Ms Siegel's Academic Website

Academic Writing—Peer OR Self-Reviewing an Argumentative Essay Draft

2010-04-24T02:42:00.000-07:00

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Reviewer:

Writer:

What is the writer’s thesis statement? (If you cannot figure it out, ask the writer):

For each area that needs additions and/or reworking, mark your peer’s paper with the appropriate symbol, for example, “1b” if the writer needs to work on the five or six paragraph format.

1. Essay format and development of body paragraphs:
a. The paper needs to be expanded to meet the 500-700 word length (Mark with 1a).

b. The writer needs to work on developing the five or six paragraph format (1b).

c. The writer needs to develop one or more of the body paragraphs (1c).
2. Research sources and use of sources:
a. The writer has not used any outside research sources (Mark 2a and return the paper to the writer, who should see me immediately).

b. The writer needs to use more outside research sources (2b).

c. The writer needs to refer to the source within the text itself, for example, “According to Smith (2009)...” or “The author of ‘Child Development’ (2006) stated that...” (2c).

d. The writer needs to work on his or her reasoning skills, to develop inferences, and to arrive at his/her own opinions, supported by his/her research sources (2d).
3. Paraphrasing and quoting (based on the source brought to class by the writer):
a. The writer has plagiarized by cutting and pasting a significant amount of source material without using quotation marks. (Mark with 3a and return the paper to the writer, who then should see me immediately–not to be punished, but to be advised).

b. While the writer has made an attempt to paraphrase the source material, he or she still needs to work on the proper paraphrasing of research sources (3b).

c. The writer needs to use quotation marks around text that is more than three consecutive words from the original, unless it is a common English phrase. If you are not sure, ask the instructor (3c).
4. Counterarguments:
a. The writer needs to recognize one or more counterarguments (4a).

b. The writer needs to accommodate one or more counterarguments (4b).

c. The writer needs to refute one or more counterarguments (4c).
5. Introduction and conclusion:
a. The writer needs to develop an appropriate and interesting introduction, with the thesis at the end of the paragraph (5a).

b. The writer needs to develop an appropriate and interesting conclusion, which includes a restatement of the thesis, but in different words (5b).
6. Transition signals:
a. The writer needs to incorporate some appropriate transition signals from paragraph to paragraph and for comparing and contrasting ideas within paragraphs. (“In addition,” “however,” “thus,” “on the other hand,” etc.) (Mark areas with 6a). See the handout from Fall 2009 semester.
7. Overall writing quality (Choose ONE–and be honest, please):
a. Even for a draft, the overall writing quality is good; however, the writer should expect to do some minor editing and revision for the final paper (7a).

b. The quality of writing is what one would expect of a rough draft, but the writer should expect to do some significant editing and revision (7b).

c. The quality of writing is lower than one would expect, even for a draft, so the writer should expect to do some extensive editing and revision (7c).
8. APA documentation:
a. Missing internal citations. The writer needs to incorporate internal citations within the text to attribute all source material (Mark, within the text itself, all missing citations with 8a).

b. Incorrect internal citations. The writer needs to incorporate proper internal citations within the text to attribute properly all source material (Mark, within the text itself, all incorrect citations with 8b).

c. Missing References list. At the end of the essay, the writer needs to add a reference list, following the format as specified in the APA handout (Mark the end of the essay with 8c).

d. Missing Reference entries. The writer needs to add one or more reference entries in the reference list, following the format as specified in the APA handout (Mark, within the reference list itself, missing entries with 8d).

e. Incorrect References. The writer needs to develop a proper reference list, following the format as specified in the APA handout (Mark, within the reference list itself, all incorrect citations 8e).

f. Alphabetical order of References. The writer needs to re-order the list in alphabetical order, according to the author’s last name or (if the name of the author is unknown) according to the first word of the article’s title (Mark, after “References” title, 8f).
9. Reviewer’s narrative comments (about three or four sentences that focus on the most urgent areas that the writer needs to work on and/or correct–and be honest, please):

Academic Writing--The Persuasive Essay: Introductions and Conclusions (Marked Group Work)

2010-04-18T07:24:00.000-07:00

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Click on each image for a larger view:

Groups 1 and 5

Group 2

Group 4

The unreadable blue highlighted text in dialogue bubble JSS10:

Very good conclusion.

Your group is the only one that wove in the thesis statement very seamlessly.

It’s short and to the point, but very powerful.

___________________________________________

Source for exercise (includes the complete essay):

Cell [Mobile] Phone Use Should be Banned While Driving.

_________________________________________

Note: the original essay does NOT have good internal documentation, but, for this exercise, we were concerned only with developing solid introductions and conclusions.
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American Literature--The Story of Little Black Sambo (Helen Bannerman, 1889)

2010-04-10T11:05:00.000-07:00

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1899 cover, Illustrated by Helen Bannerman
(Note to the casual reader: this story and the accompanying graphic have been posted as part of a lesson on Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison. The webmaster is well-aware of the controversy surrounding this story, written by a white English lady in 1889, who had lived in India for 32 years. If you disagree with the webmaster's decision to post this story, you are entitled to your opinion. However, please do not email about why this piece should or should not be posted on an academic site. I will ignore all emails regarding this matter. Thank you.)

PREFACE
There is very little to say about the story of LITTLE BLACK SAMBO. Once upon a time there was an English lady in India, where black children abound and tigers are everyday affairs, who had two little girls. To amuse these little girls she used now and then to invent stories, for which, being extremely talented, she also drew and coloured the pictures.

Among these stories LITTLE BLACK SAMBO, which was made up on a long railway journey, was the favourite; and it has been put into a DUMPY BOOK, and the pictures copies as exactly as possible, in the hope that you will like it as much as the two little girls did.

The Story of Little Black Sambo.

Once upon a time there was a little black boy, and his name was Little Black Sambo.

And his mother was called Black Mumbo.

And his father was called Black Jumbo.

And Black Mumbo made him a beautiful little Red Coat, and a pair of beautiful little blue trousers.

And Black Jumbo went to the Bazaar, and bought him a beautiful Green Umbrella, and a lovely little Pair of Purple Shoes with Crimson Soles and Crimson Linings.

And then wasn't Little Black Sambo grand?

So he put on all his Fine Clothes, and went out for a walk in the Jungle. And by and by he met a Tiger. And the Tiger said to him, "Little Black Sambo, I'm going to eat you up!" And Little Black Sambo said, "Oh! Please Mr. Tiger, don't eat me up, and I'll give you my beautiful little Red Coat." So the Tiger said, "Very well, I won't eat you this time, but you must give me your beautiful little Red Coat." So the Tiger got poor Little Black Sambo's beautiful little Red Coat, and went away saying, "Now I'm the grandest Tiger in the Jungle."

And Little Black Sambo went on, and by and by he met another Tiger, and it said to him, "Little Black Sambo, I'm going to eat you up!" And Little Black Sambo said, "Oh! Please Mr. Tiger, don't eat me up, and I'll give you my beautiful little Blue Trousers." So the Tiger said, "Very well, I won't eat you this time, but you must give me your beautiful little Blue Trousers." So the Tiger got poor Little Black Sambo's beautiful little Blue Trousers, and went away saying, "Now I'm the grandest Tiger in the Jungle."

And Little Black Sambo went on, and by and by he met another Tiger, and it said to him, "Little Black Sambo, I'm going to eat you up!" And Little Black Sambo said, "Oh! Please Mr. Tiger, don't eat me up, and I'll give you my beautiful little Purple Shoes with Crimson Soles and Crimson Linings."

But the Tiger said, "What use would your shoes be to me? I've got four feet, and you've got only two; you haven't got enough shoes for me."

But Little Black Sambo said, "You could wear them on your ears."

"So I could," said the Tiger: "that's a very good idea. Give them to me, and I won't eat you this time."

So the Tiger got poor Little Black Sambo's beautiful little Purple Shoes with Crimson Soles and Crimson Linings, and went away saying, "Now I'm the grandest Tiger in the Jungle."

And by and by Little Black Sambo met another Tiger, and it said to him, "Little Black Sambo, I'm going to eat you up!"

And Little Black Sambo said, "Oh! Please Mr. Tiger, don't eat me up, and I'll give you my beautiful Green Umbrella." But the Tiger said, "How can I carry an umbrella, when I need all my paws for walking with?"

"You could tie a knot on your tail and carry it that way," said Little Black Sambo. "So I could," said the Tiger."

Give it to me, and I won't eat you this time." So he got poor Little Black Sambo's beautiful Green Umbrella, and went away saying, "Now I'm the grandest Tiger in the Jungle."

And poor Little Black Sambo went away crying, because the cruel Tigers had taken all his fine clothes.

Presently he heard a horrible noise that sounded like "Gr-r-r-r-rrrrrr," and it got louder and louder. "Oh! dear!" said Little Black Sambo, "there are all the Tigers coming back to eat me up! What shall I do?" So he ran quickly to a palm-tree, and peeped round it to see what the matter was.

And there he saw all the Tigers fighting, and disputing which of them was the grandest. And at last they all got so angry that they jumped up and took off all the fine clothes, and began to tear each other with their claws, and bite each other with their great big white teeth.

And they came, rolling and tumbling right to the foot of the very tree where Little Black Sambo was hiding, but he jumped quickly in behind the umbrella. And the Tigers all caught hold of each other's tails, as they wrangled and scrambled, and so they found themselves in a ring round the tree.

Then, when the Tigers were very wee and very far away, Little Black Sambo jumped up, and called out, "Oh! Tigers! why have you taken off all your nice clothes? Don't you want them any more?" But the Tigers only answered, "Gr-r-rrrr!"

Then Little Black Sambo said, "If you want them, say so, or I'll take them away." But the Tigers would not let go of each other's tails, and so they could only say "Gr-r-r-rrrrrr!"

So Little Black Sambo put on all his fine clothes again and walked off.

And the Tigers were very, very angry, but still they would not let go of each other's tails. And they were so angry, that they ran round the tree, trying to eat each other up, and they ran faster and faster, till they were whirling round so fast that you couldn't see their legs at all.

And they still ran faster and faster and faster, till they all just melted away, and there was nothing left but a great big pool of melted butter (or "ghi," as it is called in India) round the foot of the tree.

Now Black Jumbo was just coming home from his work, with a great big brass pot in his arms, and when he saw what was left of all the Tigers he said, "Oh! what lovely melted butter! I'll take that home to Black Mumbo for her to cook with."

So he put it all into the great big brass pot, and took it home to Black Mumbo to cook with.

When Black Mumbo saw the melted butter, wasn't she pleased! "Now," said she, "we'll all have pancakes for supper!"

So she got flour and eggs and milk and sugar and butter, and she made a huge big plate of most lovely pancakes. And she fried them in the melted butter which the Tigers had made, and they were just as yellow and brown as little Tigers.

And then they all sat down to supper. And Black Mumbo ate Twenty-seven pancakes, and Black Jumbo ate Fifty-five but Little Black Sambo ate a Hundred and Sixty-nine, because he was so hungry.
Controversial History of “Little Black Sambo”

“Little Black Sambo,” A Later Cover

Creative Writing--Prompt #7

2010-04-04T04:30:00.000-07:00

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Keep in mind that you are NOT required to use these prompts for your drafts. They are just brainstorming tools. However, you MAY use these prompts to develop your drafts. In short, it is up to you. You can also use them at another time during the semester, not just this week.

Option #1 (200-250 words):
Write a short memoir about a time that you said or did something embarrassing and/or nasty to someone, an action for which you later regretted. In your piece, note how the wronged person reacted, and develop a scene that includes some recreated dialogue between you and that person, which may or may not include an apology. If the event took place a long time ago, reflect on how your actions affected your subsequent relationship with that person. In order to protect the innocent person, you may change the name of the wronged person. If you submit such a piece, I will assume that this is private writing, unless you tell me otherwise.
Option #2 (200-250 words):
Write a short memoir about a time that someone else said or did something embarrassing and/or nasty to you. In your piece, note how you (1) WANTED to react to this person’s actions and (2) how you REALLY reacted. If this person apologized to you, discuss whether or not the apology was acceptable to you. In other words, did the apology seem sincere? In this mini-memoir, develop a scene that includes some recreated dialogue between you and that person. If the event took place a long time ago, reflect on what that person’s action means to you now and how that person’s action has affected your subsequent relationship. In order to protect the guilty person, you may change the name of the wrong-doing person. If you submit such a piece, I will assume that this is private writing, unless you tell me otherwise.
Option #3 (200-250 words):
Write a travel essay about an important journey (meaning “vacation” in American English or “holiday” in British English).

A special suggestion for 4th year students: compare and contrast your traditional 4th year trip to your metaphorical journey through your four years of university.

For Option #3
Here are some examples of travel writing: Traveler Tales

Some characteristics of good travel writing: Suite101

Creative Writing—Prompt #6

2010-03-14T12:13:00.000-07:00

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Keep in mind that you are NOT required to use these prompts for your drafts. They are just brainstorming tools. However, you MAY use these prompts to develop your drafts. In short, it is up to you. You can also use them at another time during the semester, not just this week.

Option #1 (200-250 words):
In the style of Ernest Hemingway’s Hills Like White Elephants write, from the 3rd person, objective point of view, a recreated dialogue between you and a real significant other. In a sense, I’m asking you to observe yourself interacting with another person but from a “dispassionate distance,” which means you won=t have access to your own thoughts; you will simply observe yourself as others observe you. In the objective point of view, the “narrator” is an invisible presence, very much like a journalist or video camera that does NOT offer “evaluations” of the characters or action, but simply “records” concrete details and dialogue. You may incorporate description of action and setting, but it must be rooted in the physical world, having to do with the five senses: sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell—in other words, nothing abstract or “evaluative” in the narrative sections.
Option #2 (200-250 words):
In the ironic and sarcastic style of Zoo York a New Yorker “casual,” write an essay about Skopje 2014 or any government project or policy with which you disagree.
Option #3 (200-250 words):
No matter what genre, a good writer often describes vivid physical details about the people, time, and place of an event. In this exercise, study the above photograph of the child at the fence, and describe the physical details, just as you see them, with no interpretation as to meaning. Just describe what you actually see.
Option #4 (200-250 words):
Select a favorite family photograph that was shot during an important family event. Write an essay about that event, using the photograph to describe setting of time, setting of place, and descriptions of family members.

Academic Writing--Marked Paraphrasing Group Exercises

2010-03-08T16:42:00.000-08:00

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Your marked paraphrasing group work is posted below, as jpeg files. To read the content, click on the image, and it will be large enough to read.

The links are to the original essays.

Group 1--Should Dangerous Sports be Banned? Yes!

Groups 2 and 3--Save Our Sports!

Group 4--Should Parents Resort to Physical Punishment in Order to Discipline Their Children?

Group 5--Should Animals be Tested for the Advancement of Scientific Research?

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Creative Writing--Prompt #5

2010-03-03T17:12:00.000-08:00

Option #1 (200-250 words):
Starting with today's date, begin a 7-day journal. In this journal, you should make important and vivid observations about the world around you, recalling conversations/scenes with friends and others, offering background information on yourself and others, recounting activities done for that day, and noting mini-epiphanies experienced throughout the week.

After one week, refer to this mini-journal and write an essay that spotlights the high or low points of your week.
Option #2 (200-250 words):
Read the “found” poem called “The Coffee Fortune Wall of Shame” (see below). I “found” this poem by collecting these coffee fortunes from my various café excursions throughout Skopje and also swiping them from coffee drinkers who left these cute brown slips of miswritten (albeit charming) bits of wisdom behind. There is no rhyme or reason to this poem—I am simply the note taker.

Select one bit of wisdom from this “poem,” and write an essay, using one of the fortunes (misspellings, odd grammar, etc.) as the title. OR make up your own coffee fortune and build an essay around it.

The Coffee Fortune Wall of Shame—A Found Poem

You are wonderful.

Flert.

Don’t fish on a tree.

Unexpected meeting.

Govern without being present.

Pick your words.

Whatever you make, that’s it.

Breathe.

Jealousy is selfishness.

An empty pocket is a load.

Be punctual.

Stand out, don’t be out.

The tired make mistakes.

Help! I’m trapped in an espresso machine!

(Sorry. I made that last one up.)
Option #3 (200-250 words):

Interview a stranger (a store clerk, café server, plumber, etc.) or someone you don’t know very well, and find out some basic information about that person. Then, based on what you have found out, write an essay in that person’s voice. (For an example, see “The Bell Ringer,” by Greg Hershey, which I have emailed to you. After you read this essay, these images will make sense).

