English 429C | Spring 2021 | UVic
An online course for 40 students
Meetings: MW 2:30-3:20pm
Office Hours: M, 1-2pm + 3:30-4:30pm
Jentery Sayers (he / him / his; jentery@uvic.ca)
With Faith Ryan (she / her / hers), TA
This syllabus is licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.
Contents:
As researchers and instructors who have the privilege to live and work as guests on these lands, we acknowledge with respect that the University of Victoria is located on the unceded territory of the Lekwungen peoples and the Songhees, Esquimalt, and W̱SÁNEĆ First Nations, whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day.
This course surveys American fiction since the 1980s, attending to key issues and styles at play during the period, with an emphasis on prominent authors and novels. It is not a special topics course, but we will discuss the aesthetics and politics of home, family, and kinship in novels that engage critically with norms in America. You’ll learn what’s unique about American fiction since 1980, how to talk about the last 40 forty years as a literary period, and how to write about contemporary fiction for popular and academic audiences.
You’ll have the opportunity to:
My name is Jentery Sayers (he / him / his; jentery@uvic.ca). I’m a settler scholar and associate professor of English and Cultural, Social, and Political Thought (CSPT) at UVic. I also direct the Praxis Studio for Comparative Media Studies. I did my MA and PhD in English at the University of Washington in Seattle, and I grew up in Richmond, Virginia, where I got my BA and BS at Virginia Commonwealth University. I’ve been at UVic since 2011, and I teach courses on American fiction, media and cultural studies, and experimental prototyping. This is the 36th class I’ve taught here, but only my fourth online. I’ll be learning a bit as we go. Thanks for your patience.
And my name is Faith Ryan (she / her / hers). I’m a settler on unceded Lekwungen and W̱SÁNEĆ lands, and I am grateful for the years I’ve been able to study here. I’m a graduate student in English at UVic, and I did my BA at UVic as well. I’m originally from Ogden, Utah, but I spent most of my high school years in the lower mainland BC. I like contemporary Canadian and American fiction and approaching culture, in all its forms, from a disability studies perspective. Feel free to reach out over the term, even if you’re unsure whether it’s something I can assist you with. If it isn’t, then I can point you in the right direction. I hope you enjoy the course!
We are asking you to respond to four prompts this term, and we’ll invite you to revise one of those responses, if you wish. Each response will constitute 25% of your final grade.
There are no quizzes, exams, discussion forums, or student presentations in this course. There is no participation mark, either. Jentery will mark your responses to the prompts and provide feedback on your work.
All the prompts are included in this outline, and due dates are provided in the schedule. Please submit each of your responses via Brightspace. We cannot accept submissions by email. Thank you for understanding.
Please note that three of the four prompts afford three ways to respond to them, and not all responses are academic essays. You should pick one of the three options in the prompt. Also note that you may respond to the first three prompts—Prompts A, B, and C—in whatever order you wish, but you should respond to each of these prompts only once. Prompt D is attended as the fourth assignment, due at the end of term.
We will meet on Mondays and Wednesdays from 2:30 to 3:20pm. Please check your email and/or Brightspace for the Zoom URL, which will remain the same throughout the entire term.
Meetings will combine lecture with group discussion and the occasional breakout room. Please come to each session prepared to discuss the assigned material and participate in discussion. We will invite you to comment on the novels we’re reading, talk about them with other people in the class, and share your perspectives on related issues and topics. Your contributions during a given meeting may be communicated through text, audio, and/or video in Zoom.
A video recording of each meeting will be circulated, with your permission, via Brightspace.
One of the most important things to know about this course is that we’ll opt for care in every instance. If the workload becomes too much, or we’re juggling more than we should, then we’ll cut materials, including assignments, as we go. We’ve planned for the maximum in advance, under the assumption that we won’t get to everything. And that’s totally fine.
We suggest dedicating an average of four (4) to seven (7) hours of study (reading novels and writing responses) each week to this course, plus 1.5 hours for the weekly meetings. To frame expectations and decrease overwork, we assign in the schedule a number of recommended hours to each week of the course, and we communicate progress in terms of weeks toward completing the course, partly because online learning makes time weird for us all, and focusing on anything is a struggle during a pandemic.
Of course, four to seven hours per week is only a guideline. You may find that you need (or want) more or less time depending on the activity, your preferences, what you can manage during a given week of life and online learning, and your own familiarity with the novels and concepts involved.
