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writ 1733: honors writing ✪ ✪ john tiedemann
t/r 12:00–1:50 ✪ ✪ john.tiedemann@du.edu
sturm 210 ✪ ✪ office hours: w 12-3; r 2-4
1733artact.blogspot.com ✪ (email to make an appt.)
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✪ the class CTIVISM
Since Socrates banished poets and painters from his ideal republic
twenty-five hundred years ago, the relationship between artistic
expression and political activism has remained a controversial one. In
this class, we’ll explore some of that history, employing a variety of
research methods to examine activist art from the French
Revolutionary period to the Harlem Renaissance to contemporary
work by street artist Banksy, musicians Rage Against the Machine,
graphic novelist Cristy Road, and local artist-activists.
✪ assignments
We’ll spend a good deal of time discussing the relationship between
art and activism together in class. But the bulk of our time will be spent
researching, composing, and revising four writing projects:
1. interpreting activist art: In this project, you’ll interpret the political
significance of a classic instance of activist art.
2. historicizing activist art: This project asks you to investigate the
historical significance of an activist art movement.
3. activist art ethnography: In this project, you’ll create a rich
description and interpretation of a local, public art object, event, or
performance.
4. reflecting as writers: This project asks you to consolidate your writing
and research skills by reflecting on what you’ve learned this term.
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✪ texts CTIVISM
The books listed below are available at the University Book Store:
• Inventing Human Rights: A History, by Lynn Hunt
• The Harlem Renaissance: A Brief History with Documents, by Jeffrey
Brown Ferguson
• Indestructible, by Cristy Road.
• Waste Land, by Lucy Walker (a film, available on DU CourseMedia).
I’ll supplement these readings and viewings l with materials that I’ll post
to Blackboard or our blog: 1733artact.blogspot.com.
Your own texts are a vital part of our class, so please bring your laptop
to every class meeting.
✪ goals
Honors Writing is designed for students who will benefit from a
particularly rigorous and in-depth experience with language. Students
read serious and challenging texts and write at least 25 pages of
polished prose, with additional, less formal writings. The course offers
advanced instruction in rhetorical theory and practice, as well as
writing in multiple research traditions in the academy.
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✪ format CTIVISM
• class-time
Thinking and composing well take practice, practice, and more
practice. So, as a general rule, we’ll spend the half of our time
discussing readings and viewings and the half composing works of our
own. The composing may involve responding to a prompt, completing
an exercise, drafting or revising, or helping each other to brainstorm or
revise in small groups. You can also expect to spend an hour or so
each day working at home, and more than that when you’re working
on a graded project. Finally, because a quality composition results
from many revisions, you will revise each of your projects severally, with
guidance from me and your classmates.
• conferences
I’m available for conferences in the dining area in Nagel Hall between
12 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Wednesdays and between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
on Thursdays. It’s to your advantage to make an appointment to talk
with me about your work; serious students are serious about seeking
out guidance. To make an appointment, please send me an email
letting me know when you’re free during office hours, and I’ll schedule
a time for us to meet.
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✪ policies CTIVISM
• engagement
I expect you all to be active, engaged learners and thoughtful, helpful
collaborators, committed to the material, your projects, and your
peers. Your level of engagement is made manifest in a number of
ways, including participation in classroom discussion, online
discussions, and in conferences, as well as in peer review feedback,
group work, and your efforts to improve not only your own learning
experience but the learning experience of the entire class. I will assess
your engagement as follows:
• “Superior” engagement means that the student is always
prepared, often adding additional insights to a class or online
discussion and providing extensive feedback to writing. S/he
demonstrates active learning via consistently perceptive and
energetic engagement with the material, his or her peers, and me.
• “Average” engagement means that the student seems prepared,
although he or she sometimes needs to be prompted to
participate. Generally, his or her participation in discussion, online
comments, and feedback on writing seem to encourage and
support others in the class. The student’s presence is productive.
• “Weak” engagement means that the student comes to class but
does not seem to be prepared. His or her participation is listless,
lackluster, or only intermittent.
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✪ policies CTIVISM
• absences
Because interaction with others is a vital part of learning, I expect you
to attend every class meeting, scheduled conference, and online
activity. You are allowed two absences without penalty; for each
absence after the second one, your final grade will drop by one third
of a letter (e.g., from an A to an A–, from an A– to a B+, etc.) Should
you miss four class meetings, I will suggest that you consider dropping
the course and re-enrolling in a quarter during which you can devote
the necessary effort. If I determine that excessive absences have
prevented you from meeting the goals of the course, you may fail. If
you miss a class, you are personally responsible for learning about any
missed material or assignments, either from classmates or our blog. I
make no distinction between excused and unexcused absences, so
save your absences for illness or emergency.