Academic Writing—Counterarguments Worksheet--Assignment #4

2010-03-02T13:27:00.000-08:00

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(Due March 19)
Paragraph #5: Counterarguments

I. Please restate your “Working” or Revised Thesis Statement:
5. Paragraph #5: Recognize at least 3 counterarguments and then write a counterargument paragraph (Include URLs for each counterargument):
a. Counterargument #1 (Include URL or book/article author and title)
• Recognition:

• Refutation with Concession OR Partial Accommodation:
b. Counterargument #2 (Include URL or book/article author and title)
• Recognition:

• Refutation with Concession OR Partial Accommodation:
c. Counterargument #3 (Include URL or book/article author and title)
• Recognition:

• Refutation with Concession OR Partial Accommodation:
d. Based on the above counterarguments, write a 100-150 word counterargument paragraph, complete with APA internal citations.

Academic Writing—Counterarguments

2010-03-02T01:06:00.000-08:00

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You may question why a writer taking a position on a controversial topic would want to remind his or her opponent of their disagreement on the subject by presenting counterarguments.

Answer: It is an effective rhetorical strategy.

Orators and writers who include counterarguments are more respected by friend and foe alike. Besides, your opponent is not going to “forget” his or her position and will already have his/her arsenal of reasons why he/she is right.

1. Recognizing possible counterarguments accomplishes three goals:

• Recognition of counterarguments tells your opponent that you have prepared your argument well and have considered the topic very carefully and from all possible angles. You arrive at the debate from a position of strength.

• Recognition of counterarguments shows respect (and everyone wants to be respected) for your opponent, which can be very disarming to both foe and his/her followers, especially those who may be lukewarm in their support of your opponent.

• Recognition of counterarguments offers you a chance to refute your opponent’s viewpoint.

2. Refuting your opponent’s viewpoint well can be one of the most powerful rhetorical devices that you can use. For example,

Recognition: “My opponent contends that all types of homicide are morally wrong;…

Refutation: …however, one can view capital punishment as a case of “justifiable homicide,” which acts as a deterrent for future cold-blooded homicides.”

3. Why concede part of an argument?

• Sometimes what your opponent says will make sense, which would be foolish to ignore. For example,
“I recognize that my administration did not handle the financial crisis well; in hindsight, we should have fired the treasury secretary sooner, but I assure you, that as we move forward, we will solve this crisis in a timely manner.”
In short, even the “best” side can make mistakes; thus, it is best to acknowledge and concede that mistakes were committed, and then promise to move on in a more positive direction.

4. Now why, in some cases, should you accept/accommodate any part of your opponent’s argument?

Accommodating a counterargument simply means that you have accepted part of your opponent’s viewpoint, and, thus, are willing to include that part into your own argument.
• The topic may be so controversial that compromise may be necessary. For example, while you may disagree with your opponent’s pro-abortion viewpoint, you may accept that abortion may be necessary to save the life of the mother. Conversely, if your opponent is anti-abortion, you may need to concede that aborting a 9-month fetus would be murder of an infant and not just a fetus.

• An opponent may have a good point. For example, if you support the death penalty for those who commit capital crimes, you may have to accept the definition of “homicide” as the murder of another human being, for, technically, killing anyone is an act of homicide, whether it is an accidental homicide (killing a pedestrian with a car), intentional homicide (murdering someone in cold blood), or executing a prisoner. But you can still argue for the definition of “justifiable homicide” (killing in self-defense and execution of a cold-blooded killer).

American Literature—The Color Purple: Guide Questions

2010-03-01T15:06:00.000-08:00

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(For those who have not read the book or seen the film, this is a spoiler alert!)
1. In your opinion, does the epistolary structure of the novel work well?

2. How might have this novel worked in a traditional story structure? What would the story gain and/or lose?

3. How is the time period and the setting of the novel/film important?

4. Why does Celie speak in a dialect and Nettie does not?

5. Why does Celie agree to marry Mr._______, even though she is repulsed by him?

6. What does Celie think of Mr._________’s children, and how does she treat them?

7. In your opinion, what stops Celie from cutting Mr.________’s throat with that nasty-looking straight razor (film)?

8. What was Shug Avery’s first reaction to Celie? Over time, how has that opinion changed?

9. What is the relationship between Celie and Shug Avery? Are they Lesbians? Why or why not?

10. What is the relationship between Celie and Mr.____________?

11. After Celie’s sister Nettie refuses Mr._____________’s advances and is cast out of his house, he tells Celie that he will exact his revenge. How does Mr._____________ follow through with his revenge?

12. What is the relationship between Shug Avery and Mr.____________? And why, at first, Celie is relieved at Shug’s presence, even though Celie is afraid of her?

13. On page 112, Shug asks Celie, “You still a virgin?” And Celie answers, “I reckon.” What does this mean?

14. Why do you think that the film de-emphasized the Africa scenes with Nettie, Corrine, Samuel, Olivia, Adam, Tashi, and the Olinka?

15. What is the relationship between Harpo and Sofia?

16. How did Sofia end up in prison for 10 years? What is the difference between the two Sofias: before going to jail and after being released from jail? What does Sofia represent? And why?

17. How does Celie feel when she discovers that the man she has always known as her father is, in fact, not her father?

18. How does Celie finally break away from Mr.___________?

19. Toward the end of the novel, how does the relationship between Celie and Mr._________ shift? Are you surprised? (More obvious in the book.)

20. How does Mr.__________________ redeem himself?

21. What is the significance of the color purple?

22. What do you think of the ending of the book and film?

23. Why does the book open with “Dear God?” and end with “Amen”?

24. The main characters of the book are Celie, Nettie, their father, Mr._________, Shug Avery, Harpo, and Sofia. Director Steven Spielberg refers to the mailbox as “The Eighth Character.” How might this be true for both the book and the film? In other words, what central role does the Johnson mail box play in this story?

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Creative Writing--Bonus Prompt: "I Like You!"

2010-02-25T18:15:00.000-08:00

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The following gem popped up in my spam box:

My dear friend!
Come with me to the clover field...

Let our laughter serenade the night, among the red lilies still in bloom.

Make me a bed of purple passion beneath the starry autumn night...

And you will have my sensual heart before the night dissolves into light.

I have no secrets to hide from you. All that I am is yours to keep.

Fear not my hand should leave yours because two our souls are now entwined as one.

Sometimes I cannot find those words to let out what is inside

because you are holding the keys of my heart. I know that I can love you

if you're ready and willing to try. I want to be your best...

Take my hand, take my heart, live in love and bring light in the dark

All I want is you... and you can have me too...

Hugs and kisses

Nika

______________________________________________________________

Most of the time, I don't even read my email spam; I simply delete it.

However, for some reason, I clicked on this message--I think because the subject line said, "I like you!" And who doesn't like to be liked?

The message did not disappoint--What a charming piece of purple prose!

Come on.

Admit it! You have written your share of turgid prose, in both Macedonian and English. I know I have--well, maybe not in Macedonian.

In this "bonus" prompt, I challenge you to write a narrative non-fiction piece, about any event or person from your life, using the most overwritten prose that you can muster.

Then go back and edit out every adjective and adverb.

Compare the two pieces.

Between the two drafts, you just may have the beginning of a polished piece of writing.
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Academic Writing--Types of Web Pages You are Likely to Encounter

2010-02-24T11:31:00.000-08:00

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In order of importance, authority, and objectivity:

1. Online publications that had their start as print or visual media,
Including newspapers, TV stations, scholarly journals, and popular magazines. These web pages are likely to be reliable and authoritative. However, for the more popular sites, expect a lot of flashing, banner, pop up, pop under, and slide across ads.

For example, see CNN.
2. Online publications that got their start online,
For example, The Huffington Post and The Smoking Gun. These may or may not be authoritative. Some of them, like The Onion, are spoof/humor pages and should not be used for serious research.
3. Online directories,
For example, Yellow Pages offer basic information on individuals and businesses, such as maps, phone numbers, and addresses. These are fairly reliable, but they are usually filled with ads, like those mentioned in #1.
4. Business sites,
Such as Johnson and Johnson, Pfizer, Pizza Hut, etc. These are basically sales sites that are pushing specific products, so they are not objective and should be avoided for unbiased information.
5. Blogs and personal web pages.
These may or may not be authoritative. For example, my site is actually a blog, but I have a certain amount of experience in my field, so it should be fairly authoritative, and certainly authoritative for my students. However, it may hold very little authority for someone else’s students.
6. Political pages, which always have their biases.
If you use a political page (Democratic National Committee or Republican Party), for a more objective slant, you may want to check out the opposing political viewpoint web page. Some of these pages are operated by downright wing-nuts (or wingnuts, a new word for your lexicon) and hate groups. Be careful.
7. “Made for advertising” pages.
These are quickie “informational” pages thrown up with the intention of making money for the owner after you click on the ads. The content of these pages is usually short, poorly written, and often inaccurate. They usually have adsense banners plastered throughout the page, with pop-ups, etc. Could be dangerous for your computer. Avoid.
8. “Parking” pages.
A “domainer” buys a domain name and parks it on a site like Sedo, Fabulous, WhyPark, etc.; the page is simply a list of links that will navigate you to a company that sells products related to the domain name. The domain owner and parking company then share in the profits. Avoid for research projects.
9. Internet forums, music sites, video sites.
These are simply specialized chat areas for members, children, teens, "internet trolls" (people who spew hate and nastiness over the internet), nuts, etc.

For example, Poets.org and Youtube.com. Typically, not good sources for research projects.
10. Malicious pages!
Clone sites or pages that look like well-known sites, such as Paypal and ebay. These pages are likely to be filled with malicious codes (which can destroy your stored files/programs and/or make your computer into a clone or slave) or phishing links that ask for your user name and password. Often the domain name is CLOSE to the genuine URL, for example, http://wwwebay.com instead of www.ebay.com. See the difference between the two site names?

Sooner or later, you will land on one of these pages, which is why you need to load an up-to-date virus protection program on your computer.
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Creative Writing--Prompt #4

2010-02-24T10:04:00.000-08:00

Take a real event from your life and write it in a drama format. For an example, see

A Possible Scenario at the Police Station

“A Possible Scenario at the Police Station,” an excerpt from my memoir, stretches the boundaries between non-fiction and fiction.

I took a real event from my life: a conversation between Harley D. Semple, my grandfather, and the Sioux City (Iowa) Police Matron, which resulted in my involuntary commitment to the mental institution.

I was NOT present during this conversation; I was locked in another room at the police station.

In the resulting “playlet,” I made a supposition about the conversation that transpired between these two people.

I based this short scene on an important clue that I discovered in my commitment papers: in August 2004, I was able to procure photocopies of them from the Woodbury County Court House. As I read through them, I discovered that my grandfather had originally signed the legal papers for my commitment; however, his name was crossed out and the police matron’s name was substituted.

For 35 years, I had questions about who had really signed the papers. My grandfather had denied vehemently that he was responsible, and, technically, that was the truth. However, these papers proved, beyond a doubt, that he was, indeed, responsible for my commitment; he had somehow “dodged” the technical responsibility by (possibly) convincing the police matron to sign those papers.

My grandfather signing the papers and the police matron crossing out his name and substituting her own name is verifiable. The content of my “playlet” is not verifiable.

The “how” and “why” are unknown; thus, my short drama attempts to answer those unknowns with an educated guess. The absolute truth will never be known, given that the two people involved are now dead.

Is this non-fiction? I’m saying, “Yes and no.” In any case, I have stretched the boundaries between fiction and non-fiction.

Is what I have done ethical? I think so, but I suppose that question is open to debate.

Option #2 (250-500 words):

Take a situation from your own life that made you very angry. In a brainstorming piece, spew that anger on paper, censoring no emotion or vitriol. Just get it down on paper. If necessary, write it in Macedonian (you can always translate it later).

This piece will NOT be art. It will be messy, disorganized, and chaotic. But don’t worry about that—just get the rawness down on the page.

Later on—maybe even months or years from now—revisit this piece and see if an artistic and publishable piece might emerge from this.

Even if you write this piece, you don’t have to share it with me.

I have sent to you (but have not posted and will not post) a brainstorming piece about the room situation that we experienced last class. At this point, I would not want to share this piece with a wider audience, given my visitor status here at the university. However, I am entrusting this class with this very rough and somewhat angry piece. Later on, I may write an essay about this situation, but it would be more moderate than the raw emotion spewed in this draft. But, then again, this piece may go nowhere but here.

I just want to show you that all writers write pieces that may never see revision and publication.

Option #3 (250-500 words):

Develop ONE short scene, complete with narrative, dialogue, description, and action. In this scene, reveal something vitally important about yourself or another person without revealing the information directly; in other words, "Show, don't tell." (You may revise a scene from one of your existing personal essays/memoirs/short stories based on real life).

Remember Milena’s scene with the triplets? Something like that might be a good starting point.

Creative Writing (Creative Non-fiction): Prompt #3

2010-02-17T06:26:00.000-08:00

Option #1 (200-250 words):
Write a letter to your future husband, wife, child, etc., and tell him/her about your life before he/she came into it. If that person is already in your life, write from your past perspective. (From Writer's Digest online)

(You may recognize this idea from last semester as a fiction prompt.)
Option #2 (200-250 words):
Read “Richard Hickock”: From In Cold Blood (Truman Capote) from Life Writing, pp. 231-237. OR see In Cold Blood, pages 213-219.

In this book, author Truman Capote reported on the brutal Clutter murder, which took place in Holcomb, Kansas, in 1959. Capote invented or, at the very least, expanded on a style of non-fiction writing called “new journalism” (also known as “literary journalism”) in which the “reporter” participates in the “story,” even though he or she was not there, and sometimes long after the event has occurred.

In a “new journalism”/“literary journalism” piece of your own, write about a familiar event that occurred, but one in which you did not actively participate. However, in your essay, pretend that you were there and taking down notes as the event unfolded. You may have to interview people (perhaps start with a family event). You may recreate dialogue (Capote sure did).

The event you choose does not have to be about a brutal event, such as a murder and execution. You may also use a photograph (see Option #3) to write your new or literary journalism piece.
Option #3 (200-250 words):
Find a favorite photograph of a person, pet, or event and write a mini memoir about that person, pet, or event.

Academic Writing: Topic Sentences and Body Paragraphs—Worksheet (Assignment #3)

2010-02-14T15:48:00.000-08:00

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The Scream (Horizontal Mirror), Edvard Munch
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Before filling in this worksheet, please read this.

I. “Working” Thesis Statement:

1. Paragraph #1: Introduction: (To be developed later)

2. Paragraph #2:
a. Topic Sentence:

b. Body of paragraph (about 100-150 words): Support for your argument or proposed solution, which will consist of solid evidence, offered by expert authors and authoritative publications (both print and electronic), and inferences/ interpretations of your findings.

URLs for research sources:
3. Paragraph #3
a. Topic Sentence:

b. Body of paragraph (about 100-150 words): Support for your argument or proposed solution, which will consist of solid evidence, offered by expert authors and authoritative publications (both print and electronic), and inferences/ interpretations of your findings.

URLs for research sources:
4. Paragraph #4
a. Topic Sentence:

b. Body of paragraph (about 100-150 words): Support for your argument or proposed solution, which will consist of solid evidence, offered by expert authors and authoritative publications (both print and electronic), and inferences/ interpretations of your findings.

URLs for research sources:
5. Paragraph #5: Counterargment Paragraph: (To be developed later.)

6. Paragraph #6: Concluding Paragraph: (To be developed later.)

Academic Writing—Topic Sentences and Body Paragraphs (For Assignment #3)

2010-02-14T14:54:00.000-08:00

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The Scream (Vertical Mirror Image), Edvard Munch
________________________________________________________________________

After reading this page, please fill in this worksheet.

I. “Working” Thesis Statement:

Important:
Your thesis statement is the foundation upon which your essay will be built.
· By the time you are ready to work on topic sentences and body paragraphs, you must have already developed a “working thesis statement,” which simply means that you have created a thesis sentence that (as you work on your issue or call-to-action essay) will be subject to minor changes and “tweaking.”

