Diverse Voices in Southern Lit

2006-05-02T09:52:00.000-04:00

Here are a few tips about how to approach the final exam.

When reviewing the texts since the midterm:

Think about connections across texts; identify overlapping themes, significant contrasts

Try to identify the most important passages in each text, ones that are good examples of the author’s style or convey an important idea in the work. These would be good passages to quote from and analyze.

Consider themes and characters from the perspective of the author—what is the author’s message, and what choices does he or she make to communicate this message to the audience?

Think about the key themes and ideas introduced earlier in the semester. How do our readings from the second half of the course develop those themes? Do you see new themes emerge in these later readings?

When writing your essay:

Don’t summarize plots; instead focus on answering the question by presenting your own ideas about the text using passages and/or specific examples to illustrate your answer.

Quote but quote selectively. Don’t include long passages if you aren’t really offering your own analysis of those passages. And never quote as a way of recapping plot.

Don’t rephrase my question in your intro; instead use your introduction to give a sense of how you plan on answering the question

As a rule of thumb, you should plan on writing at least a couple of bluebook pages per text (and more would probably be better). If you end up with only 4-5 pages, this is a sign that you haven’t answered the question as well as you could and that you need to say more.

Good luck and let me know if you have questions about the material (not exam format) as you prepare.

Friday Announcements

2006-04-29T09:34:00.000-04:00

In case you missed class on Friday, here are the announcements I made:

Your blog post next week will count for 2 percent of the blog grade (vs. the usual 1 percent). You need not comment this week, just be sure to post by the usual deadline (and make it a good one!)

I will calculate class participation grades after class ends 5/3, and get them up on Blackboard ASAP. You will receive a grade for your contributions, preparedness, in class writing and group work, less 1 point per absence over 4 absences.

The format of the final will resemble that of the midterm. While I expect your essays to reflect a knowledge of the main ideas of the course, you are only responsible for the readings since the midterm. The exam will be open book, but no notes.

Allison novel, final exam times

2006-04-22T12:36:00.000-04:00

Here's the reading schedule for Bastard Out of Carolina:

Weds. 4/26 pp. 1-91 (chap. 1-6)
Fri. 4/28 pp. 92-152 (chap. 7-10)
Mon. 5/1 pp. 153-231 (chap. 11-16)
Weds. 5/3 pp. 232-end (chap. 17-end)

Also, note the times for the final exam if you haven't already:

Sect 04 Tues, 5/9 8 am-10:30 am
Sect 05 Tues, 5/9 10:45 am-1:15 pm

Dickey Readings

2006-04-12T13:36:00.000-04:00

As mentioned in class today, we'll go back to "Revelation" after the Easter break, so refresh your memory about that text for next Weds., 4/19.

For our classes on Fri. 4/21 and Mon. 4/24, we'll be reading a selection of poems by James Dickey, which I handed out as a packet today. Here are the "pre-reading" questions to help generate some insight into Dickey's poetry:

1) Try to identify the tone of each poem. Which poems are intense, urgent? Which ones are more contemplative?

2) Which ideas and images get repeated throughout the selection of poems?

3) For each poem, underline some phrases that strike you as unique and arrest your attention. How does the poet's choice of words convey an emotional or intellectual effect?

4) Characterize the relationship between human beings, animals, and nature in these poems.

Important reminders

2006-03-12T15:08:00.000-05:00

Remember that you will need to submit the prospectus for your project by 3/22. As indicated in the assignment, this must be be typed and should include a paragraph describing your approach to the topic, what you have uncovered so far, and some of the main ideas you'll address. It also must include a preliminary bibliography. One more thing that you need to do, as we discussed in our last class (section 4, we didn't get to this because we were so rushed by the delay), is include a paragraph describing the PROCESS of your library research. Which databases did you use, which search terms did you use, and what articles/books did you find? Keep track of this as you do your research and detail this in your prospectus.

Please note that the prospectus step is mandatory and that you will lose points from your final grade if it is not submitted on time. Please do not hesitate to let me know if you have any questions or need guidance. I'm happy to offer feedback.

Also, to help you keep up with the evaluation of your blogs, I have posted the blog grades up to this point in your gradebook on BlackBoard. As your syllabus indicates, you are graded on both completing the entire assignment, including both posts and comments, and also on the quality of your work. If you posted without commenting, or commented without posting, I gave you partial credit, up to 50%. Obviously, a pattern of completing only half the assignment will become problematic if you continue it throughout the semester. Another problem for some people is a pattern of only posting sporadically.

Luckily, there are 8 more weeks for blogging; while there's no way to make up for weeks that you didn't complete the work, you can still claim the credit for upcoming weeks.

