A gentle reminder that on days when you have an assignment due, I still especially expect you to attend class.

You can read my policy on late paper submission on the syllabus.

My office hour is changing in an effort to better accommodate more students.

Thursdays, 10:30-11:30AM, in the Namm Cafeteria.

sept 18. Look for a reschedule date soon.

Thank you.

PAPER FORMATTING
INNER/OUTER DIALOGUES:
Your next assignment is a formal submission of those Inner/Outer Dialogues that you have been transcribing in your portable notebooks. You can decide which ones to include, as long as they meet our word count requirement. Most important: You’ll want your dialogues to be easily read. Hence, I suggest using a few words of location or setting–this can be very brief–using italics. As long as your format is consistent, the reader will understand and be able to hear the different “voices” (whether they are inner or outer). There are a number of ways you can do this. Most will make the dialogue you are transcribing look a little bit like a play. Here are some examples to get you started. (All were taken from actual dialogues read aloud in my class. These are snippets. Yours may be much longer.)
Dialogue Example:

Sept. 10. 1:00PM

While I am waiting for the train, I overhear a middle-aged woman talking to a teen-age boy.

“How do you spend all your money in the bank?”

[Boy doesn’t answer. He looks down at his phone and doesn’t want to make eye contact with her.]

The woman persists.

“Last time I gave you a thousand dollars to put in the bank, and I told you it’s for your tuition, but now you tell me you only have $100 in the bank. If the [ladies in the] college doesn’t tell me you paid with the card…were you going to tell me?!!…”

Gosh. This boy sure can spend money. He’s gonna be in trouble.

[Still, the boy doesn’t answer. Finally he starts…]

“Stop bothering me!,” he says.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Sept. 16, 2019. Number 5 Train. On my way home. The time is around 3:30PM.

People talking loudly. Having conversations. I board the train at Jay Street-Borough Hall and I notice that an entire football team is already in my train car, and they are huddling around their coach, who is sitting. They all wear street clothes. Their coach holds their jerseys and other gear in a bag. Most of the players seem to be teen-age/high-school age.

I overhear them talk about their plays and strategies. The coach was actually drawing up their plays on a dry erase board.

I start talking to a player sitting next to me about their game.

At 149^th Street the team exits the train.

I get off the train at E. 180th St.

…..

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

9:38AM. L Train. First Avenue, going towards Manhattan/Queens.
The train is crowded. An unidentified female speaks.
“Scoot in, these people are just trying to get to work. There’s like, hella space here.”
[No one moves. She goes on speaking to herself, more softly.]
“No one?”
[The crowd still doesn’t move.]
“Okay.”
….
++++++++++++++++++++

7AM. Church Avenue F and G train station. There are a bunch of upset people who act like they are late for work or school. A man in a suit keeps checking his watch and looking down the tunnel for the train coming.
Man in Suit: “Where the heck is the train?”
Woman In Red Nearby [while staring at me, writing]: “I have no idea what I’m going to do.”
There is a group of children running down to the other side of the platform. They are about 9 or 10 years old, on average.
I hope that the Woman in Red is not getting mad at me.
Now, there is a train arriving.The green reflection of the trains shows that it is a G Train. Everyone returns to their positions, upset.
Man in Suit: “Oh my god, where is this damned train?!” (He yells as if it will make the train come faster.)
Surprisingly, the train is now arriving. Man in Suit rushes to the exact spot where the door will open.
……
+++++
Note that this format leaves a lot of space, and does not use quotation marks, and basically looks like a transcribed play:

7 Train. 7:40PM. A man of around 19 is standing, holding the pole. He talks to another man who appears to be his friend.

First Guy: I broke up with my girlfriend. She flirted with other guys. Basically, cheating on me. I wasted six months with her, and this is what I got.

Second Guy: Damn, I feel bad for you. Wasn’t she your first girlfriend?

First Guy:

Second Guy:

etc etc

++++++
Example, with slightly different formatting. Inner dialogue has no quotation mark. The speakers are not identified, but they are always indicated by quotation marks:

7 Train. 7:40PM. A man of around 19 is standing, holding the pole. He talks to another man who appears to be his friend.

“Only wanted a girlfriend to just have.”

“You picked wrong.”

Gosh, these people are having a tough day. I wish I didn’t have to sit here.

“Why did you even go out with her?”

I wonder what he’s going to say now. Oh no.

“Man, you always choose the wrong girl.”
etc etc.
++++
Another example. An easy and sort of classic use of italics and quotes:

Midnight. Starbucks on Madison Avenue and 57th Street, Manhattan.

I wish I’d never left the house. No one is sitting near me, but there are a number of people at the other end of the room. Man, it’s pretty empty. I feel kind of self conscious, writing in the corner. I am drinking tea.

“Hi, could I get a macchiato?”

“Vente or grande?”

“Vente”

Why can I hear the people at the counter, even though I’m so far away? I wonder….
[Music. “Uptown Funk.” Again?!] “Julio, get the stretch!”

“Um, I asked for a vente and this is a grande. Can you please get my order right?”

Wow, this woman is picky. Why is she even ordering a coffee at midnight anyway; doesn’t she ever want to sleep? My herbal tea is getting cold.

“We show up when we show up – smoother than a fresh jar o skippy…”

“Here’s your change.”

“Um, okay.”
***************************END of DIALOGUE EXAMPLES************

To prepare for Sept 26, you have to take the short Orientation and Quiz on OpenLab (links are on the ASSIGNMENTS page on this website). Our Librarian’s name is Dr. Monica Berger. She will be meeting us outside the Library at 8:30AM. Don’t come to the classroom that morning! We will take roll outside the Library at 8:30AM.

Hi Class. Just a reminder that every Wednesday, from 11:45AM-12:45PM, you can find me around the Cafeteria. Talk. Ask questions. Get clarity. I’m there for you.

Hi. If you are reading this, you probably successfully registered on OpenLab. Great. Your Assignments are noted in the above Menu. Here is a direct link you may wish to bookmark:

https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/schmerlereng1101section305fall2019/spring-break-reading-assignment/

SYLLABUS-CUNY-1101-305-Schmerler-Fall-2019 v02

You can download your syllabus by clicking on the link, above.

Check under ASSIGNMENTS on the above menu to keep up with course work.