• late work
Assignments are due when they are due. I will accept late work only if
you have cleared the lateness with me in advance, and then only
under the most extenuating circumstances. An assignment that is
turned in late without advance clearance will be graded down a third
of letter (e.g., from an A to an A–, from an A– to a B+) for each day it’s
late.
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✪ policies CTIVISM
• plagiarism
The Writing Program follows the Council of Writing Program
Administrators policy “Defining and Avoiding Plagiarism,” which states,
“In an instructional setting, plagiarism occurs when a writer
deliberately uses someone else’s language, ideas, or other original
(not common-knowledge) material without acknowledging its source”
(http://wpacouncil.org/node/9). DU’s Honor Code also maintains that
all members of the University must responsibly use the work of others.
Students who have plagiarized a project will receive an F on that
project, and the instructor will inform the Director of Writing and the
Office of Community and Citizenship Standards, which may take
further action. Any documented acts of plagiarism after the first may
be subject to more severe actions.
• accommodations for students with disabilities
The Writing Program will provide reasonable accommodations to
every student who has a disability that has been documented by The
University of Denver Disability Services Program
(www.du.edu/disability/dsp or 303.871.2455).
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• civility and tolerance
The Writing Program affirms DU’s Code of Student Conduct
(http://www.du.edu/ccs/code.html), which in part “expects students
to recognize the strength of personal differences while respecting
institutional values.” Because writing courses rely heavily on
interactions between all members of the class, students and faculty
must act in a manner respectful of different positions and perspectives.
A student who behaves in an uncivil or intolerant manner will be asked
to stop and/or formally reprimanded and/or subject to action by the
Office of Citizenship and Community Standards.
Becoming educated requires encountering new ideas and
information, some of which may conflict with an individual’s existing
knowledge or perspectives. I expect students to engage such
materials thoughtfully, in ways that reflect the values and mission of
the University of Denver.
Finally, I expect you to respect the classroom environment. In class, all
cell phones and electronic devices shall be turned off; students shall
not from use email, instant messages, Facebook, etc.; and engaging
in other activities (reading non-course materials, conducting private
conversations and so on) that disrespect the classroom environment
and learning conditions for others is strictly prohibited. A student who
fails to show such respect will receive a lowered grade and may fail
the course.
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✪ grades CTIVISM
For each of your compositions, you will receive a provisional grade on
the draft preceding the final draft, along with suggestions for revision
from me. That provisional grade will rise, fall, or stay the same
depending upon how effectively you revise as you complete your final
draft. All final drafts of all essays is due to me via Google Docs by noon
on Thursday, June 7.
.
assignment relevant dates % of final grade
project 1 First draft: 4/10; revised draft: 4/12; 25%
final draft: 6/7
project 2 First draft: 4/26; revised draft: 5/1; 25%
final draft: 6/7
project 3 First draft: 5/22; revised draft: 5/24; 25%
final draft: 6/7
project 4 First draft: 5/29; final draft: 6/7 15%
engagement — 10%
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✪ course calendar CTIVISM
T March 27 Introduction
R March 29 Lynn Hunt, Inventing Human Rights, Introduction and ch. 1
T April 3 Lynn Hunt, Inventing Human Rights, chapters 2 and 3
R April 5 Lynn Hunt, Inventing Human Rights, chapters 4 and 5
T April 10 Project 1 workshop
R April 12 Introduction to the Harlem Renaissance
• Revised draft of Project 1 due on Google Docs
T April 17 Ferguson, from Harlem Renaissance
R April 19 Ferguson, from Harlem Renaissance
T April 24 Ferguson, from Harlem Renaissance
R April 26 Project 2 workshop
T May 1 Introduction to contemporary activist art
• Revised draft of Project 2 due on Google Docs
R May 3 Cristy Road, Indestructible
T May 8 Cristy Road, Indestructible
R May 10 Lucy Walker, Waste Land (on DU CourseMedia)
T May 15 Lucy Walker, Waste Land (on DU CourseMedia)
R May 17 Class cancelled for Friday’s Honors Celebration.
F May 18 Honors Celebration, 11:00–3:00, Craig Hall.
T May 22 Project 3 workshop
R May 24 Introducing Project 4
• Revised draft of Project 3 due on Google Docs
T May 29 Project 4 workshop
R May 31 Revisions
Final drafts of all projects due on Google Docs by noon, Thurs., June 7.