Here’s a list of the novels we’ll read this term. They’re available at the UVic Bookstore. You are also welcome to read them as ebooks on a tablet or in your browser, if you’d prefer. You should spend no more than $102 (before taxes) on these books. Purchasing used copies or ebooks, or relying on subscription services, will save you money.
We’re encouraging you to listen to Beloved as an audiobook, read by Morrison herself. We’ll discuss the logistics of this decision during our meetings and determine whether it’s feasible. Thank you for your patience.
Here’s our schedule for the term. We’ve designed it to scaffold the learning process by presenting the course as a series of weeks, each with instructions and (where applicable) assignments, accompanied by a number of recommended hours to spend on the tasks at hand. The final week corresponds with the completion of the course (during UVic’s exam period).
We will use a Brightspace announcement to notify you of any changes to the schedule.
This week’s reading should consume no more than two hours of your time.
You do not need to prepare for our first meeting on Monday, January 11th.
By Wednesday, January 13th at 2:30pm, please:
This week’s reading should consume no more than four hours of your time.
By Monday, January 18th at 2:30pm, please read The House on Mango Street through the story, “Hips” (through page 52). Take notes as you read.
By Wednesday, January 20th at 2:30pm, please finish The House on Mango Street (through page 110). Take notes as you read.
Note that The House on Mango Street’s chapters are not numbered and function more like stories or vignettes (“lazy poems”).
Content warnings for the book: domestic abuse, sexual assault, sexism, racism, xenophobia, fatphobia, death
This week’s reading should consume no more than six hours of your time.
By Monday, January 25th at 2:30pm, please read Beloved through Chapter 6 (through page 75). Take notes as you read.
By Wednesday, January 27th at 2:30pm, please read Beloved through Chapter 18 (through page 195). Take notes as you read. Please also select a prompt to which you’ll respond for the first assignment, which is due by Monday, February 8th. You can respond to Prompts A, B, and C in any order you wish. Please leave Prompt D for the final / fourth assignment.
Note that Beloved’s chapters are not numbered. It has three sections, which are numbered.
Content warnings for the book: racism, racial slurs, slavery, torture, sexism, sexual assault, physical violence, death, alcohol, domestic abuse, animal cruelty, death of a child
This week’s reading should consume no more than six hours of your time.
By Monday, February 1st at 2:30pm, please read Beloved through Chapter 25 (through page 277). Take notes as you read.
By Wednesday, February 3rd at 2:30pm, please finish Beloved (through page 324). Take notes as you read.
Note that Beloved’s chapters are not numbered. It has three sections, which are numbered.
Content warnings for the book: racism, racial slurs, slavery, torture, sexism, sexual assault, physical violence, death, alcohol, domestic abuse, animal cruelty, death of a child
This week’s writing should consume no more than six hours of your time.
By Monday, February 8th at 2:30pm, please submit via Brightspace your first response to a prompt: Prompt A, B, or C. You should respond to each prompt only once and select one of three options provided. You can respond to Prompts A, B, and C in any order you wish. Please leave Prompt D for the final / fourth assignment.
By Wednesday, February 10th at 2:30pm, please review your notes for The House on Mango Street and Beloved. Please also select a prompt to which you’ll respond for the second assignment, which is due by Wednesday, March 3rd. You can respond to Prompts A, B, and C in any order you wish. Please leave Prompt D for the final / fourth assignment.
We do not meet this week. It’s reading break. Enjoy it!
This week’s reading should consume no more than seven hours of your time.
By Monday, February 22nd at 2:30pm, please read Geek Love through Chapter 11, “Blood, Stumps, and Other Changes” (through page 145). Take notes as you read.
By Wednesday, February 24th at 2:30pm, please read Geek Love through Chapter 25, “All Fall Down” (through page 322). Take notes as you read.
Content warnings for the book: ableism, body shaming, domestic abuse, death, torture, physical violence, sexual assault, death of a child, sexism, racism, identity jokes, vulgarity
This week’s reading should consume no more than one hour of your time. This week’s writing should consume no more than six hours of your time.
By Monday, March 1st at 2:30pm, please finish Geek Love (through page 348). Take notes as you read.
By Wednesday, March 3rd at 2:30pm, please submit via Brightspace your second response to a prompt: Prompt A, B, or C. You should respond to each prompt only once and select one of three options provided. You can respond to Prompts A, B, and C in any order you wish. Please leave Prompt D for the final / fourth assignment.
Content warnings for the book: ableism, body shaming, domestic abuse, death, torture, physical violence, sexual assault, death of a child, sexism, racism, identity jokes, vulgarity
This week’s reading should consume no more than six hours of your time.