· Eventually, your final thesis statement will be part of your introductory paragraph.
1. Paragraph #1: Introduction: (To be developed later)
RESIST the temptation to begin your paper by writing the introduction first.
· You should delay working on the introduction because you are still developing your topic sentences and body paragraphs. In other words, you cannot develop an introductory paragraph when your body paragraphs have not yet been written.
· The introduction should be the second-to-last paragraph that you write.
2. Paragraph #2 (Each paragraph MUST support your overall thesis sentence, which is why numbers 1-6 are subsets of “I.”
· Topic Sentence:
This sentence is a summary of the argument or possible solution being covered in this body paragraph.
· Body of paragraph:
Support for your argument or proposed solution, which will consist of solid evidence, offered by expert authors and authoritative publications (both print and electronic), and inferences/interpretations of your findings.
3. Paragraph #3
Topic Sentence: (Same as paragraph #2)
Body of paragraph: (Same as paragraph #2)
4. Paragraph #4
Topic Sentence: (Same as paragraph #2)
Body of paragraph: (Same as paragraph #2)
5. Paragraph #5: Counterargment Paragraph: (To be developed later.)

6. Paragraph #6: Concluding Paragraph: (To be developed later.)

Creative Writing (Creative Non-fiction): Prompt #2

2010-02-12T11:06:00.000-08:00

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Option #1 (250-500 words):

Describe, in some detail, your BEST or WORST elementary, middle, or high school experience.

Option #2 (250-500 words):

Write a personal essay about a tragic local, regional, or national event from your own perspective. It doesn't matter if you were directly involved, but your personal perspective on the tragedy does matter.

For examples, see,
Leap
by Brian Doyle
9/11: Where Were You on That Terrible Tuesday?
by Jennifer Semple Siegel

Option #3 (250-500 words):

Write a complete mini-memoir, following the traditional story structure (beginning, rising action, climax, falling action, epiphany, and resolution), that covers no more than about five minutes. In other words, reach back into your past and select a moment from your life that has had a tremendous effect on your life.

___________________________________________________

Note: You are NOT required to use any of these prompts. These are simply tools to help you overcome writer’s block.
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Academic Writing--Brainstorming Your Topic Worksheet

2010-02-12T07:47:00.000-08:00

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Circle ONE:-----Issue Essay-----OR-----Call-to-Action Essay

1. Develop a Broad Topic. Find an interesting controversial issue (Issue Essay) or a problem that needs to be solved (Call-to-Action Essay):

2. Narrow your focus. Develop a specific research question so that you can cover the issue or call-to-action in 500-700 words:

3. Research your issue first on Wikipedia and then other sources. What have you found to help support your topic? Please include website names and links:

4. Assuming that your preliminary search proves that your topic is viable, consider the issue (Issue Essay) or solution to the problem (Call-to-Action Essay) from several perspectives:

5. Develop your thesis. Take a position (Issue Essay) or propose a solution (Call-to-Action Essay) by answering your original research question (#2):

6. Define your purpose for writing the essay (other than the essay has been assigned to you):

7. Define your audience:

8. Counterarguments: List every possible counterargument to your viewpoint (Issue Essay) or alternative solutions (Call- for-Action Essay) and think about how you might recognize, refute and/or accommodate them:
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Academic Writing—Brainstorming for a Topic

2010-02-12T06:53:00.000-08:00

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For those who have decided to accept “The Research Challenge,” please select a topic that will hold your interest for the rest of the semester because you’ll be working with it until May.

First, you should be aware that there are two types of argumentative essays:
1. Issue Essay (Arguing a Position)
In an issue essay, you take a position on an issue (usually controversial and up for debate), defend it, and try to convince your audience to accept your viewpoint.
2. Call-to-Action Essay (Proposing a Solution to a Problem)
In a call-to-action essay, you define the problem (which most reasonable people would agree is a problem), propose some solutions to the problem, argue why your solution is the best possible choice, and why your solution(s) should be adopted by your audience. For example,
In the U.S., universal health care is currently being widely debated; most reasonable people believe that our health care system is broken and needs to be fixed. However, there is lively debate regarding HOW the health-care crisis should be solved.

In Macedonia, just about everyone agrees that there is a “brain-drain” problem (smart young people leaving the country to find jobs abroad), but there may be disagreement as to how to solve this serious national crisis.

But where to start? Brainstorming!

BRAINSTORMING! (Issue Essay)
1. Develop a Broad Topic.

Find an interesting controversial issue, such as “The Macedonian Question.”

2. Narrow your focus.

Develop a specific research question so that you can cover the issue in 500-700 words, for example,
Should Macedonia risk losing inclusion in the European Union by insisting on retaining ‘Macedonia’ as its name?

3. Research your issue first on Wikipedia and then other sources.

Wikipedia, a good preliminary source, will reveal if your topic is viable and may offer, in its reference section, some great research sources, both online and offline. However, you may NOT use Wikipedia as a source for your final paper. Everybody loves Wikipedia, but its authors, not vetted by Wikipedia editors, can be wildly inaccurate or can have specific agendas to push or axes to grind.
Check to see if valid and authoritative online sources are available for your issue; otherwise, you will not be able to support your viewpoint.

4. Assuming that your preliminary search proves that your topic is viable, consider the issue from several perspectives—even if you think you already know your own position on it.

This process will help you see the issue in different ways and formulate your counterarguments.

5. Develop your thesis.

Take a position by answering your original research question:
Macedonia should insist on retaining “Macedonia” as its name, for history and the future of Macedonian identity are more important than the current economic crisis.
OR
In the interest of economic viability, Macedonia should adopt another name so that inclusion into the European will be more likely.

6. Define your purpose for writing the essay (other than the essay has been assigned to you), for example,

“My purpose is to convince reasonable fellow citizens and sympathetic Greeks that my position on this issue is the best viewpoint to endorse.”

7. Define your audience.

For example, your audience for the above topic should be fellow Macedonian and Greek citizens and politicians who may be indifferent to or wavering on the issue. Why?
• Explaining the naming question to the entire planet would require too much background and historical information, which is beyond the scope of a 500-700 word paper. In this case, your audience ought to have some basic knowledge about the issue as opposed to John Doe from Peoria, Illinois, who will have zero knowledge about the Macedonian Naming Question.

• It would be futile to try convincing hardcore opponents, so you may have to concede that particular audience to the other side of the issue.

• There is no point in trying to convince your supporters. You already “own” them (In the U.S., this is referred to as “Singing to the Choir”).
So if you know that your audience will consist of both Macedonians and Greeks who are indifferent or not quite sure what to think about the Macedonian Naming Question, you have a real opportunity to persuade many of them to adopt your viewpoint by tailoring your argument specifically to them.

8. Counterarguments:

List every possible counterargument to your viewpoint (as you delve deeper into your research, you may discover even more counterarguments) and think about how you might recognize, refute and/or accommodate them.

BRAINSTORMING! (Call-to-Action Essay)
1. Develop a broad topic.

Find a current problem, one in which there is little debate as to the existence of the problem. In other words, if the problem itself is not widely recognized as a problem, then any proposed solution would be pointless. For example, the Macedonian Naming Question would be too controversial and open to debate. However, “solving the financial crisis in Macedonia” would be a good broad topic because few Macedonians would disagree that a financial crisis exists.

2. Narrow your focus.

Develop a specific research question so that you can cover the your proposed solution in 500-700 words, for example,
How can Macedonia stop the “Brain-Drain” problem, resulting in the systematic loss of our best and brightest young people who immigrate to foreign countries for job opportunities?”

3. Research your problem first on Wikipedia and then other sources.

Wikipedia, a good preliminary source, will reveal if your topic is viable and may offer, in its reference section, some great research sources, both online and offline. However, you may NOT use Wikipedia as a source for your final paper. Everybody loves Wikipedia, but its authors, not vetted by Wikipedia editors, can be wildly inaccurate or can have specific agendas to push or axes to grind.

Check to see if valid and authoritative online sources are available for your issue; otherwise, you will not be able to support your viewpoint.

In this case, for support of your solutions, you might find examples of how other countries are working with their “Brain-Drain” problem and how others have solved the problem. You are not likely to find specific proposed solutions for Macedonia in a global resource. You may need to find regional local resources, such as local newspapers, magazines, and books.

4. Assuming that your preliminary research proves that your topic is viable, consider several different solutions to the problem—even if you think you already know what solutions to propose.

For a call-to-action essay, it’s best to keep an open mind because your research may reveal better solutions than your original ones. At the very least, this process will help you see the different ways in which a problem can be solved and will help formulate your counterarguments—in this case, opposing solutions.

5. Develop your thesis.

Answer your original research question by offering some proposed solutions within your thesis sentence:
Macedonia can stop the “Brain-Drain” problem, which results in the systematic immigration of our best and brightest young people to foreign countries for job opportunities, by implementing the following solutions (Proposed Solution #1) , (Proposed Solution #2), and (Proposed Solution #3).

6. Define your purpose for writing the essay (other than the essay has been assigned to you), for example,

“My purpose is to offer the best possible solutions for solving the “Brain-Drain” problem that currently plagues Macedonia.”

7. Define your audience.

For example, your audience for the above topic should be fellow Macedonian citizens and politicians who may agree that there is a problem but who may at a loss as to how to solve this growing problem. Why just a Macedonian audience?
• Offering Macedonian solutions to the entire planet would be irrelevant and beyond the scope of a 500-700 word paper. In this case, your audience ought to have some basic knowledge about the problem as it pertains to Macedonia. While it is true that Joe Smith in Detroit, Michigan, may have similar Brain-Drain concerns (given the state of the U.S. auto industry as workers flee to other cities and states), any proposed solutions for Detroit are likely to be different from that of Macedonia.

• With your proposed solutions tailored just for a Macedonian audience, you will not have to explain the historical background to your audience.
So if you keep your audience small and focused, you have a real opportunity to offer in-depth solutions to a specific problem.

8. Counterarguments:

List every possible alternative solution to the problem and think about how you might recognize, refute and/or accommodate them (as you delve deeper into your research, you may discover even more alternative solutions).

Academic Writing--How to Evaluate a Web Page

2010-02-07T13:03:00.000-08:00

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1. Introduction

The amount of information that is available on the internet can be overwhelming and daunting, an endless cornucopia of fact, opinion, banality, and chatter.

You can find information on every known topic on the planet, but not all of it is valid. In fact, most of what you read on the internet is just plain wrong or someone’s uninformed opinion (and not necessarily a fact). You might be tempted to use any information that you find on first search and be tempted to run with it—but never just settle for low-quality sources.

So proceed with caution. While there is a lot of information available, much of it is inaccurate, out of date, or just plain incorrect. Before you use any information, you need to evaluate the source to determine if the information is credible.

Areas that should be evaluated:
--Authority of the site’s webmaster and/or writer

--Accuracy of the site

--Objectivity of the site

--Type of coverage the site offers

--Currency of the site (for example, the last update should be recent)
Only after evaluating all these areas should you decide if you want to use the information that you have found.

2. Authority

Is this website a personal web page? Does the address include a term that includes the name of a free provider, such as Blogger (blogspot address)? If it does, or if it appears to be hosted by a service that allows people to post web pages for free, you may be looking at a page that someone created as a hobby. This is not necessarily a reason for automatically dismissing the information, but you should determine if the person who created the page is knowledgeable about the information he or she is posting.

Here is how to determine if a webmaster or writer is qualified to offer certain statements as fact:
• Does the domain name/URL reflect a well-known company name? This information is more likely to be of high quality and should be accurate, although it may be biased (More on objectivity later).

• Determine if the person or company’s name is mentioned on the website (other than in the URL).

• Is the domain an “expensive” generic or short intuitive term and NOT parked on a directory page, filled with ads? If so, it is more likely that the information contained within the site will be more accurate. Such highly sought-after domains are very expensive and have been known to sell on the secondary market for up to $x,xxx,xxx, so it is less likely to be a hobbyist/amateur page.

• Does the page reveal where the person teaches or works? Use a search engine, such as Google, Yahoo!, or Bing, to find information about the person (thus, you need to evaluate research sites by checking out the webmaster/owner and what he or she does for a living).

• Is the author an expert in the subject presented on the website, and is there a link to a professional page that verifies those credentials?

• Is the author biased toward one narrow viewpoint and/or has an ax to grind with another person or group? Is his/her viewpoint controversial and does not recognize other viewpoints that might be considered more valid?

• Does the author belong to a fringe or hate group? (Sometimes these hate mongers are very good at “masking” their true agendas and biases. It is only after you take a careful look at their sites that you realize the author/webmaster’s viewpoint. For an example of a hate site in “sheep’s skin,” see http://www.martinlutherking.org)

• Check Whois (Domain name registration information): All domain registrars maintain registration of domain names, such as Network Solutions, Go Daddy, etc. A good neutral site to check: http://whois.domaintools.com/, which offers very detailed and accurate information about registered domain names.

• Is the domain owner using a proxy privacy service (such as Domains by Proxy) to “hide” his/her contact information? If so, this is a red flag, and you should probably view any information on the site with skepticism.
In short, you will need to determine if the webmaster/writer is truly an expert on the topic he or she is presenting.

What can the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) reveal to you?There are clues that can be found within the domain name itself.

The global Top Level Domains (gTLDs) include the following major extensions: .com, .net, .org, .info, .us, .biz, and .tel (among some lesser known ones), and you will find anything and everything on these gTLDs: the good, the bad, and the downright ugly.

However, official TLDs (such as .gov, .mil [now rare], and .edu) often contain better information than the gTLDs. For example, government websites (.gov, or .mil TLDs) typically contain high quality and accurate information. However, the information is produced by government agencies, which contains information written from their point of view. Therefore, you will need to evaluate if the information is biased towards that government’s point of view.

School websites (.edu) are a little trickier to evaluate. If the page is produced by a department or a professor, the information presented should be accurate and of good quality. However, some schools allow students to produce student websites, which should be evaluated as you would any personal page. These pages are often preceded by a tilde (~) in the URL after the .edu (for example, vt.edu/~etc), but not always. If you are not careful, you may be using a student’s science project as a source, which may or may not be valid.

Country codes (.us, .de, .mk, co.uk, .es, .me, etc.), also known as country code Top Level Domains (ccTLDs), are no longer primary indicators of validity and should be evaluated in the same light as gTLDs. In the past few years, country code registrars have opened registration to almost anyone who can pay yearly registration fee and not just government officials and official agencies. NeuStar, the registrar that operates the .us ccTLD, forbids private/proxy registration, and registrants must be citizens of the U.S. or own a business that has U.S. interests, but scammers always seem to find their way around these regulations. Each country regulates its own ccTLD, and some are more restrictive than others. Finding information for each ccTLD can be difficult, so, for your purposes, simply assume that ccTLDS have the same pitfalls as the gTLDs.

A note about .org: when the .org TLD was created, an entity had to be a registered non-profit organization. This is no longer true; this author owns several .org domains, and she has never had to provide non-profit documents to the registrar. Therefore, again, .org domains can no longer be automatically considered safe and valid.

SIDE NOTE: Beware of typo and lookalike domain URLs, such as yuotube.com or youtub.com, when you intended to type in youtube.com. Scammers make big money on typo domains, either through email phishing (fishing for passwords via email or site links) or downloading malware (viruses, Trojan Horses, zombie programs, and unwanted programs that harm and/or slow your computer down) on unaware users’ unprotected computers.

For example, can you see the difference between “savvy” and “sawy”? In some fonts, “w” and “vv” are difficult to tell apart, especially when they are not side-by-side, so be cautious. “1” and “l” are NOT the same characters (The first is the number one, and the second is lower case L)! When in doubt, highlight the URL, place it in a word document, and increase the size—this will offer you a clearer picture. For “1” and “l”: highlight the term, and see what happens when you use capitalize the characters using the font feature: “1” and “l” becomes “1” AND “L.” Also, be aware of the difference between O (a letter) and 0 (zero). IPOD and IP0D are NOT the same (ipod and ip0d in lower case)!

Who wrote the page? You should find out who created (webmaster) the website and who wrote (author) the page content. They may or may not be the same person.

Information about webmasters and authors can be surprisingly difficult to find. Try to find any links that might reveal anything about the author or the site.

Check to see if the author or organization is listed on the bottom of the page in small print, usually in or near the copyright notice. Also look for links that say “About Us,” “Contact Us,” or “About this Page.”

If you can’t find a link that leads you to information about the organization that owns the site, look at the URL. Usually, a reputable organization or business will own the exact domain of its company name (between the www and the TLD (.com, .edu, .gov, or .org, .us, etc.).

