Literary Composition L2 Students PDF
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Université Alassane Ouattara
Dr Adama SORO
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This document is a course presentation for Literary Composition for L2 students at Alassane Ouattara University. The course teaches strategies for reading and writing about literature, including literary analysis, interpretation, and critical thinking skills. It covers elements of literature, such as plotting, characters, theme, setting, and how to write about them.
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LITERARY COMPOSITION Instructor: Dr Adama SORO Phone : 0102 638 217/ 0707 741 651 E-mail: [email protected] Alassane Ouattara University LICENCE 2 COURSE PRESENTATION This course...
LITERARY COMPOSITION Instructor: Dr Adama SORO Phone : 0102 638 217/ 0707 741 651 E-mail: [email protected] Alassane Ouattara University LICENCE 2 COURSE PRESENTATION This course introduces students to strategies for reading and writing about literature. The emphasis will be placed on how to read literature insightfully and how to write competently. Writing About Literature is intended to guide students to develop strategies for literary analysis and to apply frameworks for interpretation; as well as to decode essay questions and to plan, research, draft and revise critical essays. Where possible, Literary Composition will make linkages with the introductory novel, poetry and drama courses, so as to encourage students to master and apply primary essay writing skills. This course is strongly recommended for students in English. The purpose of the course is to assist students in developing sound analytical writing skills that will enable them to critically assess prose, poetry and drama, and produce related essays that are well-researched and documented. The aim of this course is to build students’ analytical and critical thinking skills in the analysis of literature emphasizing on the basic elements of literature (Plot, characters, theme, setting, point of view). At the end of the course, students should be able to: explore the purpose of literature and of literary criticism; write about the elements of fiction; apply a range of critical approaches to the analysis of literature; apply tools of critical reading to evaluate the quality of a literary work; Conduct research on literary assignments; interpret and plan a literary essay. 1 I. What is Literary Composition ? Literary composition refers to the process of creating written works, particularly those that involve artistic or creative expression, such as stories, poems, essays, and plays. It encompasses the construction and structuring of a piece of writing, often with an emphasis on style, narrative, and emotional or intellectual impact. In a broader sense, literary composition includes: Writing and structuring: The act of organizing thoughts, ideas, and narratives into a coherent, logical, and engaging form. It involves the careful selection of words, sentences, paragraphs, and themes. Creative expression: Literary composition often includes imagination, creativity, and originality. This can be seen in fiction, poetry, and drama where authors invent characters, settings, and plots. Form and style: It incorporates different genres and styles, such as descriptive writing, persuasive essays, reflective narratives, or dramatic monologues. The style chosen can significantly affect the tone and impact of the composition. Techniques: Literary composition often uses literary devices such as metaphor, simile, imagery, symbolism, and alliteration to enhance the richness and depth of the writing. The purpose of literary composition is multifaceted and can vary depending on the genre, context, and intent of the writer. Literary composition can can aim to entertain, inform, persuade, or provoke thought. It requires skill in both creativity and technique, whether the writing is for a personal, academic, or professional audience. However, the core purposes include: 1. Expression of Ideas and Emotions Literary composition allows the writer to express personal thoughts, feelings, and experiences. This can range from deeply emotional reflections to abstract concepts or philosophical musings. Through creative language, writers give voice to inner experiences, helping readers understand or connect with them. 2. Entertainment Many works of literary composition, especially in genres like fiction, drama, and poetry, are created to entertain. These compositions engage readers by telling 2 captivating stories, creating suspense, and offering escapism through imaginative worlds and characters. 3. Education and Communication Literary works often serve an educational purpose, whether they are written as textbooks, essays, or articles. In this case, the composition is designed to inform, clarify, or explain concepts, events, or perspectives. Nonfiction compositions, such as essays and reports, are essential for conveying knowledge. 4. Persuasion Literary composition is often used to influence the attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors of readers. This can be seen in persuasive essays, speeches, or political writings, where the writer argues for a particular point of view, using logic, emotion, or ethical appeals to sway the audience. 5. Cultural and Social Commentary Through literature, writers can explore societal issues, challenge norms, or reflect on cultural values. Literary works, especially in genres like satire and allegory, provide commentary on social, political, or ethical concerns, prompting readers to think critically about the world around them. 6. Preservation of History and Culture Literature can preserve important aspects of history, culture, and tradition. Through storytelling, historical fiction, or memoirs, writers document key events, customs, and values, ensuring that future generations understand their heritage. 