By Monday, March 8th at 2:30pm, please read Salvage the Bones through “The Fifth Day: Salvage the Bones” (through page 107). Take notes as you read.
By Wednesday, March 10th at 2:30pm, please read Salvage the Bones through “The Tenth Day: In the Endless Eye” (through page 214). Take notes as you read. Please also select a prompt to which you’ll respond for the third assignment, which is due by Wednesday, March 24th. You can respond to Prompts A, B, and C in any order you wish. Please leave Prompt D for the final / fourth assignment.
Note that Salvage the Bones’s chapters are numbered as days (“The Fifth Day” and “The Tenth Day,” for instance).
Content warnings for the book: animal cruelty, dog fighting, natural disaster, racism, sexism, alcohol, addiction, physical violence, death
This week’s reading should consume no more than two hours of your time.
By Monday, March 15th at 2:30pm, please finish Salvage the Bones (through page 258). Take notes as you read.
By Wednesday, March 17th at 2:30pm, please review your notes for Geek Love and Salvage the Bones.
Note that Salvage the Bones’s chapters are numbered as days (“The Fifth Day” and “The Tenth Day,” for instance).
Content warnings for the book: animal cruelty, dog fighting, natural disaster, racism, sexism, alcohol, addiction, physical violence, death
This week’s writing should consume no more than six hours of your time.
For our meeting on Monday, March 22nd at 2:30pm, please come prepared with the title, author(s), and publication date of one work of American fiction in a format other than the novel (so . . . comics, graphic novels, short fiction, interactive fiction, and even games) you feel would contribute meaningfully to the conversations we’re having about contemporary American fiction this term. How, under what assumptions, and to what effects might we expand our discussions of contemporary American fiction beyond the novel? Write a sentence or two describing the work you selected and be prepared to share it as well as the title, author, and publication date with us.
By Wednesday, March 24th at 2:30pm, please submit via Brightspace your third response to a prompt: Prompt A, B, or C. You should respond to each prompt only once and select one of three options provided. You can respond to Prompts A, B, and C in any order you wish. Please leave Prompt D for the final / fourth assignment.
This week’s reading should consume no more than six hours of your time.
By Monday, March 29th at 2:30pm, please read Homegoing through the story, “James” (through page 110). Take notes as you read.
By Wednesday, March 31st at 2:30pm, please read Homegoing through the story, “Willie” (through page 221). Take notes as you read. Please also review Prompt D, a response to which is due by Monday, April 19th.
Note that Homegoing’s chapters are not numbered and function more like stories or vignettes.
Content warnings for the book: slavery, racism, racial slurs, sexual assault, torture, sexualized violence, death, drug abuse, physical violence, trafficking, police brutality, death of a child, domestic abuse, alcohol, homophobia, sexism, addiction, hate crimes
This week’s reading should consume no more than three hours of your time. This week’s optional revisions should require no more than three hours of your time.
By Monday, April 5th at 2:30pm, please finish Homegoing (through page 300). Take notes as you read.
By Wednesday, April 7th at 2:30pm, please submit via Brightspace your revised response to a previous prompt: Prompt A, B, or C. This assignment is optional. If you decide to revise, then we recommend reviewing the prompt as well as our feedback on your initial response.
Note that Homegoing’s chapters are not numbered and function more like stories or vignettes.
Content warnings for the book: slavery, racism, racial slurs, sexual assault, torture, sexualized violence, death, drug abuse, physical violence, trafficking, police brutality, death of a child, domestic abuse, alcohol, homophobia, sexism, addiction, hate crimes
There’s no assigned reading or writing this week, but we recommend starting on the fourth assignment (Prompt D), if you’ve not already.
By Monday, April 12th at 2:30pm, please review your notes for each of the five novels we read this term. We’ll also complete course experience surveys on the 12th.
This week’s writing should consume no more than seven hours of your time.
By Monday, April 19th at 5pm, please submit via Brightspace your response to Prompt D. Extensions until Thursday, April 22nd at 5pm will be available upon request by email.
Thank you! We hope you enjoy your summer.
Here are the policies for English 429C, “Contemporary American Fiction.”
There are no prerequisites for this 400-level English course.
We will rely as little as possible on Brightspace for this course. We will not use it for discussions, surveys, or polls, and you won’t need it to write or produce any of your assignments. You should be able to find most of what you need here, in this syllabus, which—for the sake of access—we copied into Brightspace. This way, you can rely entirely on Brightspace, if you prefer it.
