Essay #

and Group Project:

Public Argument Remix and Reflection

20% of Final Grade for the Course

When I write a poem or a storywhen I am synthesizing, some would sayI do a lot of analysis in the process. I pay fierce attention to the words I choose, the images I conjure, the sounds I create. I weigh. I compare. I evaluate both my sentences and my sense. I do this even as I am drafting and trying not to be too hard on myself so I can get plenty of language on the page. My ongoing analysis leads to more synthesis. Analysis helps me generate new images, connections, and echoes of language. When I write an article or book review, howeverwhen I am primarily concerned with analyzing, some would sayI also do a lot of synthesizing. [. . .] . . . I see no dichotomy between analysis and synthesis. They are Fred and Ginger. Poncho and Cisco. Thelma and Louise. Yin and yang. Neither is as effective separately as it is when partnered with the other. Good writing, regardless of the mode of discourse, causes writers to think. That thinking involves a productive dialectic between analysis and synthesis. Tom Romano, on the line between analysis and synthesis Writing with Passion: Life Stories, Multiple Genres (1995), pp. 5-6

Important Dates
4.13 Genre Workshop on Poetry and Short Prose Pieces: An in-class workshop for those who are interested in writing poetry for their remix. 4.15 Genre Workshop on Comics, Graphic Novels, and Visual Rhetoric: An in-class workshop for those who are interested in composing a visual argument for their remix. 4.24 Writing Workshop II: Bring 2 copies of your Public Argument Remix to class for peer response. 4.27 Writing Workshop III: Bring 2 copies of your Response Remix to class for peer response. 5.8 Final draft of your Individual Reflection Essay is due in my office between 8:30 and 10:30 am.

Purpose
The purpose of this assignment is to explore the relationship between analysis and synthesis, between content and form. During this assignment, we will investigate how different forms of writing allow us, as writers, to explore and re-present our arguments from different perspectives. Put differently, we will ask, How does an argument change when we rewrite it as a poem? As a comic? As a speech? Etc. To accomplish this, you will need to fulfill the three parts that comprise this assignment: Part One: Public Argument Remix Part Two: Response Remix Part Three: Individual Reflection Essay

Youll find detailed descriptions of all three parts in the sections that follow.

The Assignment & Evaluation

In the following paragraphs, please note the three parts that comprise this assignment. You will complete all of these parts individually (that is, on your own). However, the compositions that you write for part one and part two should be included in your groups zine. The third partthe Individual Reflection Essay will be composed individually, and youll turn it in separately at the final exam. In other words, the Individual Reflection Essay does not need to go in your groups zine.
L. Martin \ English 102 047 \ Spring 2009 \ University of Arizona 1 | page

PART ONE. Public Argument Remix (include this in your groups zine) 40 points of final grade for Essay #5
For this portion of the assignment, you will build on the work you are doing for Essay #4 (your Documented Article) by reshaping your argument to fit a new and different genre or form. In other words, you will take the argument you are exploring in your Documented Article and remix or re-vision it to fit a new writing style and form. The success of your Public Argument Remix will rest mainly on how well the new genre suits your purpose as a writer. To do this, you will need to consider your audience, your purpose as a writer, and the subject of your argument. When you consider these three aspects of your rhetorical situation, what new genre will make sense? In class, we will consider specific genres: poetry and visual compositions (comics, graphic novels, photography). However, there are many, many genres that you can select. Here is a brief list of other genres you might consider:
speech personal letter obituary phone conversation recipe memo eulogy travel poster satirical prose advice column invitation memory autobiography timeline play or screenplay short story letter to an editor, politician, or public figure dialogue via email, IM, Twitter, or other chat technology restaurant menu postcard editorial choose your own adventure narrative directions scrapbook page tabloid article photographic essay

Please remember, this is a brief list of possible genres, and I invite you to generate and explore other possibilities. Experiment! Invent! If you are unsure, please feel free to discuss your ideas with me. There is no page limit for this portion of the assignment. I will evaluate your Public Argument Remix by asking: How well does the Public Argument Remix meet the needs of the audience you are addressing? How well does it meet the conventions of the chosen genre? To fulfill this criterion, you will need to examine samples of your chosen genre to figure out the elements that comprise it. How well does the chosen genre suit the content or topic of your argument?

PART TWO. Response Remix (include this in your groups zine) 40 points of final grade for Essay #5
For this portion of the assignment, you will evaluate the argument of one of your group members and compose a response to it. In other words, this is your opportunity to consider the work of your group members and assert your own perspective on their topic. This writing activity will also give you an opportunity to build on the skills weve been exploring this semester: analysis, rhetorical listening, and Rogerian argument. Furthermore, you will need to choose a genre that fits your response. For ideas, please see the list of genres that I presented in the previous section. There is no page limit for this portion of the assignment. I will evaluate your Response Remix by asking: How well do you summarize your group members argument? In other words, how well are you practicing rhetorical listening? How well do you analyze your group members argument? In other words, does your writing show me that you understand the logic, arrangement, and purpose of your group members argument? How well does the chosen genre suit the content or topic of your response?

L. Martin \ English 102 047 \ Spring 2009 \ University of Arizona

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PART THREE. Individual Reflection Essay (turn this in separately on May 8) 20 points of final grade for Essay #5
Now that we have come to the end of our journey together, it is time to turn toward the past and reflect on all that has transpired. I invite you to take stock of your 102 experience this semester by composing a brief (about 3-4 pages) narrative essay in which you: reflect on what you learned, describe yourself as a writer, noting how your ideas have ebbed and flowed over the course of your life and this class, and make predictions about how you will carry what youve learned into your bright future. an argument for your grade a journey to the mountaintop narrative

What this assignment is not:

Thus, you have two audiences for this assignment: you (the reflective writer) and me (the curious listener). Brainstorming and Getting Started To get you started, I suggest you look back at your semesters work and reflect on the purpose of each assignment. What did you learn in terms of: Analysis and critical thinking Personal writing Connections between culture and writing Visual design and visual communication Teamwork and collaboration Ethical and curious research Constructing arguments Thinking rhetorically: audience, context, purpose

To be clear, I do not expect you to write about all of these topics. Select a few that resonate with you, and spend some time reflecting on your past and current understanding of the topics. Important! As you compose, please keep these evaluative criteria in mind: Essay is typed, double-spaced, and prefaced with an imaginative and meaningful title Essay makes reflective claims about your topic (your writing, thinking, and experiences) and supports these claims with specific references to past work (i.e., assignments weve completed this semester) Essay is a thoughtful, honest inquiry into your own development as a writer Essay makes meaningful predictions about your future as a writer (e.g., What do you want to improve? What do you want to write? Think broadly and creatively here.)

DUE DATE! Your completed reflection essay is due in my office (remember, iPod) on Friday, May 8th, between 8:30 and 10:30 am.

L. Martin \ English 102 047 \ Spring 2009 \ University of Arizona

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