7. Artistic Creation and Aesthetic Pleasure Literary composition is also an art form, where the writer uses language in a creative and often innovative way. The beauty of the language, the rhythm of the writing, and the use of literary devices (like symbolism, metaphor, or alliteration) can elevate a composition to a level of aesthetic enjoyment, where the focus is on the experience of the writing itself. 3 8. Self-Reflection and Personal Growth For many writers, literary composition serves as a form of self-reflection. Writing allows individuals to work through personal challenges, develop a deeper understanding of themselves, and gain clarity on complex emotions or life experiences. In short, literary composition serves to entertain, inform, express, challenge, and connect. It is an essential tool for human communication and cultural development, providing both a mirror to society and a window into the human experience. II. Writing about Literature In literary composition, the process of creating written works involves a variety of activities that contribute to crafting well-structured, meaningful, and engaging pieces of writing. These activities may vary depending on the type of composition (e.g., fiction, poetry, essay), but the following are common activities involved in literary composition: There are many ways to write about literature, many ways of reading, interpreting, and appreciating literature. Assignments in literature can range from close reading of passages to very broad discussion of its themes and ideas. The following are some of the ways instructors may ask you to approach and understand literature: 1. Writing about Ideas or themes, or detailed discussion and evaluation of the author's ideas 2. Writing about Plot, or an examination of plot elements and why the author has so arranged them 3. Writing about Characters, for example, discussing characters' motivations or how they externalize themes and ideas 4. Writing about Point-of-view, or who tells the story and how this affects the telling 5. Writing about setting, that is, how a piece reflects the beliefs and values of the time and place that produced it, or how history can shed light on a work for modern readers 6. Writing About a Short Story or a Novel 7. Writing about Poetry 4 8. Writing about Drama 9. Comparing and contrasting to demonstrate similarity, difference, or superiority The different ways of examining literature frequently overlap; for example, characters or authors' styles can be compared or contrasted, a passage analysis might focus on ideas, or an author's imagery can be found to contribute to the tone of a composition. Bearing in mind this overlap, the following are suggestions for ways to organize papers that are commonly assigned in literature classes. Adapt these suggestions as needed to suit your particular situation. 1. Writing about Ideas or Themes Ask yourself what the theme is, what elements support it, and what elements create it. Check the comments of the characters and the narrator to see whether they state the themes directly. If they don’t, assess the interaction of characters, events, settings, symbols, and other elements to determine them. A paper on theme is basically an argument, first presenting our interpretation and then supporting it with textual evidence. In general, organize a paper about theme or ideas as follows: In your introduction name the theme/idea you intend to discuss. In the body, show the ways in which the writer brought out the theme/ idea in his work. How forcefully is the idea presented? Use illustrations from the text that are clearly relevant and reinforce your point. In your conclusion, evaluate the theme/ idea and its relevance and function in the work. How convincing is it in the story? After you examine the various aspects of a selection, think about the theme, using questions such as the following as a guide. Does the selection contain one theme or multiple themes? How would you paraphrase each theme? Is each theme simple or complex? Explain. What implications for human life does each theme carry? What, if anything, does It ask of human beings? Of society? 5 Is the theme optimistic, pessimistic, or something in between? Do you agree with the writer's message? Why, or why not? Considering the Assignment Most essay questions and writing assignments ask you to analyze one specific theme, usually the most prominent idea in the work. These assignments generally focus on the way that theme is developed. The questions given as guides for thinking about theme also are possible theme assignments, either singly or combination. 2. Writing about Plot Typically, the plot of every literary work consists of Exposition, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action and Dénouement. Exposition Exposition is the very first phase of the plot. Every single literary work starts with the introduction of a number of characters. Rising Action Rising action is the consequence of exposition. It is a series of events, animosity, conflicts, and adversary. It is additionally labeled as complication. Climax Climax is the most essential stage of a plot. It is actually the heightened peak of Rising Action. Falling Action The culmination of the Climax is the onset of Falling Action in the plot. In a plot, each time the action gets reversed and the main character undergoes a significant change, then it is the Falling Action of a plot. Dénouement Dénouement is also called Resolution. It is the final stage of plot. It brings an end to the plot and thereby settles