Writing Women's Lives

Suggestions Answer the "So What?" Show your reader why this project was important. Show them that your paper was meaningful and useful. Synthesize  Don't simply repeat things that were in the project. How your points you made and the support and examples all fit together to say something? Do the opposite of how you start (and vice versa) Give your reader something to think about, perhaps a way to use your paper in the "real" world. If your introduction went from general to specific, make your conclusion go from specific to general.  Create a new meaning You don't have to give new information to create a new meaning. By demonstrating how your ideas work together, you create a new picture. The sum of the project is worth more than the individual parts. Strategies Bookend the introduction:  Bookending it is meant to bring the reader full-circle. If you begin by describing a scenario, you can end with the same scenario as proof tha...

Let's review Weds, April 1 - Review of requirements/Code Switch Friday, April 3 - How does Code Switch change what you are writing?  Choose another story from Her Body for discussion. (No class) Monday, April 6 - Let's talk about the Her Body Story and how you are changing your writing.  Weds, April   8   -  Turn in your piece of fiction Friday, April 10   - NO SCHOOL These are the pieces you need: Two personal essays Two poems One short fiction One reflection piece  One "other" piece of art (meme, collage, photography, music, etc. about something you have read or experienced in class)

We will be writing our own stories. We are living in very interesting times and I want you all to be a part of this history. From here forward you are going to be working on writing your own life.  Here is how we will get started this week.  Start reading Her Body and Other Parties . It is a genre-bending set of horror stories with a feminist twist. You should already have it. If you don't you can get it cheap on many bookselling sites. I expect you will have at least one story read from it by next Friday, March 25. I can give you suggestions about stories in it if you don't know what to choose.  To start here is an audio recording of the first story, The Husband Stitch .  Note that it has a lot of sex scenes told from a woman's POV - or this particular woman. Listen to this with your headphones.  After you listen to the story, take 10 minutes and puke out your thoughts immediately. We will talk about the story and how you can use it to thin...

Working remotely is part of the new business world. You'll likely be working online in some portion of your job no matter your profession. As we are navigating the next few weeks of online classes keep the following in mind:  1.  Get dressed  - It matters to how you approach your work. PJs are nice but when you need to get down to business, put on some pants.  2.  Maintain your schedule  - COME TO CLASS. What is true in person is still true online. Use the time you would be in class to "be in class" this will help you stay on track when we eventually come back to campus.   3.  Have the right tools  Download Zoom Learn to use the online SU library system Make sure your computer software is up to date Stay in contact with other students in the class Communicate with your professors often via chat, text, email, smoke signals, or in person at an off-campus location  4.  Communicate with your professors often  -...

What are you the tiny master of?  The New York Times (You have access to this!) These are personal essays from college students published in the NYTimes.  1. Read some short essays and think about how and why they "work".  2. Find some idea about the state of women that resonances with you. 3. Puke on the page and look for a moment that you would like to expand on. Here are the pitfalls to look out for in the personal essay.  Make a list of at least 10 things that you're interested in, preoccupied with, or obsessed with. You can include anything on this list, no matter how big or small. You can be silly or serious, ridiculous or sublime. Anything goes. (Feel free to share your list below if you'd like.) Make a list of at least 10 things that you know. What do you know? Don’t overthink this. You know more than you think you do. You know how to do things. You know what you believe. You know what memories you have. You know things about other p...

First Link-Souders Creative Writing Contest  runs through Monday, March 2, 2020. Write to win $250! Participate in the English Department's annual Link-Souders Creative Writing Contest by submitting your poetry and short fiction to  avalon@su.edu . You may submit up to 5 poems and short fiction up to 5,000 words. Participants must be undergrads enrolled in 12 credit hours for fall and spring 2019-2020 and submissions must be unpublished. If you do not wish to participate in the contest you may still submit to Avalon by indicating "Avalon only" in your email. For more information, please contact Christin Taylor at  ctaylor4@su.edu .  For every girl who is tired of acting weak when she is strong, there is a boy tired of appearing strong when he feels vulnerable.  For every boy who is burdened with the constant expectation of knowing everything, there is a girl tired of people not trusting her intelligence.  For every boy for whom competition is the only...