ENGLISH 302: CRITICAL PRACTICE
Professor Shawn Wong
Byron and Alice Lockwood Professor in the Humanities
Department of English
Office Hours: MW 1:30-2:30 and by appointment on Zoom M-F. Appointments are required for both in-person or zoom meetings.
B423 Padelford Hall (4th floor)
206-616-0941
Writing the Writing Prompt: The Critical Economy of Narrative Storytelling
Course Description:
This course will examine and put into practice theories about writing and storytelling by using recent research and studies in the field of narrative medicine and the healing powers of storytelling. The class will focus on three aspects of effective storytelling and the teaching of effective storytelling: (1) all writing must show what it is you're trying to learn and understand rather than what it is you already know, (2) you cannot control what happened to you in the past, but you can control the message of those events which will give you power over the story, and (3) tell the truth, not the facts. How do you shape a story and/or elicit a story from someone unwilling to tell their story? Students will design and implement sequential writing prompts that first builds a safe place for storytelling and then allows for that story to exist.
This is not a course that teaches what your beliefs are, instead it teaches you how to tell the story of what you believe in. The class is more than writing the personal memoir, it's also about teaching and/or accompanying another writer in shaping their story. Think of this course as teaching you, at one end, how to write your personal statement for graduate school or for a job and, at the other end, writing a story that has gone untold because it isn't safe to tell it. Readers want to know how you acquire knowledge, what you do with that knowledge, and what are your motivations, beliefs, and influences.
Much of the philosophy and theory of the course comes from the instructor's many years of teaching a storytelling workshop as part of the Red Badge Project (theredbadgeproject.com) to wounded veterans and active duty soldiers recovering from PTSD, traumatic brain injury and emotional, mental and physical disabilities.
Course Structure:
This course requires that everyone in the class buy into a flexible and changing reading schedule from week to week because of changing research and new discoveries in the field. Work in the class is very collaborative and small team oriented. Each group will present and lead a class that will "field test" a sequential writing prompt and evaluate it's effectiveness.
Required Reading:
The Golden Theme: How to Make Your Writing Appeal to the Highest Common Denominator, by Brian McDonald
Plus selected readings online & films available for streaming.
A Canvas online reader will be compiled with various articles and essays on narrative medicine and articles about trauma and healing.
Linked readings: (subject to change)
"Eat, Memory" by David Wong Louie (in Canvas Files)
"Quicker With Arrows" by Bienvenido Santos (in Canvas Files)
"Every Woman Keeps a Flame Against the Wind" by Kristen Millares Young
The Red Badge Project website
http://www.theredbadgeproject.com/ (Links to an external site.)
Description of PTSD:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-traumatic_stress_disorderLinks to an external site.
"Crusoe in England" by Elizabeth Bishop
https://poetryarchive.org/poem/crusoe-englandLinks to an external site.
Hannah Gadsby "Nanette"
https://www.netflix.com/title/80233611 (Links to an external site.)
"Slow" Radio Lab
https://www.wnycstudios.org/story/165190-slow
"The Rocket Man" by Ray Bradbury
Assignments:
Part 1: Group Assignments
The two group assignments below have a class presentation component to them. Groups should use either Power Point or a Word document to help lead discussion.
A. Presentations and Class Discussion:
The class will be divided up into small discussion groups of three or four students. Each group will be assigned to lead class discussion on the assigned readings listed in the course schedule, develop at least six discussion questions on the reading, take notes of the discussion and any additional information following your presentation, and email the discussion questions, power point, and notes to me at homebase@uw.edu and I will post them in Canvas Files.
During class discussion one member of the group will take notes and upload those notes on Canvas under "Discussions".
Your discussion should include the following:
- At least six discussion questions either uploaded to Canvas "Discussions" prior to the presentation or just after the presentation. Include the questions in your discussion notes as well.
- One member of your group should be the presentation notetaker of both the class discussion in the first hour and the discussion of the historical or other relevant content in the second half of class.
B. Development of Writing Prompts:
Each group will design at least two writing prompts that are sequential. For example, the writing prompts that you design must have three components to them: (1) an easy to write, benign, non-threatening and safe (something real and easily accessible) first part (make a list, describe something such as a photograph, etc.), (2) a second part that requires the writer/student to use their imagination and/or generate a fictional element to the writing assignment, and (3) a third part that requires a resolution or conclusion of some kind from the writer/student (what does it all mean or a "coming to terms" with what they have written). This writing prompt must be "field tested" with other fellow students, friends, relatives, etc. Each group should submit both the writing prompts and an analysis of the field trial and/or examples of what was written in response to the writing prompt. Each group will also present their findings and analysis in class for the whole class.
Part 2: Individual Writing Assignments:
Each student must submit a final project that is a personal essay, memoir on a topic that relates to our class focus and discussion. This "essay" can be an essay, an audio story (in the style of a podcast such as "This American Life," etc.), a video. If you do an audio story or video, it should also be accompanied by a written script or prose narrative of the audio or video project (this is a W-course...). If you choose the audio or video option, it should be 5-10 minutes long. The personal memoir/essay should be approximately 1400-1500 words (about 5-6 pages double-spaced). Also required is for this final project to be peer reviewed by your group members (on Canvas).
There are three sample personal essays written by former ENGL 302 students in Canvas Files by Nicki Pierce, Zoe Mikuta, and Salome Seifu.
All assignments are turned in on Canvas. Comments and grades will be in Canvas as well. We're going paperless.
Exams:
There will be two exams. One of the exams will be in class and collaborative, which means that each of your small groups will discuss the exam questions and turn in one exam per group. The second exam will be an individual one and taken on Canvas. All exams are open book, open notes, and open discussion. The exams will focus on the reading and class discussion. The exam questions are taken from the discussion notes written by the different groups.
Grading (grading policy subject to change if the course goes remote):
60% of your total course grade is based on the two group projects and your final written project (20% each), 15% on the three exams, 15% on participation and 10% on meeting all the due dates on time.
University-Wide Policies
- Religious Accommodations: for the University of Washington’s policies on appropriate religious accommodation, please see: https://registrar.washington.edu/staffandfaculty/religious-accommodations-policy (Links to an external site.)
- For Disability Resources for Students (DRS; if you believe you may need academic accommodations), please see: https://www.washington.edu/studentconduct
- For UW Standards of Student Conduct, please see: https://www.washington.edu/studentconduct (Links to an external site.)
- For the UW’s policy on Academic Misconduct, please see: https://www.washington.edu/cssc/facultystaff/academic-misconduct (Links to an external site.)
- For the UW's policy on Preferred Pronouns, please see: https://registrar.washington.edu/students/pronouns (Links to an external site.)
CMS 370 Code of Conduct and Mutual Respect
This course aims to create an ethical, caring, reciprocal environment for safe learning about our roles as writers who record and observe the world at large.
To that end: recognizing and valuing diversity is essential to the learning goals of this course and the critical thinking endeavor at the heart of university education.
Respect for difference includes and is not limited to age, cultural background, ability, ethnicity, family status, gender presentation, immigration status, national origin, race, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, preferred names and pronouns, socioeconomic status, and veteran status.
Your participation will require careful and ethical engagement with people and ideas reflective of diversity, including those not in alignment with your personal beliefs and values.
To that end, you are asked to be mindful and respectful to others (and yourself) in all course interactions. Act with best attentions, assume best intentions from your colleagues, and give each other the benefit of the doubt.
Failure to comply with the code of conduct will result in meetings to further discuss pronoun use, respecting diversity, and other learning opportunities. We all make mistakes, and it is from these that we often learn the most.
Further Resources
- Husky Coronavirus Testing: https://www.washington.edu/coronavirus/testing (Links to an external site.)
- The UW Humanities Librarian: https://guides.lib.uw.edu/research/burns
- Odegaard Writing and Research Center: https://www.lib.washington.edu/ougl/owrc (Links to an external site.)
- Safe Campus: https://www.washington.edu/safecampus (Links to an external site.)
- Night Ride and Night Walk: https://www.washington.edu/ima/uw-recreation/safety (Links to an external site.)
- UW Police: http://police.uw.edu
- Hall Health Center, General: https://wellbeing.uw.edu/unit/hall-health
- Hall Health Center, Mental Health: https://wellbeing.uw.edu/topic/mental-health
- Resources for food and emergency aid: https://www.washington.edu/anyhungryhusky/get-food
Due Dates & Course Schedule:
March 31: Introductions, Review of course concept & storytelling theory and practice.
April 2: Formation of storytelling teams and working groups, background on The Red Badge Project and narrative medicine.
Read: Description of PTSD & log on to The Red Badge Project website to learn about the storytelling workshops (link in syllabus above).
April 7: Storytelling Structure
Read: Read: "Eat, Memory" by David Wong Louie (in course Canvas under "files")
Quick summary of storytelling structure and theory of storytelling.
April 9: Storytelling Structure--discussion of The Golden Theme
Discussion led by: Group 1 Ace (pages 1-22)
Discussion led by: Group 2 Nasty Dawgs (pages 23-44)
April 14: The Golden Theme
Discussion led by: Group 3 The Hammerheads (pages 45-73)
Discussion led by: Group 4 The Pink Coyotes (pages 74-end)
April 16:
Listen to podcast:
"Slow" Radio Lab
https://www.wnycstudios.org/story/165190-slow (Links to an external site.)
Discussion led by: Group 5 Starfish
April 21:
Read: "Every Woman Keeps a Flame Against the Wind" by Kristen Millares Young
http://true.proximitymagazine.org/2018/11/15/every-woman-keeps-a-flame-against-the-wind
Discussion led by: Group 6 The Hive
Watch video: Hannah Gadsby "Nanette"
https://www.netflix.com/title/80233611(Links to an external site.)
Discussion led by: Group 7 Dunder Mifflin
April 23: Exam #1: The Golden Theme (Group exam)
Read: "Crusoe in England" by Elizabeth Bishop
https://poetryarchive.org/poem/crusoe-englandLinks to an external site.
April 28: Discussion of both stories listed below by Group 8 Purr-Lock Holmes
Quicker With Arrows by Bienvenido Santos
Read:"Quicker With Arrows" by Bienvenido Santos (in Canvas Files)
Read: "The Rocket Man" by Ray Bradbury
April 30: Discussion of how to design writing prompts to aid in narrative medicine and the power of storytelling.
First drafts of your personal essay/project are due today. These first drafts will be peer reviewed by the students in your group.
May 5: Group work on writing prompt design
May 7: Group work on writing prompt design
May 12: Exam #2: CANCELLED, no class today. Use the time to field test writing prompts and/or your essays. Make sure your peer reviews are done around this date too or shortly after. I'll upload my comments after your drafts have been peer reviewed.
Writing Prompt Presentations:
Each group should design at least three writing prompts and then pick the two best ones. Then everyone in the group should field test the two prompts on their own and then get together and decide which two to present in the power point: two responses for each of the two writing prompts.
A Power Point version of your presentation should be emailed to me the day before your presentation or earlier. The power point should present two writing prompts and two responses even though you might have field tested more than two. You don't need to present everything the respondents wrote in their responses, instead you can quote from their response and summarize or paraphrase.
May 14: Group 7 Dunder Mifflin & 8 Purr-Lock Holmes
May 19: Group 5 Starfish & 6 The Hive
May 21: Group 3 The Hammerheads & 4 The Pink Coyotes
May 26: Holiday, no class
May 28: Group 1 Ace & 2 Nasty Dawgs
June 2: TBA make-up day in case we fall behind on presentations
June 4: Last day of class. TBA
June 9: All final versions of your personal essay are due today at 11:59 pm.