For example, if you are looking for information on drunk driving, you might use “drunk driving” as a search term, which will bring up http://www.madd.org/Media-Center/Media-Center/Media-Library/Laws.aspx as an option.

This looks like it might be a good site, but you need to discover who is responsible for the website. Navigating to the page, you will discover that MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) is responsible for the page, its acronym at the top of the page and copyright notice at the bottom. If you look at the URL, you will see that MADD is part of the URL. However, if the search engine brings you to MADD.com or MADD.net, these domains may not even belong to MADD but could be “clone” pages filled with malicious code. A clone page, developed by “scraping” the code from the original page, is a replica of that page, often with added malicious code and/or viruses. Unfortunately, most original pages are easy to scrape, and even a non-tech person can do it easily.

In this case, if you check Whois, both .com and .net, along with the .org, appear to belong to the MADD organization (although neither .com nor .net URL redirects to madd.org homepage).

Always scan Whois for more details about the webmaster/owner, such as the Whois Record, Site Profile, Registration, and Server Stats. For some eye-opening facts about the racist webmaster who operates the so-called Martin Luther King site, see http://whois.domaintools.com/martinlutherking.org

Pay attention to the length of time a domain has been owned by one registrant. The search engines reward longevity, and it can be one indicator of validity (although some hate groups are tenacious and tend to hang around for a long time).

Truncating a URL. Search engines do not always bring you to a site’s homepage; they send you to its most relevant page, often a sub-domain URL, having to do with your topic, and, often, the landing page does not reveal what you need to know. To find out more information about the website, you need to “truncate” the URL.

For example, http://www.madd.org/Media-Center/Media-Center/Media-Library/Laws.aspx does not navigate to MADD’s homepage, but, rather, directs to a page that offers links to legal issues connected with drunk driving. To arrive at the homepage, simply delete the sub-domains (URL string AFTER .org, for example, “/Media-Center/Media-Library/Laws.aspx”). You will be left with http://www.madd.org, MADD’s homepage.

Reading sub-domains.There are two types of sub-domains.

The first type places the sub-domain after the Top Level Domain (TLD, such as .org). In http://www.madd.org/Media-Center/Media-Center/Media-Library/Laws.aspx, each “/” indicates a sub-domain. This particular URL has four sub-domains, which could be outlined in a hierarchy as follows (slashes enlarged and in red and bold for emphasis):
.org (1st level or Top Level Domain or TLD, also known as a domain extension)
http://madd (2nd level, not a sub-domain.)
A website does not actually need the “www” alias sub-domain, although some sites will not resolve without it because of incorrect settings in the owner’s domain and hosting panels.
/Media-Center (3nd level, 1st sub-domain)
/Media-Center (4rd level, 2nd sub-domain)
/Media-Library (5th level, 3rd sub-domain)
/Laws.aspx (6th level, 4th sub-domain)
The second type of URL, typically used by large corporations that often have thousands of pages in several categories that need to be indexed, presents its sub-domains in this manner:

http://Laws.Media-Library.Media-Center.MediaCenter.madd.org
(this does not resolve—this is just an example)

Note that there is no “www,” which is really just an “alias” sub-domain, in this type of arrangement. Each period (enlarged and in bold) between the terms indicates a sub-domain, for example:

http://Laws. (6th level, 4th sub-domain)
Media-Library. (5th level, 3rd sub-domain)
Media-Center. (4th level, 2nd sub-domain)
MediaCenter. (3rd level, 1st sub-domain)
(In this setup, each sub-domain needs a different name/designation, so, for this example, I eliminated the hyphen.)
madd.(2nd level, not a sub-domain and no “www”)
org (1st level or Top Level Domain or TLD, also known as a domain extension)

3. Accuracy

Does the site contain accurate information? To determine this, there are several points to consider, for example:
• Is the author qualified to cover the topic? If you can’t determine the author’s credibility or who sponsored the web site (see “Authority”), assume that the information is inaccurate and move on to another source.

• Scan the page quickly. Are there many misspellings, non-standard/awkward sentence structure, and/or faulty grammar? These can be indications that the information may not be accurate, although the webmaster and/or writer may be from a country where English is not the native language. However, on a credible website, country of origin and organization affiliation will be clearly disclosed.

• Read the page for content. At this point in the research process, you should have a basic knowledge of your topic. Does the material on the site fit in with what you have discovered found from other sources, including print sources?

• Are you able to verify the author/webmaster’s claims with known valid sources? If not, then don’t use it.

4. Objectivity

How objective is the website? While Pfizer.com, a major drug company headquartered in New York City, New York, U.S.A., may offer some valuable information regarding the efficacy of its drugs, you should carefully evaluate the company’s claims. For example, perhaps you are doing research on drugs that can help alleviate the symptoms of Parkinsonism. You discover that Pfizer manufactures Benadryl® and claims that this drug is the best one on the market for Parkinsonism. Should you take that claim at face value? Probably not.

On the other hand, Pfizer’s page regarding chemical composition, dosage, usage, indications, and contraindications of its products will most likely be accurate because drug companies in the U.S. are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and factual information about their products must be accurate and up-to-date.

In essence, if a website is trying to sell you a product, you must question its objectivity in terms of deciding whether or not you should buy that product—or use the site as a source to make an argument supporting or disagreeing with that company’s claims. Of course that site is going to hype its products and do whatever it takes to make consumers buy their products, but hype does not equal fact.

Therefore, if you agree (or disagree) with Pfizer about its product efficacy, then you must find one or more accurate, detailed, and objective sources (and not competing drug companies) that support or disagree with Pfizer’s claims.

The same criteria should be applied to political, cultural, ethnic, and religious sites that offer a narrow view of the world. Any site that is slanted toward one viewpoint with no room for opposing viewpoints should be avoided or at least balanced with other sites that espouse the opposite viewpoint and some neutral sites that just report on the issue. While you may personally agree with, say, a religious site’s beliefs, your audience may not buy into your argument if your sources are not balanced and objective.

Even government sites must be considered carefully. For example, Whitehouse.gov reflects the political slant of the current U.S. president and his party. Straight factual information will probably be okay, but content that pushes a certain point of view will need to be balanced by more objective sources.

In short, you will need to determine the objectivity of a website and what affect any biases are going to have on your argument.

How can you determine objectivity? You need to find out who developed and/or sponsored a website, and the best way to determine this: check the authority of the webmaster/author, which will bring you right back to section 2 (Authority).

Objectivity is one of the most difficult aspects to determine, but if you are serious about your research work, you must select your sources carefully, which means taking the time to understand the viewpoints of your various sources.

5. Coverage

Does the source adequately cover the information that you are seeking (sometimes the blurbs can be deceiving and meta-tags—codes that you cannot see, except in html—may be irrelevant and simply the fruits of the webmaster’s “keyword spamming” project)? Does it cover your topic in depth? Does the source try to offer a balanced coverage of the topic? Finally, does the website offer related links to other websites, even those that offer opposing viewpoints? If so, this website could be useful for your research, assuming that the site also passes the Authority, Accuracy, Objectivity, and Currency tests.

Make sure that your source offers real content, not just an abstract or summary of an article. If you find the abstract intriguing and relevant to your topic, then try to find the full article, even if you have to read it in print. Often, colleges and universities belong to interlibrary loan consortiums, which offer you access to more sources than your college library can offer on its own.

6. Currency

Two crucial questions for determining currency: when was the page last updated, and how will the age of the information affect your argument?

If you are searching for biographical information on William Shakespeare, a page that was last updated seven years ago will probably still offer solid information (if not great recent scholarly discoveries, such as newly-discovered manuscripts), assuming that the site passes the Authority, Accuracy, Objectivity, and Coverage tests.

However, if you are researching topics that are changing at a rapid pace, the information on a site that was last updated six months ago could be stale and seriously out-of-date, for example, scientific discoveries and the newest computer gadgets and software.

Determining currency is relatively easy; blogs automatically include a complete date for each update (although dates on blogs can be manipulated). For regular websites, check the copyright dates. Many abandoned and old sites will have older copyright dates.

Read the content. If the writer hails the 1-gigabyte hard drive as the greatest technological discovery since sliced bread, then you know your information is seriously out-of-date.

Click on the links; if many of them are broken or lead to irrelevant sites, then you are likely looking at an outdated site.

Check the Registration tab in Whois. If the site registration is about to expire or is in “Redemption Period” or “Pending Deletion,” chances are the domain name (and, perhaps, the site itself) will soon be owned by someone else.

Just use common sense when using website sources for information that needs to be current and on the cutting edge.

In conclusion, much of the information presented here on Authority, Accuracy, Objectivity, Coverage, and Currency can also be applied to print sources. However, these sources tend to be easier to evaluate, simply because print materials, for non-professional publishers, are often too expensive to produce. On the other hand, websites are often hosted for free or very little money, so on the web, anyone can be a publisher.
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Academic Writing--Discussion of Research Protocol

2010-02-07T12:36:00.000-08:00

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When discerning research protocol, there are three areas to consider:

1. Discussion of sources (print and electronic):
• Books

• Scholarly/professional journals

• Newspapers/news magazines

• Popular magazines

• Niche publications.
2. Determining the authority and credibility of the author.
Important questions to consider:
• Who is the author?

• What are his/her credentials?

• Is the author writing from his/her position of authority within his/her specified field of expertise?

• Does the author have an agenda, for example, is he/she a paid spokesperson for a commercial or even a non-profit enterprise?
3. Determining the authority and credibility, objectivity, currency, coverage, and reputation of the publication.
Important questions to consider:
• What is the reputation of the publication?

• How long has the publication been in business? (In websites, the age of the site and the domain name can be important indicators of credibility.)

• What is its slant or political viewpoint?

• Are its articles well-written and presented in an objective manner?

• How important is extremely current information to the readers of this publication? How current are its articles and information in general?

• Is this a niche publication? If so, what is its focus?

• How thoroughly does the publication cover its topics?

• How relevant is the publication to YOUR topic?

Creative Writing--Creative Non-fiction: Prompt #1

2010-02-03T10:54:00.000-08:00

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These prompts are offered to you as tools to help you get started. You are not obligated to use them at all.

Option #1:
a. In an essay, reveal why you like to write.

b. What are some differences between writing in Macedonian and English?
Option #2:
a. Write a short poem about an important real event that happened to you or something important that you witnessed firsthand.

b. From the poem, write an essay or short memoir about that event.
Option #3:
a. Take three objects from your shelves, purse, backpack, or pockets, and write a sentence or two about each object.

b. What do these three objects have in common with each other?

c. How important are these objects to you?

d. Explain why these three objects were on your shelves, in your purse, backpack, or pockets.

American Literature--Malcolm X and Identity: "My Father Didn't Know His Last Name"

2010-02-02T08:50:00.000-08:00

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MALCOLM X: Our History was Destroyed by Slavery

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On March 17, 1963, Malcolm X appeared on a television show in Chicago called City Desk (see also here). During the interview, interviewer Len O'Connor (an older white man) kept badgering him about his "real" last name. Finally, Malcolm X said:

My father didn't know his last name. My father got his last name from his grandfather and his grandfather got it from his grandfather who got it from the slavemaster. The real names of our people were destroyed during slavery. The last name of my forefathers was taken from them when they were brought to America and made slaves, and then the name of the slavemaster was given, which we refuse, we reject that name today and refuse it. I never acknowledge it whatsoever.

Malcolm X is viewed by some critics as an extremist; however, as Malcolm X evolved, he started to pull away from many of the extremist ideas taught by Elijah Muhammad and the Nation of Islam. Malcolm X's break with Muhammad may have been hastened by his discovery that his idol and leader, a man who advocated celibacy before marriage and faithfulness during marriage, was having affairs with several Nation of Islam women, some of whom had children by him.

Also, after his journey to Mecca, Malcolm X began to view Islam as a more peaceful and all-inclusive religion that included all races, even blonde and blue-eyed whites. In fact, his more moderate views may have precipitated his 1965 assassination.

A brief biography of Malcolm X

Like many of the African-American works we have read so far, Malcolm X's views expressed in this interview echo the profound loss of identity that persists to this day.

As the class delves into Invisible Man, you will see a continuing loss of identity as the young protagonist grasps for his own sense of identity, which remains elusive and illusive throughout the novel.

Academic Writing--Video and Full Text of President Barack Obama's Victory Speech (November 4, 2008) and Rhetorical Analysis Questions

2010-02-01T03:43:00.000-08:00

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Barack Obama's Presidential Victory Speech

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The text of Barack Obama's 17-minute November 4, 2008, victory speech is breathtaking in its scope and beauty and is considered one of the greatest rhetorical moments in history and echoes Martin Luther King's I Have a Dream speech, also 17 minutes long (which was probably intentional).

Below is the full text of Barack Obama's victory speech to the American people, just after he won the presidency. At the end are some homework questions that I would like you to answer for next week (February 8):

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Hello, Chicago.

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen, by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference.

It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled, Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states.

We are, and always will be, the United States of America.

It's the answer that led those who've been told for so long by so many to be cynical and fearful and doubtful about what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.

It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this date in this election at this defining moment, change has come to America.

A little bit earlier this evening, I received an extraordinarily gracious call from Senator McCain.

Senator McCain fought long and hard in this campaign. And he's fought even longer and harder for the country that he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine. We are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader.

I congratulate him; I congratulate Governor (Sarah) Palin for all that they've achieved. And I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead.

I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart, and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on the train home to Delaware, the vice president-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.

And I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years, the rock of our family, the love of my life, the nation's next first lady Michelle Obama.

Sasha and Malia I love you both more than you can imagine. And you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the new White House.

And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother's watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight. I know that my debt to them is beyond measure.

To my sister Maya, my sister Alma, all my other brothers and sisters, thank you so much for all the support that you've given me. I am grateful to them.

And to my campaign manager, David Plouffe, the unsung hero of this campaign, who built the best--the best political campaign, I think, in the history of the United States of America.

To my chief strategist David Axelrod who's been a partner with me every step of the way. To the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics, you made this happen and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done.

But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to. It belongs to you. It belongs to you.

I was never the likeliest candidate for this office.

We didn't start with much money or many endorsements.

Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington. It began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.

It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give 5 and 10 and 20 to the cause.

It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy, who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep.

It drew strength from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on doors of perfect strangers, and from the millions of Americans who volunteered and organised and proved that more than two centuries later a government of the people, by the people, and for the people has not perished from the Earth.

This is your victory.

And I know you didn't do this just to win an election. And I know you didn't do it for me.

You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime--two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century.

Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us.

There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after the children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage or pay their doctors' bills or save enough for their child's college education.

There's new energy to harness, new jobs to be created, new schools to build, and threats to meet, alliances to repair.

The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there.

I promise you, we as a people will get there.

There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president. And we know the government can't solve every problem.

But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And, above all, I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation, the only way it's been done in America for 221 years-- block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.

What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter cannot end on this autumn night.

This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were.

It can't happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice.

So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other.

Let us remember that, if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers.

In this country, we rise or fall as one nation, as one people. Let's resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long.

Let's remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House, a party founded on the values of self-reliance and individual liberty and national unity.

Those are values that we all share. And while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress.

As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, we are not enemies but friends. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.

And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your president, too.

And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces, to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of the world, our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand.

To those--to those who would tear the world down: We will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security: We support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright: Tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope.

That's the true genius of America: that America can change. Our union can be perfected. What we've already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight's about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing: Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.

She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons--because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.

And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America - the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.

[Audience: "Yes we can"]

At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.

[Audience: "Yes we can"]

When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs, a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.

[Audience: "Yes we can"]

When the bombs fell on our harbour and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.

[Audience: "Yes we can"]

She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that "We Shall Overcome." Yes we can.

[Audience: "Yes we can"]

A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination.

And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change.

Yes we can.

[Audience: "Yes we can"]

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves--if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?

This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment.

This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can.

[Audience: "Yes we can"]

Thank you. God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America.