the long lasting conflict. Conflict: The struggle between opposing forces in the story. Conflict provides interest and suspense. There are various types of conflict, which can usually be categorized as one of the following: (a) a character struggling against nature (b) a struggle between two or more characters (c) a struggle between the main character and some aspect of society 6 (d) a struggle of opposing forces within one character In general, to write about a plot: Don’t merely repeat what happens in the story. Instead, help your reader understand what’s special about the plot and how it functions. Does it build suspense, mirror a character’s confusion, shape a conflict, show how different lives can intersect, or help reveal a theme? Ask yourself why the writer chose that sequence. Does it build, create, or resolve suspense? If there’s something unique about the plot—perhaps a surprise event that works well—describe it and tell how it functions in the story. Present a thesis and then support it with examples taken from the text. Considering the Assignment An essay question or writing assignment may ask you to discuss different types of conflict or to pinpoint stages in the conflict, such as rising action, climax, and falling action. A common assignment for longer works is to write about the purpose of subplot. The ways in which events are unexpected, or ironic, another common topic. How events shape character or reveal theme is yet another possibility 3. Writing about Characters Characterization is an essential element of a literary work. It is the craft of creating characters in a novel or drama. The author unveils the personality of the character through characterization. There are two different types of characterization: Direct Characterization and Indirect Characterization. In direct characterization, the author straightforwardly lets us know about the identity of the character. In indirect characterization, the author employs multiple techniques to bring out the personality of the character. He uses his behaviour, speech, action, and appearance to reveal the personality of the character. Every author needs to create a number of characters in his novel to help out him develop his story. These kinds are: Flat Characters and Round Characters. Flat 7 characters are those characters, who don’t change throughout the story, while round characters are those characters, who change throughout the story. Round characters are of immense importance in any sort of novel. They are the one, who advance the story ahead. There are several ways an author can reveal characters: By what the character himself says (or thinks) By what the character does By what other characters say about him or her By what the narrator says about him or her, speaking as the storyteller or as an observer of the action Questions to consider when thinking about characters include the following. Who are the main and minor characters? What qualities do they exhibit? Does the main character change during the story? If so, how? How do you learn about the characters? What does the writer seem to be saying about life or human nature? Considering the Assignment You may be asked to identify a character's qualities, attitudes, or motivation. You may be asked to explain what a character has learned or how a character has changed as a result of his or her experiences. You may be directed to compare and contrast characters or to discuss the way that characters interact with setting and plot to convey a theme, or message. For each story that you read, ask yourself these questions: What traits does each character have? How are they revealed? Does a character change during the story? If so, how? How does the writer want you to react to each person? Does the character remind you of someone you know? Understanding the character in a short story may help you to understand the people in your life. 8 4. Writing Point-of-view The point of view is the vantage point from which the writer of a literary work views its events. In first-person narration, someone in the work tells what happens and is identified by words like I, me, mine, and my. A third-person narrator stays completely out of the story and is never mentioned in any way. With limited omniscience, one enters the heads o several characters, while still others display full omniscience and know everything in the literary work, including all thoughts and feelings of all characters. Organize a point-of-view analysis as follows: In your introduction, describe the work, answering the following kinds of questions: Who is the speaker? What is the character and background of the speaker? What is his function in the story(protagonist, antagonist, supporting character)? What is his relationship to the person listening to him? Does he speak directly to the reader, or in such a way that the reader is a witness or eavesdropper? Does the speaker rely on others for information? Is he/she affected by the action? In the body, analyze the effect of the speaker on the situation and vice versa, pursuing any of the above questions that appear promising. What is produced by the perception, ideas, and language of the narrator? In the conclusion, evaluate the success of the point of view: Is it consistent? Effective? Truthful? Objective? Subjective? Does it succeed in making events and motivations more probable and believable? 