How to reach me:
My office is in Carolina Inn 204, ext. 2595.
My office hours are Mondays & Thursdays 9:30-10:30 am; Fridays 1:30-3 pm.
If these times conflict with your schedule, you may schedule an appointment.
For quick, factual clarifications, but not for advice or conferences, you may contact me by e-mail at suchurchill@davidson.edu. In emergencies, you may call me at home, 704-896-3993 (between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m.).
The syllabus is on the web at www.davidson.edu/academic/english/faculty/churchill_home/ENG294_S06_syllabus.htm. It contains links to electronic reserve readings and other resources.
Our class distribution list is ENG294_S06@davidson.edu. When you send a message to this list, it goes to every member of the class, including me. Please use this list to contact me with any questions about the course, especially clarifications of readings, assignments, and due dates. Chances are, if you're confused, someone else is too.
Required texts:
Ross Wetzsteon. Republic of Dreams: Greenwich Village, American Bohemia, 1910-1960. Simon & Schuster, 2003.
Double-take : a revisionist Harlem Renaissance anthology. Edited by Venetria K. Patton and Maureen Honey. Rutgers University Press, 2001.
Carl Van Vechten. Nigger Heaven. University of Illinois Press, 2001.
Nella Larsen. Passing. Penguin, 2003.
Eugene O’Neill. Three Great Plays. Dover, 2005.
Edna St. Vincent Millay. The Selected Poetry of Edna St. Vincent Millay. Modern Library, 2002.
Wallace Thurman. Infants of the Spring. (Black Classics Series.) The X Press; Reissue edition, 2003.
Zora Neale Hurston. Their Eyes Were Watching God. Harper Perennial Modern Classics, 1998.
Electronic Reserves/Readings:
Many of the readings are available on electronic course reserves, as noted in the syllabus by (ER). A few poems can be be found in the Twentieth-Century African-American Poetry database, which your can access through the library home page. (Mac users beware: the search engine only works on Internet Explorer, not Safari.) Print out these readings at the beginning of the semester and assemble them into a folder, binder, or packet. Electronic problems are NOT an excuse for not doing the readings.
Grade Breakdown:
Participation = 15%
Primary source analysis: 15%
Literary analysis: 15%
Midterm exam: 15%
Final exam: 20%
Two student choice projects: 20%
Graded Assignments
I.
Class Participation = 15%. Do the reading. Come to class with relevant texts and assignments. Be prepared to ask questions, take notes, listen, and respond. You may miss two classes without directly lowering your grade—you don't need to provide any excuses. But use those absences wisely, because except in the case of verifiable hardship (e.g. Dean's or doctor's excuse), each absence after two lowers your final grade by 1/3 of a letter. For instance, a student with a B- final grade who missed three classes would earn a C+ for the semester. If you get a letter from a dean or doctor to excuse additional absences, you must still make arrangements with me for make-up work.
II.
Essays = 30%. You will write a 3-page paper analyzing one of the assigned texts and another 3-page paper examining a primary source that you discover in a little magazine or mass market publication from the period.
III. Exams = 35%. Examinations will cover all assigned reading and material presented in class, including discussion, handouts, slide presentations, guest lectures, etc. The midterm will be an in-class, closed book exam. The final will be closed-book, timed, self-scheduled during the range of days indicated on the syllabus, and governed by the Davidson Honor Code. The midterm covers all material up to Spring Break, and the final is cumulative.
IV. Student Choice Projects (choose two) = 20%. Choices A-E must presented to the class in a brief, interactive oral presentation (max. 10 minutes, timed).
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A. New York Moderns Anthology: Assemble your own anthology of literature from the period. Choose your own focus/topic: author, genre, "ism", theme, issue, etc. Include 10 - 25 selections (depending on their length), a 750-word introduction to and rationale for your collection, head notes for each selection, and a final bibliography of the original sources. May also include illustrations. |
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B. Book Review: choose a book not covered on the syllabus (with my approval). Must be new material for you and not required reading for another class. 750-word paper covering summary and analysis, including how the book relates to the course; see published book reviews for examples of format. |
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C. Author Bibliography: choose an author not covered on the syllabus (with my approval). Write a 250-word biographical headnote about the author's life and work; prepare a bibliography of 10-15 sources by and about the author. Each source with be annotated with a paragraph-long summary and critique. |
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D. Little Magazine Biography: choose a little magazine from the period (with my approval) and review its entire run. Write a 750-word "biography" of the magazine, describing its character, tendencies, accomplishments, and aims. Include a complete table of contents listing the volume, number, and date of each issue, along with the authors and titles included therein. |
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E. Teaching Team: groups of 2-4 people may prepare and faciliate discussion of assigned readings or schedule a film screening and discussion for a time outside of class (other students will receive extra credit for attending and participating). Other teaching group ideas are also welcome. All teaching team projects (and presentation dates) must be arranged with me in advance. Each member of the teaching team will also write a 750-word summary, analysis, and reflection paper. |
Important Guidelines for All Assignments
All written work must be typed in a standard 12-point font, double-spaced with one-inch margins, and stapled. CITE YOUR SOURCES. All written work must provide complete bibliographic citations for ALL materials used, including the primary work(s) discussed, following MLA or Chicago Style (Although style manuals are available in the reference section of the library, I urge you to purchase your own). You are encouraged to see me for help, to use the Writing Center, and to exchange papers with classmates in this class ONLY, provided you indicate in your pledge who helped you and how.
Assignment due dates are listed in the syllabus. Work handed in after these deadlines will be considered late and will be marked down a full letter grade for each day late. If you need an extension, you must clear it with me a week before the assignment is due. NOTE: The Carolina Inn is open from 8 a.m.–5 p.m., M–F, and locked nights and weekends. If you need to drop off or pick up a paper, make sure you get there before lock-up.
SYLLABUS
Readings must be completed by the beginning of class on the dates listed.
Events that appear in green are optional but highly recommended literary events on campus.
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