ENGL 501: Techniques of Literary Research
Dr. Debora B. Schwartz

Calendar of Readings and Research Assignments
Fall, 2010


Week  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

NOTE 1: Readings in REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS will be indicated on the course calendar as follows:

NOTE 2: some required readings are to be accessed electronically.  Please note that all such readings should be PRINTED OUT and brought with you to class.  Electronically accessed readings may be in one of the following forms: NOTE 3: During weeks 2-7, on days indicated as PRACTICUM on the calendar, class will meet in 35-217d, a computer lav / classroom on the second floor of the Kennedy library. Practicum assignments (found in the right-hand column of the course calendar, below) will teach you to use research tools accessible through the Kennedy  Library website to identify and obtain appropriate secondary sources (scholarly criticism) on your research topic. Contrary to popular belief, most reputable scholarly resources are NOT available for free over the Web to anyone.  They are found in expensive, subscription-only databases which take an increasingly large bite out of the Kennedy Library's Materials Acquisition budget each year -- so you owe it to yourselves to use them effectively!  You can access subscription databases and other restricted resources from off campus in one of three ways:  through the Library Resources tab in Blackboard; through the Library Services tab on your MyCalpoly web portal (click on Robert E. Kennedy Library to access the library website); or directly from the Kennedy Library website using any web browser (Internet Explorer recommended).  To access restricted subscription-only researches from the web, you will be prompted to log in using your PolyCard barcode, the 14-digit number beginning 20150 on the front of your PolyCard, or you can log in at MyPolycat each time you visit the Kennedy Library site.

NOTE 3: This calendar is subject to change.  IT SHOULD NOT BE PRINTED OUT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE QUARTER.  You are advised to consult it online and/or to print out only one day's or week's assignment at a time.  Please remember that the on-line calendar, not any print-out you make, is authoritative.  Check weekly to ensure you are completing the correct assignment, as instructions may change or be added.  Specific guest speakers and the dates on which they are scheduled are also subject to change.

Week 1    (September 20-22)
 
Day 1 INTRODUCTION-- to the Cal Poly M.A. program in English; to ENGL 501; to the class website; and to each other. 

CONVERSATIONS:  Class organization and expectations.  What is graduate study in English?  Why are you here?  What are your goals? 

IN CLASS:  the English MA Program Graduate Learning Objectives (compare old web page); the newly revised MA Exam Reading List (approved Spring, 2010) as a .PDF and as a .DOC file (compare the old MA Exam Reading List approved winter, 2005).  The ENGL MA Website (new; old).

HOMEWORK to be completed before our second class meeting: Read COMPLETELY through the class homepage and familiarize yourself with this calendar of assignments. Decide on research topic for practicum exercises and research paper (sign-ups at next class meeting).  Prepare Day 2 research assignment (at right) and Day 2 required readings (below) before our next class meeting.

 Day 2 Research Assignment (to be completed before second class meeting):

Introduction to Kennedy Library Research Tools.

  • READ:  Preliminaries I: Types of Sources and Preliminaries II: Modes of Access (follow links to specific assigned sections of Dr. Schwartz's Guide to Kennedy Library Research Tools). Note: you can print out the full document, or read the assignment online.  Either way, be aware that your assignment for day 2 is ONLY the specific "Preliminaries" sections listed above -- not the whole document!
  • SKIM the table of contents for MLA HB chapters 1-3 and thumb through the chapters themselves (so you'll know what's there).  Pay particular attention to the existence of section 3.2, an overview of basic punctuation rules,  pp. 66-78.  Get in the habit of double-checking this section if you have a tendency to misuse semi-colons, commas, etc.
  • READ CAREFULLY MLA HB sections 3.3 on italics (or underlining) and 3.6 on the Titles of Works (in the chapter entitled "The Mechanics of Writing").  You will need to be clear on this information to write correct bibliographic citations for future Practicum assignments -- starting with our first class meeting next week!
When you come to class, you should be able to:
  • list the 5 kinds of sources (primary, plus four kinds of secondary source) and know the meaning of these terms.  NOTE:  the Guide to Research Tools also outlines how to find these kinds of resources and provides basic models for documenting them correctly). 
  • list the 4 modes of access we will use to obtain secondary source materials for this class. 
  • know what "SFX" and "PolySearch"are (and be aware of their limitations). 
  • Know basic MLA rules for transcribing the titles of works in bibliographic citations.  You will need to know:

    •     -- when to use italics/underlining and when to use quotation marks for titles (what sorts of work use each).
        -- that you should never mix italics and underlining in the same document;  pick ONE and use it CONSISTENTLY. (NOTE: for work submitted to me, please use only UNDERLINING, not italics.)
        -- how to indicate a normally underlined (or italicized) title within another underlined (or italicized) title.
        -- how to indicate a normally quotation-marked title (or a quotation) within a quotation-marked title.
        -- that an underlined title remains underlined when it is incorporated into a quotation-marked title.
        -- how to handle punctuation (or subtitles) within the title of a work. 
        -- which words (e.g. parts of speech) and words in which position should be capitalized in a title.
Please be aware that specific rules govern the punctuation, capitalization, and use of underlining/italics in titles.  If you simply reproduce the formatting found on the title page of a given work, you are likely to lose points for incorrect formatting of bibliographic citations!
Day 2 Conversations:  What is criticism?  What role(s) does it play within our discipline?  And. . . why should I care?

Required Readings:

  • BG: entries for "literary criticism," "theory," "practical (or applied) criticism," "theorectical criticism," "pragmatic criticism," "cultural criticism,"  (Bedford Glossary pp. 271, 515-6, 403, 515, 403-4, 83-89).
  • On E-reserve in the Library Resources section of Blackboard:  entries for "Criticism," "Cultural Studies," "Textual Criticism," "Theories and Movements in Recent Criticism"  (from Abrams, A Glossary of Literary Terms, 8th ed., 2005; .PDF file, 5 pp.).  Print out and keep in your course binder. 

    • To access Blackboard, log in at MyCalpoly, go to "Blackboard Access" and select "ENGL 501" from the classes you are taking. Click on the link in the Electronic Reserves section (under "Library Resources") to download, read and/or print the file using Acrobat Reader.
  • TEMP iii-vi (from the Preface); 91-108: "Why Study Critical Controversies about The Tempest?"; 109-10: "Literary Study, Politics and Shakespeare: A Debate"; 110-13: George Will,l "Literary Politics"; 113-15: Stephen Greenblatt's response to George Will, "The Best Way to Kill Our Literary Inheritance Is to Turn It into a Decorous Celebration of the new World Order."
  • MLA HB: Read through the Table of Contents for chapters 1-3 (pp. v-viii) and thumb through these chapters so you'll know what's there.  Read through the first paragraph of 7.3 on Geographic Names (p. 236) and section 7.5 on Publisher's Names (pp. 247-9) and be aware that you should follow these rules when writing your bibliographic citations later this quarter.  Read carefully sections 3.3 "Italics (Underlining)," pp. 78-9; and 3.6, "Titles of Works in the Research Paper," pp. 86-92 (see research assignment at right).
Also available (to skim and/or consult at your leisure): Abrams, "Modern Theories of Literature and Criticism" (from Abrams, A Glossary of Literary Terms, 6th ed., 1993). On E-reserve in the Library Resources section of Blackboard (.PDF file, 33 pp.). A useful if somewhat dated overview in one continuous document covering a broad range of critical/ theoretical approaches to literature. NOTE: this document is provided FYI only; except for individual entries specifically assigned for subsequent class meetings, you are NOT responsible for this material!

ALSO: Pick a work on the M.A. exam Reading List to use as the topic for your research assignments and final paper; you will sign up at our class meeting today.  NOTE:  Each student in class must research and write on a different author; first claimed, first served!  Also, please note that you may NOT write on the same author that you are writing on in another class.

FINALLY: Don't forget to complete the RESEARCH ASSIGNMENT AT RIGHT!

REMEMBER: You are responsible for information covered in required readings and in research assignments  (although we will not always spend significant time talking about every assignment in class).  A word to the wise:  DON'T NEGLECT THESE DECEPTIVELY SIMPLE ASSIGNMENTS. 

If  I perceive that students are NOT keeping up with this material, I reserve the right to reinstate UNANNOUNCED SPOT QUIZZES in ENGL 501!!  I hope this won't be necessary, as quizzes mean 1) more for me to grade; and 2) less time for more interesting conversations . . . So PLEASE do us all a favor, and LEARN THE ASSIGNED MATERIAL AS WE GO ALONG!

Note:  If QUIZZES happen, they will be worth 10% OF YOUR CLASS GRADE!!

Copy of the B.B.C. Shakespeare 1980 production of The Tempest on reserve for this class under the call number 822.33 T246B2 2000 (DVD).

Week 2    (September 27 - 29)
 
Day 1 PRACTICUM (meet in Library 35-217D).

