"My father was very sure about certain matters pertaining to the universe. To him, all good things, trout as well as eternal salvation, came by grace and grace comes by art, and art does not come easy. "

from the movie A River Runs Through It (1992)

Please Note: What you hold is a hard copy of a web document accessible by any computer with internet access. The index units below, showing this document's parts, are not only a sort of organizing table of contents but are on the web  links to the indicated parts of this syllabus.  While the basic plan of this class is established, fine tuning as well as added resources may not be included in this printed version. I will announce alterations to the syllabus in class.   Still, student are encouraged to check the actual web site regularly.

Course Index:

• Course Description
[texts][tools][objectives][required forms][grading scale][attendance][evaluation][tests][midterm &final][journal][journal samples][the essays][portfolio]
• Class Schedule
[Week One] [Week Two][Week Three][Week Four][Week Five][Week Six][Week Seven][Week Eight][Week Nine][Week Ten][Week Eleven][Week Twelve][Week Thirteen][Week Fourteen][Week Fifteen]

ENG3093 Advanced Composition [3] is an upper division course required of students in Professional Writing and various English major programs.  This semester, the course will cover advanced study of the composing process, essay form, and individual style.  Students will be provided with opportunities to analyze evidence of invention, arrangement, and tone.  While there will also be some emphasis on teaching composition and creative writing, students will be especially exposed to the practical nature of composing and selling non-fictional essays.

Texts:

Required:

Border Texts : Cultural Readings for Contemporary Writers
by Randall Bass
Here is an important resource related to this text:
Border Text Online

Scribners Handbook for Writers

Strongly Recommended:

I will be approaching the bookstore about ordering this text, but they will want the cash in advance.  Students interested should see the instructor.

List Price: $32.95
Amazon Price: $26.36

Course Objectives:

• To provide students with a wide exposure to freelance non-fictional writing.
• To provide students with the experience of writing within a group setting.
• To provide students the opportunity to analyze professional work.
• To provide students the opportunity to analyze and edit peer and elementary writing in order to prepare them for the experience of teaching composition..

Your notebook will be divided into three parts: handouts (like this hardcopy of the syllabus) notes, and your journal.  Even if you type it up, I would like it placed within the notebook.

You will also need Loose leaf paper (for the notebook), colored ink pins (for editing--no pencils please),  paper clips (do not staple assignments), and a manila folder for your writing portfolio.

Required Forms:

NOTE: All assignments MUST BE TYPED, must be in MLA Format and must be done in 14 Font. (This is larger than standard font which is 12, so you will have to alter the set up when you work with the computer. There will be NO EXCEPTIONS.   If an  assignment is handed in which does not meet these requirements it will be returned without being graded and will be marked down when it is handed in as LATE. See Scribner Handbook on page 741 for examples of MLA layout.

Follow this link to see an example of what is expected.

However, when composing the first copy which will be viewed by the class, feel free to use the standard 12 font.  The larger font is for when I am grading the work individually.  Please never let the computer default to 10 font.

How I Grade:

As an upper division class there will be plus (+) and minuses (-) in the grading system this year.

• 90 to 100 is an "A" Exceptional! A cut above--unusually good.
• 87 to 89 is "B+" Very Well Done!
• 84 to 86 is a "B" Well Done! A fine Job!
• 80 to 83 is a "B-" Fairly Good. 
• 77 to 79 is a "C+" Solidly in there!
• 74 to 76 is a "C" Good, a concrete understanding of the subject.
• 70 to 73 is a "C-"  Understanding of subject is workable.
• 60 to 70 is a "D" Passing but weak.
• 59 and below is an "F"  Fell short of required understanding of material.

• [5%] Tests
• [10%] Journals
• [10%] Midterm
• [10%] Final

• [5%] Midterm Portfolio

Two pieces of writing, comprised of 6-7 edited pages total
Analysis of each submitted piece.

• [20%] Presentation/ Participation

Student-led discussion/ analysis of essay from Borders
Midterm and Final Readings

• [20%] Writing Analyses

Personal Writing Profile/ Self -analysis.
Analyses of professions writing (Selections from Borders).
Analyses of advanced student writing (peer evaluation).
Analyses of intermediate student writing (ENG1043 students).

• [20%] Final Portfolio

Three revised pieces of writing, comprised of 7-8 edited pages total. An analysis of each revised piece.

• Tad Bits (A presentation of elements in student writing which drive Dr. Rearick crazy!)
• MLA Guidelines (A power point presentation provided by Cornell University's Writing Lab)

Attendance:
Since this class is strongly based on student involvement, in fact since 20 percent of the grade is centered on editorial work given to peers as they read their work in class, regular and faithful attendance is vital.  This fact is acerbated by the fact that our class meets only twice a week.  Students who miss three classes have missed a week and a half of work.  More than this makes catching up highly unlikely and the student will be asked to drop this course.

Tests:
There will be four tests through the semester based on class discussion and readings.

