Weekly Schedule
ENGL 565-001: Forms of Nonfiction
Spring Semester, 2009 George Mason University
Tuesdays, 7:20-10:00 Krug Hall 3
All of the information below is subject to change. Smaller writing assignments and daily in-class activities are not listed here and will be added as they approach.
WEEK 1 Tuesday, January 27 CLASSES CANCELED — INCLEMENT WEATHER
WEEK 2 Tuesday, February 3
Introduction to course, coursework
What is nonfiction, at least as we’re using the term?
Assigned: Blog creation and blog-finding task
WEEK 3 Tuesday, February 10
Before class: Bookmark scottwberg.wordpress.com
Before class: Sign up for free blog from blogspot.com (free Google or gmail account necessary) or wordpress.com
Before class: Find at least three topic-oriented blogs and send web addresses to me: sberg1@gmu.edu
In class: Discussion of found blogs and other online writing
WEEK 4 Tuesday, February 17
DUE before class: Weekly blog entry
READ from The Fun of It:
John Updike, “Rockefeller Center Ho!” (p.175)
James Stevenson, “Runouts, Kickouts, and Popouts at Gilgo Beach” (p. 234)
Mark Singer, “Melnikoff’s” (p. 299)
Ian Frazier, “Monster Trucks and Mud Bogs” (p. 326)
Susan Lardner, “Popcorn Memoirs” (p. 336)
Susan Orlean, “Scouting” (p. 384)
John Seabrook, “The Smell” (p. 386)
Lillian Ross, “The Shit-Kickers of Madison Avenue” (p. 402)
William Finnegan, “After Midnight” (p. 406)
ASSIGNED: Talk piece
WEEK 5 Tuesday, February 24
DUE before class: Weekly blog entry
READ (all sent to you via e-mail):
Susan Orlean, “The American Man, Age Ten,” from Esquire, December 1992
Dana Goodyear, “I [heart] Novels,” from the New Yorker, December 22 & 29, 2008
Jill Lepore, “Baby Food,” from the New Yorker, January 19, 2009
Manny Howard, “My Empire of Dirt,” from New York, September 17, 2007
ASSIGNED: Longer piece (profile, feature, immersion journalism)
WEEK 6 Tuesday, March 3
DUE before end of FRIDAY, March 6: Weekly blog entry
READ: Articles by Dallas Hudgens, Christina Ianzit0, Bret Schulte, and myself (sent via e-mail)
WEEK 7 Tuesday, March 10 SPRING BREAK
WEEK 8 Tuesday, March 17
DUE before class: Weekly blog entry
READ:
Michael Paterniti, “Driving Mr. Albert”
David Sedaris, “SantaLand Diaries”
John Jeremiah Sullivan, “Horseman, Pass By”
Elizabeth Gilbert profile of Hank Williams III [NOTE: moved to later week or not at all -- sigh]
WEEK 9 Tuesday, March 24 NO CLASS MEETING — INDIVIDUAL CONFERENCES
DUE before conference: Full draft of talk piece (bring along paper copy)
DUE before conference: Weekly blog entry
WEEK 10 Tuesday, March 31
DUE before class: Weekly blog entry
IN CLASS: Read-around and exchange of revised talk pieces
IN CLASS: Workshop: Talk pieces
WEEK 11 Tuesday, April 7
DUE before class: Weekly blog entry
IN CLASS: Workshop: Blogs
WEEK 12 Tuesday, April 14
DUE before class: Weekly blog entry
READ: from 3 Minutes or Less: Life Lessons from America’s Greatest Writers
– Rita Mae Brown (p. 51)
–Christopher Buckley (p. 53)
–Allan Gurganus (p. 56)
–Mona Simpson (p. 72)
–Richard Wiley (p. 82)
–Tobias Wolff (p. 104)
–John Edgar Wideman (p. 107)
–Bette Bao Lord (p. 114)
–Robert Owen Butler (p. 126)
–Jayne Anne Phillips (p. 130)
–Ntozake Shange (p. 141)
–Louis Begley (p. 145)
–Patricia Browning Griffith (p. 171)
–Alan Cheuse (p. 196)
–Maxine Clair (p. 198)
–Bobbie Ann Mason (p. 223)
–Francisco Goldman (p. 249)
–Richard Bausch (p. 253)
–Kathryn Harrison (p. 285)
–Allan Gurganus (p. 309)
–Ntosake Shange (p. 327)
–Denise Shavez (p. 331)
ASSIGNED: Topic essays
WEEK 13 Tuesday, April 21
DUE before class: Weekly blog entry
DUE: Draft of longer piece (bring four copies to class)
IN CLASS: Workshop: Draft of longer piece
WEEK 14 Tuesday, April 28 NO CLASS MEETING — INDIVIDUAL CONFERENCES
DUE before conference: Weekly blog entry
DUE before conference: Draft of topic essay
WEEK 15 Tuesday, May 5
DUE: Final version of topic essays
IN CLASS: Read-around of topic essays
FINALS WEEK Tuesday, May 12
DUE: Final course portfolio: Finished talk piece, topic essay, and longer piece; print-outs of all semester blog entries