But we will only use Brightspace for the following, most of which may arrive as emails in your inbox (see your Brightspace settings):
If you cannot access the course Brightspace, then please let us know.
Responses to two of the four prompts are required to pass this course. Failure to complete these two assignments will result in a failing N grade (calculated as a 0 for your GPA).
We will use UVic’s official grading system to assess your four responses. We do not post marks publicly or outside our offices, and we do not use plagiarism detection software.
If you need to request an extension or you’re concerned about the possibility of a late submission, then please email us. We understand that extensions may be necessary for numerous reasons, especially right now.
The best way to communicate with us is by email (jentery@uvic.ca), during weekly meetings (MW, 2:30-3:20pm) and office hours (M, 1-2pm and 3:30-4:30pm), and by appointment (phone or Zoom).
We respond to work email between 9am and 5pm, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.
Jentery will provide feedback via Brightspace on each of the four assignments.
Throughout the term, we’ll request feedback from you on how the course is going. We’ll also ask you to complete Course Experience Surveys at the end of term.
Please attend the weekly Zoom meetings (MW, 2:30-3:20pm) and participate in those discussions via text, video, and/or audio. Video recordings of these meetings will be circulated via Brightspace.
There is no participation mark for this course.
The University of Victoria is committed to promoting, providing, and protecting a positive, supportive, and safe working and learning environment for all its members. We are expected to adhere to UVic’s equity and human rights policies. You should alert me immediately if you have any questions about these policies and their application, or if you have concerns about course proceedings or participants.
We are expected to adhere to UVic’s academic integrity policy and be aware of the policies for the evaluation of student course work. Violations of the integrity policy will result in a failing grade for the given assignment and may additionally result in a failing grade for the course. By taking this course, you agree that all submitted assignments may be subject to an originality review. We do not use software to detect plagiarism in essays or any other assignments.
All course materials are made available for educational purposes and for the exclusive use of students in this course. The material is protected under copyright law, even if not marked as such. The syllabus itself is licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. Any further use or distribution of materials to others requires our written permission, except under fair dealing or another exception in the Copyright Act. Violations may result in disciplinary action under the Resolution of Non-Academic Misconduct Allegations policy (AC1300).
Students with diverse learning styles and needs are welcome in this course. If you have a disability or health consideration that may require accommodations, please feel free to approach us and/or the Centre for Accessible Learning (CAL) as soon as possible. CAL staff are available by appointment to assess specific needs, provide referrals, and arrange appropriate accommodations. The sooner you let us know your needs, the quicker we can assist you in achieving your learning goals.
We want to create a learning environment that supports a diversity of thoughts, perspectives, and experiences, and also honours your identities across race, gender, class, sexuality, religion, and ability. Integrating diverse and different experiences is important for any critical approach to fiction. We (like many people) are still in the process of learning about diverse perspectives and identities. If something is said in class (by anyone, including one of us) that makes you feel uncomfortable, don’t hesitate to talk with us. If you have a name and/or set of pronouns that differ from those that appear in your University records, please let us know. If you feel like your performance in the class is being impeded by your experiences outside class, please don’t hesitate to talk with us. We want to be a resource for you. You can also submit anonymous feedback, which, with your permission, we may use to make a general announcement to the course. If you prefer to speak with someone outside the course, Michael Nowlin (Chair, Department of English), is an excellent resource. Finally, please contact us or submit anonymous feedback if you have any suggestions to improve the quality of the course.
(Language for this policy was drawn from the Harriet W. Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning at Brown University, and from the work of Monica Linden, in particular.)
The University of Victoria is committed to promoting critical academic discourse while providing a respectful and supportive learning environment. All members of the University community have the right to this experience and the responsibility to help create such an environment. The University will not tolerate racism, sexualized violence, or any form of discrimination, bullying, or harassment.
Please be advised that, by logging into UVic’s learning systems and interacting with online resources, you are engaging in a University activity. All interactions within this environment are subject to University expectations and policies. Any concerns about student conduct may be reviewed and responded to in accordance with the appropriate University policy. To report concerns about online student conduct, email onlineconduct@uvic.ca.
We want you to thrive in this course and everywhere else. Please let us know as early as possible if you have any concerns or if you require any assistance to succeed. We’ll do our best to help.
If you need to cover gaps in care, then please don’t hesitate to bring your children to class meetings. Babies who are nursing are always welcome, as we do not want you to choose between feeding your child and continuing your education.
