Television Fandoms: Analyzing, Rewriting, and Rethinking TV
Instructor: Daniel Elliot Roberts (he/him)
Email: derob@uw.edu
Meets: M/T/W/Th 12:00-1:00
Classroom: BAG 331A
Office: Padelford B-36
Office Hours: T/Th 10:30-11:30 (all virtual; in-person office hours by appointment). Here's the Zoom ID you can
use for office hours: 206 739 8399
course description
Welcome to English 131 B! Expository Writing (ENGL 131) is an introduction to the art of critical, persuasive writing for (and within) various contexts. Designed around 4 course outcomes, this class maintains the idea that writing is a tool for critical thinking, and as such, must take form through dynamic research, collaboration, and revision. The theme on which we will be thinking and writing this quarter is television fandoms. Of particular interest are the ways in which fans engage with and shape the terrain of their favorite shows, as they are also shaped by the shows. This is part of a larger discussion about the cultural production of meaning, and what it means to study media and popular culture.
Throughout the quarter there will be two assignment sequences, each with one Short Assignment (SA) and one Major Project (MP). Each MP has a proposal due before the full draft. MP1 will be a short piece of fanfic for a TV fandom of your choice, along with a Writer’s Memo that explains the rationale for your writing choices. MP2 will be an argumentative essay that analyzes a television episode and demonstrates intertextuality.
ewp course outcomes
Outcome 1
To compose strategically for a variety of audiences and contexts, both within and outside the university,
by
- recognizing how different elements of a rhetorical situation matter for the task at hand and affect the options for composing and distributing texts;
- coordinating, negotiating, and experimenting with various aspects of composing--such as genre, content, conventions, style, language, organization, appeals, media, timing, and design--for diverse rhetorical effects tailored to the given audience, purpose, and situation; and
- assessing and articulating the rationale for and effects of composing choices.
Outcome 2
To work strategically with complex information in order to generate and support inquiry by
- reading, analyzing, and synthesizing a diverse range of texts and understanding the situations in which those texts are participating;
- using reading and writing strategies to craft research questions that explore and respond to complex ideas and situations;
- gathering, evaluating, and making purposeful use of primary and secondary materials appropriate for the writing goals, audience, genre, and context;
- creating a ‘conversation’—identifying and engaging with meaningful patterns across ideas, texts, experiences, and situations; and
- using citation styles appropriate for the genre and context.
Outcome 3
To craft persuasive, complex, inquiry-driven arguments that matter by
- considering, incorporating, and responding to different points of view while developing one’s own position;
- engaging in analysis—the close scrutiny and examination of evidence, claims, and assumptions—to explore and support a line of inquiry;
- understanding and accounting for the stakes and consequences of various arguments for diverse audiences and within ongoing conversations and contexts; and
- designing/organizing with respect to the demands of the genre, situation, audience, and purpose.
Outcome 4
To practice composing as a recursive, collaborative process and to develop flexible strategies for revising throughout the composition process by
- engaging in a variety of (re)visioning techniques, including (re)brainstorming, (re)drafting, (re)reading, (re)writing, (re)thinking, and editing;
- giving, receiving, interpreting, and incorporating constructive feedback; and
- refining and nuancing composition choices for delivery to intended audiences in a manner consonant with the genre, situation, and desired rhetorical effects and meanings.
required course texts
Writer/Thinker/Maker (available in the UW bookstore)
All other course readings will be posted to our Canvas modules. Later in the quarter you will also be asked to watch several television episodes outside of class, and will likely need to pay to access these.
course assessment
Participation- 30%
Your participation points will be given based on: active engagement in class discussions; participating in in-class peer review, turning in completed assignments and peer reviews on time attending two individual writing conferences, completing small group work and other in-class assignments such as freewrites or writing exercises.
ePortfolio- 70%
At the end of the quarter, you will select 2-3 of your formal writing assignments to revise based on peer/instructor feedback, the course outcomes, and your shifting understanding of the research and writing processes. Along with these revised pieces, you will generate a 4-6 page Critical Reflection that persuasively argues for the successful demonstration of the course outcomes through intentional revision.
You may either revise:
2 Major Projects
or
MP2 + 2 Short Assignments
late work policy
This quarter will be a whirlwind. Please keep in mind that if you fall behind on your assignments, it will be extremely difficult to catch up. That said, if you need an extension on an assignment, please email me, preferably no later than 24 hours before the deadline, explaining your situation. Any late assignments that I do not grant you an extension for ahead of time, are subject to a 5% deduction in grade each day they are late. Work that is turned in late may not receive peer feedback. If you miss an in-class peer review date, please email me ahead of time so that I can try to arrange an alternative way for you to give and receive feedback.
accessibility clause
If you need accommodation of any sort please let me know so that I can work with the UW Disability Resources for Students Office (DRS) to provide what you require. The syllabus is available in large print are as other course materials. More information about accommodation may be found at http://www.washington.edu/students/drs (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. Outside of documented needs for accommodation, I expect that we can and do all think, communicate, and process information differently. For this reason, I recognize that any class activity or course structure will accommodate each student differently. For example, you might best learn when you are given visual aids like powerpoints, graphs and/or handouts, and you might class discussion tedious and difficult to focus on. Please begin thinking about your individual learning needs and communicate with me as soon as possible about how best this course can accommodate them.
technology policy
Please bring a charged laptop or tablet to class to access our course readings and website, to take notes, and to submit in-class assignments. This especially important for our writing workshop days. Please refrain from browsing social media sites or other websites during our class time. Perusing websites during class not only interferes with your own learning in the classroom, it is extremely distracting to other students. If I find that this becomes an issue, I will ask you to put away your device.
wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – intellectual house
Intellectual House is a longhouse-style facility on the UW Seattle campus. It provides a multi-service learning and gathering space for American Indian and Alaska Native students, faculty and staff, as well as others from various cultures and communities to come together in a welcoming environment to share knowledge. Located at 4249 Whitman Court, Seattle, WA 98195. http://www.washington.edu/diversity/tribal-relations/intellectual-house/Links to an external site.
d center
Not to be confused with Disability Services, the D Center is the Disability and Deaf Cultural Center at the UW. The D Center strives to create an inclusive, accessible space affirming all bodies, minds, and identities by fostering a culture of social justice and pride. It is located at Mary Gates Hall 024, and can be accessed via facebook or wordpress at https://www.facebook.com/groups/239436662820463/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.and http://depts.washington.edu/dcenter/wordpress/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. respectively.
q center
The University of Washington Q Center builds and facilitates queer (gay, lesbian, bisexual, two-spirit, trans, intersex, questioning, same-gender-loving, asexual, aromantic) academic and social community through education, advocacy, and support services to achieve a socially-just campus in which all people are valued. For more information, visit http://depts.washington.edu/qcenter (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site./.
odegaard writing & research center
The Odegaard Writing and Research Center (OWRC) offers free, one-to-one, 45-minute tutoring sessions for undergraduate, graduate, and professional writers in all fields at the UW. We will work with writers on any writing or research project, as well as personal projects such as applications or personal statements. Our tutors and librarians collaborate with writers at any stage of the writing and research process, from brainstorming and identifying sources to drafting and making final revisions. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please see our website (http://depts.washington.edu/owrc (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.), or come visit us in person on the first floor of Odegaard Undergraduate Library.
clue writing center
The CLUE is a drop-in writing and tutoring center operating both virtually and in person from 7pm-11pm Sunday through Thursday. For more info, check out their website:
http://depts.washington.edu/aspuw/clue/writing-center/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Reading, Viewing, and Assignment Schedule
Note: This schedule is subject to change. Please always check Canvas before preparing for class.
WEEK ONE
Tuesday 6/21
Introductions
Wednesday 6/22
In-class screening of Done the Impossible
Thursday 6/23
Reading due by class today: Sandvoss et al, “Introduction: Why Still Study Fans?” (1-23)
Assignment due: Get to Know You/Accessibility Survey due to Canvas by 11:59pm
WEEK TWO
Monday 6/27
Reading due by class: Jenkins, “How Texts Become Real” (50-79)
-Madden, "How Queer Fandom Took Control of Our TV": https://www.gq.com/story/how-queer-fandom-took-control-of-our-tv
Tuesday 6/28
Writing Workshop
Wednesday 6/29:
Reading due before class: Busse, “Intimate Intertextuality and Performative Fragments in Media Fanfiction” (45-59)
-Peruse https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Fic%20Recs or https://www.fanfiction.net/tv/for examples of Fan Fiction. Read at least one fan fic of your choice (and be sure to save the link!)
Thursday 6/30
Writing Workshop
Friday 7/1
Short Assignment 1 (SA 1) due to Canvas by 11:59pm
WEEK THREE
Monday 7/4
CLASS CANCELED FOR HOLIDAY
Tuesday 7/5
Reading due by class: Jenkins, “Scribbling in the Margins” (only pages 162-177 are required; reading the entire chapter is suggested)
--Peruse https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Fic%20Recs or https://www.fanfiction.net/tv/for examples of Fan Fiction. Read at least one fan fic of your choice (and be sure to save the link!)
Wednesday 7/6
Peer Review Workshop (bring a charged laptop with access to a digital copy of your SA1)
Thursday 7/7
MP1 Proposal Due in class (12pm);
Peer Review workshop on Proposals: Bring a charged laptop with access to your proposal to class.
WEEK FOUR
Monday 7/11
Reading due by class: Hornsby, “A Case for Critical Methods: Sense Making, Race, and Fandom”
-Peruse https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Fic%20Recs or https://www.fanfiction.net/tv/for examples of Fan Fiction. Read at least one fan fic of your choice (and be sure to save the link!)
-Sign Up for Writing Conferences! (Sign-up in the Week 4 module)
Tuesday 7/12
Writing Workshop: Bring 1 piece of fanfiction that you have read with you to class today (a digital copy is fine)
Wednesday 7/13
Reading due by class: Chatman, "Black Twitter and the Politics of Viewing Scandal"
-Peruse https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Fic%20Recs or https://www.fanfiction.net/tv/for examples of Fan Fiction. Read at least one fan fic of your choice (and be sure to save the link!)
Thursday 7/14
Writing Workshop
Saturday 7/16
MP1: Rewriting a TV Show + Artist’s Memo due by 11:59pm
WEEK FIVE
Monday 7/18
Class Canceled for Individual Writing Conferences
Tuesday 7/19
Class Canceled for Individual Writing Conferences
Wednesday 7/20
Peer Review workshop: Bring 2 copies of your MP1 and Artist’s Memo to class
Thursday 7/21
In-class screening and discussion of Shades of Cosplay
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWkC4mjPQ1s
WEEK SIX
Monday 7/25
Reading due by class: Corrigan, “Film Terms and Topics”
In-class screening of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, S1:E1 "Welcome to the Hellmouth"
Tuesday 7/26
Writing Workshop
Wednesday 7/27
Reading due by class: Levine, "Buffy and the 'New Girl Order': Defining Feminism and Femininity"
Thursday 7/28
Writing Workshop
Saturday 7/30
Assignment due: SA 2: Analyzing a Film Sequence due to Canvas by 11:59pm
WEEK SEVEN
Monday 8/1
Reading due by class:
Belle, "Under Your Spell: Revisiting 'Buffy's' First Lesbian Kiss Twenty Years Later" : https://www.bitchmedia.org/article/buffy-the-vampire-slayer-first-lesbian-kiss#:~:text=Willow%20and%20Tara's%20first%20kiss,t%20happen%20under%20happy%20circumstances.
and
Rylah, "How Buffy the Vampire Slayer Depicted One of TV's First Lesbian Relationships": https://archive.nerdist.com/buffy-the-vampire-slayer-lesbian-relationship-willow-tara/
Tuesday 8/2
In-class peer review of SA2. Bring 4 copies of your assignment (SA2) to class
Wednesday 8/3
Keegan, "Emptying the Future: Queer Melodramatics and Negative Utopia in Buffy the Vampire Slayer"
Thursday 8/4
MP2 Proposal Due to Canvas by 11:59pm; Bring 4 copies to class for in-class workshop/peer review
WEEK EIGHT
Monday 8/8
Pannekoek and Anderson, "Bruteness: Gender, Race, and Animality in Buffy the Vampire Slayer"
Tuesday 8/9
ePortfolio Workshop
Wednesday 8/10
Reading TBA
Thursday 8/11
ePortfolio Workshop
Saturday 8/13
MP2 due to Canvas by 11:59pm
WEEK NINE
Monday 8/15
Class canceled for individual writing conferences
Tuesday 8/16
Class canceled for individual writing conferences
Wednesday 8/17
In-Class Peer Review of MP2 + ePortfolio Workshop
Thursday 8/18
ePortfolio workshop
ePortfolios Due: Saturday 8/20 to Canvas by 11:59pm