English 270: Graduate Workshop
6:45-9:15 Thursdays
Juliana Spahr
office hours: 1:30-2:30 Wednesdays and by appointment at Mills Hall 315.

Every time I teach a graduate workshop I have been trying something new hoping to hit on the right balance of rigor and support. I am now convinced there is no one right balance and I've decided that I find that I get the most out of workshops when the methods used change frequently. So this workshop will be set up as a series of modules and every two or so weeks we will switch to a different one so that we see your work with fresh eyes. I'm not sure what sorts of feedback I will be doing yet but some things I've done in the past that I might do again include map making, indexing, outlining, cutting, adding, glossing, performing, restating, translating… If I had to justify this constant switching pedagogically I think I would argue that workshops are most useful when they teach us how to read each others and our own work and make us think about why we write (in place of corrective feedback). If you can't make class regularly, this might not be the workshop for you. It gets messy when someone misses. You will be either presenting your work or responding to work every week and it gets hard to find time for make up sessions.

 

 

Note: In general, if everyone is not responding, then I've had two people respond to each poet. Because of how the workshop is set up, it is close to impossible to do make up sessions. If you are scheduled to present your work one week and know you can't be present in advance, try and reschedule your presentation day. If you are unable to attend at the last minute, we probably aren't going to be able to do a make up session. Similarly, if you are responding and know you can't be present in advance, try and switch with someone. If you are unable to attend at the last minute, bring copies of your response to the next class and hand them out. Although we probably will not be able to discuss your response, I encourage you to meet with the poet and discuss your response outside of class time. One of the reason I've assigned two responders each time is in case someone bails or someone doesn't do it or doesn't do a good job or…

RESERVE READING is at http://library.mills.edu/search/p?SEARCH=spahr
Password is eng270-03-s08.

To request academic accommodations due to a disability, students should contact Services for Students with Disabilities in the Cowell Building. If you have a letter indicating you have a disability which requires academic accommodations, please present the letter to me so that I will be able to provide the accommodations that you need in this class.

 

January 24
module #1: OUT LOUD.
Everyone does a 5 minute in class reading. Please do not bring copies of your work for the class.

We will also draw numbers out of a hat to determine everyone's poet number.

January 31
module #2: TOO MUCH
Poets one, two, three, and four will bring one copy of 2-5 or so pages of work to class. Everyone, show up prepared to write in class.

February 7
Poets five, six, seven, and eight will bring one copy of 2-5 or so pages of work to class. Everyone, show up prepared to write in class.

February 14
t.b.a.

February 21
Poets nine, ten, eleven, and twelve will bring one copy of 2-5 or so pages of work to class. Everyone, show up prepared to write in class.

February 28
t.b.a.

March 6
module #4: REWRITE
Rewrite the work you submitted for the too much module. Bring 13 or so copies of it to class. Come prepared to discuss why you did what you did.

Poets one, two, three, and four should bring in thirteen or so copies of the work they want discussed on March 13 to this class.

March 13
module #5: CLOSE READING
Readers will prepare a 2-4 page close reading of the submitted work. Points if you can make your reading interesting and literary (not just a reporting of what is said). A few examples that might be worth skimming are on reserve: Helen Vendler reading Shakespeare, Heidegger reading Trakl, Jakobson and Ruby reading Yeats, our own Diane Cady on Donne. Readers should bring 13 or so copies of their reading to class. (This assignment stolen from suggestions made by Cassie.)

Poet one will be close read by poets nine and five.
Poet two will be close read by poets ten and six.
Poet three will be close read by poets eleven and seven.
Poet four will be close read by poets twelve and eight.

Poets five, six, seven, and eight should bring in thirteen or so copies of the work they want discussed on March 20 to this class.

March 20
CLOSE READING, continued

Poet five will be close read by poets one and nine.
Poet six will be close read by poets two and ten.
Poet seven will be close read by poets three and eleven.
Poet eight will be close read by poets four and twelve.

Poets nine, ten, eleven, and twelve should bring in thirteen or so copies of the work they want discussed on April 3 to this class. Please make sure you are not late with these as spring break might mean that people's schedules are likely to be more complicated than usual.

March 27
spring break

April 3
CLOSE READING, continued

Poet nine will be close read by poets five and one.
Poet ten will be close read by poets six and two.
Poet eleven will be close read by poets seven and three.
Poet twelve will be close read by poets eight and four.

Poets one, two, three, and four should bring in a significant chunk of work (thirty pages or so?) for class on April 10.

April 10
module #6: INDEX, GLOSSARY, OUTLINE, OR CONCORDANCE
Respondents are to go through this work and create an index or glossary or outline or concordance. This response works best when it is creative and illuminative, not merely representative, and shows the author some visual tics or tendencies they might not realize they have been doing. Respondents do not need to strive for completion. See the Clover, Field, Teiwa, and Trask examples on online reserve. Respondents should bring in 13 or so copies of their index or whateva. (This assignment stolen from comments by Jacob Eichert.)

Poet one will be indexed by poets eight and four.
Poet two will be indexed by poets nine and five.
Poet three will be indexed by poets sixteen and six.
Poet four will be indexed by poets eleven and seven.

Poets five, six, seven, and eight should bring in a significant chunk of work (thirty pages or so?) for class on April 17.

April 17
Poet five will be indexed by poets twelve and eight.
Poet six will be indexed by poets one and nine.
Poet seven will be indexed by poets two and ten.
Poet eight will be indexed by poets three and eleven.

Poets nine, ten, eleven, and twelve should bring in a significant chunk of work (thirty pages or so?) for class on May1.

April 24
t.b.a.

May 1
Poet nine will be indexed by poets four and twelve.
Poet ten will be indexed by poets five and one.
Poet eleven will be indexed by poets six and two.
Poet twelve will be indexed by poets seven and three.