UVic takes student mental health very seriously, with a website full of resources. We offer services such as assistance and referral to address students’ personal, social, career, and academic concerns. Services for students also include crisis and emergency mental health consultation and confidential assessment, counselling services (individual and small group), and referrals. Many of these programs are connected with Health Services, which you may contact by phone.
The Student Services website lists several policies that you might want to know about and may make your life at UVic safer and easier. Only some of them are directly related to this course, but all of them are still important.
(Language for this policy was drawn from the work of Richard Pickard at UVic.)
Here are the four prompts for this course. Please note that Prompts A, B, C each have three options for responding. You should pick one of the three options, and you should respond to each prompt only once. You can respond to Prompts A, B, and C in any order you wish. Prompt D, however, is intended for your fourth assignment, due by April 19th (the end of term).
Analysis: This prompt emphasizes close reading, without much (if any) need to read beyond the novel you’ve selected as your primary source. For it, you have three options: narrative, power, and language. Please choose one.
Your response will constitute 25% of your final mark. We will use the rubric and UVic’s official grading system to assess your response.
Prompt A, Option 1: Narrative
What is significant about the novel’s narrative?
Write an academic argument in 750-1000 words (MLA format) about how the narrative of a novel in this course is constructed and why its construction is compelling or unique. As you write, consider describing the general characteristics of the novel (its plot, genre, characterization, setting, and style) but also interpreting one or two key passages in detail.
Here are some questions to help you get started:
If you choose this option, then feel free to write 750 to 1000 words about the overall narrative form of the novel and to also interpret a specific passage or two where the novel’s narrative structure clearly influences how the story unfolds. Since you’re writing an academic argument, you should probably include a thesis. An academic thesis should be contestable (people should be able to disagree with it), grounded in detail (evidence-based), interpretive (not merely descriptive), and relevant to current research in the field. A convincing argument answers the “so what?” (or “why does this matter?”) question common in literary and cultural criticism, and it sparks discussion rather than foreclosing it.
Please submit your response as a DOCX, RTF, HTML, or PDF file. Feel free to include images (where applicable) as figures in the document.
Prompt A, Option 2: Power
What is significant about how power operates in the novel?
Write an academic argument in 750-1000 words (MLA format) about how power operates in one of the assigned novels and explain why the novel’s approach to power is compelling or unique. As you write, consider describing the general characteristics of the novel (its plot, genre, characterization, setting, and style) but also interpreting one or two key passages in detail.
Here are some questions to help you get started:
If you choose this option, then feel free to write 750-1000 words about how power operates in the novel and to also interpret a specific passage or two where power clearly influences how the fiction unfolds. Since you’re writing an academic argument, you should probably include a thesis. An academic thesis should be contestable (people should be able to disagree with it), grounded in detail (evidence-based), interpretive (not merely descriptive), and relevant to current research in the field. A convincing argument answers the “so what?” (or “why does this matter?”) question common in literary and cultural criticism, and it sparks discussion rather than foreclosing it.
Please submit your response as a DOCX, RTF, HTML, or PDF file. Feel free to include images (where applicable) as figures in the document.
Prompt A, Option 3: Language
What is significant about the use of language(s) in the novel?
Write an academic argument in 750-1000 words (MLA format) about one of the assigned novel’s approaches to language and explain why its approach is compelling or unique. As you write, consider describing the general characteristics of the novel (its plot, genre, characterization, setting, and style) but also interpreting one or two key passages in detail.
Here are some questions to help you get started:
If you choose this option, then feel free to write 750-1000 words about the overall use of language(s) in the novel and to also interpret a specific passage or two where you consider the use of language to be especially significant. Since you’re writing an academic argument, you should probably include a thesis. An academic thesis should be contestable (people should be able to disagree with it), grounded in detail (evidence-based), interpretive (not merely descriptive), and relevant to current research in the field. A convincing argument answers the “so what?” (or “why does this matter?”) question common in literary and cultural criticism, and it sparks discussion rather than foreclosing it.
Please submit your response as a DOCX, RTF, HTML, or PDF file. Feel free to include images (where applicable) as figures in the document.
Contextualization: This prompt focuses on the contexts that shape interpretation. It requires some reading beyond the assigned novels. For it, you have three options: intended audience, geographic setting, and a past event. Please choose one.
Your response will constitute 25% of your final mark. We will use the rubric and UVic’s official grading system to assess your response.
Prompt B, Option 1: Intended Audience and Reception
Who is the novel’s intended audience, and how was the novel received across venues?