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Rhetorical Analysis of Obama’s Victory Speech
For this speech, one could argue that then President-elect Obama was trying to reach all Americans and the rest of the world, especially those who would do harm to the U.S. To a certain extent, this is true. After a fairly contentious campaign, Obama wanted to try to bring together all Americans and try to heal the wounds inflicted by a campaign that saw a lot of mud-slinging, accusations, and outright lies (on both sides). However, if you take a careful look at the speech, you will discover that Obama was zeroing in on one specific group, which included the following groups:

The American citizen on Election Day who
• Voted enthusiastically for President Barack Obama

• Voted reluctantly for President Barack Obama

• Voted enthusiastically for Senator John McCain

• Voted reluctantly for Senator John McCain

• Voted for other candidates

• Didn’t vote at all
Homework (Submit your answers via email and print out a copy to bring for next week's class[february 8])
1. What is President Obama’s overall thesis?

2. Identify President Obama’s overall intended audience (not necessarily just the audience that was present at the victory rally). Explain your rationale.
• Audience:
--Hostile?

--Undecided?

--Friendly?

--All Americans?
3. Identify Obama’s audience in attendance at the victory rally in Chicago. Explain your rationale.
• Audience:
--Hostile?

--Undecided?

--Friendly?

--All Americans?
4. On which audience does Obama seem most focused?

5. What rhetorical devices does Obama use to develop his argument? (For typical rhetorical devices, see the last page on the handout “What is a Persuasive/Argumentative Essay?”)

6. Which opposing views does Obama recognize, accommodate, and/or refute?

7. What does Obama tell the American voters who did NOT vote for him?

8. At the beginning of the speech, Obama addresses the crowd by saying, “Hello, Chicago.” Why?

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This speech and video are copyright by their respective authors or estates. They have been posted on this site for historical and educational purposes.
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Academic Writing--The Research Challenge!

2010-01-31T13:09:00.000-08:00

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The Research Challenge!

For the Spring 2010 semester, you will have two options for earning your 15 points:

Option 1: Argumentative Essay Final Exam (15 points total) = 15%

OR
Option 2: Argumentative Essay (15 points total)
--(written out of class and submitted in lieu of a final exam): = 15%
--3 drafts (of the same paper, 2 points each) = 6%

--Final version of paper (6 points) = 6%

--Selection of topic, definition of audience,and development of thesis statement (1 point) = 1%

--Development of topic sentences (1 point) = 1%

--Development of counterarguments (1 point) = 1%

Obviously, I believe that Option #2 would be the best choice because you will receive feedback throughout the semester from me and your peers. I suggest that you begin the semester with Option #2 in mind because if it doesn’t work out, you can always switch to Option #1. However, you CANNOT begin with Option #1 and then switch to Option #2.

Option 2 will work best if you submit all your homework in a timely manner. It will do you no good to submit three drafts in the last week of class. I wouldn’t accept them late anyway.

So if you select Option #2, be prepared to attend class regularly and submit all your homework on time. If I see good faith effort on your part, I will work with you.

Option #1

May be a good choice if you have taken this class before (for example, in the U.S. or the U.K.), and already know the subject matter and just need the credits to fulfill a university requirement.

Option #2

May be a good choice if the subject matter is new to you and you have never written this type of essay.

Below I have listed some advantages and disadvantages of both options:

Advantages of Option #1

• If you miss submitting the homework/ assignments associated with the final paper, it won’t affect your final grade.

• Your topic will be selected for you.

• If you anticipate a lot of absences due to conflicts and/or outside jobs, this option will offer you some flexibility.

• For practice, you may still submit the rough draft homework/assignments, so you don’t have to decide right away whether to do Option #1 or #2.

Disadvantages of Option # 1

• The final exam is very difficult and asks you to complete in 90 minutes what the class has been doing all semester. The bar has been raised high on the final examination. If you do not pass this exam, you may end up not passing the course at all.

• You do not get to select your own topic, and you might end up with one that may bore you.

• If you have a bad day (sickness, tiredness, conflicting exam schedule, etc.) on exam day, your entire score is still riding on this one exam.

• You will receive limited feedback on your writing (just on your final).

• Even if you do some of the homework/assignments, the exam will still count 15% (and you will not receive the Option #2 points).

Advantages of Option #2

• Consistent feedback from me and your peers.

• Your 15 points for the semester are not riding on just one exam.

• You get to select your own topic, therefore writing about a subject that interests you.

• You can still begin the semester with this option in mind, but if keeping up becomes a problem, you can still switch to Option #1.

Disadvantages of Option #2

• Submission of homework/ assignments and regular class attendance are mandatory.

• This option will keep you busy all semester, not just at the end.

• If you have too many class and/or job conflicts, this option may not work out (unless you are self-driven and can properly submit the work without being in class).

Academic Writing--Syllabus for Spring 2010

2010-01-31T09:05:00.000-08:00

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The St. Martin's Guide to Writing, 8th edition
(I will use this text for background)
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(Class meets on Monday, 16:20-17:50)
This syllabus is subject to changes, updates, and additions if circumstances warrant it.

On this website, I may also be posting additional exercises and information, so please check here often.

Focus/Scope:

During the spring semester, we will cover techniques for planning and developing an argumentative/persuasive essay. Given that English is a second language for this class, I believe it will be helpful for you to write short in-class passages often, either in groups or individually.

Methodology:

Teaching methods will likely include the following: in-class exercises and writing, peer review, lecture, and objective final exam OR one out-of-class Argumentative Essay based on the *“Research Challenge” (You will receive a separate handout regarding this challenge).

Evaluation:

The final writing examination OR the “Research Challenge” for this class will count as 15% of your Spring semester score for third-year academic writing. (The two main courses will account for the other 85%, and your other professors will evaluate that percentage.) Breakdown:
Argumentative Essay Exam (15 points total) = 15%

OR

Argumentative/Persuasive Essay (*“Research Challenge”):

3 drafts (of the same paper, 2 points each) = 6%

Final version of paper = 6%

Selection of topic, definition of audience,
and development of thesis statement = 1%

Development of possible topic sentences = 1%

Development of counterarguments = 1%
15 TOTAL POINTS = 15%

Plagiarism:

Avoid the temptation of cutting and pasting passages from the internet and other sources in your paper without adding quotations and internal citations. If your submitted final paper or final exam essay is plagiarized in any way, you will lose all 15 points, and your name will be submitted to Professor Oncevska.

Attendance:

If you select the Research Challenge, attendance is necessary, given that you will be writing in class and working, both alone and in groups, on exercises related to your paper. Therefore, I will continue keeping attendance records. If, for any reason, you must be absent, please ask a colleague for any notes or handouts (except the major handouts–I will keep those for you). Also, check this website for updates.

Submission of homework:

Last semester, most of you were able to submit your work electronically, and I found that, generally, this has worked out very well.

Therefore, I am going to ask that you try to submit your drafts electronically, instead of handing in paper copies.

When you submit electronically, I will read it on the computer and make comments directly on screen. I will return your work and my comments electronically. In any case, please bring print versions of your drafts to class for any impromptu exercises.

To make electronic submission much easier, I have revised the submission protocol:

1. If you use Microsoft Word, you still must submit a .doc or .docx file as an attachment; I’m just not set up to accept any other type of word processing program. So, please, do NOT submit any other kind of file! Make sure your full name is on the attached file, upper right hand corner preferred.

2. You may submit your electronic submissions single-spaced. I will convert it to triple spacing on my end when I mark your letters and essays.

3. If you do not have access to Microsoft Word (or if you have a version that offers only limited use), you may submit your work in the body of your e-mail message. I will move it to a Microsoft Word file and give you a print out of your marked essay.

4. An alternative to Microsoft Word: Google documents, which is a FREE open-source word processing program, accessible from any browser, from anywhere in the world:
Keyword phrase in browser: “Google Docs” or “Google Documents”
On Google Docs, your document is stored online and accessible no matter where you are, so no need to carry around a flash drive.

You will need a gmail account, however, and you will need to submit that gmail address to me. Also, I’m still learning this application, so be patient if I make errors. My gmail address is msjennifersiegel [at] gmail.com, same user ID I use for my Yahoo! email.

However, if you are without internet, you may still submit a typed paper document, but be aware that I seem to offer better and more detailed comments electronically. In addition, my comments to you are more readable.
For paper copies, homework must be typed--no handwritten work, please. I will not accept it. Homework submitted in paper form must be double-spaced (with your name in the upper right-hand corner). Please staple your pages together.

You must submit your assignments on time; each exercise and homework assignment leads into the next skill and unit. Therefore, this course will not work well if you try to submit all your assignments during the last week of class. In fact, I will not accept a pile of late work at the end of the semester.

Materials:

Department handouts, this website, and other materials as needed.

I will post additional handouts on the website, distribute copies in class, or place items on reserve in the library. You will also need the APA guide, which we used last semester.

Supplies:

Please bring writing supplies to class, including a notebook, loose paper for in-class writing, and pencils or pens, so that you don’t find yourself in the embarrassing position of having to beg your colleagues for supplies.

Semester Folder:

You are responsible for keeping your handouts, in-class writing, submitted and graded assignments, drafts, class notes, and syllabus well-organized and bringing them to class each week.

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Schedule:

This is a preliminary schedule, subject to updates, changes, and additions as warranted.
Week 1:
Introduction to semester. Updated and new questionnaire. Distribute “President Obama’s Victory Speech” and “What is a Argumentative/ Persuasive Essay?” Discussion of Argumentative/Persuasive essay.
Week 2:
Homework: questions on the last page of the Obama speech. Preliminary research, three areas to consider: 1. Discussion of sources (print and electronic): books, scholarly journals, newspapers, popular magazines, and niche publications. 2. Defining validity/ credibility of sources. Important questions to consider: Who is the author? What are his/her credentials? Is the author writing from his/her position of authority within his/her specified field of expertise? 3. What is the validity/credibility of the publication itself in terms of authority and reputation? Choosing a topic, defining your audience, and developing a thesis.
Week 3:
Homework: Choosing a topic, defining your audience, and developing a thesis (1 point). Topic sentences and body paragraphs.
Week 4:
Homework: Topic sentences and body paragraphs (1 point). Counterarguments.
Week 5:
Homework: Counterarguments (1 point). The introduction and the conclusion. Drafting: Putting it all together.
Week 6:
Homework: First Draft due (2 points).
Week 7:
Bring a copy of your first draft to class for possible peer review.
Week 8:
Homework: Second Draft due (2 points).
Week 9:
Bring a copy of your second draft to class for peer review.
Week 10:
Homework: Third Draft due (2 points).
Week 11:
Bring a copy of your third draft to class for peer review.
Week 12:
Catch-up week.
Week 13:
Bring a copy of your preliminary revision of final version for peer review.
Exam Week:
Final Writing Exam (Option #1) OR Submission of Final Argumentative Essay (Option #2)
* * *
If you have any questions/concerns, e-mail or see me after class or during my office hour.

Also, if there is ANYTHING in this syllabus or ANYTHING I say in or out of class that you don’t understand, please ask me, either in person or via e-mail. This includes definitions of words, cultural references, slang, historical facts, etc.

In the U.S., we have a saying: “The only stupid question is the question left unasked.”

So please ask. That’s why I’m here.

American Literature--Syllabus for Spring 2010

2010-01-28T03:12:00.000-08:00

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The Color Purple (Alice Walker)
________________________________________________________________________

(African-American Focus)

Class meets on Monday, 11:20-12:50 (My Office)

Alternate meeting time and place: To be arranged

This syllabus is subject to change if circumstances warrant it. Before offering you a final book list, I would like to meet with you first to discuss options. You will receive a print copy of this syllabus, so there is no need to print this out.

Focus/scope:

For Spring 2010, we will finish up covering a few short works, which can be found in African-American Literature: an Anthology, on reserve in the library--mainly an excerpt from The Autobiography of Malcolm X (Malcolm X). Then we will read and discuss book-length works.

I will definitely assign Invisible Man in its entirety (Ralph Ellison) and The Color Purple (Alice Walker). While Invisible Man is a bit complex and long, I have brought a literary criticism text about the book. The Color Purple is fairly easy, and I also have the film.

I am considering the following books (but will assign only one of them): Black Boy (Richard Wright), Native Son (Richard Wright), Their Eyes Were Watching God (Zora Neale Hurston), and The Bluest Eye (Toni Morrison).

Please let me know if there are any other books by African-American writers that you would like me to consider. Just make sure that there are two copies in the Library, one for me and one for reserve.

Methodology:

Teaching methods will likely include the following: class discussion and exercises, lecture, guest speakers, film and music, reader's theater, optional outside lectures and events (for example, The American Corner), and written final exam.

Evaluation:

Written Final Exam* = 50%

Two short response papers = 40%

Class participation = 10%

Total = 100% (10 points)

*An oral exam will be optional. If your score on your written exam is good, then you will not need to participate in an oral exam. If, however, your score is borderline, then we will set up an oral exam during the exam period in May.

Attendance:

Regular attendance is highly recommended, for we will likely be discussing some background material that does not appear in the texts. If, for any reason, you must be absent, please ask a colleague for any class notes or handouts. Also, check the website for updates.

Submission of response papers:

Last semester, most of you were able to submit your response papers electronically, and I found that, generally, this has worked out very well.

Therefore, I am going to ask that you try to submit your response papers electronically, instead of handing in paper copies.

When you submit electronically, I will read it on the computer and make comments directly on screen. I will return your work and my comments electronically. In any case, please bring print versions of your drafts to class for any impromptu exercises.

But if you are without internet, you may still submit a typed paper document, but be aware that I seem to offer better and more detailed comments electronically. In addition, my comments to you are more readable.

For paper copies, please double space, place your first and last name on the upper right hand corner, and staple your pages together.

To make electronic submission much easier, I have revised the submission protocol:
1. If you use Microsoft Word, you still must submit a .doc or .docx file as an attachment; I'm just not set up to accept any other type of word processing program. So, please, do NOT submit any other kind of file! Make sure your full name is on the attached file, upper right hand corner preferred.

2. You may submit your electronic submissions single-spaced. I will convert it to triple spacing on my end when I mark your essays.

3. If you do not have access to Microsoft Word (or if you have a version that offers only limited use), you may submit your work in the body of your e-mail message. I will move it to a Microsoft Word file and give you a print out of your marked essay.

4. An alternative to Microsoft Word: Google Docs, which is a FREE open-source word processing program, accessible from any browser, from anywhere in the world:
Keyword phrase in browser: Google Docs or Google Documents
On Google Docs, your document is stored online and accessible no matter where you are, so no need to carry around a flash drive.

You will need a gmail account, however, and you will need to submit that gmail address to me. Also, I'm still learning this application, so be patient if I make errors. My gmail address is here, same user ID I use for my Yahoo! email.
You must submit your two short response papers on time; please let me know in advance if you are having difficulties writing your papers so that we can work out any issues that you may be having as a non-native speaker and writer of English. Some of you have attended American universities, so you understand how American professors are obsessed with perfect English and deadlines. Often, we bring our Americanisms overseas with us, sometimes forgetting that you are writing in a foreign language. Please gently remind me from time to time.

In any case, please bring a typed version of your response papers to class because you will likely be sharing your responses with your peers.

Books and other materials:

African-American Literature: An Anthology, Second Edition, Eds. Demetrice A. Worley and Jesse Perry, Jr., Lincolnwood (IL): NTC Publishing Group. 1998. (Very limited use this semester). Other books and materials:
The Color Purple, Alice Walker.

Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison.

One other book (to be determined later).

Other materials as needed (handouts, reserve, and website)

Supplies:

Please bring writing supplies to class, including a notebook, loose paper for in-class writing, and pencils or pens.

* * *
Schedule:

The following is a preliminary schedule, which will be updated as soon as I add another book to it. This schedule will be updated, changed, and expanded as needed; Check this website often, for I will regularly be posting new materials.
Week 1:
Introduction to semester. Class discussion regarding one more book for the semester. Update questionnaire or questionnaire for new students. "Straightening Our Hair," Bell Hooks.
Week 2:
Excerpts from The Autobiography of Malcolm X. "To Mississippi Youth," 310-316 (Malcolm X), from African-American Literature Anthology (AAL) and untitled. Reread "I Have a Dream," 317-321 (Martin Luther King, Jr.), from AAL.

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Week 3:
The Color Purple (Alice Walker), about the first 1/3 of the book. Film/ Discussion.
Week 4:
The Color Purple (Alice Walker), about the second 1/3 of the book. Film/ Discussion.
Week 5:
The Color Purple (Alice Walker), the last 1/3 of the book. Film/ Discussion.

