Advanced Composition – Creative Nonfiction

English 3400 – Humor Writing – the Personal Essay and Beyond

M/W  -- 3:20 – 4:40 p.m. – Humanities 206

Dr. Alison Umminger                                        Office Hours M/W 10-12 a.m. & 2-3 p.m.

Office – TLC 2241                                           e-mail:  aumminge@westga.edu

DESCRIPTION
Remarque once famously said that not to laugh at the 20^th Century was akin to suicide, and in this class we’re going to apply the same logic to life and modern living.  Don’t run yet if you think that you’re not funny – humor can be subtle and wry as well as laugh-out-loud hilarious.  You don’t have to be David Sedaris, you just have to *try*.  And you may not become Larry David, but you will attempt humor.  We will read a number of contemporary non-fiction forms that use humor as a tool of social critique, as well as to lighten pain.  We will try different forms (to do lists, letters, film reviews) as well as completing two longer essays that use humor illuminate and enhance the subject matter.  Along the way, we will be discussing the line between fiction and non-fiction, the various ways “reality” can be slanted for artistic means, and the appropriateness of humor to certain subjects.  One’s own life may be part of the text, but social satire is also acceptable – so long as the subject is “real.”  I would thing that it goes without saying, but racist, sexist, and homophobic humor are not what we’re going for here – and remember that one has far more range to satirize a group to which one belongs that one to which one is an outsider.

TEXTS

Flight to Canada by Ishamel Reed

Dry by Augusten Burroughs

Naked by David Sedaris

I’m the One that I Want by Margaret Cho

Comedy Writing Secrets by Mel Helitzer

Fierce Pajamas – anthology, ed. David Remnick and Henry Finder

REQUIREMENTS:

6 short essays (2-3 pages) – 30%

2 longer essays (10 pages) – 50%

Participation, in class exercises, & revision/self assessment – 20%

GRADING:  Grading for the short essays will be done on a minus, check minus, check, check plus, plus, basis.  These roughly translate to F, D, C, B, and A.  You will be able to revise these shorter essays, and the lowest of the six will be dropped (though all must be completed).  For the longer essays, I will not be giving you a letter grade, but rather a page or two of thoughtful comments on your work.  You will be expected to revise your work based on these comments, as well as those of your classmates.  All writers know that there is no good writing, only good re-writing.  Unlike many other classes where the grade given seems “final,” in this class, much of your final grade is in your own hands.  You will be turning in a portfolio of your work at the end of the semester, and I will determine much of your grade on this cumulative product.

PARTICIPATION:  Your active involvement and participation are essential for the success of this class.  If I do not feel the class is keeping up with the readings, I will give pop quizzes.  This is also a workshop based class, thus, a respect for the work of your peers is essential.  Try to treat their own work and ideas with the same consideration you would want for your own.  This does not mean being dishonest, but rather, being tactful.  You will be responsible for distributing your longer pieces to the rest of the class a day in advance of your workshops.  All students will be expected to write thoughtful critiques of their fellow students’ work.

ATTENDANCE:  You are allowed two absences for any reason throughout the semester.  After the second absence, your grade will drop 20 points for any missed class off of your final grade (the percentages will translate to 1000 points, so this would not be a big deal with a third absence, but would become a problem with four or five).  If you are more than ten minutes late to class, or leave more than ten minutes early, I will count you as tardy – three tardies translates to one absence.

ACADEMIC HONESTY:  “Any form of plagiarism will result in a failing grade for the assignment and may lead to a failing grade for the course.  There may also be consequences at the university level.  Whether the source is a book, a website, a friend, a classmate, or a parent, passing off someone else’s ideas or language as your own constitutes plagiarism.  All outside sources must be properly acknowledged and documented.  I will be glad to clarify any concerns you have about plagiarism” (from the syllabus of Margaret Mitchell for Engl 2190) – I will not feel one bit sorry about failing you if you plagiarize – plagiarism is stealing (that’s me!).

SCHEDULE:

January—

M 8—Introduction to the course

W 10—  Read Introduction to “Fierce Pajamas” –Chapters 1&2 of Comedy Writing Secrets

                And Margaret Cho, “On Being a Fag Hag” – (37-42)

M 15—No class, MLK, Jr. Day

W 17—FIRST SHORT ESSAY DUE – Write a piece in the style of Cho’s, discussing some random group

                To which you belong (trekkie, oldest sibling, person who treats your dog like a child, whatever).

                2-3 pages long, double spaced (or go wild!).  This will serve as a kind of autobiographical intro.

                READ – Margaret Cho – Chapters 10-14; (92-152) – Comedy Writing secrets (chapters 3&4)

M 22—Read – Fierce Pajamas – “Spoofs” section

                Read – Comedy Writing Secrets (chapters 5&6, and 14)

W 24—SECOND SHORT ESSAY DUE – Modeling your essay after one of the “Spoofs” take some topic

                And write a “spoof” of it – be creative – you can satirize college applications, cafeteria menus,

                A certain kind of film or magazine, whatever floats your boat (so long as the object of satire is

                Apparent)

                Read – Fierce Pajamas – (231-250)

M 29—  Read – Sedaris (1-81)

                Read (Comedy Writing Secrets, Chapters 7&8)

W 31—  THIRD SHORT ESSAY DUE --  You can write on any topic for this one, but pay close attention

                To LANGUAGE – try out some of the techniques from “Comedy Writing Secrets” – You will be

                graded on your clever use of language more than anything for this one.

Read (Comedy Writing Secrets – Chapters 9,10,11)

February—

M 5—  Read – Sedaris (81-153)

W 7—  Read – Secaris (153-end)

First stories handed out for workshop!

M 12—  WORKSHOP & in class exercise (round one)

W 14—  WORKSHOP

M 19—   WORKSHOP

W 21— NO CLASS – Work on REVISION or DRAFT

M 26—  WORKSHOP

W 28—  WORKSHOP

March—

M 5—  WORKSHOP

W 7—  Read – Comedy Writing Secrets – Chapter 18

                Read – Burroughs – DRY – part I (1-93)

FOURTH SHORT ESSAY DUE (Write something modeled after Burroughs, which

Includes a good deal of scene/dialogue – something that dramatizes a true, personal moment

That may be solely humorous, or both humorous and serious)

M 12—  Burroughs – DRY – Part II (97-200)

W 14—FIFTH SHORT ESSAY DUE – Open Assignment – write a short essay that might springboard into

                your second longer piece – choose any topic that you like

                Burroughs – Dry – (200 – end)

M 19 & W 21—No classes, Spring Break

M 26— Reed – Flight to Canada (1-81)

W 28—  Reed – Flight to Canada (82-114)

SIXTH SHORT ESSAY DUE – Try to write a short piece that, like Reed, blends nonfiction

With fiction to illuminate a “real” truth – you might take an historical figure, as Reed does with

Lincoln or Stowe, and put that person in a “real life” contemporary moment.  Or simply take a

“real” moment from the past which you could not have seen or been to, and write it as though

you were there.

April

M 2— Reed – Flight to Canada (114-end)

                First stories handed out for workshop!

W 4—Workshop and in-class exercise (start of Round Two!)

M 9—Workshop

W 11—Workshop

M 16—Workshop.

W 18—Workshop

M 23—Workshop

W 25—Evaluations – Final Portfolios Due