In 500-750 words (MLA format), assess an assigned novel’s reception and also identify and describe its intended audience(s). As you write, consider the details that matter for audience and reception: date of publication, publisher, awards, and the author’s publication history, including fiction as well as editing and nonfiction. Also consider various venues for reception: everything from the CBC and New York Times to social media and Goodreads to journal articles in the MLA International Bibliography. When identifying intended audiences, please be as specific as possible.
Here are some questions to help you get started:
If you choose this option, then feel free to use 500-750 words to assess the overall reception of an assigned novel, with details drawn from a range of reviews, comments, and publications (both popular and academic) and attention given to the particulars of its intended audience(s). Since you’re assessing the reception of a novel and describing its intended audience, you don’t need to make an academic argument. (This is not a close reading assignment.) Feel free to write for a broad, non-expert audience: people who, generally speaking, are interested in contemporary fiction. However, your assessment should be clear and thorough, and your descriptions should be precise. You should draw upon at least ten different sources across news outlets (such as newspapers, websites, and radio), social media, blogs, and academic journals.
Please submit your response as a DOCX, RTF, HTML, or PDF file. Feel free to include images (where applicable) as figures in the document.
Prompt B, Option 2: Geographic Setting
What is the geographic setting of the novel, and why is that setting significant?
In 500-750 words (MLA format), describe one geographic setting of an assigned novel and explain why that setting is significant. Of note, this geographic setting should be an actual place that exists or once existed on Earth. As you write, consider the details that matter for the geography of the fiction at hand: names of countries and states / provinces, demographics, capital cities, urban and rural locations, histories of place, climate, landscape, (official) language(s), Indigenous and settler groups, and population numbers. To acquire this information, you may want to consult a variety of sources, including academic, official, and government publications as well as records such as census data. While you may refer to passages in your assigned novel, the emphasis of this assignment should be on the particulars of an actual, geographic setting and its significance in the fiction (or when interpreting the fiction).
Here are some questions to help you get started:
If you choose this option, then feel free to use 500-750 words to describe one particular geographic setting in the novel, with details and even data drawn from a range of venues and publications. Since you are describing the setting of a novel and explaining its significance, you don’t need to make an academic argument. Feel free to write for a broad, non-expert audience: people who, generally speaking, are interested in contemporary fiction. When you address the significance of the geographic setting, you can focus on the particulars of that setting instead of passages from your selected novel. (This is not a close reading assignment.) However, your description of a geographic setting should be precise, drawing upon at least five different reliable sources.
Please submit your response as a DOCX, RTF, HTML, or PDF file. Feel free to include images (where applicable) as figures in the document.
Prompt B, Option 3: A Past Event
When is an historical event mentioned in the novel, and why is that event significant?
In 500-750 words (MLA format), describe one historical event mentioned in an assigned novel and explain why that event is significant. Of note, this event should be an actual event that occurred on Earth. As you write, consider the details that matter for histories of events: names, participants, dates, locations, descriptions, documentation, controversies, memories, and days of remembrance. To acquire this information, you may want to consult a variety of sources, including academic, official, and government publications as well as historical records. While you may refer to passages in your assigned novel, the emphasis of this assignment should be on the particulars of an actual, historical event and its significance in the novel (or when interpreting the novel).
Here are some questions to help you get started:
If you choose this option, then feel free to use 500-750 words to describe one historical event mentioned in the novel, with details and even data drawn from a range of venues and publications. Since you’re describing an event and explaining its significance, you don’t need to make an academic argument. Feel free to write for a broad, non-expert audience: people who, generally speaking, are interested in contemporary fiction. When you address the significance of the event, you can focus on the particulars of that event instead of passages from your selected novel. (This is not a close reading assignment.) However, your description of an event should be precise, drawing upon at least five different reliable sources.
Please submit your response as a DOCX, RTF, HTML, or PDF file. Feel free to include images (where applicable) as figures in the document.
Experiment: This prompt emphasizes the integration of fiction into everyday life. It involves some experimentation beyond the essay format. For it, you have three options: mimicry, podcast, and workshop. Please choose one.
Your response will constitute 25% of your final mark. We will use the rubric and UVic’s official grading system to assess your response.
Prompt C, Option 1: Mimicry
What do we learn from mimicking the writing we read?
Please identify an event or everyday occurrence from this term (something, for instance, that just happened to you or something you do routinely) and write roughly 500 words about it in the style or voice of an assigned novel. Please also write about 300 words reflecting on what you learned about the novel (in particular) and fiction (in general) from this act of mimicry.
