Harvard Extension School Expo E-25; Section 6 (7:30PM-9:30PM) Instructor: Julie Anne McNary 1. Please check your Elluminate Audio Wizard; 2. We will begin at 7:30PM.

Harvard University Extension School Spring Semester 2012 Expository Writing E25: Introduction to Academic Writing and Critical Reading Analyzing the Short Story

Section 6; Monday evenings, 7:30PM-9:30PM Online WebConference Via Elluminate Software

Your Instructor: Julie Anne McNary B.A., Wellesley College, 1994 English Literature M.Ed., Harvard Graduate School of Education, 1995 Language and Literacy MA/M.F.A, University of Utah, 1998 British & American Literature and Creative Writing Cell Phone: (617) – no calls after 10PM – Voic during business hours

Overview  First Grammar Quiz – Comma Usage  Some basic quick tips for all papers  General Overview of Essay #1  Class Discussion and in-class writing exercise: The Girl on the Plane  Essay #1 – First Draft

First Grammar Quiz – 15 minutes Please surf to the link below and follow the prompts. Please surf to the link below and follow the prompts. Please come back to the class ready to report, openly and honestly, your score. This is an open forum, so please don’t feel the need to fudge – we will be conducting several of these “honor system” quizzes online before I start giving “real” ones, so it will help to know where you’all stand. Please come back to the class ready to report, openly and honestly, your score. This is an open forum, so please don’t feel the need to fudge – we will be conducting several of these “honor system” quizzes online before I start giving “real” ones, so it will help to know where you’all stand. Comma Usage Quiz Link: Comma Usage Quiz Link:

The Stories for Essay #1  A & P  Teenage Wasteland  How to Talk to a Hunter  Sonny’s Blues  Roman Fever  Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?  The Jilting of Granny Weatherall  The Saboteur  The Yellow Wallpaper  The Girl on the Plane  ***Via iSite  How Far She Went***  By Mary Hood – you must find your own copy, but great story.  The Lottery  The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas  Miss Brill  Cathedral  Rich Brother  The Storm  To Build A Fire  The Greasy Lake  A Pair of Tickets  Lost in the Funhouse  The Things They Carried  Winter Dreams  Until Gwen  Via iSite  Stupid Girl  ***Via iSite

Class Overview of Essay #1 Choices When I call your name, please share (VERY BRIEFLY) with the class the story you choice, and why. When I call your name, please share (VERY BRIEFLY) with the class the story you choice, and why. Then, be prepared to put the following information into the chatbox: Then, be prepared to put the following information into the chatbox: –The title of the story you chose –In ONE sentence: at least one reason why you chose it.

Resources for Paper #1 Elements of an Academic Essay, Gordon Harvey Elements of an Academic Essay, Gordon Harvey Close Reading Close Reading Essay One – Structure Essay One – Structure Common Problems when Quoting Common Problems when Quoting Proof Reading Guide Proof Reading Guide All of the above are will be in your course documents file on our web site.

Some quick basic tips A strong opening line that includes the title of the story, reference to the writer thereof; A strong opening line that includes the title of the story, reference to the writer thereof; An opening paragraph that very briefly summarizes the action of the story, and states your claim; An opening paragraph that very briefly summarizes the action of the story, and states your claim; When possible, always use active versus passive construction When possible, always use active versus passive construction Be careful of switching tenses Be careful of switching tenses Be conscious of the logical connections you want to make and how they relate to each other. Be conscious of the logical connections you want to make and how they relate to each other. Be conscious of your paragraph structure Be conscious of your paragraph structure

Strong Paragraph Structure Clear, direct topic sentence that states some sort of claim; Clear, direct topic sentence that states some sort of claim; Evidence and examples from the text that respond to and/or support that claim; Evidence and examples from the text that respond to and/or support that claim; Transitions between examples, and coherent explication if you are addressing a complex topic with several points of connection; Transitions between examples, and coherent explication if you are addressing a complex topic with several points of connection; Three-five sentences of closing analysis in which you comment upon the evidence above. Remember, this is where you get to share your opinion about why this is important. Three-five sentences of closing analysis in which you comment upon the evidence above. Remember, this is where you get to share your opinion about why this is important. A sentence that both provides closure and helps transition into the next paragraph. A sentence that both provides closure and helps transition into the next paragraph.

Class discussion The Girl on the Plane, Mary Gaitskill

In Class Exercise – 20 minutes For the next twenty minutes, please think about the following question, and try to construct a strong opening paragraph that responds thereto: For the next twenty minutes, please think about the following question, and try to construct a strong opening paragraph that responds thereto: If you were forced to write a character analysis in which you argue that John is, in some ways, a sympathetic character, how would you go about doing so? If you were forced to write a character analysis in which you argue that John is, in some ways, a sympathetic character, how would you go about doing so?

Exercise 1.3 – Intro, Thesis and Outline Building off of Exercise 1.2, please write your introductory paragraph: Building off of Exercise 1.2, please write your introductory paragraph: –Strong opening sentence: “In her/his short story (title), Author (strong verb) claim. –Followed by a very brief summary of your story –And a thesis statement in which you aggressively expand upon your opening claim sentence, and outline how you plan to defend it. Then, using whatever outline form you prefer, construct specific, focused, body paragraph outlines for each of your main points, i.e. Then, using whatever outline form you prefer, construct specific, focused, body paragraph outlines for each of your main points, i.e. –topic sentence, evidence, analysis for each. And finally, construct a brief description of how you intend to conclude – alluding to the bigger picture, please! And finally, construct a brief description of how you intend to conclude – alluding to the bigger picture, please!