Upcoming blog posts

2006-02-27T13:08:00.000-05:00

Remember that you do need to post a blog entry for this week by the usual time. However, you do not need to post during the winter break. The next deadline after that will be 3/15, at the usual time.

More on Blogs

2006-02-23T14:44:00.000-05:00

Just finished reviewing your blogs, and wanted to comment on a few that stood out as good examples of what works in the posts. Remember, while I don't expect you to write a novel or anything, I am looking for a certain level of depth and engagement with the text. A good example of this is Kevin's post for this week (BigKev, 04) on "Go, Down Moses." Tina (04) also offers in-depth analysis this week, as well as graphics and links. Lisa (05) makes a good connection between Porter and Faulkner and reiterates an excellent point raised by Tenesha (05) in a recent class (regarding whether or not an author can depict another race or gender accurately and fairly). Finally, Rae (Down to Earth, too 04) also makes a fascinating critique of Faulkner's depictions of women, which reflects a unique take on the text. All of these examples build on class discussion but offer new ideas that take our conversation in different directions.

Exam info

2006-02-22T13:05:00.000-05:00

As promised, here are a few study questions for the midterm. These are not the questions that you will be asked to write about; instead they are intended to help you focus your ideas and approach the material analytically:

Consider the ways that the work of Smith, Jefferson, and Fitzhugh is “foundational.” What ideas do these early works introduce, and how do other (usually later) writers grapple with these ideas?

Try to list the important themes in each text we have read. Then see which themes overlap, appearing in more than one text. Where do you see similarities in the way that authors are treating these themes, and where do you see differences?

What are these writers “doing” in their texts? How are they trying to make a point or convey a message through elements of literature such as language, characterization, irony, etc? What effect do they hope to have on their audience? Do these writers have “agendas”?

As I explained in class, I am looking for a strong grasp of both the themes of the course and of individual texts. I really want to see your interpretation of the texts; I am looking for analysis (vs. summary) and for detailed evidence to back up your assertions. I have created a grading key to help you understand how I will evaluate your essays:

A: Demonstrates an excellent understanding of the texts discussed; includes in-depth, detailed analysis of these texts; offers a clear and well-argued answer to the exam question; includes an introduction and conclusion that make connections (comparisons and contrasts) across texts, and are not mere restatements of my question.

B: Demonstrates a good grasp of the texts and the issues discussed in class; gives a clear answer to the exam question. Uses examples from individual texts to back up own ideas.

C: Displays a basic understanding of the texts but lacks detail or depth. May be more summary than analysis. May lack a clear, definitive answer to the exam question.

D-F: Essay lacks a clear understanding of the texts and the issues of the course. May distort elements of the texts, suggesting inattention or incomplete reading. Weak or incoherent response to the exam question.

Lynching Resources

2006-02-15T12:43:00.000-05:00

As we discussed in our last class, "Pantaloon in Black" alludes to the widespread practice of lynching in the late nineteenth-century and early twentieth-century South. Interestingly, though, Faulkner chooses not to depict the scene itself, and instead describes the events leading up to the lynching through the perspective of the white sheriff's deputy; to me, this move raises the specter of racial violence while deflecting any real examination of this violence or of white complicity in it. This fits with the ambivalent depiction of Rider that we discussed: Faulkner is trying to say something critical about Southern racism, but he doesn't seem to be able to successfully translate this impulse into fictional representation (in this story, at least).

To help fill in the incomplete picture we have, here are some links to websites that deal with lynching. For a basic overview, visit http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1979/2/79.02.04.x.html. You may also want to visit the Without Sanctuary site http://www.withoutsanctuary.org, which includes a flash movie and photo gallery describing the grotesque phenomenon of lynching photography. Please be forewarned that this site includes deeply disturbing images.

Decisions, decisions

2006-02-08T17:13:00.000-05:00

Based on your responses to that question that I asked on the first day of class--“What do you hope to learn about the South?”--I have put together some broad topics that will serve as starting points for your research projects.

Look these over, and select the three areas which you find most intriguing. Write your choices down in order of preference and hand these in to me in class on Fri. 2/17. Also, please look at the presentation dates listed on the syllabus. While I cannot accommodate requests for specific presentation dates, I do need to know if you have a conflict on any particular day of those three days. (Please note that these are the only three days allotted for presentations, and so you must make your presentation on one of these days.)

Once I have your choices, I will assign you a partner who indicated similar interests. You will then begin working together to come up with a more focused, specific topic for your papers and presentation.

1) Investigate the question of whether there are still deep cultural and/or political divisions between the North and South.

2) Analyze media images of the South, focusing on a particular film, TV show, or book. Consider the messages the work conveys about the South and assess the work’s cultural impact.

3) Analyze regional stereotypes of the South in an effort to determine what is fact and what is fiction.

4) Look at southern “foodways,” the interrelationships of food, methods of food preparation and consumption, and regional culture.

5) Research a Southern author we haven’t read; look at the influence of place on that author’s work and analyze how the themes discussed in our course relate to at least one of this author’s works.

6) Research a Southern visual artist and analyze the strategies of representation he/she employs and the connection of the work to place.

7) Research a form of Southern music, explaining its history and cultural significance.

8) Look at interracial relationships in the South, focusing on one minority group
other than African Americans (e.g. Asian, Latino, or Native American).

Blog Business

2006-02-05T15:18:00.000-05:00

I’ve been thinking over the problem that some of you mentioned on Friday; I agree that having both comments and the entries themselves due on the same day is bound to cause difficulties. So here’s what we’ll do: let’s make the entries (posts) due by 9:00 Weds. night from now on, and keep the deadline for your comments the same: by class time on Friday. This will give you more time to read all the entries and offer insightful comments.

Also, as we’ve discussed in class, the blogs offer a flexible format for responding to and writing about the readings and issues we’re working with. Since your blogging styles are still evolving, I want to cite some examples of what I see as the particular strong points of some of recent posts. Think about emulating/incorporating some of these techniques into your own posts:

Both DEM (04) and Debbie (05) offer selective quotes from the text to illustrate their comments, which demonstrates a detailed engagement with the text

On “Downtoearthtoo,” Rae’s post from last week offers a sustained and insightful comparison of two different texts

Kevin L. (04) writes posts that display both a command of the material and personal reflection, making his entries both unique and fun to read

On “Southern Voices” Courtney included links in her posts, which adds to the class’s knowledge of the topic she’s blogging about

Christie (05) ended her post with a question to her readers, which elicited some great responses and created a dialogue

One other suggestion: don’t forget to log into the blogger site before commenting on other students’ sites; otherwise your comment may not post.

Be watching later this week for more information about research topics.

2006-01-27T13:16:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to post a quick version of the announcement that I made in class this morning, in case anyone missed it. You're doing one post per week (at least) and five comments (at least) on other blogs. Posts due Weds. at 9:00, comments by class time Friday. This way there's a clear time frame for you, and a manageable system of grading the blogs for me.

Also, I wanted to mention that I won't be posting comments on your blogs very often, since this is supposed to be an opportunity for student-centered dialogue (although I will make the occasional guest appearance). But please know that I am reading them, and please know that I am happy to provide individual feedback about your blog--you just have to ask (and I'll also send out midterm progress reports as well).

Some specific blog assignments will be coming up in the next couple of weeks...

2006-01-18T20:54:00.000-05:00

Here are my responses to the questions I asked in class today (it occured to me that I never shared all my answers):

1. What do I "know" about the South? I know it's hot in the summer, I know that the economy is booming in certain areas, with lots of population growth and development (and the problems that come along with that, like traffic and smog, especially in the Atlanta area). But I also know that poverty persists in many areas, especially rural ones. One of the growing (and perhaps surprising?) problems in certain poor areas of Mississippi and Alabama is the skyrocketing rate of new HIV cases. My "knowledge" also takes the form of images: rolling green landscapes, good food (biscuits, grits, very, very sweet tea...). Funny but I envision both scenes from Gone with the Wind and the Civil Rights Movement, images that seem quite oppositional.
2. Where did that knowledge come from? Some firsthand experience (I grew up in Atlanta), but also TV, movies, news media, and of course literature.
3. What do I hope to learn? I'm looking forward to learning more as we do the research projects and further contextualizing my knowledge of Southern lit. I also want to know the Faulkner book I assigned, _Go Down, Moses_, better.

2006-01-16T10:31:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the portal blog for English 126, "Diverse Voices in Southern Literature." All individual student blogs for this course can be accessed from this site, just click on the highlighted links. Remember, these blogs serve as your space to write and reflect, whether on the material we're reading, various issues raised in class, or on current events in the South (e.g., rebuilding New Orleans after Katrina or the ongoing debates about "intelligent design"). It's also an opportunity to extend our dialogue beyond the classroom into this less formal "virtual" setting. It's also a good place to pursue the self-reflexive question of what our stake in all of this Southern stuff is, anyway...why, if most of us are Northerners, should we care about this and what do we hope to learn? Finally, it's not a bad idea to use your blogs to work through the practical matters of your research projects; you can brainstorm topics here, raise questions about resources, and record updates on your progress. Let me know if you have any questions as you set up your blogs, and let's see what develops...