1st Hour:  CONVERSATIONS: 

  • Studying Critical Controversies.  Review readings assigned for last class meeting (TEMP iii-vi, from the Preface; 91-108: "Why Study Critical Controversies about The Tempest?"; 109-10: "Literary Study, Politics and Shakespeare: A Debate"; 110-13: George Will,l "Literary Politics"; 113-15: Stephen Greenblatt's response to George Will, "The Best Way to Kill Our Literary Inheritance Is to Turn It into a Decorous Celebration of the New World Order.") 

    •  
  • Contexts for Shakespeare's The Tempest; Shakespeare's life and times; historical source materials for The Tempest. New Readings: 
  1. TEMP 3-9:  "The Life and Work of William Shakespeare"
  2. Shakespeare's Romances (online reading -- print out and keep in binder)
  3. TEMP 116-141:  Selected Sources and Contexts.
  4. Additional historical sources for The Tempest on e-reserve in the Library Resources section of Blackboard (.PDF file, 2 pp.):

    5. -- excerpt from the Council of Virginia's The True Declaration of the Estate of the Colony in Virginia (1610);
    --excerpt from Arthur Golding's translation of Ovid's Metamorphoses: Medea's Speech (publ. 1567). 
As always, print out e-reserve readings and keep them in your binder.

2nd hour:  Polycat Exercise (see details at right)

 PRACTICUM (Library 35-217D): Using Polycat to explore Cal Poly's Print Collections.

HOMEWORK to be completed before the first practicum meeting: Read carefully through the profile of Polycat on Dr. Schwartz's Guide to Kennedy Library Research Tools.  Be sure you are clear about what Polycat is, what it contains, when (and why) to use it, its strengths and its limitations. Then, click on the link below and read through the instructions for your first research assignment Research Step 1: Kennedy Library via Polycat.  ASK DR. SCHWARTZ IN CLASS if you have any questions about what you will need to do.

IN CLASS (2nd hour):   Follow the directions in Research Step 1: Kennedy Library via Polycat, to locate some  useful secondary sources -- studies ABOUT your author, topic or work, not an edition or translation of the text itself  -- in the Kennedy Library collections.  Check at least one out.

These directions will also guide you through writing your first two research reports, "Polycat Search Results" and "Kennedy Library Check-Outs," and submitting them to the class research archive.

Reminder: the class research archive is located in a Blackboard "Discussion Board."  To access Blackboard, log in at MyCalpoly, go to "Blackboard Access" and select "ENGL 501" from the classes you are taking; then click on "Discussion Board" and enter the "forum" for the topic you researching.  (I will create a separate "forum" for each of you under the research topic you signed up for at our second class meeting.)
Day 2 NEW Readings: 
  • The Tempest Study Guide (online reading -- print out and keep in binder)
  • Shakespeare, The Tempest, TEMP 10-88.  It is strongly recommended that you read through the online Tempest Study Guide BEFORE reading the play, and use the study questions to direct your attention to specific aspects of The Tempest as you read through the text.
  • Be sure you have completed contextual readings assigned for last class meeting.
NOTE: While I will expect you to know the text of The Tempest well, please keep in mind that a play is intended to be performed and that Shakespeare himself never expected his audiences to read (rather than see) his plays.  If you have never seen a performance of The Tempest, please rent a copy of a good production or watch the B.B.C. Shakespeare 1980 production on reserve for this class under the call number 822.33 T246B2 2000 (DVD).  A group screening in Library 202 can be arranged upon request. 

Sunday, October 4 (time TBA):  OPTIONAL group screening of the B.B.C. Shakespeare 1980 production of The Tempest in Library 202.  A volunteer will be needed to pick up the key to Library 202 at the Circulation Desk and the video on reserve for this class under the call number 822.33 T246B2 2000 (DVD).

Week 3    (October 4-6)
 
Day 1 PRACTICUM MEETING WITH CLA LIBRARIAN DR. BRETT BODEMER in Library 216b. NOTE CHANGE OF LOCATION:  this lab is ACROSS from our normal Practicum Lab on the 2nd floor of the library.
Day 2 CONVERSATIONS: 
  • Wrap up discussion of The Tempest and assigned Historical Sources.  (Be sure to bring both your Tempest textbook and your binder with print-outs of assigned readings with you to class.) 
  • As you review the text of the play, pay particular attention to passages which point to parallels between Prospero and Shakespeare; to the "magic" of books, writing, and/or the theatre; and to The Tempest as Shakespeare's farewell to the theatre. 

Week 4    (October 11-13)
 
Day 1 First hour: CONVERSATIONS 1: HISTORICIST and NEW CRITICISM approaches to The Tempest.

