Prompt #1: A Day in the Life...

As part of the process of writing an essay, it is often helpful to approach the ideas in unconventional ways. Toward that end, I thought I would warm you all up the by starting things off with a creative exercise.

For your first prompt, you will write a brief entry describing a day in the life of your chosen professional. You may wish to do some research before you write, but don't drive yourself insane trying to find material.

Once you've completed your post (making sure to publish it), you will read at least one of your fellow classmates' posts and comment on it. When writing your comment, try to address the things that your perceive as key qualities and/or concepts of that profession (making sure to cite at least one specific example).

Answers to this prompt, as well as comments on your classmates' posts, will be due by next Friday (the 10th) no later than 10 pm.

Imponderables: Good things come in Threes?

From time to time I wonder, is all that money we pour into the movie industry going to good uses? You be the judge.

See it on Youtube

Prompt #5: To Wiki or not to Wiki?

As you have learned from the panel yesterday, the use of internet sources is a highly contentious issue in academia, particularly in regards to sites like Wikipedia, where users are free to edit content.

Although the Writing Program currently doesn't aprove of Wikipedia as a valid source, I understand that this notion is not necessarily shared by the rest of university. Thus, for your prompt this week, you will locate an article on Wikipedia that is related to the issue that you have selected for your assignent and assess the article's quality, taking into consideration such elements as the "discussion" page and any relevant controversies therein.

In addition, you may wish to consider comparing the article to other sources such as Encarta, Grolier, and Encyclopaedia Brittanica (please note that online access to these sites may require you to use the library computers).

Please note that it may be helpful to use the Toulmin model to break the articles down into their relevant components. Also, when reading through the articles, keep an eye out for anything that seems to resonate or dissonate with your own ideas.

Answers to this prompt and classmate comments are due by 10pm on Friday, March 30th.

Suggested Readings for Assignment Three

As before, these are not required reading. That being said, your ideas for this essay only stand to benefit from perusing the works of those who have tread a similar path.

Understanding a Sensibility

Notes on "Camp" by Susan Sontag (1964)

While reading, consider how Sontag captures and describes a "sensibility." Also, see if you can find any threads of philosophical thought that seem to resonate with the ideas of the philosophers that you've studied.

Image and Representation

Arguably one of the most beneficial experiences of college is being exposed to the esteemed representatives of various modes of thought. Of course, in our modern age, one can attend such appearances fully armed and prepared with material not only from the horse's mouth, so to speak, but also that of his critics.

D'Souza and his supporters on his book, The End of Racism (1996)

VS.

A liberal college take on D'Souza and his works

In both cases, it might be helpful to examine the language used by both his detractors and his supporters. Also, ask yourself, a) what is the gist of the argument (i.e. the MLA), and b) what question does each text?

Prompt #4: What Celebrity has influenced your notion of the Good Life?

For the purposes of the question, "celebrity" will refer to any reasonably famous person that the rest of us are likely to know (or be able to Google; incidentally, isn't it interesting that Google-ability is an indicator of renown?) Also, should you, by chance, despise a certain celebrity's way of life, note that such revulsion can constitute an influence on your notion of the good life.

Also #2 and #3: Make sure to address the "why" and "how" of the prompt.

Answers to this prompt and classmate comments are due by 10pm on Friday, February 23th.

P.S. Out of curiosity, would you prefer this be due Monday, February 26th, in order to pull some material from the Oscars?

Imponderables, Round Two

Sometimes, when wandering through the aisles of the grocery store, I stumble upon a slice of reality that frankly, seems quite absurd. Thus, today's imponderable:

The Clamato

Prompt #3: What makes an analysis innovative?

For this next prompt, you'll need to do some library footwork. I've already located the call number and other pertinent information, all you need to do is go and make the photocopies. You'll need to go to Leavey Libary to find the following book:

The Best American Essays of the Century, ed. by Joyce Carol Oates. The call number is PS688.B47 2000x, and you'll find the text in the general bookstacks.

From this text, you will select one of the two following sets of essays in order to answer the prompt.

On Technology:

• The Future is Now, by Katherine Anne Porter, pp. 193-198
  
• Sex ex Machina, by James Thurber, pp. 153-158
  

On Racism:

• How it Feels to be Colored Me, by Zora Neale Hurston, pp. 114-117
  
• Bop, by Langston Hughes, pp. 190-192

Answers to this prompt and classmate comments are due by 10pm on Wednesday, Friday February 7th.

Suggested Readings for Assignment One

Although these are not required, I would highly recommend taking the time to read through at least one or two of the following:

In Contemporary Moral Problems:

• Introduction, pp. 2-9
  
• James Rachels - Egoism and Moral Scepticism, pp. 10-18
• William H. Shaw - Ethical Relativism, pp. 34-37

Online (all .pdf files will also be posted on Blackboard):

• Robert Bellah - The Quest for the Self: Individualism, Morality, Politics
• Martin Luther King, Jr. - The World House

Of the listed readings, I would stress Bellah and Rachels as near essentials for this essay. Although you need not feel the urge to quote them directly, your arguments will no doubt benefit from exploring theirs.

-J

An Addendum to the Syllabus: Responding to Blogs

This post is a slight modification to the grading rubric in regards to ancillary work and participation:

Your response to each prompt will be worth 5 ancillary points (unless otherwise noted). These points will consist of a maximum of 3 points for the actual post and 2 points for commenting on a classmate's post (you can find your fellow students blogs on the right-hand side of the screen). Since this was not made clear with the first prompt, I will not penalize a lack of comments on that entry.

Also, additional comments will be counted toward your participation grade.

If you have any questions, you know where to find me.

Happy blogging~!

- J

Prompt #2: What does the individual owe the community? And vice versa?

Since our current essay focuses partly on the relationships between individuals and communities, I thought it would be useful to examine some particular examples. Below, you will find links to two readings. Please choose one of them and respond to the prompt in your blog.

Martin Luther King: Letter From Birmingham Jail

Maxine Hong Kingston: No Name Woman

You may wish to print these out, as the typeface--especially in the second link--is rather small.
Also, please remember to respond to at least one of your classmate's entries as well, as this will help foster discussion.

Answers to this prompt and classmate comments are due by 10pm Friday, January 26th.

The First of Many Deep and Important Questions...

From time to time, you will encounter questions of a seemingly frivolous, yet nonetheless puzzling nature. Whether you chose to confront them is entire up to you. However, your search for an answer might prove fruitful, and what could be better than to at last provide comfort and assurance for all those who have pondered similar thoughts? Thus, I introduce to you the first of many imponderables:

Where do missing socks go?

Prompt #1: Can and should one live the unquestioned life?

It is often said that ignorance is bliss. Most philosophers would disagree with this statement, suggesting that some level of inquiry is required to live life fully. In your efforts to answer the question provided above, consider the following responses, one by Socrates, and the other by Mark Twain.

Socrates: The Unquestioned Life

Mark Twain: Corn-pone Opinions

Answers to this prompt are due by Monday, January 15. Please try to respond to your fellow students posts as well by that date.

New Year, New Site

To all who stumble upon this corner of the Internet, welcome.

This blog is intended to serve as a public forum for the students of USC's WRIT 140-64425. As per the syllabus, each student will maintain an individual blog, in which he or she will respond to the various inquiries that I post. However, this blog is also open to the public, and others are welcome to participate in discussions. I ask that you please keep all comments intelligent and mature; trolls, spammers, and other undesirables will be dealt with promptly.

That aside, I look forward to what will hopefully be an interesting and lively community this semester.

-J