement and back it with the body paragraphs and you will have an amazing essay. This should be the final sentence of your opening paragraph.
Example thesis: Hornby’s characters explore what it means to be “cool” by adopting the actions of one another, though they soon realize that they are looking for connections, not cool in their lives.

The body of your essay is made up of all the paragraphs between the introduction and the conclusion.
Each paragraph of the body should contain:
A topic sentence. What is this paragraph going to be about? As you did with your thesis statement, sum up the point of this paragraph in the first sentence, then include your ideas/explanations. Your ideas and explanations should be backed with examples or quotations from the text.
Example topic sentence: The bullying Marcus endures at school highlights his outsider status.

Example quotation: Marcus’s relationship with Ellie was a matter of surprise for everyone. “Just about every kid in the room stopped . . . and turned around” when Ellie called to Marcus in the busy cafeteria (Hornby 170).

If you find yourself writing about several different topics in the same paragraph, break it into several pieces, making sure each new paragraph applies to your thesis. If it does not apply, chuck it or change your thesis. (This is why the outline is an important step; it is easier to throw out a bullet than a paragraph.)

The conclusion wraps up your essay. Briefly describe the points you made (without adding new information), and reflect on the point you’ve made.

Keep in mind the basic rules of academic writing:
Keep a formal tone (no slang, text jargon, personal anecdotes)
No personal pronouns
No contractions
12 point Times New Roman font
One inch margins all around
Header on the left
Page number top right

That’s it! Well done.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns please email me.

[This page was WinsomeWiki’d on 4 Jul. 2009]