Readings are also listed by class session.
Wherever possible, the book citations below reflect the specific editions used in the course.
Texts
Watters, Ann, and Marjorie Ford, eds. Writing for Change: A Community Reader. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 1994. ISBN: 9780070686151.
Moser, Joyce, and Ann Watters, eds. Creating America: Reading and Writing Arguments. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2004. ISBN: 9780131443860.
Lunsford, Andrea A. Easy Writer: A Pocket Guide. 2nd ed. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's Press, 2002, 2005. ISBN: 9780312433093.
Additional Readings
Atwood, Margaret. The Handmaid's Tale. New York, NY: Anchor; 1st Anchor Books edition, 1998. ISBN: 9780385490818. (Excerpts)
Carson, Rachel. Silent Spring. Mariner Books; 104 edition, 2002. ISBN: 9780618249060. (Excerpts)
Dickens, Charles. A Christmas Carol . New York, NY: Penguin Classics, 2003. ISBN: 9780140439052. (Excerpts)
Ehrenreich, Barbara. Nickel and Dimed: On (not) Getting by in America. New York, NY: Henry Holt Paperback, 2002. ISBN: 9780805063899. (Excerpts)
Friedan, Betty. The Feminine Mystique. New York, NY: Norton, 2001. ISBN: 9780393322576. (Excerpts)
Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. London, UK: New York, NY: Harper Perennial Modern Classics; Flamingo Modern Classics, 1998, 1994. ISBN: 9780060929879. (Excerpts)
Kaysen, Susanna. Girl, Interrupted. New York, NY: Vintage Books, 1994. ISBN: 9780679746041 (Excerpts)
Kozol, Jonathan. "Are the Homeless Crazy? " Harper's Magazine 277 (September 1988): 17-19.
Orwell, George. "Politics and the English Language." Selected Essays. Toronto, ON: Penguin Books Ltd., 1957. (Excerpts)
———. 1984. New York, NY: The New American Library Inc., 1961. ISBN: 9780451524935. (Excerpts)
Sister Prejean, Helen. Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States. New York, NY: Vintage; 1st Vintage Books ed edition, 1994. ISBN: 9780679751311. (Excerpts)
Online Readings
Susan Sontag, On Photography (excerpt)
Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions
Girl, Interrupted (excerpt)
"The Ultimate Punishment: A Defense" - E. Van den Haag
Films
A Christmas Carol.
Rosenblum, Nina. America and Lewis Hine. 1985.
Hampton, Henry. Eyes on the Prize. 1987.
Mangold, James. Girl, Interrupted. 1999.
Killing Us Softly. 1999.
Robbins, Tim. Dead Man Walking. 1995.
Readings by Class Session
| LEC # | TOPICS | READINGS | |
|---|---|---|---|
Unit One: First Essay; Writing Focus: Personal Narrative |
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1 |
Intro to the Class as a Writing Community Writing about Social and Ethical Issues |
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2 |
Reasons to Believe: The Roots of Ethical and Social Values Introducing Personal Essays |
In Writing for Change: Edelman, Marion Wright. "A Family Legacy." pp. 24-30. |
|
3 |
Reasons to Believe and Act |
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4 |
Developing and Sustaining Ethical and Social Values |
In Writing for Change: Kennedy, John F. "Inaugural Address." pp. 89-92. Buckley, William F. "A Call to Arms." pp. 125-133. King, Martin Luther, Jr. "A Letter From Birmingham Jail." pp. 285-299. Alexander, P. W. "Christmas At Home." pp. 100-103. Taylor, Jeremy. "Service Learning: Education with a Purpose." pp. 193-199. Film Clips: Eyes on the Prize. |
|
5 |
The Writer as Social Activist: A Literary Tradition |
||
6 |
Writing Workshop, Draft Essay 1; The Craft of Revision |
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Unit Two: Second Essay; Writing Focus: Investigative Essay/Comparative Analysis |
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7 |
Representing Social Issues and Problems; Images |