5. Writing about Setting Any kind of writing that tells a story has a setting, a time and place of the action. This includes novels, short stories, and plays as well as some poems and nonfiction selections. The development of the setting varies among selections. A short story set in a place or time unfamiliar to most readers, for example, would probably 9 include more descriptive detail than a story set in a familiar time and place. The importance of setting also varies. In some stories setting is a major element; in others, a minor one. Setting may be presented directly through paragraphs or passages of description or indirectly through the observations of the characters or of the narrator or speaker. In either case, you should get a feel for the setting early in the story. Ask yourself: How does the writer establish the setting? A second question to keep in mind is: What is the time of the action? Some stories take place in an historically significant setting. Many science fiction stories are set in the future. The time of the setting also can be used symbolically. For example, spring is a time of rebirth, fall a prelude to winter and death. Likewise, morning is a time of awakening, while evening suggests the dying of the day and death in general. A third question to consider is: What is the place of the action? Place can include details such as furniture, clothing, weather, sounds and smells, and the kind of society in which the characters exist. For example, one character might live in a society that is warm and family-centered. Another might live in a suspicious, hostile environment. Once you discover the details of setting, you then can determine how the writer has used setting in developing the story. You might use questions such as these as a guide: Does the setting trigger events m the story? Does the setting change? Does this change signal a turning point in the action? Do the characters interact with the setting? If so, how does the setting affect them? What is the writer's message? How does the setting help to convey this message? Considering the Assignment An essay question or writing assignment about setting probably will ask you to describe a setting or to discuss the setting in relation to some other element in the selection. For instance, you may be asked to explain how setting reinforces the theme, or writer's message; develops a character; or builds a mood, or atmosphere. 10 Occasionally, you may be asked to compare and contrast the settings of two or more selections. 6. Writing About a Short Story or a Novel Any analysis of a short story or novel begin with an understanding of the basic elements of fiction. Once you are familiar with the basic elements of a Story or novel, you can examine other aspects of the work; for example, symbolism, style, and structure. The following questions can help you to apply your understanding of these terms in a selection. Who tells the story? How would the story be different if told from another point of View? Is there a recurring person, place, or object that might function as a symbol? How do the symbols relate to the writer's purpose? How would you describe the style: straightforward, flowery, rambling? How does the style suit the subject and theme? Can the story be divided into parts or sections? Is the Story arranged so that one part parallels or balances another? Considering the Assignment An essay question or writing assignment often will ask you to analyze one or more elements of a short story or novel or to relate elements to each other. Another kind of assignment may ask you to evaluate the work or to discuss some problem related to the development of a character, theme, or other element. An assignment may ask you to consider one part of a novel and to discuss the relationship between that part and the rest of the work or to analyze the role of a subplot or a minor character within the work as a whole. 7. Writing About Poetry Although poetry is difficult to define, certain characteristics are evident in poems. In general, poetry is economical in expression, tending to be more compact than prose. The poet chooses each word carefully, often using language that evokes images in the reader's mind. The physical shape and the sound of a poem are 11 important to communicating meaning. The first step in writing about a poem is to reread it several times. You might use an approach similar to the following. Read the poem aloud, forming a general impression and listing any unfamiliar words. Read the poem again, noting lines and phrases that you do not understand. Look up the definitions of the unfamiliar words. Study the poem line by line and phrase by phrase. Keep these questions in mind: What is the literal meaning? What are the underlying meanings? Ask yourself: Who “speaks” the poem? How does the speaker feel about the subject? How do you feel as you read the poem? Write one sentence that summarizes the literal meaning of the poem. Write one sentence that states the main idea, or theme, of the poem. Considering the Assignment A writing assignment or essay question may ask you to discuss one aspect of a poem, for example, the speaker, tone, rhythm and rhyme, or imaginative language. You may be asked to analyze the relation between one or more elements and the theme of the poem. You sometimes may be asked to react to a poet's message, offering your own point of views on the same subject. 8. Writing About Drama Drama is literature in play form, literature that develops plot and character through dialogue and action. Dramas, although they are read as scripts, are written primarily to be seen and heard. Drama has a great deal in common with narrative writing. Like the short story and the novel, drama includes the elements of setting, plot, character, and theme. What sets drama apart is the way that the elements are developed. Drama consists almost entirely of dialogue. However, a reader does get some information, usually about setting; and characters in the stage directions. These are the playwright’s instructions for how the set should look and how the actors should look, move, and read lines. They also may include suggestions for sound effects and lighting. 