Assigned readings:

  • BG: "historicism"; "new criticism"; "new historicism"
  • Not required but may be of interest, on E-reserve in the Library Resources section of Blackboard: entries on "New Criticism" and "New Historicism" found pp. 246-255 (part of the 33-page .PDF file recommended reading from Abrams, A Glossary of Literary Terms, 6th ed., 1993). 
  • TEMP 213-44:  "Shakespeare and the Power of Order."  Excerpts from Frank Kermode's Shakespeare: The Final Plays (historicist perspective, pp. 215-23) and from Reuben A. Brower's Fields of Light (New Criticism perspective, pp. 224-44).
The first set of DISCUSSION BOARD RESPONSES are to be prepared prior to this class meeting.

1) Designated Respondents should post to their group's Discussion Board a one-page reaction to the chosen essay no later than 6 PM the day before our class meeting (i.e. on Sunday 10/10).  This reaction should address what you found particularly interesting or useful in the reading, as well as points with which you disagree (if any) or which you found problematic or hard to follow. Questions to consider as Designated Respondent: What did this essay help you to see or articulate which you found helpful or useful?  Are there elements in the play which you feel were neglected in this reading?  Are there parts of the argument with which you don't agree?  If so, why not?

2) Prior to our class meeting, all other members of the discussion goup should read through the Respondant's posting and post a BRIEF reaction to it and/or to the the assigned reading (a line or two will suffice).

3) All discussion group members should bring the designated Respondant's posting with them to class, which will begin with a small-group discussion led by the Respondant for each discussion group.  These small group conversations will be followed by a full-class discussion.

4) Prior to the next class meeting, all members of the discussion group (including the designated respondant) should read through their discussion group's postings and submit a  paragraph-long Post-Discussion Reaction which responds to the assigned reading, the small-group and full-class conversation about it, and/or to their classmates' Blackboard postings. This posting should be at least a paragraph long (it can be longer) and should summarize and/or describe the in-class or online conversation, mentioning at least one specific contribution to the discussion by a classmate (whom you should name) which you found interesting or useful. 

Second Hour (5:15-6:00):  CONVERSATIONS: Disciplinary Perspectives: Dr. Patricia Troxel on Shakespeare and Performance (CONFIRMED for F10, 2nd hour)

 PRACTICUM (Library 35-217D): Using LINK+ to identify and order secondary sources not in Cal Poly's collections.

HOMEWORK: prior to our practicum meeting, read carefully through the description of LINK+ and its profile on Dr. Schwartz's Guide to Kennedy Library Research Tools.  Be sure you are clear about what it is, what can be borrowed from it, when (and why) to use it, its strengths and its limitations. 

Then, click on the link and read through the detailed instructions for the second research assignment: Research Step 2: Using LINK+.  ASK DR. SCHWARTZ IN CLASS if you have any questions on what you need to do.

IN CLASS:  By following the directions in Research Step 2: Using LINK+, you will learn how to use LINK+ to identify and order additional secondary sources from cooperating libraries. Note that LINK+ can be used to order books only -- not bound journals and periodicals.  It is fast -- books ordered through LINK+ typically arrive within 2-3 days. 

The directions will also guide you though submitting your next two research reports to the class research archive, "LINK+ Search Results" and "LINK+ Orders 1." 
Day 2 PRACTICUM (meet in Library 35-217D). 

First hour: CONVERSATIONS: Preparation for Post-Colonial Readings.

Assigned Readings: 

  • TEMP 244-64:  Leah Marcus, "The Blue-Eyed Witch."
  • TEMP 309-319:  Aimé Césaire, excerpt from A Tempest
DISCUSSION BOARD RESPONSES on Leah Marcus Essay are to be prepared prior to our class meeting.

Second Hour:  PRACTICUM.  Link+ Exercise (details at right).
 

     

Week 5    (October 18-20) [217D available both days]
 
Day 1 First hour: CONVERSATIONS: preparation for unit on "The Challenge of Post-Colonial Criticism" 

Assigned Reading:

  • TEMP 141-160: Daniel Wilson, "The Monster Caliban"
  • TEMP 161-180: "A Gallery of Images of Caliban"
  • TEMP 180-212: Ronald Takaki, "The Tempest in the Wilderness"
DISCUSSION BOARD RESPONSES on Ronald Takaki's essay are to be prepared prior to our class meeting.

2nd hour (may continue into 6-7 PM hour):  M.A. Exam Overview Workshop; discussion of sample M.A. Exam Literature essays

 PRACTICUM (Library 35-217D): Using the MLA Bibliography to identify secondary sources (and then figuring out how to access them!) 

