To Do Before Class:

READ (and comment): Read at least two of your colleagues’ Unit 3 proposals, and comment on them. Comments should be at least 150 words. Please do not simply say “sounds great!” because that is not helpful! Think about the kind of things that might be helpful to you as you embark on this project. Here are some ideas:

  • A specific publication or website you think the author could write for
  • A question or comment to help narrow down the audience: “You say you want young people to watch this video essay, but there’s no publication that all young people watch. Are you actually trying to reach New Yorkers?”
  • A question or comment to help narrow down the genre: “There are a lot of different kinds of articles in the world. You could be writing for a newspaper like the New York Times or a website like Buzzfeed, and the writing is totally different for both. Can you be more specific?”
  • You can also just talk about things in the proposal you find especially cool or exciting.

SKIM/PREVIEW: “Pee on Water,” Rachel Glaser

EXTRA CREDIT: Pick a section from “Pee on Water.” What did you learn about what life was like at that moment in time? Your response should be at least one paragraph of 250 words.

Class Topic:

Reading New Genres: Life-Writing

In-Class Activities:

“Pee on Water,” Rachel Glaser

“What Is Life-Writing?” The Oxford Centre for Life-Writing

To Do After Class:

WRITE: Write a plan for Unit 3 – New Genre piece.  What are your goals for working/ thinking/ brainstorming/ gathering material? Students write a schedule for the deadlines for the components of their project. 

SKIM/PREVIEW: “Inventory,” Carmen Maria Machado

EXTRA CREDIT: “Inventory” tells the story of a life through a list of encounters, with major events transpiring in the background. Write a list (with short descriptions) that tells a story about your life: a list of people, a collection of stickers from special events, souvenirs from places you’ve traveled, descriptions of meals you’ve eaten during special times of your life, etc.; these are just examples, and there are many more ways you can use a list of mini short stories (using “Inventory” as an example) to explore ways of narrating your life.