First class, some inspiration for you: Martin Wilner is an artist who works on the subway. He records the things he hears around him — conversations of fellow passengers, sounds — and he even notes, along the bottom of his notebook pages (which combine image and text) the exact times of his subway rides, the train # or letter, and the stops announced by the conductor. He calls his project the “Journal of Evidence Weekly.”

(Here’s an image of that same page, further back.) Wilner also puts, onto the same page, the “inner dialogue” he hears in his head at the same time — stuff he’s thinking to himself, or feeling.

Your Assignment. Make 5 entries of Inner and Outer Dialogues. Please note the time-range/date/and location of each one to keep them clear to yourself. You can work on the subway, in a Starbucks, in the Cafeteria, on a street corner, in any public place, really. You don’t have to draw or make pictures. You do, however, have to take out your “small journals” for this assignment, and, working unobtrusively like Wilner with only your pen, note down or otherwise record the dialogues and speaking you hear around you. At the same time, listen to yourself: how are you thinking/feeling? Note that down, too.

There is no specific length or time limit for each entry. Keep at it as long as you want or need to get good material. It can be anything. So don’t censor yourself.

Bring the results of the first 2 you do to class on Friday, Feb. 5. By Tuesday, Feb. 9, all 5 should be completed. Grading: these will not be given a letter grade, but will be checked and will go in your Journal. Your Journal will constitute 15% of your overall grade (Class Participation). Aspects of this exercise will be incorporated into future, letter-graded assignments.