HOMEWORK:  prior to our practicum meeting, read carefully through the profile of the MLA Bibliography on Dr. Schwartz's Guide to Kennedy Library Research Tools .  Be sure you are clear about what it is, when (and why) to use it, its strengths and its limitations. (Remember:  the MLA Bibliography is NOT itself a mode of access for secondary sources.)  Review information on ILL (Interlibrary Loan) as a mode of access distinct from LINK+. 

Then, click on the link to read through the detailed instructions for your next research assignment: Research Step 3: Using the MLA Bibliography to Identify Additional Sources on Your Topic (and then figure out how to access them!).  ASK DR. SCHWARTZ IN CLASS if you have questions about what you need to do.
 

  • IN CLASS:  By following the detailed instructions on Research Step 3: Using the MLA Bibliography to Identify Additional Sources on Your Topic (and then figure out how to access them!), you will learn to use the MLA Bibliography to identify additional secondary sources on your topic and Interlibrary Loan to access articles not available at Cal Poly (as well as books which are unavailable at Cal Poly or through LINK+). The directions will also help you prepare your next research reports for the class research archive, "MLA Search Results" and "ILL Orders" (as well as "LINK+ Orders 2" if applicable).

    •  

     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

    Looking ahead:

    • This week, you should also begin thinking about the prospectus for your Research Paper; DRAFT DUE TO DISCUSSION BOARD by Saturday, November 6). Your Prospectus must include a working title which clearly identifies the work(s) discussed as well as the topic of your paper; a fully articulated thesis (not just a statement of general topic); a tentative outline of paper; and a working bibliography of at least eight sources, alphabetized and listed using correct MLA bibliographic format (consult your MLA Handbook!).  Be sure to include at least one example of each of the required Types of Source and Modes of Access  specified in the Prospectus guidlines.
    Day 2 PRACTICUM (meet in Library 35-217D).

    First Hour:  CONVERSATIONS: "The Challenge of Post-Colonial Criticism" 

    Assigned Readings: 

    • BG: "cultural criticism, cultural studies"; "cultural materialism"; "postcolonial literature and postcolonial theory; also review "new historicism"
    • Not required but may be of interest, on E-reserve in the Library Resources section of Blackboard: "New Historicism" found pp. 248-255 of Abrams, "Modern Theories of Literature and Criticism" (part of the 33-page .PDF file recommended reading from Abrams, A Glossary of Literary Terms, 6th ed., 1993). 
    • TEM 268-92:  Paul Brown, "'This Thing of Darkness I Acknowledge Mine': The Tempest and the Discourse of Colonialism"
    Discussion Board Postings on Brown Essay are to be prepared prior to our class meeting.

    Second Hour: PRACTICUM: The MLA Bibliography and Interlibrary Loan

    Week 6    (October 25-27) [217D available Monday only -- not on W 10/27]
     
    Day 1 PRACTICUM (meet in Library 35-217D).

    First Hour: CONVERSATIONS: "Responding to the [Post-Colonial] Challenge 1"

    Assigned Reading:

    • TEMP 321-333: Deborah Willis, "Shakespeare's Tempest and the Discourse of Colonialism"
    Discussion Board Postings on Willis Essay are to be prepared prior to our class meeting.

    Second hour:  PRACTICUM. Searching full-text journal subscription databases (details at right).

    		 PRACTICUM (Library 35-217D):

    Review information on electronic modes of access and read carefully through the profiles of the full-text journal databases on Dr. Schwartz's Guide to Kennedy Library Research Tools.  Come to class able to list the four databases and clear on what each includes, when to use them, their advantages and disadvantages.  Know what to add to the citation of a journal article citation accessed electronically  through a subscription database. 

    HOMEWORK: Read about electronic modes of access and the profiles of the four Kennedy Library subscription journal databases we will use to look for full-text, electronically accessed journal articles on Dr. Schwartz's Guide to Kennedy Library Research Tools.  Be clear about what each database includes, what to use them for, and their advantages and disadvantages.  Know what to add to the citation of a journal article citation accessed electronically  through a subscription database. Then, click on the link for detailed instructions for the fourth research assignment: Research Step 4: Using Full-Text Subscription Databases in the Kennedy Library Collections.  ASK DR. SCHWARTZ IN CLASS (or at an office hour) if you have questions about what you need to do.

    IN CLASS:  The detailed instructions in Research Step 4: Using Full-Text Subscription Databases in the Kennedy Library Collections will help you learn to search for full-text journal articles on your topic in four of Cal Poly's subscription databases.

    The directions will also help you prepare your next four research reports for the class research archive: "Muse Results," "EAI Results," ASE Results" and "JSTOR Results."

    * * * * *
    Continue work on RESEARCH PAPER PROSPECTUS, OUTLINE AND WORKING BIBLIOGRAPHY; DRAFT DUE TO DISCUSSION BOARD by Satuday 11/6.
    Day 2 First Hour:  CONVERSATIONS: "Responding to the [Post-Colonial] Challenge 2"

    Assigned Readings:

    • TEMP 333-351:  David Scott Kastan, "'The Dukeof Milan / And His Brave Son': Old Histories and New in The Tempest"
    Discussion Board Postings on Kastan Essay are to be prepared prior to our class meeting.

    Second Hour:  Poetry Explication workshop with Dr. Clark (CONFIRMED, Fall, 2010)
     

    Week 7    (November 1-3) [217D available both days]

    DRAFT OF RESEARCH PAPER PROSPECTUS, OUTLINE AND WORKING BIBLIOGRAPHY DUE to Discussion Board by Saturday, 11/6!
     
    Day 1 PRACTICUM (Library 35-217D); see details at right. 

    First Hour:  CONVERSATIONS: Another "Response to the Challenge"

    Assigned Readings:

    • BG: "psychological criticism and psychoanalytic criticism"
    • Not required but may be of interest, on E-reserve in the Library Resources section of Blackboard: "Psychological and Psychoanalytic Criticism," (pp. 263-8 in the 33-page .PDF file recommended reading from Abrams, A Glossary of Literary Terms, 6th ed., 1993). 
    • TEMP 352-87: Meredith Anne Skura, "Discourse and the Individual: The Case of Colonialism in The Tempest"
    Discussion Board Postings on Skura essay are to be prepared prio to our class meeting. 

    Second Hour:  PRACTICUM.  Net-Library research exercise (details at right).

    		 PRACTICUM (Library 35-217D):

    HOMEWORK: Before the Practicum meeting, review information on electronic modes of access and read carefully through the profile of Netlibrary on Dr. Schwartz's Guide to Kennedy Library Research Tools.  Be clear about what it is, when and how to use it, its strengths and its limitations.  Know what to add to the bibliographic citation of an ebook accessed through a subscription database like NetLibrary. 
    Then, click on the link to read through the detailed instructions for the next research assignment: Research Step 5: Searching the E-books in NetLibrary.  Ask Dr. Schwartz in class (or at an office hour) if you have questions about what you need to do..

    IN CLASS:  The detailed instructions in Research Step 5: Searching the E-books in NetLibrary will guide you as you learn to search directly in the e-books found in NetLibrary, another of Cal Poly's subscription databases. The directions will also help you prepare your next research report for the class research archive, "NetLibraryResults."

    As necessary, you may also use time during practicum meeting to continue/complete work on the previous Research Assignment (full-text, subscription journal databases.)

    * * * * *
    Don't forget that DRAFT of your PROSPECTUS, OUTLINE AND WORKING BIBLIOGRAPHY is due to Discussion Board on SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7). 

    NOTE: I will accept your prospectus via email in an attached Word document only.  If submitted as an attachment, please save your document as [yourlastname].doc.

    IN CLASS: Sign up for conference for feedback on your research prospectus in either week 8 or 9.

    * * * * *

    Begin review for Midterm Exam (Monday, November 15)
    Day 2 First Hour: CONVERSATIONS: "The Challenge of Feminist Criticism"

    Assigned Readings:

    • BG: "feminist criticism"; "gender criticism"; "queer theory"
    • Not required but may be of interest, on E-reserve in the Library Resources section of Blackboard:  "Feminist Criticism"; "Gender Criticism"; "Queer Theory," from Abrams, A Glossary of Literary Terms, 8th ed. (2005);  new .PDF file (6 pp.).
    • TEMP 389-401: Ania Loomba, excerpt from Gender, race, Renaissance Drama. 
    • TEMP 402-412: Ann Thompson, "'Miranda, Where's Your Sister?': Reading Shakespeare's The Tempest."
    Discussion Board Postings on Loomba and Thompson are to be prepared prio to our class meeting. 

    Second Hour:  CONVERSATIONS: Preparation for Prospero's Books

    Assigned readings: 

    • Internet Movie Database entry on Prospero's Books (follow link; print out and include in course binder)
    • On E-reserve in the Library Resources section of Blackboard: four .PDF files of excerpts from the Prospero Books screenplay (which is on reserve for ENGL 501 in the Kennedy Library under the call number PN1997 .P777 1991): 

      • 1) "Greenaway1" (.PDF file, 15 pp.; introductory information, including Cast List; Introduction; The Books; Paintbox Images); 
      2) "Greenaway2" (.PDF file, 12 pp.; beginning and end of "The Past," screenplay pp. 37-45 and 94-6); 
      3) "Greenaway3" (.PDF file, 7 pp.; beginning and end of "The Present," screenplay pp. 97-103 and 148); 
      4) "Greenaway4" (.PDF file, 10 pp.; beginning and end of "The Future," screenplay pp. 149-51 and 158-64).
    NOTE: Our final Tempest-Related discussions will focus on the Peter Greenaway film Prospero's Books, a cinematic rethinking of The Tempest (124 minutes). A VHS and a (bad) DVD copy of the VHS tape are on reserve for ENGL 501 (in the Kennedy Library under the call number 822.33 T246A 1996). 

    Week 8    (November 8-10) [M 11/8 last day in lab]
     
    Day 1 FIRST HOUR: CONVERSATIONS: A cinematic reading of The Tempest -- Peter Greenaway's 1991 film Prospero's Books (124 min.).

    Required readings (preferably to be completed in the following order): 

    • SKIM or FLIP THROUGH the whole text of Peter Greenaway's illustrated screenplay "Prospero's Books: A Film of Shakespeare's The Tempest" (from which the e-reserve readings assigned on Th 11/6 were introduced;  this book is on reserve for ENGL 501 in the Kennedy Library under the call number PN1997 .P777 1991); be sure to bring the previously assigned e-reserve readings with you to class. 
    • On E-reserve in the Library Resources section of Blackboard (.PDF file, 12 pp.): Lia M. Hotchkiss, "The Incorporation of Word as Image in Peter Greenaway's Prospero's Books," The Reel Shakespeare: Alternative Cinema and Theory, Ed. Lisa S. Starks and Courtney Lehmann (Madison, NJ: Farleigh Dickinson UP, 2002), pp. 95-117. 
    Sceond Hour:  WORKSHOP PAPER PROSPECTUS in discussion groups.     		 Review for Midterm Exam on Monday, November 15.

    Prospectus due to Dr. Schwartz via EMAIL ATTACHMENT as a .DOC file (NOT .DOCX) with file name "[yourlastname]prospectus.doc" by midnight on FRIDAY, 11/12. 
    Day 2 
  • Prospero's Books screening (after completing discussion of previously assigned readings, as necessary); meet in 35-216B (where we met with CLA librarian Brett Bodemer wk. 3 of the quarter).  NOTE:  Because the film is 124 minutes long, count on staying until 7 PM. (Room is reserved until 7:30 PM)
    • If for some reason you are unable to attend this group screening of Prospero's Books, you will need to screen this 124-minute film on your own time prior to our next class meeting.  A VHS tape is on reserve for ENGL 501 in the Kennedy Library under the call number 822.33 T246A 1996.

    RESEARCH PAPER PROSPECTUS, OUTLINE AND WORKING BIBLIOGRAPHY DUE  via email (as a Word .DOC attachment) no later than 6 PM on Friday, 11/12!

    Week 9    (November 15-17).
     
     
    Day 1  Midterm Exam Work on Research paper, due (ALONG WITH YOUR ORIGINAL, MARKED UP PROSPECTUS AND YOUR REVISED WORKING BIBLIOGRAPHY) at the time of our Final Conversation, or no later than WEDNESDAY of final exam week (12/8/10). 

    Conference for feedback on your research prospectus should be scehduled for week 8 or 9.
    Day 2  CONVERSATIONS: Post-viewing discussion of Prospero's Books, including two Cal Poly faculty perspectives.  Guest Speaker Dr. Doug Keesey will attend the first hour of class (4:10-5:00 PM); Dr. Steven Marx will attend both hours of class.

    New required readings: 

    • Dr. Doug Keesey, "Recovering the Native Body in Prospero's Books," chapter 6 of his book The Films of Peter Greenaway: Sex, Death and Provocation (Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 2006), pp. 99-124. The chapter is on E-reserve in the Library Resources section of Blackboard (.PDF file, 18 pp.)  The book is on Reserve for ENGL 501 in the Kennedy Library under the call number PN1998.3.G73 K44 2006.
    • ONE reading by guest speaker Dr. Steven Marx (though you're free to read both if you have time!).  Choose from: 

      • 1) "Progeny: Prospero's Books, Genesis and The Tempest," Renaissance Forum 1.2 (Sept., 1996). This essay was formerly available online at <http://www.hull.ac.uk/renforum/v1no2/marx.htm>; because that URL is no longer operative, a text-only version of the essay (no operative file clips) was sent out over the class email alias and has been added to the E-reserve in the Library Resources section of Blackboard (.PDF file, 20 pp.) 
      OR:
      2) "Greenaway's Books," Early Modern Literary Studies 7.2 (September, 2001): 1.1-22. <URL: http://purl.oclc.org/emls/07-2/marxgree.htm>.  This online journal is still available but you may have trouble playing the linked video clips.
    Also recommended (but NOT required) . . . 
    • take another another (closer) look at Peter Greenaway's illustrated screenplay Prospero's Books: A Film of Shakespeare's The Tempest (PN1997 .P777 1991, on reserve for this class)
    • either (or both) of the two chapters devoted to The Tempest in Dr. Marx's Shakespeare and the Bible (Oxford University Press, 2000); on reserve for ENGL 501 under the call number PR3012 .M37 2000. 


    Conversation with Guest Speakers:

    • Dr. Doug Keesey (originally American modernism; more recently film studies) will talk about film studies as a discipline and his current projects; he can also field questions you may have about the second assigned reading, the Prospero's Books chapter from his recent book on Greenaway. (Confirmed, first hour)
    • Dr. Steven Marx (originally British Renaissance literature; more recently interdiciplinary studies including Eco-Lit) will talk about (and take questions on) both his assigned essay on Prospero's Books and, more generally, his textual scholarship; his book, Shakespeare and the Bible (Oxford University Press, 2000); and his more recent work in Eco-lit. (Confirmed; both hours?)

    Week 10a  (November 22-24)  NOTE: REMAINING GUEST SPEAKERS TBA..
     
    Day 1  Prospectus Conferences in Dr. Schwartz's office (47-35G).  Appointment sign-ups in class W 11/17. Work on Research paper, due (ALONG WITH YOUR ORIGINAL, MARKED UP PROSPECTUS AND YOUR REVISED WORKING BIBLIOGRAPHY) at the time of our Final Conversation, or no later than WEDNESDAY of final exam week (12/9/09). 
    Day 2  NO CLASS--HAPPY THANKSGIVING!  Enjoy your turkey and/or tofu!

    Week 10b (November 29 - December 1)
     
    Day 1  Conversations:  Networking at Academic Conferences.  
    • What's in It for Me?  Reasons to Attend an Academic Conference
    • Identifying an Appropriate / Congenial Academic Conference
    • Deciphering the CFP (Call for Papers)
    • Writing and Submitting the Paper Abstract
    • Writing and Presenting the Conference Paper
    • Conference Etiquette
     Web Resources:      		Work on Research paper and Abstract, due (ALONG WITH YOUR ORIGINAL, MARKED UP PROSPECTUS / REVISED WORKING BIBLIOGRAPHY) at the time of our Final Conversation, or no later than WEDNESDAY of final exam week (12/8/10). 

    IMPORTANT:  Electronically submitted papers should include identifying information (your name, my name, class, date) on the first page; subsequent pages should have a header consisting of your last name and the page number.

    Please save your paper under the filename  "[yourlastname]501paper.doc" and use the pull-down "Save As" menu to save your paper as either a .DOC or an.RTF file, since I cannot access .docx files on my antiquated home computer.
    Day 2  TBA

    "Final Exam": our Final Conversation replaces a written Final Exam; it  will take place at the scheduled exam time, from 4:10-7:00 PM on Monday, 12/6.  Each student will be asked to BRIEFLY present his or her paper abstract to classmates AND to identify at least one scholarly conference and one journal where s/he could plausibly submit the paper (no more than five minutes, total!)   I will also ask you to share your suggestions for improving ENGL 501 and your thoughts on how we can better help entering graduate students feel at home in Cal Poly's M.A. Program in English.  Finally, I am interested in learning what impact (if any) your experience in ENGL 501 has had on your personal goals for your time in the MA program, your professional ambitions, or your understanding of the English Studies disciplines.

    While this conversation could take place in our usual classroom (2-13) at the scheduled exam time, I would much prefer it to take place at my home  in conjunction with a Class Dinner; details to be arranged. NOTE:  The "Final Conversation" is not a graded exercise, but it IS a required component of the course, taking the place of a written final exam. Failure to participate will result in an "F" (0) being averaged into the exam component of your final grade.  Other than failure to participate, it will have no effect upon your final course grade.