Required book for class:

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, by Stephen King. You can purchase this book Online for approximately $10. It is also available in pdf format.

One Style Guide is required for class. Here are your two choices:

  1. The Little Seagull Handbook, by Bullock, Brody, and Weinberg. (Here is a link to one Online seller. Here is another. Estimated price $15 -$30.)
  2.  Rules of Thumb, by Jay Silverman. (A link to Amazon here. The campus bookstore should also have copies. Estimated price $50  -$75.)

And, of course, you should be familiar with the Purdue OWL Website — a comprehensive source for both exercises and rules of grammar and style.

Other Materials and Supplies:

1.) Get at least one of the single-section spiral notebooks that has a folder. They are available from the Campus Bookstore, as you can see here.

2.) Get a smaller, more portable notebook for yourself — one that you can take on the train, use in public while you’re at a coffee shop or waiting in line. Not too small. The Bookstore doesn’t carry very good ones yet, but they may order some soon. You’re on your own to get one in the meantime.

Here are examples of some of mine to show scale:

3.) You will need pens and pencils.

4.) Highlighting pens in four colors (these will be useful later in the semester)

5. ) You are responsible to bring to class any photocopied readings that the Instructor distributes.

6.) You will need a validated Library Card. The Instructor will send you to the Library to check out materials — be ready!

7. ) You need access to a computer and a printer. Sorry, though printing can be problematic on campus, you must print your formal, typed papers when they are assigned. Please familiarize yourself with the various labs (6th Floor, Namm) and centers (Atrium Building, Ground Floor) and other sites (The Library) where you can print! The Instructor does not, as a rule, accept GoogleDocs or electronic files in lieu of paper.

8. ) Paper. We are sorry to say it, but your Instructor does not like double-sided printing. : )

9.) Subscriptions to various Online publications, as requested by Instructor. Please start by becoming subscribers to The New York Times. Follow the “instructions” below for free access as a CUNY student with your ID.

INSTRUCTIONS: The New York Times online edition is now available to all CUNY students, faculty and staff!
Get Started:

Go to nytimes.com/passes.

1. Click on “Register” to create a NYTimes.com account using your school email address.

2. At the bottom of the Welcome page, click “Continue.”

3. If your email address is from an eligible school, you will then see “Check your email.” Look for our message, Confirm Your Email Address, which should arrive within 15 minutes.

4. Click on the link in our confirmation email. This will simultaneously verify your eligibility and grant your Academic Pass, which will provide access to NYTimes.com for your campus designated period.

5. If you don’t get our confirmation email, check your spam filter. If you still do not receive it, send an email from your school email account to edu@nytimes.com

10.) Have a Dictionary or Thesaurus to bring to classes — or a good Dictionary app (here is just one site to get you shopping for what’s best for you) on your phone, so that we can easily look up words. You will also need to have access to an Online etymological dictionary, like this one, so bookmark it in case your app does not provide etymology: http://www.etymonline.com/

11.) Download the Shazam app on your phone: https://www.shazam.com/

THIS MATERIALS list may change. Check back from time to time.