Invisible Man (Ralph Ellison)

____________________________________________________________________

Week 6:
If needed, wrap up The Color Purple (Alice Walker). Discussion. Invisible Man (Ralph Ellison), Prologue - Chapter 3. Discussion/Documentary.
Week 7:
Invisible Man (Ralph Ellison), Chapter 4 - Chapter 11. Discussion/Documentary.
Week 8:
Invisible Man (Ralph Ellison), Chapter 12 - Chapter 18. Discussion.
Week 9:
Invisible Man (Ralph Ellison), Chapter 19 - Epilogue. Discussion.
Week 10:
If needed, wrap up Invisible Man (Ralph Ellison). Discussion. (Second half of class: To be determined or TBD.)
Week 11:
TBD.
Week 12:
TBD.
Week 13:
TBD.
Final Week:
Exam or other activity (exact day and time: TBD).

* * *
If you have any questions/concerns, e-mail or see me after class or during my office hour.

Also, if there is ANYTHING in this syllabus or ANYTHING I say in or out of class that you don't understand, please ask me, either in person or via e-mail. This includes definitions of words, cultural references, slang, historical facts, etc.

In the U.S., we have a saying: "The only stupid question is the question left unasked."

So please ask. That's why I'm here.

* * *

Creative Writing--Some Links for Spring 2010

2010-01-25T16:52:00.000-08:00

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A Pistol is Fired (see Chapter 12 of I, Driven)
_______________________________________________________________________

I have posted some items and links for Creative Writing:

Syllabus (Spring 2010)

Elements of Non-fiction

Private vs. Public Writing

Chapter Eight (or "Rudy"), from I, Driven: memoir of a teen's involuntary commitment (Jennifer Semple Siegel)

The Politics of Memoir (A rather long essay that explains how I approached writing I, Driven, my memoir)

Creative Writing: Private vs. Public Writing

2010-01-25T15:43:00.000-08:00

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(1) Purpose: Private Writing as Therapy and/or Catharsis

There is nothing inherently wrong with expressing private writing in a journal, which is a good way to express emotion without worrying about the typical "writerly" concerns, such as form, structure, originality, and avoidance of trite language and clichés.

The writer should NOT be concerned with the artistry of private writing.

The writer’s primary purpose is to get the emotion down on paper, to express it, and, perhaps, derive some therapeutic value from the exercise.

The writer knows NOT to share this draft of the piece with others (except, perhaps, a trained psychologist who is working with the writer in therapy), although the writer may use the private writing as a jumping off point for a semi-public or even a public piece.

A creative writing teacher should NOT be asked to evaluate private writing, unless the writer is prepared to hear a critique (from an artistic standpoint) and is willing to revise it into public writing. Otherwise, submitting such writing is an exercise in futility and a waste of time.

(2) Purpose: Semi-Public Writing for Possible Revision

The writer begins to consider artistry, but most semi-public writing doesn’t move past this level. Writers should expect many false starts.

The writer may show his/her the semi-public writing to one particular person, perhaps the subject of the piece.

The writer may show the writing to a close circle of friends, a writing group, or a therapist.

The writer who shows a semi-public piece to family, lover/spouse, and close friends should not expect an objective critique because the people who love the writer are usually biased. Generally, psychologists are not trained to judge therapeutic writing from an artistic standpoint, and probably wouldn’t address such concerns anyway. On the other hand, the writer should expect an objective critique from a writing group.

The writer may submit, as a draft, a semi-public piece to a creative writing teacher, but, again, the writer must be prepared to hear a critique (from an artistic standpoint) and be willing to revise. Otherwise, submitting a semi-public work is an exercise in futility and a waste of time.

(3) Purpose: Revised Public Writing for Submission

The writer has revised the piece for Final Portfolio and/or publication submission, paying special attention to form, structure, originality, and avoidance of trite language and clichés. The piece is ready to make its public debut. If the writer submits the piece to a creative writing teacher as part of a final portfolio, the piece should be ready for a final grade.

The writer may submit the public piece to a creative writing teacher for an opinion, but, again, the writer must be prepared to hear a critique (from an artistic standpoint) and, perhaps, be willing to revise it. If the writer feels the piece is finished, then he/she should NOT submit the public writing as a draft. Otherwise, submitting it as a draft is an exercise in futility and a waste of time.

The writer, keeping in mind that the publication game is a crap shoot, may submit a public piece to a publication, but should be prepared for three possibilities: acceptance, rejection, or an editor’s request for a revision.

At this point, it’s up to the writer to decide whether or not to revise.

(4) Purpose: Published Work for Critique and/or Possible Republication

The published piece has already made its public debut, having been published in a national or regional glossy magazine, anthology, or literary magazine.

The writer should NOT submit published work to a creative writing teacher for a critique, unless the writer (1) discloses the piece’s publication history, (2) is open to critique, AND (3) intends to revise the work for republication. Otherwise, submitting such work is an exercise in futility and a waste of time.

The writer should NOT submit a published piece to another publication, unless the writer knows that the publication is open to reprinting previously published work. The writer MUST disclose a work’s previous publication(s) in the cover letter, even if it appeared only in an undergraduate literary magazine.

In short, it is unethical to submit work without disclosing its previous publication history.

Creative and Academic Writing--Elements of Non-fiction

2010-01-25T14:57:00.000-08:00

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What is Non-fiction?

Non-fiction is writing that is expository and/or descriptive, having to do with ideas, issues, actual events, and/or real people.

However, creative non-fiction borrows elements from fiction, poetry, and drama: plot structure of a true story, dialogue (re-created), “character development” of real people, scenes, summary, and description.

Types of Non-fiction: Narrative Non-fiction and Rhetorical Non-fiction. However, the dividing line between these two types of non-fiction is often fuzzy.
Narrative Non-fiction:
Diary: a more intimate, personal, and private chronology of events that is presented sequentially–mostly chronicles personal feelings.

Journal: tends to be a more public forum, the writer being more concerned with ideas and the world at large.

Literary Journal: direct responses to other texts, based on feelings, emotions, imitation, and/or analyses. Often used by writers for getting ideas of their own.

Letter: informal or formal message written directly to a family member, a friend, an acquaintance, or a stranger. Letters of famous people are often published in collections.

Epistle: a more formal version of the letter, often intended for public dissemination (publication and/or public speech). As such, the epistle usually addresses public issues, such as religion and politics.

Biography: a chronology of a famous or distinguished person’s life, written by a biographer other than the person whose life is being chronicled. Typically, a biography attempts to cover the person’s entire life.

Literary Biography: a specialized type of biography in which a writer’s life story is told from the perspective of his or her body of literary works.

Autobiography: a writer’s (usually a famous or noted person), version of his or her own life. Typically, the writer attempts to cover his or her entire life thus far.

Memoir: a writer’s (not necessarily a famous or noted person) attempt to emphasize events and/or people he or she has experienced and/or known from his/her own perspective. A memoir does not usually cover an entire life, but, rather, emphasizes key events and people. Memoirs tend to resemble fiction, and, in fact, some memoir writers have been accused of stretching the truth (see James Frey, A Million Little Pieces).
Rhetorical Non-fiction presents facts and ideas in such a way to persuade a reader of a viewpoint.
Journalistic prose: reportage that goes beyond the simple reporting of events; thus, the writer takes and supports a position and then write a piece for publication.

Descriptive prose: writing that is concerned with the physical world: sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell. Also known as “sensory” writing.

Expository prose: writing that explains, offers information, and/or defends a viewpoint. Research is often involved. Often the line dividing the following can be fuzzy:
Argumentative/Issue/Persuasive: writing that defends/supports a viewpoint on a controversial issue.

Informative: writing that is intended to offer information on a subject–usually noncontroversial–without making major judgments on an issue.

Process: writing that explains how something works (informative process) or how to do something (directive process)
Essay: a term for a piece of nonfiction prose that has an introduction, a body, and a conclusion–a complete work.
Informal essay: writing that is more personal, tentative, or subjective–not the “last word” on a topic. Language/tone/register tends to be informal/casual. Creative non-fiction falls into this category.

Formal essay: writing that is serious in tone/register, objective, and formally structured. Extensive research of issues is usually involved.
Parts of the Formal Essay (Traditional Five or Six Paragraph Format):

Introduction: the beginning of the essay that introduces the topic and attracts the reader’s attention by offering an anecdote, story, or scenario.

Thesis: the major claim (position of the writer) or what the essayist plans to cover.

Explicit Thesis: the major claim or topic of essay that is stated directly in a clear and concise sentence.

Implicit Thesis: the major claim or topic of essay that is implied throughout the essay–not directly stated.
Body: the “meat” of the essay, the evidence to support the thesis, which is offered to the reader, such as research, statistics, interviews, and solid reasoning/inferences.

Counterarguments: in an issue essay, recognition, refutation, and/or
accommodation of opposing viewpoints. Usually not needed for the informative essay, but a very powerful rhetorical device for controversial topics.

Conclusion: the ending that wraps up the essay by restating the thesis in different words and sometimes offering an extra “nugget” for the reader for further thinking.

Creative Writing: Syllabus--Spring 2010

2010-01-25T13:19:00.000-08:00

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Syllabus for Creative Writing–Spring 2010

(Focus on Creative Non-fiction)

(Class meets on Tuesday, 13:00-14:30)

Focus/Scope:

We will cover techniques for writing creative non-fiction (with emphasis on flash non-fiction, a genre that focuses on short short creative non-fiction, 250-1,500 words, give or take). Given that English is a second language for this class, I believe it will be helpful for you to concentrate on writing weekly short short creative non-fiction in draft form and then selecting the two best drafts for a final portfolio, perhaps developing short shorts into longer pieces for revision.

You will come to this class with a certain level of anxiety. THIS IS NORMAL because you will be putting your work, much of it in draft form, out there for others to read and critique. ALL creative writers feel anxious about allowing others to critique their work; even published writers AND your instructor are not immune to this anxiety and fear.

Each group of students is different, so it is difficult to make accurate assumptions about your particular class and abilities of individual writers; some of you may be ready to write longer stories, others may not, so we will begin with short pieces and make adjustments as needed. As we say in the U.S., “Let’s play it by ear.”

However, the Fall session involving Flash Fiction was very successful, so my expectations may have been set very high.

Methodology:

Teaching methods will likely include the following: some in-class writing (mostly at the beginning of the semester), class critique of individual pieces, some discussion of published essays, writing drafts, public readings of your own work, and final portfolio development based on two drafts of your required four drafts.

Beginning Week #2, I will e-mail to the class a “writing prompt,” which is simply a creative and focused way of circumventing the dreaded “writer’s block” that just about every creative writer has experienced. Some of your own creative essays may arise from one or more of these prompts, or you may find your work going into another direction entirely. This is okay–whatever works for you.

Please do not feel obligated to use the prompts; they are just tools for writers. Last semester, some wonderful work emerged from the prompts, but other wonderful stories emerged without any prompt help.

Beginning week #3, we will start class critique of individual essays. My goal: to try to offer two critiques for each writer, even if we have to meet one or two extra sessions to accomplish this goal. You will NOT be assigned to a workshop group.

In Week #2, you will start submitting electronic drafts to me (see “Submission of Drafts, Revised Draft, and Final Portfolio,” next page).

Evaluation:

Final Portfolio: (2 essays, revised from 2 drafts) = 70%

Four drafts (from 8 assigned) = 20%

Class participation (class discussion of essays) = 10%

------Total = 100% (10 points)

Attendance:

Attendance is necessary, given that you will be writing in class and engaging in class critiques. If, for any reason, you must be absent, please ask a colleague for any notes or handouts. Also, check the website for updates.

Submission of Drafts and Final Portfolio:

Last semester, most of you were able to submit your work electronically, and I found that, generally, this has worked out very well.

Therefore, I am going to ask that you try to submit your drafts electronically, instead of handing in paper copies.

When you submit electronically, I will read it on the computer and make comments directly on screen. I will return your work and my comments electronically. In any case, please bring print versions of your drafts to class for any impromptu exercises.

But if you are without internet, you may still submit a typed paper document, but be aware that I seem to offer better and more detailed comments electronically. In addition, my comments to you are more readable.

For paper copies, please double space and staple your pages together.

To make electronic submission much easier, I have revised the submission protocol:
1. If you use Microsoft Word, you still must submit a .doc or .docx file as an attachment; I’m just not set up to accept any other type of word processing program. So, please, do NOT submit any other kind of file! Make sure your full name is on the attached file, upper right hand corner preferred.

2. You may submit your electronic submissions single-spaced. I will convert it to triple spacing on my end when I mark your essays.

3. If you do not have access to Microsoft Word (or if you have a version that offers only limited use), you may submit your work in the body of your e-mail message. I will move it to a Microsoft Word file and give you a print out of your marked essay.

4. An alternative to Microsoft Word: Google Docs, which is a FREE open-source word processing program, accessible from any browser, from anywhere in the world.
Keyword phrase in browser: “Google Docs” or “Google Documents”

On Google Docs, your document is stored online and accessible no matter where you are, so no need to carry around a flash drive.

You will need a gmail account, however, and you will need to submit that gmail address to me. Also, I’m still learning this application, so be patient if I make errors. Link to my gmail address, the same user ID I use for my Yahoo! email.
You must submit drafts on time; this class will not work well if you try to submit your all your drafts at the end of the semester.

You will be required to submit FOUR drafts of the EIGHT assigned, so you may abstain from submitting four drafts. That way, you will have more control over your deadlines.
Textbooks:
What If? Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers: Revised and Expanded Edition, Anne Bernays and Pamela Painter. New York: Harper Collins College Publishers, 1995.
Although What If? focuses on fiction, creative non-fiction often incorporates fictional techniques, such as description, dialogue, plot, and characterization. (On reserve at the department library.)
Life Writing, Winifred Bryan Horner. Upper Saddle River (New Jersey): Blair Press, 1997. (Select essays, to be distributed. I have only one copy of this text.)

Handouts: “Elements of Non-fiction” and “Private vs. Public Writing.” Other materials will be distributed as needed.
Supplies:
Please bring writing supplies to class, including a notebook, loose paper for in-class writing, and pencils or pens, so that you don’t find yourself in the embarrassing position of having to beg your colleagues for supplies.
Semester Folder:
You are responsible for keeping your in-class writing, drafts, class notes, handouts, and syllabus well-organized and bringing them to class each week. You will create a lot of writing this semester; thus, I recommend that you buy a folder or ringed notebook so that organizing your materials will be easy and effective. Bring all your cumulative work with you to every class.
* * *Schedule:
This is your semester schedule, subject to change if circumstances warrant it. This schedule is also posted on my website and will be updated, changed, and expanded as needed: www.MsSiegel.com. I may also be posting additional exercises and information.

Week 1:
Introduction to Course. Questionnaire (for new students) and syllabus. Handouts: “Elements of non-Fiction” and “Public vs. Private Writing.” In-class writing exercise: “Three Vitally Important Facts about Yourself.” Short non-fiction: “Straightening Our Hair,” Bell Hooks, and “Chapter Eight,” from I, Driven, Jennifer Semple Siegel.
Week 2:
Draft due (1) (500-1,000 words). Prompt #1.
Week 3:
Draft due (2) (500-1,000 words). Prompt #2. Class Critique of two drafts.
Week 4:
Draft due (3) (500-1,000 words). Prompt #3. Class Critique of two drafts.
Week 5:
Draft due (4) (500-1,000 words). Prompt #4. Class Critique of two drafts.
Week 6:
Draft due (5) (500-1,000 words). Prompt #5. Class Critique of two drafts.
Week 7:
Draft due (6) (500-1,000 words). Prompt #6. Class Critique of two drafts.
Week 8:
Draft due (7) (500-1,000 words). Prompt #7. Class Critique of two drafts.
Week 9:
Draft due (8) (500-1,000 words). Prompt #8. Class Critique of two drafts.
Week 10:
Revision: Rewriting is Writing. Final Portfolio Instructions: Revise TWO of your drafts and submit on or before May 11, 2010. Class Critique of two drafts.
Week 11:
Class Critique of two drafts.
Week 12:
Class Critique of two drafts.
Week 13:
Class Critique of two drafts.
Last Week:
Submission of Final Portfolio by Tuesday, May 11, 2010.
***
If you have any questions/concerns, e-mail or see me after class or during my office hour.

Also, if there is ANYTHING in this syllabus or ANYTHING I say in or out of class that you don’t understand, please ask me, either in person or via e-mail. This includes definitions of words, cultural references, slang, historical facts, etc.

In the U.S., we have a saying: “The only stupid question is the question left unasked.”

