About the Course (or, What Have I Gotten Myself Into?)

Texts in VCU Bookstore
The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction, Shorter Fifth Edition. R.V. Cassill.
CONNECT.Net for Windows. Norton. (instruction book, access to our program; if you already have a CONNECT access number, you do not have to purchase another.) Software download

What we are up to in this course
The reading, writing, and telling of literature, especially narrative fiction--which is our focus this semester--provides us not only with intellectual and emotional pleasure, but with better understanding of ourselves, ouir relationships, and our culture. But the deepest and most sustaining pleasures are not those which come from the first reading experience of following a plot and some characters to the end, as we can do easily with movies and television. It is the stories which we must attend to which stay with us and invite thoughtful re-reading over time.

To read critically--intelligently, perceptively, affectively--is a complex, self-conscious activity. Creating meaning requires noticing, knowing, and asking questions, all of which requires careful rereadings and encountering interpretations verbalized by other readers. This process, which at its best is both personal and collaborative, results in "exploding" the possible meanings of a text.

To write critically is also a process, one which records and shares the reading moment, as well as one which works to present a well-argued and focused interpretation of a text in a paper. Again, this type of writing is collaborative at its best, since you measure your personal reading against those of other readers which confirm, challenge, and fine-tune your own critical interpretation.

Thus, critical reading and writing are totally and recursively linked into the thinking, feeling, and interpreting process--there is no point where one ends and the other begins. The more aware you become of this dynamic, the better you are as a reader.

To put it in simpler terms, we are going to read/reread/write/rewrite...., starting always with "what does it mean to me and why?" moving to "what are the many possibilities of interpretation?" and finally "what interpretation works best for me at this point of my reading and communicates most persuasively with other readers?" We will follow the natural progress of critical writing, from first reading responses, to rereading analyses, text interpretation, and critical arguments. This process will be relatively slow and recursive, allowing us to explore each successive step through carefully designed reading/writing protocols. To make this happen--and to put the teacher in her proper place as coach and resource--we will meet in the computer center, using CONNECT.Net, the Web, and occasionally GUIDE, as tools to achieve an interactive collaboration difficult to accomplish in an ordinary classroom structure.

Structure
This will be a truly dynamic course which will take its shape as we go. We will be writing constantly and reading everything we write, as well as the reading assignments. Each week the syllabus will take shape, and we may go back and work on stories several times, looking at them differently. So you will need to check this on-line syllabus constantly for changes. We will be reading stories, writing and reading your responses to them, then we will later re-read them more intensely and write again. You will need to read all of the posted papers and comment on them as instructed for each class. You are also expected to read what I post on CONNECT or our Internet site, including links from the syllabus.

Writing Assignments and Grading
Your writing, as well as your reading, will be more process than product-oriented. Just what you will write, informally and formally, will unfold as we move through the course, but you can expect to write--and some cases, rewrite--for every class. Your response writing on CONNECT will count for 50% of your grade; several more (short) formal papers, including a final paper, will count at least 10% each. There may be a test or two during the semester, depending on how active your response writing is. After the sixth week of class, you will review your progress with me; the final grade will take into account all of your writing, especially your final work (which is where you have "arrived" in this process.)

Printing
We will have access to a printer to print out drafts, responses, and papers (relatively short stuff). To use the printer in Hibbs, you must either bring me a ream of copy paper (for unlimited copying) or pay by the page. Chances are you will not need to print at all.

Attendance
A major requirement is that you attend class regularly and that you do the assigned readings and respond to them (on the computer) preferably before you come to class. You can post your response before class and then respond to the class discussion within 48 hours, if you must, but you will miss the energy of the discussion if you do (and there will be plenty of “face-to-face” work during the class period). Note: historically speaking, missing class and failing to post on time can DESTROY your grade!

Computer connection
The written assignments for each class can be done on any computer and saved to your CONNECT file in text format, then uploaded into the assignment slot for that day. If you have access to a Windows computer with WORD on it and Internet access, you will have 24-hour access to CONNECT.Net, where much of your work/discussion will be done. You can also find access on Windows computers throughout the university, since CONNECT is Internet-based (I’ll give you details on this). If you are very new to this whole computer business, don’t worry--it’s not hard to learn the programs we are using, and there will be help available.

Honor Policy
Because our work will often be collaborative, there are important integrity issues. You should not copy or print anyone's work from the computer (including the Web) without their permission and you should not "jump ahead" by reading hypertext or other responses before you have written your own. In other words, respect the work of others, even on the Internet, and give credit where credit is due, in no way presenting it as your own.