Midterm and Final
These will be based on the exams.  The Midterm will be on Oct.17 in class.  The Final will be announced.

Journal

Your journal is worth ten percent of your grade.  You should write in it three times a week.  It is your personal repository for what you think about the professional writing being covered in class.

I will be looking for the following in your journal:

1.  Two entries per week (totaling 23 by the end of the semester).  Going  beyond that 38 entries could indicate to the instructor the kind of student  who will achieve a high grade (an A).  Please note that writing in your journal is not connected with days on the calendar.  Remember it is also allowable to write two entries on the same day as long as both are adequately developed. Now, please note. . .

 A. Periodic class checks may occur to determine the currency of your journal entries.   So, always bring your journal with you to class.  Furthermore I sometimes give writing time in class for journal entries.

 B. Journals will be handed in three times during the semester:

2. A table of contents made from the thesis sentence found in each entry should be included each time the journal is handed in.

3. Journal entries must be at least 2/3 of a page long.  Furthermore, if you are one of those individuals like St. Paul with BIG handwriting-- "Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand"  (Gal. 6:11)--then you should plan to write more than what I have  suggested.  I've seen some fill up 2/3 of a page with "I've been thinking  about our reading."  Note Typing a journal could add to your score an an indication of going the "extra mile."

4. All entries should be numbered and dated

 (For Example: Entry # 10; Sept.. 23^rd).

5. Although I will not be grading the journal harshly concerning mechanics and restarts of thought (which require a single line to cross out some    material), I do expect the final product to be neat and legible.  Also you  should write full sentences within paragraphs--no fragmented stream of  consciousness experiments.  "Split from society--bad."  To be specific, I will be especially looking in your journal for. . .

A. Development of ideas.  Remember that it is not necessary to finish a
work to have a good idea.  In fact waiting till you have finished can be   overwhelming. Keep your journal handy while reading.

B. Interconnectedness of journal entries.  This means that an idea you examine at one point in your journal might have relevance to another work discussed later. Works in literature should not be thought of in a vacuum.

1. A diary. Your entries should be a mixture of commentary concerning what  you read and what you discuss in and out of class about literature.  I do  not want to read (as I have in the past) what you had for lunch or who is  presently percolating your hormones.

2. A place for class notes.  Class notes belong in the section provided for them in your loose leaf.  I should not see your actually writing in your journal  during class.  This also means that a journal is not a re-hashing of what is  covered in class ("today in class we talked about. . .etc. etc.").

Entry One, Sept. 1    "I Write to Make Sense of Ideas Which Bug Me."
Entry Two, Sept. 5   "I Wish I Felt Certain About My Abilities to Edit Peers."
Entry Three, Sept. 6 "I Am a Writer Because I Would Write Even If No One Read My Stuff"
Entry Four, Sept. 10 "I have Some Real Fears About Getting Published"

Journal Entry # 4  Sept, 10

Writing to be published is both a desire and a dread for me.  Of course, I'd love to be able to share with others my ideas and be respected as a worthwhile communicator.  Still, bound up within the goal of getting my name in print is the fear of being rejected by editors and readers.  This can create a real sense of inertia in me.  Furthermore I confess that the exhaustive process of becoming familiar with the "business" aspect of writing, finding audiences, publishers, agents and so forth have very little to do with the creative aspect of writing.  It makes me tired to just think of it.  Or maybe I am just too lazy to do some good old fashioned work.

No that's not it.  In fact as an English professor, I have so many responsibilities pressing on my that I often feel as if I am not getting even the required parts of my occupation finished.  Add to that creatively writing and then add to that the business process of getting published and it's clear why I have this recurring experience of going to sleep at my children's bed time.  Still I know that as the world of Nazarene academics becomes more and more business-like, it will require as it has never done before the publication of works.

Having a list of publications offers a possible employer a quick gauge of one's ability to produce text.  It's a really questionable guideline (a lot like judging a professor by how popular he or she is with students), but in the face of lack of time (which I understand is also a reality in the administrative world) and with the great divorce of the administration from faculty (when do they eat together these days?), publication becomes a easy measuring stick.  Thus, even in schools where traditionally publication has not been required, I suspect it will begin to hold more and more weight.  Want to or not, I need to work on getting published.

Now, it is up to me to be certain what I publish also has merit.

The Process:

During the semester each student will write six essays (three for each half) and bring to class enough copies of the assigned essay for each peer and the instructor to read.  The instructor will provide the parameters for each essay type.  These works will then be read aloud by the author, while at the same time the class will read along and mark their copies according to the provided parameters of what is expected and their own insights.  There will be a few moments of class discussion and then the students will pass to the author their comments.  The author will then do a rewrite and hand it in to the instructor by the next class.

The student will hand in two portfolios, one at midterm and the second at the end of the semester.  Each of these portfolios will contain two essays representing the student's best work (as determined by peer and faculty feedback and by the student's own heightened editorial sense).