12 When thinking about a play, begin by examining the setting, characters, plot, theme, tone, mood, and language. Then focus on the following questions, which will help you to understand what makes drama unique. How is the play put together? How many acts does it have? Are the acts divided into scenes? What happens in each “unit” of the play Where is the turning point in the play? What Interesting events take place after it? Study the stage directions. What information do they give you? What would be especially entertaining about this play in performance? Considering the Assignment An essay question or writing assignment may ask you to write about setting, plot, character, theme, or mood. Assignments often involve writing about irony or about the symbols in a play, and sometimes involve writing about the characteristics of comedy or tragedy. With a longer play you may be asked to write about dramatic structure: to discuss what happens when or where the tension peaks. 9. Comparing and Contrasting You may compare (show similarity with) or contrast (show differences between) almost any of a great many elements within a work or between two works–characters, motivations, point of view, tone, or themes, for example. You may compare or contrast the works or characters of two different authors or of two by the same author. You might compare or contrast two authors' styles. Whatever you compare or contrast, your purpose is to demonstrate their similarities and/or differences, or the superiority of one over the other. 13 In general, organize a compare/contrast paper as follows: In your introduction, state what you are comparing or contrasting and formulate your claim about similarities, differences, or superiority. In the body, support your claim by reference to the works, citing examples as needed. In the conclusion, reiterate your main idea. Acknowledge the limitations of your treatment of these works. Point out the implications of your treatment, drawing conclusions, if possible, beyond (but still based upon) the points you have already made. III. LITERARY ESSAY WRITING 1. Definition of Essay Essay is derived from the French word essayer, which means “to attempt,” or “to try.” An essay is a short form of literary composition based on a single subject matter, and often gives the personal opinion of the author. A famous English essayist, Aldous Huxley defines essays as, “a literary device for saying almost everything about almost anything.” The Oxford Dictionary describes it as “a short piece of writing on a particular subject.” In simple words, we can define it as a scholarly work in writing that provides the author’s personal argument. 2. Types of Essay There are two forms of essay: literary and non-literary. Literary essays are of four types: Expository Essay – In an expository essay, the writer gives an explanation of an idea, theme, or issue to the audience by giving his personal opinions. This essay is presented through examples, definitions, comparisons, and contrast. Descriptive Essay – As it sounds, this type of essay gives a description about a particular topic, or describes the traits and characteristics of something or a person in detail. It allows artistic freedom, and creates images in the minds of readers through the use of the five senses. 14 Narrative Essay – Narrative essay is non-fiction, but describes a story with sensory descriptions. The writer not only tells a story, but also makes a point by giving reasons. Persuasive Essay – In this type of essay, the writer tries to convince his readers to adopt his position or point of view on an issue, after he provides them solid reasoning in this connection. It requires a lot of research to claim and defend an idea. It is also called an argumentative essay. Non-literary essays could also be of the same types but they could be written in any format. 3. Writing an Essay A literary essay is not merely a summary of a literary work. Instead, it is an argument about the work that expresses a writer’s personal perspective, interpretation, judgment, or critical evaluation of the work. This is accomplished by examining the literary devices, word choices, or writing structures the author uses within the work. The purpose of a literary essay is to demonstrate why the author used specific ideas, word choices, or writing structures to convey his or her message. No matter what type of essay you write, a large part of your body paragraphs will include literary devices—such as symbolism, metaphors, personification, foreshadowing, and others—as support. When you’re reading a novel, play, or poem, read with these devices in mind and make notes when you find them. This will help when you start putting ideas together for your essay because you can see how often each literary device is used, by which characters, and relating to which themes. It’s easier when you have a topic assigned to you, so you aren’t writing every detail down and can focus more closely on just one theme or issue. Here are some elements a writer may want to consider when brainstorming for a literary composition or analysis: 15 Writing an Introduction The hook introduces a broad topic/idea (such as “justice” or “loyalty”) that is related to your essay. The transition narrows the big idea by connecting it to the literary work you are discussing. Your thesis statement is the specific idea that you are discussing in the essay. The Hook The hook gets your reader’s attention by presenting a broad topic or question that relates to your essay. For example, an essay about the guilt of a character in a trial could start with the sentence, “In the American criminal justice