Readers, Writers, and Books
LITT 2124-001
Fall 2005
MWF 2:10-3:25
Sunny K-102
Thomas Kinsella
Thomas.Kinsella@stockton.edu
J-230, Ext. 4419
Office Hours: MW 3:30-4:30; F 11:15-12:15; and by appointment.
I'm on campus most days.
This is a Writing-Across-The-Curriculum-Course.
Required Books:
84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff. Penguin. ISBN: 0-140-14350-5
The Haunted Bookshop by Christopher Moreley [This text will not be available through the bookstore; I will explain on the first day of class that I want you to locate and buy a used copy. They are abundant and cheap (starting at $1.00) on abebooks]. Any of many editions available
Aspern Papers by Henry James. Dover. ISBN: 0486419223
The Sixteen Pleasures: A Novel by Robert Hellenga. Delta. ISBN: 0385314698
In the Skin of a Lion by Michael Ondaatje. Vintage. ISBN: 0679772669
The Life of Pi by Yann Martel. Harvest Books. ISBN: 0156027321
To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf. Harvest Books. ISBN: 0156907399
Rose by Li-Young Lee. BOA Editions. ISBN: 0918526531
RWB Blog
Expectations and Policies:
This course is focused on books. It is concerned with people who like books, the physical description of books, and the content of just plain good books. The only lecturing I may do will pertain to the physical description of books. Otherwise, you will be expected to contribute actively to class discussion. You are expected to keep up with assigned reading at all times. As class participation goes, so goes the course.
I expect excellent attendance. More than 3 absences and your grade will suffer.
I will provide rubrics to help guide your writing assignments. All assignments should be error free; I will mark down aggressively for mechanical and grammatical errors.
I intend to rigorously enforce the due dates in this syllabus. You will need to plan accordingly. If you need extra help, ask for it. E-mail is an excellent way to contact me.
It is not my responsibility to make sure that you have handed in all assignments; it is yours.
I will not give incompletes at the end of the semester unless you have warned me well in advance and have appropriate reasons.
Evaluation:
First Essay 10%
Second Essay 15%
Physical Description of a Book Assignment 20%
Third Essay 25%
Library Exhibition 15%
Book Blog Participation 15%
As of Fall 2004 Stockton has moved to a plus/minus grading system. I will be applying this system to your final grades. Below is the numerical equivalence adopted by the college. A "C" or better is needed for program courses in Literature (a "C-" will not fulfill program requirements).
A = 4.0 A- = 3.7 B+ = 3.3 B = 3.0 B- = 2.7 C+ = 2.3
C = 2.0
C- = 1.7
D+ = 1.3
D = 1.0
D- = 0.7
F = 0.0
Academic Honesty:
The Literature program expects all the work you turn in to be your own. If you are found to have represented the work or ideas of others as your own, intentionally, or unintentionally, you will face serious consequences, as follows:
1. Any student who is found to have plagiarized a paper or assignment, in full or in part, must meet with the professor of the class for which the paper is written.
2. The professor will review the suspect work with the student.
3. If this is the first time the student has been found to have plagiarized, he/she will receive an "F" for that paper or assignment and/or the course.
4. For second offenses of plagiarism, the student will receive an F for the course.
Additionally, and in accordance with Stockton College policy, the literature program faculty will report all instances of plagiarism to the Provost for Academic Affairs. Students may be subject to discipline by the college, such as being placed on academic probation or expelled. If you have any questions about plagiarism, I will be glad to discuss them with you.
September
07 Introduction
09 84, Charing Cross Road
12 84, Charing Cross Road
14 84, Charing Cross Road: the movie [VH PN1997 84 Charing Cross Road approx. 100 min.]
16 84, Charing Cross Road: the movie
19 First Essay due (4 pages); Book Terms--book construction
21 Sorting out the Library Exhibitions
23 A Short History of the Book
26 Aspern Papers
28 Aspern Papers
30 Aspern Papers
October
03 Checking in on the Library exhibitions; more Short History of the Book
05 The Handcraft period; book production in early America: printers, stationers, bookbinders, booksellers
07 Mechanization of books; development of modern publishing houses; rise of the bookseller
10 The Sixteen Pleasures: A Novel
12 The Sixteen Pleasures: A Novel
14 The Sixteen Pleasures: A Novel; Library Exhibition I
17 The Haunted Bookshop
19 The Haunted Bookshop
21 The Haunted Bookshop; Library Exhibition II
24 A visit from the Archivist
26 A visit from David Pinto, Director of the Library
28 Second Essay due (5 pages); Book History; Library Exhibition III
31 Ninth Gate: the movie
November
02 Ninth Gate: the movie
04 Book History; Library exhibition IV
07 In the Skin of a Lion
09 Preceptorial Advising - No Classes
11 Reading day
14 Library Exhibition V; In the Skin of a Lion
16 In the Skin of a Lion
18 Physical Description of a Book due (6 pages); In the Skin of a Lion
21 The Life of Pi
23 The Life of Pi
28 The Life of Pi
30 The Life of Pi
December
02 To the Lighthouse
05 To the Lighthouse
07 To the Lighthouse
09 To the Lighthouse
12 Third Essay Due (8 pages); Rose; Extended Class (2:30-5:00)
14 No Class
16 Final Class
Assignments:
Essays. Students will write four essays for this course. I will provide detailed information about essay expectations and topics well in advance of due dates.
Library Exhibition. Students will work in small groups to prepare 5 weekly exhibitions in Stockton's library. Groups will be responsible for developing exhibition topics (with my help), researching topics, writing appropriate blurbs, mounting exhibitions (on Friday afternoons following class), and creating an on-line catalogue of the exhibition.
Book Blog Participation. The class will work together to describe our developing book awareness at caxton.stockton.edu/RWB/.