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8 |
Narratives of Poverty and Homelessness |
Dickens, Charles. A Christmas Carol. (Selection) Kozol, Jonathan. "Are the Homeless Crazy?" In Writing For Change: Marin, Peter. "Helping and Hating the Homeless…." pp. 270-283. Film Clip: A Christmas Carol |
|
9 |
The Writer as Witness, Participant and Investigator: Inside the World of Poverty and Low-wage Labor |
Ehrenreich, Barbara. Nickel and Dimed: On Not Getting By in America. (Excerpt) Film Clip: America and Lewis Hine. |
|
10 |
The Writer as Interpreter of Social Issues: The Value Of Comparative Analysis: Research Strategies |
||
11 |
Writers Engage With Media Culture and Beauty Imagery |
In Writing For Change: (student essay) Morgan, Amanda. "When Beauty Is the Beast." pp. 356-363. Film: Killing Us Softly 3 |
|
12 |
Writers Address Contemporary Debates: Race, Gender and Issues of Equality Approaches to Comparative Analysis: Options in Introductions/Conclusions |
In Writing For Change: Takaki, Ronald. "Breaking Silences: Community of Memory." pp. 219-232. Faludi, Susan. "Blame It on Feminism." pp. 238-250. |
|
13 |
Writers Confront Contemporary: Educational Inequality, Past and Present: Individual Portraits |
In Writing For Change: Angelou, Maya. "Graduation." pp. 155-165. Kozol, Jonathan. "Corla Hawkins." pp. 176-181. Rose, Mike. "I Just Wanna Be Average." pp. 165-176. |
|
14 |
Writing Workshop, Draft, Essay 2 |
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Unit Three: Third Essay; Writing Focus: Investigative/Advocacy Essay |
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15 |
Writers as Investigators and Advocates: Modern Classics in the Literature of Social Change |
Excerpts from: Friedan, Betty. The Feminine Mystique. Carson, Rachel. Silent Spring. Orwell, George. "Politics and the English Language." |
|
16 |
Reading Films Critically |
Film: Girl, Interrupted. |
|
17 |
Writers Explore Contemporary Issues: Mental Health |
Kaysen, Susanna. Girl, Interrupted. (Excerpt) In Writing for Change: Thompson, Tracy. "The Wizard of Prozac." pp. 347-356. Film: Mangold, James. Girl, Interrupted. |
|
18 |
Writers Define Contemporary Issues and Advocate Solutions: Education |
In Writing for Change: Hirsch, E. D. "Cultural Literacy." pp. 188-193 |
|
19 |
View Dead Man Walking |
Film: Dead Man Walking. |
|
20 |
Writers Debate Policy Issues: Capital Punishment Incorporating Personal and Public Voices |
Film: Robbins, Tim. Dead Man Walking |
|
21 |
Writers Debate Policy Issues: Capital Punishment Incorporating Personal and Public Voices (cont.) |
Film: Robbins, Tim. Dead Man Walking. |
|
22 |
Approaches To Advocacy |
In Writing For Change: Randy Fitzgerald. "Owls Are Not Threatened, Jobs Are." pp. 419-423. Hamilton, Cynthia. "Women, Home and Community: The Struggles in an Urban Environment." pp. 412-418. |
|
23 |
Writers as Visionaries: Fiction as a Laboratory for Utopian Ideas and Dystopian Critiques |
In Writing For Change: Callenbach, Ernest. "Ecotopia." pp. 440-446. |
|
24 |
Writers as Visionaries: Fiction as a Laboratory for Utopian Ideas and Dystopian Critiques |
Excerpts: Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. Orwell, George. 1984. Atwood, Margaret. The Handmaid's Tale. |
|
25 |
Revision Strategies for Advocacy Essays |
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26 |
Advanced Revision/Publication Workshop |
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27 |
Advanced Revision/Publication Workshop (cont.) |
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28 |
Presentations and Course Evaluation |
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29 |
Last Class: Celebration |
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