The Form:

Just a reminder over what was emphasized earlier:  Each essay will be tayped and done in standard MLA format. For the sake of Prof. Rearick's eyes please do all essays in 14 font (the computer usually defaults to 12, so take it up one).  All works should have a working title and, when appropriate, a "works cited" page.

REAL WORD FACTS:  Writing, like drawing or singing, is an art.  All students at the college level can write, draw and sing.  We write home to Mom and Dad, we draw doodles when we are taking notes, and many of us sing in the shower.   Some of us have been blessed by God with a talent in such one or more of these areas.   And some of us are not.  The ramifications of this are that there will be some in class who will seem to get the hang of writing very quickly and who seem to excel very easily.  Others will need to struggle.  It is impossible to guarantee a superior grade even with the promise of effort.  However, students who are attempting to excel should be on the look-out for possible extra credit work and other ways to go beyond what is expected.

Twice during the semester, at midterm and finals, students will be required to submit writing portfolios that represent their best writing.  Specific assignment and choices will be provided in a separate handout for each essay and portfolio.  Each portfolio must contain seven to eight typed double spaced pages of original text, along with an analysis of each submitted piece, the edited comments by the peers (please stable) and the author's own final responses to the editing.  Any portfolio not meeting the minimum page requirements will automatically receive a failing grade.

Other added skills which might make your work more salable such a s photos or illustrations will add to the grade.

I am in debt to Arthur Seamans' small book Writing for Growth for several concepts of essays included here, for his articulation of concept of "Writing at a Liberal Arts College" from the same work, and for his inspiration and encouragement in my early career experience at Point Loma.

HTW --    How to Write What you Love.
SCRIB -- The Scribner Handbook for Writers
BOR -- Border Texts : Cultural Readings for Contemporary Writers

WFG -- Writing for Growth

Thursday Sept. 5

Review Syllabus

Introduction and in class writing "Why do You Write?"

Process Feedback (Handout)

Read "Reducing One's Zzzz Factor" (Handout)

"Process Essay" Due: Come prepared to share (bring copies)

HTW    pages 3-24 ("Becoming a Freelance Writer" Part I)
BOR:    pages 1-19 "Approaching Borders"

WFG:   pages 1-8 "Introduction" & "Writing at a Liberal Arts College" 
Reading and Peer Editing

Thursday Sept. 12

SCRIB Part 1 a-e pages 2-13
BOR:    pages 20-35 "Borders of Identity"

WFG:   pages  9-12  "An Approach to Writing"
Reading and Peer Editing

For those who read in class, hand in Process Rewrite plus an attached paragraph report of what you did.

Hand in Three to Five  Titles of Magazines in which you would like to be published.
(They must accept freelance contributions)

HTW    pages 25-94 ("Cash, Copywriters, and Clocks" Part II)
BOR:    pages 35-57 "Borders of Identity"

WFG:  pages 13-18 "Expressive Writing"

Reading and Peer Editing

For those who read in class, hand in Process Rewrite plus an attached paragraph report of what you did.

Thursday Sept. 19

SCRIB Part 1 f-i pages 13-26
BOR:    pages 58-74, 80-83, 92-104 "Borders of Identity"

WFG:  pages 19-25 "The Image Theme"

Reading and Peer Editing

For those who read in class, hand in Process Rewrite plus an attached paragraph report of what you did.

WFG: pages 25-38 "The Memory and Satori Theme"
5 readers should share today

Thursday Sept. 26
Test One: Covers readings from Border Texts, Scribner, Writing for Growth and How to Write

"Satori Essay" Due: Come prepared to share (bring copies for each student and instructor.

"First Set of Journals Due: (7 Entries Required)
5 readers should share their Satorie Essays today

For those who read, hand in Satori Rewrite plus an attached paragraph report of what you did.

Hand in three submission guidelines provided by three of Magazines in which you would like to be published
BOR: pages 107-116 (Chap. III)

WFG: pages 41-53 "The Zuihitsu and Pan Theme"

Reading and Peer Editing
5 readers should share their Satorie Essays today

For those who read, hand in Memory Rewrite plus an attached paragraph report of what you did.

Thursday: Oct. 3

BOR: pages 116-134

WFG: pages 53-55 "Persuasive Writing"

Reading and Peer Editing
5 readers should share their Satarie Essays today

For those who read, hand in Memory Rewrite plus an attached paragraph report of what you did.

HTW 43-58 (Part II, Chapt. 3)
BOR:    pages 134- 144

WFG:  pages 56-59 "The Empathy Letter Theme"
Reading and Peer Editing

For those who read, hand in Satori Rewrite plus an attached paragraph report of what you did.

Thursday  Oct. 10

"A Sense of Place" Essay" Described

HTW 59-75 (Part II, Chapt. 4)
SCRIB Parts 2 a-e pages 26-43

WFG:  pages 33-41 (Review Satori) 60-71 "The Irony Theme"