system, a jury cannot prove a person guilty unless he or she has been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.” Introducing this idea prepares the reader to understand the details you will be presenting. Provocative questions, such as “Can someone commit murder and still be a good person?” can also introduce your topic and hook your reader. The Transition The transition connects the big idea you presented in the hook with the literary work you are discussing in your essay. Always give the name and author of literary works in this part of the introduction. The Thesis statement The introduction ends with your thesis statement. Your thesis statement must: Answer the essay question. Provide a preview of what the essay will discuss. This preview— which often takes the form of a list of the topics you will discuss in each body paragraph—acts as a roadmap so the reader knows where you are going. 16 Writing a Conclusion In terms of writing your essay, a conclusion adds the final touches. Briefly restate your thesis and your main supporting ideas. Don’t use the same words, of course. You’ve made a long journey—you want to add some insights you’ve gained along the way. Before you put the final word on your paper, make sure you tie up any loose ends. Your conclusion needs to give your essay a sense of wholeness or completeness. Example 1. Using a specific literary work, explain how a novel might influence change in society. 2. The theme of a literary piece is the central idea or message that it delivers. Cite a specific literary work and discuss the theme. 3. -A struggle between two or more opposing forces in a work is called conflict. Cite a piece of literature and explain the conflict embodied in the work. 4. -Personification is the technique wherein a non-human character is given human thoughts, feelings, and dialogue. Illustrate how this technique is used in your favorite novel or short story. 5. -The setting of a novel is where the action takes place. Explain how the setting complements the story in a novel you have read. 6. -Third person point of view is when the narrator has no part in the action. He or she is simply telling the story using the words he, she, or they. A story would be very different if it were told from the first person (using the pronoun I) point of view. Using a novel written in the third person, discuss how it would be a very different story if it were told in the first person. 7. -Using a work of literature, you have read, describe the hero or heroine and his or her characteristics. 17 8. -Conflict, in a work of literature, is the struggle between opposing characters or opposing forces. One type of conflict is character vs. character. Explain this type of conflict using a piece of literature that you have read. 9. -Another type of conflict is called character vs. nature. Using a piece of literature that you are familiar with, explainhow the author uses this type of conflict. 10. -A third type of conflict is called character vs. him/herself. This is also referred to as internal conflict, because the character must face self-inflicted fears and problems. Write about this type of conflict, using a piece of literature that you have read. 11. One of the most revealing types of conflict occurs when a character’s inner struggles are resolved at great personal price. Often, the character learns a lesson, but too late to help himself or another character. Explain how, in the work that you read, a character struggles but fails to learn a lesson in time, and thus, serves as an example for the reader. In your essay, focus on the conflict within the character. Be sure to include the price paid as part of the resolution and the lesson to be learned 12. Authors often use descriptive details to develop a setting for several purposes. In an essay, explain how the setting of your book related to events from the plot, related to characters, or built suspense. You may write one body paragraph about each aspect of setting, or you may chose to elaborate on one particular aspect (plot, character, suspense) in all three body paragraphs. 18 Bibliography Abbott, Porter H. The Cambridge Introduction to Narrative Second Edition. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2009 Booth, Alison and Kelly J. Mays, eds. The Norton Introduction to Literature. 10th ed. New York : Norton, 2010 Brooks, Cleanth, and Robert Penn Warren. "The Reading of Modern Poetry." In American Poetry and Prose, edited by Norman Foerster. 4th ed. Boston : Houghton Mifflin, 1957. De Man, Paul. Blindness and Insight : Essays in the Rhetoric of Contemporary Criticism. 2nd rev. Ed. Minneapolis : University of Minnesota Press, 1983. Genette, Gérard. Narrative Discourse. An Essay in Method. Transl. By Jane Lewin. Oxford : Blackwell 1980 Harmon, William. A Handbook to Literature (12th ed.), Boston : Longman, 2012 Holstein, James A. & Jaber F. Gubrium. Varieties of Narrative Analysis. Thousand Oaks, CA : Sage, 2012 Shklovsky, Viktor. Theory of Prose (Translated by Benjamin Sher). Normal, IL : Dalkey Archive Press, 1990 White, Hayden. The Fiction of Narrative : Essays on History, Literature, and Theory, 1957– 2007. Ed. Robert Doran. Baltimore : Johns Hopkins University Press, 2010 Contacting me: Email is by far the best way to contact me as I check it regularly and generally respond promptly. I also encourage you to talk with me during office hours (or by appointment) about ideas, drafts, questions, etc. Class Conduct: Disruptions are not acceptable. Cell phones, mp3 players, or other noise-making items must be turned to silent before class begins. Never answer calls, read or send text messages. This is a simple matter of respect. While you’re in class, you should focus on class. 19