So please ask. That’s why I’m here.

American Literature--Epilogue to August Wilson's The Piano Lesson (Daniela Atanasova)

2010-01-13T09:57:00.000-08:00

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[The following epilogue was written by Daniela Atanasova, a third-year English Language and Literature student at Ss. Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje, as a response to The Piano Lesson, by August Wilson.]

Epilogue to August Wilson's The Piano Lesson
(Three years later. Afternoon. BERNIECE is playing a score that sounds like a spiritual on the piano in Doaker’s living room. The door opens and a young girl enters wearing a school bag. BERNIECE ceases playing.)
MARETHA
Go on playing, Mama…Was that a new one?

BERNIECE
Yeah…I’ve been practicing it on and off since this morning. We’re performing it at next month’s concert. How was school today?

MARETHA
My math teacher said I did surprisingly well on the test, so he might let me off the final exam.

BERNIECE
That’s a smart girl!

MARETHA
It wasn’t too hard. Math’s quite easy, but bores me to death. I’m so happy I won’t have to deal with equations again.

BERNIECE
Don’t ask me about equations. Can’t help you there. All I could ever do was scrubbing and sweeping and cooking the dinner.

MARETHA
No one cooks it better than Uncle Doaker, though. I miss him.

BERNIECE
Yeah, the house is not the same without him.

MARETHA
And, Mom, you play the piano beautifully, like no one else I know. Go on, play that song again. And then I’ll tell you about the books my literature teacher told us to read. She is white, you know, and really nice. Says I got talent…
(BERNIECE smiles and starts playing again. But soon, a knock is heard on the front door. Maretha goes to see who it is and enters with WINING BOY.)
MARETHA
Look, Mama, it’s Uncle Wining Boy!

WINING BOY
Well, good day to y’all! Maretha, my love, you’ve grown so…and grown even prettier! Berniece, you gonna have to look after her, boys will be going crazy soon, I can see that.

BERNIECE
Oh, Wining Boy. Just talking and talking as always! It’s so good to see you! Maretha, get that chair for Uncle Wining Boy.

WINING BOY
Berniece dear, it’s true, a man can’t tell the difference between you two any more, she as pretty as you! And you as young as always. (Sits down.) Ah, the good old place.

BERNIECE
(Laughs.) Can’t say it ain’t so…Lord, Wining Boy, it’s been a long time! Last time you were here was when we drove away Sutter’s ghost…I’d swear you people come all at once and make a row, and then go and forget about us for three years and more. How have you been? Would you like some dinner?

WINING BOY
Sure, but later. I need some rest from that damn train ride. Forgot how long it takes. But where’s Doaker? Get the old fool here.

BERNIECE
Doaker is…on vacation.

WINING BOY
Doaker on vacation?! Boy, things have changed!

BERNIECE
After thirty years in the railroad he done deserved it. He got a letter from Coreen to go visit her up New York. I think she must be sick or something, otherwise why would she suddenly remember to write, when he hadn’t heard of her for years. She used to be real proud, Coreen was.

MARETHA
First he didn’t wanna go, but I convinced him. One needs some rest from time to time. And adventure too…It must be wonderful to see New York! I’m gonna go there soon, when I go to college.

WINING BOY
College?!

MARETHA
Yeah, I wanna be a writer!

WINING BOY
Why, Berniece, you got quite some ambition to handle there. No one of our family has even gone to college or become a writer.

BERNIECE
Well, I’ve always hoped she’ll have a better life. And her teacher says she got talent, and with her good grades she can get some scholarships.

WINING BOY
But how are you getting by on your own? I thought you’d gone and married Avery and become a rich Ma’am by now. Is he still preaching?

BERNIECE
I never said I was going to marry Avery. Besides, he’s now married to the widow who’s teaching Sunday school at his church. Avery’s the same as always. His church is doing well, though. Started a choir and all. I play the piano for them, and I even get paid. With that and the piano lessons I give, we’re doing fine. I don’t go to rich people’s houses to clean any more, praise the Lord! And Doaker said he’ll help out if Maretha goes to college. He done so much for us already.

WINING BOY
That sure is good news! You ended up musician too, Berniece! We should play duets, if you are up to it. But jazz, not that church stuff! I wish I could help you out too, but, you see, I don’t have a cent. I have something else, though…I got me a woman, Berniece…

BERNIECE
(Laughs.) Like that’s something new.

WINING BOY
But, for real you know…When a man grows old, he oughtn’t to be alone. She is a kind heart, not like Cleotha…but kind. Gone tell me not to drink and gamble, but at least lets me play for her. She real nice, you should come down and meet her…

BERNIECE
I’m happy for you Wining Boy! You should’ve brought her over…

WINING BOY
Hey, how’s that Lymon kid doing?

BERNIECE
Rambling around. Can’t hold on to a job. Haven’t seen him for a while. Maybe he’s gone and married some of his girlfriends. He’s got a new one every week.

WINING BOY
He probably hasn’t found the right one. Or she hasn’t noticed him.

BERNIECE
Anyway, Boy Willie called last week. Scared me to death as usual. He the same as you, disappearing for so long you almost forget about him, and then comes out of the blue, shouting as if he owns the place. Always been like that. I thought he would start about that piano again, but he didn’t. He wanted me to play for him. And went ranting about some new business he was going to start.

WINING BOY
He a good boy. Something is bound to work out for him these days. But I’m glad you didn’t sell the old piano.

BERNIECE
Yeah, Maretha didn’t take to it, but it sure done me a lot of good.

WINING BOY
Well, come on, play us some blues.

BERNIECE
Later. Let Maretha read to us now. Every evening she reads her books to me. They mighty fine, even the parts I don’t understand. Her father and her grandparents would have been proud.

WINING BOY
I’m sure they would. Let’s see what you got, Maretha girl.

MARETHA
Let me get my books!

(She runs up the stairs and the lights go down to black. The piano is heard playing in the background.)

THE END

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INSTRUCTOR'S NOTE
I love offering prequel/sequel assignments as options for response papers because

1. Such exercises allow literature students to develop something creative without having to invest a large amount of time trying to come up with an original idea.

2. If a student can create a plausible prequel/sequel to a piece of literature, then I can easily determine if the student truly understands the original work. Besides, it is always interesting to see a creative mind at work, even if the student is not a "creative writer" in the traditional sense.

Over the years, I have had many students tell me that they have never written anything creative (for example, a story, poem, play, or creative non-fiction) in their lives and that the creative response option offered them a opportunity to try something new.

I have had at least one student who decided to start writing poetry and continues to this day.

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WORK CONSULTED
Wilson, August. The Piano Lesson. Rpt. in Literature and Society:
-----An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, Nonfiction, 4th Ed. Eds. Pamela
-----J. Annas and Robert C. Rosen. Upper Saddle River (NJ): Pearson-Prentice Hall,
-----2007. 809-879.

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To All My Students: Best Wishes for a New Year and Merry Christmas!

2010-01-03T07:48:00.000-08:00

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On "New" Christmas, my husband, a friend, and I took a walk to center city, and I shot this footage:

About this video
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Enjoy!

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Academic Writing--Summarizing and Paraphrasing: Merging Two Texts (12/21 Group Exercises, Marked Up)

2009-12-23T05:25:00.000-08:00

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The following groups have submitted their in-class exercise from 12/21 and are now ready for viewing:

Group 2: Merged Texts B & D

Click on image for a larger view.
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Group 3: Merged Texts C & D

Click on image for a larger view.
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Group 5: Merged Texts A & B

Click on image for a larger view.
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American Literature--Barack Obama's Victory Speech (Chicago, November 4, 2008)

2009-12-21T16:25:00.000-08:00

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Barack Obama Delivers His Victory Speech Shortly After Being Elected President.

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I have posted President Obama's November 4, 2008, victory speech because he is considered to be one of the greatest orators of the 21st century, a skill that was, no doubt, instrumental in his election.

On August 28, 1963, as he delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech, Martin Luther King, Jr., could not have imagined that just 45 years later, an African-American would be elected President of the United States, for text of "I Have a Dream" suggests that true equality would be a long and arduous road.

There are still racial difficulties, of course, but President Obama's election has been a stunning step forward for all minorities in the U.S.

The full text of President Obama's victory speech and Reverend King's "I Have a Dream" speech can be found here.

(Disclaimer: 44 is my website, and it's a bit biased.)

Also, a YouTube video of "I Have a Dream" has been embedded in this non-profit site, just in case you can not make the 12/22 class. Unfortunately, the video can be difficult to load.
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American Literature--"I Hear America Singing" (Walt Whitman, 1819-1892) and "I, Too" (Langston Hughes, 1902-1967)

2009-12-21T14:20:00.000-08:00

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"I Hear America Singing" (Walt Whitman)

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I suspect that "I, Too," by Langston Hughes, is a response to Walt Whitman's "I Hear America Singing":

I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear;

Those of mechanics—each one singing his, as it should be, blithe and strong;

The carpenter singing his, as he measures his plank or beam,

The mason singing his, as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work;

The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat—the deckhand singing on the steamboat deck;

The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench—the hatter singing as he stands;

The wood-cutter's song—the ploughboy's, on his way in the morning, or at the noon intermission, or at sundown;

The delicious singing of the mother—or of the young wife at work—or of the girl sewing or washing—Each singing what belongs to her, and to none else;

The day what belongs to the day—At night, the party of young fellows, robust, friendly,

Singing, with open mouths, their strong melodious songs.

From Leaves of Grass, 1900

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"I, Too" (Written and Read by Langston Hughes)

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Academic Writing—Merging Two Closely Related Texts into a Summary/Paraphrase (For in-class on 12/21 Class)

2009-12-18T12:36:00.000-08:00

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For the 12/21 in-class exercise, each group will work with integrating two closely related texts into one summary and one paraphrase. You will merge the following texts, which can be found in the Unit 2, Part 3 handout.

Group 1:
Texts A and C
Group 2:
Texts B and D
Group 3:
Texts C and D
Group 4:
Texts A and D
Group 5:
Texts A and B

Instructions
1. Designate one reliable person in your group to type and submit your group text to me via email. You may submit this text in the body of an email message.

2. In your summary and paraphrase, please incorporate a signal phrase that includes an APA in-text citation for one of your sources. In addition, include (within your summarized and paraphrased text) in-text citations for both your sources.

3. Using the APA style, create a References list for your two sources.

4. For your reference, please see the text done by Groups 1, 3, and 4, which are marked up with my comments.

5. If you have any questions before Monday's class, please ask. On Monday, I will circulate around the room to help your groups.
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Academic Writing--Summarizing and Paraphrasing (Marked Group Work From 12/14)

2009-12-18T09:04:00.000-08:00

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Thank you, Groups 1, 3, and 4 for submitting the results of your in-class group projects that you did in-class on December 14.

We did this particular group project for two reasons:

1. Practice for you.

2. A platform for me to see what you know and what you need to learn yet, so that we can finish up the semester with the solid summarizing and paraphrasing skills you will for next semester, when you will be writing 5- or 6-paragraph persuasive essays.

I have marked each group's work, using Microsoft Word Markup.

I have scanned images of these marked papers and posted them below. I suggest that you study all three papers and my remarks, given that this material will be on your final exam.

Group 1: "Second Officer Resigns" (Text A)

For a larger and more readable view, please click on the image.
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Group 3: "Gay? You're Fired!" (Text C)

For a larger and more readable view, please click on the image.
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Group 4: "Being Outed is a Real Violation" (Text D)

For a larger and more readable view, please click on the image.
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I hope you will find these helpful!
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American Literature--On Mr. Booker T. Washington and Others (W. E. B. Du Bois, 1868-1963)

2009-12-13T14:46:00.000-08:00

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Photograph of W. E. B. Du Bois taken by J.E. Purdy in 1904.
Source: Library of Congress
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From birth till death enslaved; in word, in deed, unmanned!
. . . . . . . . . . . .
Hereditary bondsmen! Know ye not Who would be free themselves must strike the blow?

BYRON

Easily the most striking thing in the history of the American Negro since 1876 is the ascendancy of Mr. Booker T. Washington. It began at the time when war memories and ideals were rapidly passing; a day of astonishing commercial development was dawning; a sense of doubt and hesitation overtook the freedmen's sons,--then it was that his leading began. Mr. Washington came, with a simple definite programme, at the psychological moment when the nation was a little ashamed of having bestowed so much sentiment on Negroes, and was concentrating its energies on Dollars. His programme of industrial education, conciliation of the South, and submission and silence as to civil and political rights, was not wholly original; the Free Negroes from 1830 up to war-time had striven to build industrial schools, and the American Missionary Association had from the first taught various trades; and Price and others had sought a way of honorable alliance with the best of the Southerners. But Mr. Washington first indissolubly linked these things; he put enthusiasm, unlimited energy, and perfect faith into his programme, and changed it from a by-path into a veritable Way of Life. And the tale of the methods by which he did this is a fascinating study of human life.

It startled the nation to hear a Negro advocating such a programme after many decades of bitter complaint; it startled and won the applause of the South, it interested and won the admiration of the North; and after a confused murmur of protest, it silenced if it did not convert the Negroes themselves.

To gain the sympathy and cooperation of the various elements comprising the white South was Mr. Washington's first task; and this, at the time Tuskegee was founded, seemed, for a black man, well-nigh impossible. And yet ten years later it was done in the word spoken at Atlanta: "In all things purely social we can be as separate as the five fingers, and yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress." This "Atlanta Compromise" is by all odds the most notable thing in Mr. Washington's career. The South interpreted it in different ways: the radicals received it as a complete surrender of the demand for civil and political equality; the conservatives, as a generously conceived working basis for mutual understanding. So both approved it, and to-day its author is certainly the most distinguished Southerner since Jefferson Davis, and the one with the largest personal following.

Next to this achievement comes Mr. Washington's work in gaining place and consideration in the North. Others less shrewd and tactful had formerly essayed to sit on these two stools and had fallen between them; but as Mr. Washington knew the heart of the South from birth and training, so by singular insight he intuitively grasped the spirit of the age which was dominating the North. And so thoroughly did he learn the speech and thought of triumphant commercialism, and the ideals of material prosperity, that the picture of a lone black boy poring over a French grammar amid the weeds and dirt of a neglected home soon seemed to him the acme of absurdities. One wonders what Socrates and St. Francis of Assisi would say to this.

And yet this very singleness of vision and thorough oneness with his age is a mark of the successful man. It is as though Nature must needs make men narrow in order to give them force. So Mr. Washington's cult has gained unquestioning followers, his work has wonderfully prospered, his friends are legion, and his enemies are confounded. To-day he stands as the one recognized spokesman of his ten million fellows, and one of the most notable figures in a nation of seventy millions. One hesitates, therefore, to criticise a life which, beginning with so little, has done so much. And yet the time is come when one may speak in all sincerity and utter courtesy of the mistakes and shortcomings of Mr. Washington's career, as well as of his triumphs, without being thought captious or envious, and without forgetting that it is easier to do ill than well in the world.

The criticism that has hitherto met Mr. Washington has not always been of this broad character. In the South especially has he had to walk warily to avoid the harshest judgments, --and naturally so, for he is dealing with the one subject of deepest sensitiveness to that section. Twice--once when at the Chicago celebration of the Spanish-American War he alluded to the color-prejudice that is "eating away the vitals of the South," and once when he dined with President Roosevelt--has the resulting Southern criticism been violent enough to threaten seriously his popularity. In the North the feeling has several times forced itself into words, that Mr. Washington's counsels of submission overlooked certain elements of true manhood, and that his educational programme was unnecessarily narrow. Usually, however, such criticism has not found open expression, although, too, the spiritual sons of the Abolitionists have not been prepared to acknowledge that the schools founded before Tuskegee, by men of broad ideals and self-sacrificing spirit, were wholly failures or worthy of ridicule. While, then, criticism has not failed to follow Mr. Washington, yet the prevailing public opinion of the land has been but too willing to deliver the solution of a wearisome problem into his hands, and say, "If that is all you and your race ask, take it."

Among his own people, however, Mr. Washington has encountered the strongest and most lasting opposition, amounting at times to bitterness, and even today continuing strong and insistent even though largely silenced in outward expression by the public opinion of the nation. Some of this opposition is, of course, mere envy; the disappointment of displaced demagogues and the spite of narrow minds. But aside from this, there is among educated and thoughtful colored men in all parts of the land a feeling of deep regret, sorrow, and apprehension at the wide currency and ascendancy which some of Mr. Washington's theories have gained. These same men admire his sincerity of purpose, and are willing to forgive much to honest endeavor which is doing something worth the doing. They cooperate with Mr. Washington as far as they conscientiously can; and, indeed, it is no ordinary tribute to this man's tact and power that, steering as he must between so many diverse interests and opinions, he so largely retains the respect of all.

But the hushing of the criticism of honest opponents is a dangerous thing. It leads some of the best of the critics to unfortunate silence and paralysis of effort, and others to burst into speech so passionately and intemperately as to lose listeners. Honest and earnest criticism from those whose interests are most nearly touched,--criticism of writers by readers, --this is the soul of democracy and the safeguard of modern society. If the best of the American Negroes receive by outer pressure a leader whom they had not recognized before, manifestly there is here a certain palpable gain. Yet there is also irreparable loss,--a loss of that peculiarly valuable education which a group receives when by search and criticism it finds and commissions its own leaders. The way in which this is done is at once the most elementary and the nicest problem of social growth. History is but the record of such group-leadership; and yet how infinitely changeful is its type and character! And of all types and kinds, what can be more instructive than the leadership of a group within a group?-- that curious double movement where real progress may be negative and actual advance be relative retrogression. All this is the social student's inspiration and despair.

Now in the past the American Negro has had instructive experience in the choosing of group leaders, founding thus a peculiar dynasty which in the light of present conditions is worth while studying. When sticks and stones and beasts form the sole environment of a people, their attitude is largely one of determined opposition to and conquest of natural forces. But when to earth and brute is added an environment of men and ideas, then the attitude of the imprisoned group may take three main forms,--a feeling of revolt and revenge; an attempt to adjust all thought and action to the will of the greater group; or, finally, a determined effort at self-realization and self-development despite environing opinion. The influence of all of these attitudes at various times can be traced in the history of the American Negro, and in the evolution of his successive leaders.

Before 1750, while the fire of African freedom still burned in the veins of the slaves, there was in all leadership or attempted leadership but the one motive of revolt and revenge, --typified in the terrible Maroons, the Danish blacks, and Cato of Stono, and veiling all the Americas in fear of insurrection. The liberalizing tendencies of the latter half of the eighteenth century brought, along with kindlier relations between black and white, thoughts of ultimate adjustment and assimilation. Such aspiration was especially voiced in the earnest songs of Phyllis, in the martyrdom of Attucks, the fighting of Salem and Poor, the intellectual accomplishments of Banneker and Derham, and the political demands of the Cuffes.

Stern financial and social stress after the war cooled much of the previous humanitarian ardor. The disappointment and impatience of the Negroes at the persistence of slavery and serfdom voiced itself in two movements. The slaves in the South, aroused undoubtedly by vague rumors of the Haytian revolt, made three fierce attempts at insurrection,--in 1800 under Gabriel in Virginia, in 1822 under Vesey in Carolina, and in 1831 again in Virginia under the terrible Nat Turner. In the Free States, on the other hand, a new and curious attempt at self-development was made. In Philadelphia and New York color-prescription led to a withdrawal of Negro communicants from white churches and the formation of a peculiar socio-religious institution among the Negroes known as the African Church,--an organization still living and controlling in its various branches over a million of men.

Walker's wild appeal against the trend of the times showed how the world was changing after the coming of the cotton-gin. By 1830 slavery seemed hopelessly fastened on the South, and the slaves thoroughly cowed into submission. The free Negroes of the North, inspired by the mulatto immigrants from the West Indies, began to change the basis of their demands; they recognized the slavery of slaves, but insisted that they themselves were freemen, and sought assimilation and amalgamation with the nation on the same terms with other men. Thus, Forten and Purvis of Philadelphia, Shad of Wilmington, Du Bois of New Haven, Barbadoes of Boston, and others, strove singly and together as men, they said, not as slaves; as "people of color," not as "Negroes." The trend of the times, however, refused them recognition save in individual and exceptional cases, considered them as one with all the despised blacks, and they soon found themselves striving to keep even the rights they formerly had of voting and working and moving as freemen. Schemes of migration and colonization arose among them; but these they refused to entertain, and they eventually turned to the Abolition movement as a final refuge.

Here, led by Remond, Nell, Wells-Brown, and Douglass, a new period of self-assertion and self-development dawned. To be sure, ultimate freedom and assimilation was the ideal before the leaders, but the assertion of the manhood rights of the Negro by himself was the main reliance, and John Brown's raid was the extreme of its logic. After the war and emancipation, the great form of Frederick Douglass, the greatest of American Negro leaders, still led the host. Self-assertion, especially in political lines, was the main programme, and behind Douglass came Elliot, Bruce, and Langston, and the Reconstruction politicians, and, less conspicuous but of greater social significance, Alexander Crummell and Bishop Daniel Payne.

Then came the Revolution of 1876, the suppression of the Negro votes, the changing and shifting of ideals, and the seeking of new lights in the great night. Douglass, in his old age, still bravely stood for the ideals of his early manhood, --ultimate assimilation through self-assertion, and on no other terms. For a time Price arose as a new leader, destined, it seemed, not to give up, but to re-state the old ideals in a form less repugnant to the white South. But he passed away in his prime. Then came the new leader. Nearly all the former ones had become leaders by the silent suffrage of their fellows, had sought to lead their own people alone, and were usually, save Douglass, little known outside their race. But Booker T. Washington arose as essentially the leader not of one race but of two,--a compromiser between the South, the North, and the Negro. Naturally the Negroes resented, at first bitterly, signs of compromise which surrendered their civil and political rights, even though this was to be exchanged for larger chances of economic development. The rich and dominating North, however, was not only weary of the race problem, but was investing largely in Southern enterprises, and welcomed any method of peaceful cooperation. Thus, by national opinion, the Negroes began to recognize Mr. Washington's leadership; and the voice of criticism was hushed.

Mr. Washington represents in Negro thought the old attitude of adjustment and submission; but adjustment at such a peculiar time as to make his programme unique. This is an age of unusual economic development, and Mr. Washington's programme naturally takes an economic cast, becoming a gospel of Work and Money to such an extent as apparently almost completely to overshadow the higher aims of life. Moreover, this is an age when the more advanced races are coming in closer contact with the less developed races, and the race-feeling is therefore intensified; and Mr. Washington's programme practically accepts the alleged inferiority of the Negro races. Again, in our own land, the reaction from the sentiment of war time has given impetus to race-prejudice against Negroes, and Mr. Washington withdraws many of the high demands of Negroes as men and American citizens. In other periods of intensified prejudice all the Negro's tendency to self-assertion has been called forth; at this period a policy of submission is advocated. In the history of nearly all other races and peoples the doctrine preached at such crises has been that manly self-respect is worth more than lands and houses, and that a people who voluntarily surrender such respect, or cease striving for it, are not worth civilizing.

In answer to this, it has been claimed that the Negro can survive only through submission. Mr. Washington distinctly asks that black people give up, at least for the present, three things,--

First, political power,

Second, insistence on civil rights,

Third, higher education of Negro youth,-- and concentrate all their energies on industrial education, and accumulation of wealth, and the conciliation of the South.

This policy has been courageously and insistently advocated for over fifteen years, and has been triumphant for perhaps ten years. As a result of this tender of the palm-branch, what has been the return? In these years there have occurred:

1. The disfranchisement of the Negro.

2. The legal creation of a distinct status of civil inferiority for the Negro.

3. The steady withdrawal of aid from institutions for the higher training of the Negro.

These movements are not, to be sure, direct results of Mr. Washington's teachings; but his propaganda has, without a shadow of doubt, helped their speedier accomplishment. The question then comes: Is it possible, and probable, that nine millions of men can make effective progress in economic lines if they are deprived of political rights, made a servile caste, and allowed only the most meagre chance for developing their exceptional men? If history and reason give any distinct answer to these questions, it is an emphatic NO. And Mr. Washington thus faces the triple paradox of his career:

1. He is striving nobly to make Negro artisans business men and property-owners; but it is utterly impossible, under modern competitive methods, for workingmen and property-owners to defend their rights and exist without the right of suffrage.

2. He insists on thrift and self-respect, but at the same time counsels a silent submission to civic inferiority such as is bound to sap the manhood of any race in the long run.

3. He advocates common-school and industrial training, and depreciates institutions of higher learning; but neither the Negro common-schools, nor Tuskegee itself, could remain open a day were it not for teachers trained in Negro colleges, or trained by their graduates.

This triple paradox in Mr. Washington's position is the object of criticism by two classes of colored Americans. One class is spiritually descended from Toussaint the Savior, through Gabriel, Vesey, and Turner, and they represent the attitude of revolt and revenge; they hate the white South blindly and distrust the white race generally, and so far as they agree on definite action, think that the Negro's only hope lies in emigration beyond the borders of the United States. And yet, by the irony of fate, nothing has more effectually made this programme seem hopeless than the recent course of the United States toward weaker and darker peoples in the West Indies, Hawaii, and the Philippines,--for where in the world may we go and be safe from lying and brute force?

The other class of Negroes who cannot agree with Mr. Washington has hitherto said little aloud. They deprecate the sight of scattered counsels, of internal disagreement; and especially they dislike making their just criticism of a useful and earnest man an excuse for a general discharge of venom from small-minded opponents. Nevertheless, the questions involved are so fundamental and serious that it is difficult to see how men like the Grimkes, Kelly Miller, J. W. E. Bowen, and other representatives of this group, can much longer be silent. Such men feel in conscience bound to ask of this nation three things:

1. The right to vote.

2. Civic equality.

3. The education of youth according to ability.

They acknowledge Mr. Washington's invaluable service in counselling patience and courtesy in such demands; they do not ask that ignorant black men vote when ignorant whites are debarred, or that any reasonable restrictions in the suffrage should not be applied; they know that the low social level of the mass of the race is responsible for much discrimination against it, but they also know, and the nation knows, that relentless color-prejudice is more often a cause than a result of the Negro's degradation; they seek the abatement of this relic of barbarism, and not its systematic encouragement and pampering by all agencies of social power from the Associated Press to the Church of Christ. They advocate, with Mr. Washington, a broad system of Negro common schools supplemented by thorough industrial training; but they are surprised that a man of Mr. Washington's insight cannot see that no such educational system ever has rested or can rest on any other basis than that of the well-equipped college and university, and they insist that there is a demand for a few such institutions throughout the South to train the best of the Negro youth as teachers, professional men, and leaders.

This group of men honor Mr. Washington for his attitude of conciliation toward the white South; they accept the "Atlanta Compromise" in its broadest interpretation; they recognize, with him, many signs of promise, many men of high purpose and fair judgment, in this section; they know that no easy task has been laid upon a region already tottering under heavy burdens. But, nevertheless, they insist that the way to truth and right lies in straightforward honesty, not in indiscriminate flattery; in praising those of the South who do well and criticising uncompromisingly those who do ill; in taking advantage of the opportunities at hand and urging their fellows to do the same, but at the same time in remembering that only a firm adherence to their higher ideals and aspirations will ever keep those ideals within the realm of possibility. They do not expect that the free right to vote, to enjoy civic rights, and to be educated, will come in a moment; they do not expect to see the bias and prejudices of years disappear at the blast of a trumpet; but they are absolutely certain that the way for a people to gain their reasonable rights is not by voluntarily throwing them away and insisting that they do not want them; that the way for a people to gain respect is not by continually belittling and ridiculing themselves; that, on the contrary, Negroes must insist continually, in season and out of season, that voting is necessary to modern manhood, that color discrimination is barbarism, and that black boys need education as well as white boys.

In failing thus to state plainly and unequivocally the legitimate demands of their people, even at the cost of opposing an honored leader, the thinking classes of American Negroes would shirk a heavy responsibility,--a responsibility to themselves, a responsibility to the struggling masses, a responsibility to the darker races of men whose future depends so largely on this American experiment, but especially a responsibility to this nation,--this common Fatherland. It is wrong to encourage a man or a people in evil-doing; it is wrong to aid and abet a national crime simply because it is unpopular not to do so. The growing spirit of kindliness and reconciliation between the North and South after the frightful difference of a generation ago ought to be a source of deep congratulation to all, and especially to those whose mistreatment caused the war; but if that reconciliation is to be marked by the industrial slavery and civic death of those same black men, with permanent legislation into a position of inferiority, then those black men, if they are really men, are called upon by every consideration of patriotism and loyalty to oppose such a course by all civilized methods, even though such opposition involves disagreement with Mr. Booker T. Washington. We have no right to sit silently by while the inevitable seeds are sown for a harvest of disaster to our children, black and white.

First, it is the duty of black men to judge the South discriminatingly. The present generation of Southerners are not responsible for the past, and they should not be blindly hated or blamed for it. Furthermore, to no class is the indiscriminate endorsement of the recent course of the South toward Negroes more nauseating than to the best thought of the South. The South is not "solid"; it is a land in the ferment of social change, wherein forces of all kinds are fighting for supremacy; and to praise the ill the South is today perpetrating is just as wrong as to condemn the good. Discriminating and broad-minded criticism is what the South needs,--needs it for the sake of her own white sons and daughters, and for the insurance of robust, healthy mental and moral development.

Today even the attitude of the Southern whites toward the blacks is not, as so many assume, in all cases the same; the ignorant Southerner hates the Negro, the workingmen fear his competition, the money-makers wish to use him as a laborer, some of the educated see a menace in his upward development, while others--usually the sons of the masters--wish to help him to rise. National opinion has enabled this last class to maintain the Negro common schools, and to protect the Negro partially in property, life, and limb. Through the pressure of the money-makers, the Negro is in danger of being reduced to semi-slavery, especially in the country districts; the workingmen, and those of the educated who fear the Negro, have united to disfranchise him, and some have urged his deportation; while the passions of the ignorant are easily aroused to lynch and abuse any black man. To praise this intricate whirl of thought and prejudice is nonsense; to in-veigh indiscriminately against "the South" is unjust; but to use the same breath in praising Governor Aycock, exposing Senator Morgan, arguing with Mr. Thomas Nelson Page, and denouncing Senator Ben Tillman, is not only sane, but the imperative duty of thinking black men.

It would be unjust to Mr. Washington not to acknowledge that in several instances he has opposed movements in the South which were unjust to the Negro; he sent memorials to the Louisiana and Alabama constitutional conventions, he has spoken against lynching, and in other ways has openly or silently set his influence against sinister schemes and unfortunate happenings. Notwithstanding this, it is equally true to assert that on the whole the distinct impression left by Mr. Washington's propaganda is, first, that the South is justified in its present attitude toward the Negro because of the Negro's degradation; secondly, that the prime cause of the Negro's failure to rise more quickly is his wrong education in the past; and, thirdly, that his future rise depends primarily on his own efforts. Each of these propositions is a dangerous half-truth. The supplementary truths must never be lost sight of: first, slavery and race-prejudice are potent if not sufficient causes of the Negro's position; second, industrial and common-school training were necessarily slow in planting because they had to await the black teachers trained by higher institutions,--it being extremely doubtful if any essentially different development was possible, and certainly a Tuskegee was unthinkable before 1880; and, third, while it is a great truth to say that the Negro must strive and strive mightily to help himself, it is equally true that unless his striving be not simply seconded, but rather aroused and encouraged, by the initiative of the richer and wiser environing group, he cannot hope for great success.

In his failure to realize and impress this last point, Mr. Washington is especially to be criticised. His doctrine has tended to make the whites, North and South, shift the burden of the Negro problem to the Negro's shoulders and stand aside as critical and rather pessimistic spectators; when in fact the burden belongs to the nation, and the hands of none of us are clean if we bend not our energies to righting these great wrongs.

The South ought to be led, by candid and honest criticism, to assert her better self and do her full duty to the race she has cruelly wronged and is still wronging. The North--her co-partner in guilt--cannot salve her conscience by plastering it with gold. We cannot settle this problem by diplomacy and suaveness, by "policy" alone. If worse come to worst, can the moral fibre of this country survive the slow throttling and murder of nine millions of men?

The black men of America have a duty to perform, a duty stern and delicate,--a forward movement to oppose a part of the work of their greatest leader. So far as Mr. Washington preaches Thrift, Patience, and Industrial Training for the masses, we must hold up his hands and strive with him, rejoicing in his honors and glorying in the strength of this Joshua called of God and of man to lead the headless host. But so far as Mr. