Introduction

This version of English 10 will address interactions between literature and media (or information technologies). The primary texts for the course will include print texts and digital productions, as well as productions techniques and vocabulary of analytic discussion specific to these media. The class will include instruction in research and writing in print and digital environments.

The theme that will unite this particular course across a wide swath of genres and periods (gothic fiction, short story, poetry, contemporary fiction, hypertext fiction, digital poetry, graphic novel film, and television) is the interpenetration of technology, media, and the constitution and representation of human and personal identity. We will also be reading a variety of critical works and learning some rudimentary web design skills in order to complete a final web-based presentation.

Getting In Touch

E-mail (most efficient):                                         melissas@umail.ucsb.edu
Telephone (10 a.m. - 10 p.m. only):                     805-968-9576
Mailbox:                                                             South Hall 2623
Office Hours, South Hall 2509:                           T/R 6:40 - 7:30 & by appointment
Course Website: http://english.ucsb.edu/grad/student-pages/mstevenson/coursepages/English10/
On-Line Course Forum: http://www.livejournal.com/community/english10_lci/

Lab Assistant and Hours
Some of the reading in this class will require access to the Transcriptions Lab (South Hall 2509).
This quarter's Transcriptions Research Assistant is Michael Frangos (mfrangos@umail.ucsb.edu).
His office hours will be Wednesday from 12:30 - 3:00 and TBA.

Required Texts
Reader: Available at Alternative Copy Shop 6556 Pardall Road, Isla Vista
A Glossary of Literary Terms, Sixth Edition, by M. H. Abrams
Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud
The Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
Feed by M.T. Anderson

Optional
A Writer's Reference by Diana Hacker

General Requirements

The course will be reading and writing intensive but should also offer opportunities for spirited discussion. We will at times be dealing with sensitive subjects such as race, class, gender, and sexuality. If you are uncomfortable with this prospect or find the course load overwhelming, then this is not the class for you.

As the LCI linked English 10, this class will be highly interactive, both in terms of class discussion and in terms of media. We will be exploring a variety of media in relation to narrative delivery and identity formation. In addition to the course website, there will also be a class live journal community in which each student must take part, as outlined in the course requirements. I also encourage everyone to use this forum to continue discussion outside of section, to pose questions, raise concerns, or point out particularly interesting topics. Such contribution will be considered a form of class participation.

If you are a student with a disability and would like to discuss special accommodations, please contact me during office hours.

Final Word

Welcome! I hope that you enjoy this course and that we can work together to make it a positive experience for all of us. Feel free to contact me (as above) if you have any questions, comments, or concerns about the works we are reading/viewing, or class in general.

Course Requirements

Participation:                                                                                 10% Final Grade
In-Class & On-Line Presentations                                                 10% Final Grade
Ten Short Response Papers:                                                          20% Final Grade
First Paper (Due Tuesday February 8):                                          20% Final Grade          
Final Web Project (Due Tuesday March 9):                                  10% Final Grade
Final Paper (Due Monday March 14):                                           30% Final Grade

Course assignments include ten short responses, one shorter critical paper, one longer critical paper, a creative final web project, as well as in-class and on-line presentations. Participation is also essential to the final grade. Work must be completed by the day it is listed in the course timeline, and students should come to class prepared to actively engage one another on critical issues relating to course materials.

Attendance is mandatory and students who are repeatedly absent will be dropped from the course. Students may miss one class session without explanation. I suggest that you save this exemption for an emergency or very special occasion. Missing more than two class sessions will substantially lower your final course grade.

In addition to regularly scheduled class periods, students will be expected to attend one evening film screening. Those who are unable to attend the screening due to a legitimate time conflict should find the film readily available at local video store,

Participation in each class session is required. Students should come to class prepared to actively engage one another and the course materials on the critical issues we will be addressing.If you come to a class session unprepared, or unwilling to actively participate in course discussion, you might as well be absent and I will count you as such.

Students are expected to write ten short response and reflection papers of about one single spaced page. These papers are imagined as jumping off points for class discussion, and as a way for students to frame their understanding of the themes we are developing throughout the course. Students have the option of writing critical or creative response papers. These papers will be due at the end of the class sessions indicated in the course time line and no late papers will be accepted (only students who attend class may turn in their response papers). Topics for the response papers will be presented in class. Discussion papers will be graded on a twenty-point scale. An excellent paper will show an exceptional and highly nuanced critical engagement with the coursework. A satisfactory paper will show some critical engagement, but may not be as original or well developed as an excellent paper. An unsatisfactory paper will neglect to present an analytical approach. At the end of each discussion paper students should include a question for class discussion. Students should expect to present this question to class; even on days they will not be formally presenting their work.

During the second class session each student will sign up to deliver a five to seven minute presentation based on their response paper.

Each student will also be expected to sign up to post an argument or idea (at least one paragraph in length) on our LiveJournal Community and to respond to someone else's argument or idea. Students may, of course, post and respond, as often as they wish, but are required to do so twice. Students will have to create their own LiveJournal account and join the class community by Tuesday January 11. This will be discussed in the first class.

The first paper will be due Friday February 11 by 4:15 p.m. in my mailbox in South Hall 2623. This paper should be a 3 - 5 page critical essay dealing with the themes and materials from our class. A paper proposal (one to two paragraphs) should be prepared for class on Thursday February 3.

The final paper will be due on Monday March 14 by 4:15 p.m. in my mailbox in South Hall 2623. Students will be expected to write a 5 - 7 page critical essay addressing at least two of the works from our class. A paper proposal (one to two paragraphs) should be prepared for class on Thursday March 3^rd.

The final web project must be completed by Tuesday March 8^th. Students will present their projects to the class on Tuesday March 8^th and Thursday March 10^th. The Transcriptions RA Michael Frangos will be offering web design tutorials later in the quarter. Dates and times will be publicized through the on-line class forum. This web project is designed as a creative representation of one's own relationship with literature, technology, and media. Details to follow.

As papers come due I will hand out guidelines with further information. Assignments are expected to be on time, and your grade will be reduced by 1/3 letter grade for each day (including weekend days) a paper is late. Contact me before a paper is due in case of any extenuating circumstances.