Graffiti reads "START" on the side of a walkway above a canal
“Start” by Gareth Sloan via Flickr CC BY-SA 2.0

Course Overview & Annotating Texts

For Monday:

Texts: 

  • No reading to do in advance: it’s the first day of class!

Writing:

  • Write a paragraph discussing your academic interests, why you chose your major, what you enjoy reading, listening to, watching, and doing in your spare time, or anything else you want to share (include your pronouns if you wish).
  • Write a short paragraph about yourself as a reader and writer. What kinds of readings and writings are you drawn to? What type do you avoid and dislike? Why do you think you lean towards certain types of texts and away from others?
  • Post both paragraphs as a comment on our Discussion: Introductions post.

For Wednesday:

Texts to read before class:

Write during class:

  • Write a short paragraph responding to the Bunn essay: identify one specific moment you found useful and you want to try out as a reader. Quote or paraphrase this moment, and explain why this idea appeals to you.
    • Be sure to title the post correctly: Full Name, Discussion of “How to Read Like a Writer”
    • Save it under Discussions.
    • Hit “Publish”!

Looking forward…

Please read the following before class on Monday:

  • Read “The Memory of My Grandmother” (City Tech student essay) by Anita Jiang. The essay is in a larger journal–you only need to read Jiang’s essay!
  • Read “Chapter 7” from the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass.
  • For both texts, use the suggestions presented in “How to Read Like a Writer.”