Week 10

This Week

On Monday we're reading Joyce Carol Oates' "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" found on pages 278-288 of our textbook.

On Wednesday we're reading Nathanial Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown" (163-171).

Please come to class on both days having read these stories closely, and ready to discuss them.

On Friday we'll spend the day on a peer review and essay workshop. Do not forget to bring a draft of your third essay to class.

 Journal Activity

Prose writing, whether fiction or non-fiction, often succeeds or fails on description.  The ability to accurately, evocatively, and memorably describe something is important to novelists, journalists, and office managers alike.  Your journal activity this week is to practice descriptive writing.  Choose a person, a place or a thing that you want to describe.  It can be anything.  If you're having trouble thinking of something to describe, describe the room you are in as you write.

1. Write a florid description.  In one paragraph, describe your subject in as much detail as you can.  Use every adjective or descriptive phrase you can think of.  Over-write.

2. Write a stark description.  In one paragraph, describe the same subject using as few adjective or descriptive phrases as you can while still getting across what the subject is and what it is like.  Under-write.

3. In as many paragraphs as you like, describe the subject a third time, being as florid or as stark as you like.

4. Think about how many details and how many adjectives work best and why.  Your answer says something personal about the kind of writer you are, but also gives you some insight into what makes a good writer good and what makes a bad writer bad.  You don't have to write your reflections down, but feel free to if you wish to do so.

Looking Ahead to Next Week

Next week we'll be reading two stories by James Joyce: "Araby"(187-190), and "Eveline" (191-193).