Here are some questions to help you get started:
If you choose this option, then feel free to write a short, creative piece of mimicry (500 words) based on your own, recent experiences, together with a reflection (300 words) on what you learned from the process. Of course, the reflection may be informal, written in the first person, and steeped in your own perceptions of the writing experience as well as your own relation to the selected novel. However, it should be precise and anchored in detail, and it should demonstrate some self-awareness of the decisions you made and their (potential) effects. The style of a compelling act of mimicry should be difficult to discern from the style of the original text, but the content should grounded in (or represent) your everyday life.
Please submit your response as a DOCX, RTF, HTML, or PDF file. Feel free to include images (where applicable) as figures in the document.
Prompt C, Option 2: Podcast (Audio or Video)
What do we learn from talking about novels with an audience?
Please identify an assigned novel and create part (3 to 5 minutes) of a podcast episode that reviews the novel for a specific audience of your choice. The episode should be composed with a particular podcast (that already exists) in mind, and you should identify the podcast and provide its URL in writing. Alternatively, you can imagine a podcast or online publication you want to see (hear? watch?) in the world. In that case, you should give it a name / title. Either way, your excerpt should be accompanied by a script or transcript consisting of 500-750 words. You should also avoid recommending the book to your listeners or rating it for them. (Your review should not be about consumers’ purchasing decisions.) You should instead focus on which aspects of the novel make it important or relevant right now.
Here are some questions to help you get started:
If you choose this option, then feel free to compose a review (3-5 minutes) of your selected novel and submit it as an MP3 or WAV file. We will assess your podcast for its content, not its production. Please do not spend time on the particulars of either recording (including acoustics) or post-production (including editing and effects). Focus on content. You should submit your WAV or MP3 file with either a script (500-750 words) written prior to the podcast (recommended) or a transcript (500-750 words) produced from it. For radio and podcasts, speaking 150 words per minute is the average. With your script or transcript, please provide the title and URL for the podcast you have in mind or the title of the podcast you’re imagining / creating.
If you would prefer to approach this option via video, then feel free. MP4, MOV, and AVI formats are fine.
Prompt C, Option 3: A Workshop
What do we learn from workshopping or teaching novels?
Please identify an assigned novel and write a plan for workshopping it with a specific audience of your choice (other undergraduate students, Grade 12 students, or a club / organization at UVic, for instance). Be sure to identify the audience in your plan, which should be 500-750 words for a workshop lasting 30-45 minutes. It can follow whatever format you prefer, from an outline to a prompt to slides to a comic / wireframe to something more experimental. Its goals, however, should be clear and also achievable in 30-45 minutes. (Consider having only two or three goals.) It should also focus on a specific aspect of the novel. (You can’t do much in only 30-45 minutes.) Assume that all workshop participants have read the novel at hand. (One can dream?)
Here are some questions to help you get started:
If you choose this option, then feel free to compose a workshop plan (500-750 words) for a 30- to 45-minute workshop about your selected novel and submit it as a PDF, DOCX, RTF, PPTX, GSLIDES, JPG, PNG, MOV, AVI, MP4, MP3, and/or WAV file. We will assess your workshop plan for its content, not its production. If you use video, audio, slides, or the like, please do not spend time on the particulars of recording (including acoustics), design (including layout and graphics), or post-production (including editing and effects). Focus on content. You may submit your plan with whatever other workshop materials you’d use or like to use.
Choice: This prompt emphasizes choice, or what you wish to do at the end of the term. For it, you have three options: pick a previous option (from Prompts A-C), write your own prompt, or write us a letter.
Your response will constitute 25% of your final mark. We will use the rubric and UVic’s official grading system to assess your response.
Your response is due by April 19th at 5pm. Extensions until Thursday, April 22nd at 5pm will be available upon request by email.
Prompt D, Option 1: A Previous Option
Select one option above, from Prompt A, B, or C, which you’ve not addressed this term. Now respond to it by interpreting a novel you’ve not engaged in a previous prompt.
Prompt D, Option 2: DIY
Write your own prompt, email us a draft for review and approval, and then respond to it. The prompt should follow the format and style of the prompts above; however, you don’t need to include a list of questions for yourself.
Prompt D, Option 3: A Letter
What’s an important theme in this course, and what have you learned from it?
Having conversations with other people outside your core bubble may be somewhat rare while learning online and distancing during a pandemic. Here, we’re hoping to keep things social by asking you to write us (Faith and Jentery) a letter. We imagine most other letters you write are not about novels. But perhaps a novel from this course fascinates you enough to spark an exception to the rule.
In the letter, please identify an important theme in this course and tell us what you learned from it. For details, and to keep us all on the same page, please draw examples from one novel we’ve read. (It should be a novel you’ve not engaged while responding to another prompt.) Perhaps the theme you’ve identified unfolds only in the novel at hand, or maybe it’s a theme at play across multiple novels on the syllabus. Your call. But if it’s the latter, you are more than welcome to mention those other novels. You may also consider this final assignment to be an opportunity to reflect on what you’ve done (or thought about) this term and to chat with us about it. A good letter is conversational.
Here are some questions to help you get started:
Your letter should be 750-1000 words, follow the conventions of a letter (including a date, salutation, body, closing, and your name or signature; maybe even a post-script), and assume we, too, have read all the novels in this course (that means we won’t need much context or description). Your letter should be less formal than an academic essay yet more formal than a message to a friend or family member. Feel free to address us by our first names, use second person (“you”), refer to class discussions, and ask us questions whenever you’re curious or unsure about something. Our pronouns are she / her (Faith) and he / him (Jentery). For some fun, let’s imagine you’re sending your letter to us by post. (No stamp required.)
Please submit your response as a DOCX, RTF, HTML, or PDF file.
We will use the following rubric to assess all responses to the prompts. This rubric aligns with UVic’s official grading system.
90-100 (A+): The content exceeds expectations of the prompt. It is incredibly focused and coherently integrates material from the selected novel(s). It demonstrates awareness of its own limitations or implications, and it considers multiple perspectives when appropriate. It reflects in-depth engagement with the selected novel(s), and the composition and, where applicable, argument are incredibly persuasive. Overall, the response to the prompt is exceptional for undergraduate work and could be published with the appropriate venue.
85-89 (A): The content exceeds expectations of the prompt. It is focused and coherently integrates material from the selected novel(s). It demonstrates awareness of its own limitations or implications, and it considers multiple perspectives when appropriate. It reflects in-depth engagement with the selected novel(s), and the composition and, where applicable, argument are incredibly persuasive. Overall, the response to the prompt is outstanding. With a few revisions, it could be published with the appropriate venue.
80-84 (A-): The content exceeds expectations of the prompt. It is focused and integrates material from the selected novel(s). It demonstrates awareness of its own limitations or implications, and it considers multiple perspectives when appropriate. It reflects a meaningful engagement with the selected novel(s), and the composition and, where applicable, argument are persuasive. Overall, the response to the prompt is excellent. With some revisions, it could be published with the appropriate venue.
77-79 (B+): The content exceeds some expectations of the prompt. It is focused and integrates material from the selected novel(s). It demonstrates some awareness of its own limitations or implications, and it considers multiple perspectives when appropriate. It reflects a meaningful engagement with the selected novel(s), and the composition and, where applicable, argument are mostly persuasive. Overall, the response to the prompt is very good work.
73-76 (B): The content meets the expectations of the prompt. It is focused and integrates material from the selected novel(s). It demonstrates some awareness of its own limitations or implications, and it considers multiple perspectives when appropriate. It reflects a meaningful engagement with the selected novel(s), and the composition and, where applicable, argument are often persuasive. Overall, the response to the prompt is acceptable.
70-72 (B-): The content meets some expectations of the prompt. It is occasionally focused and may integrate material from the selected novel(s). It may demonstrate an awareness of its own limitations or implications, and it may consider multiple perspectives when appropriate. It reflects some engagement with the selected novel(s), and the composition and, where applicable, argument are occasionally persuasive. Overall, the response to the prompt is almost acceptable.
60-69 (C or C+): The content does not meet most expectations of the prompt. It is rarely focused and may not integrate material from the selected novel(s). It does not demonstrate awareness of its own limitations or implications, or it does not consider multiple perspectives. It reflects some engagement with the selected novel(s), but the composition and, where applicable, argument are not persuasive. Overall, the response to the prompt is not acceptable.
50-59 (D): The content does not meet expectations of the prompt. It is not focused and does not integrate material from the selected novel(s). It does not demonstrate awareness of its own limitations or implications, or it does not consider multiple perspectives. It does not reflect engagement with the selected novel(s), and the composition and, where applicable, argument are not sound. Overall, the response to the assignment is not acceptable.
0-49 (F): The content is missing or falls incredibly short of the word count (or minute count).
(Aspects of this grading rubric were borrowed from a syllabus by Mark Sample.)
This syllabus is licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.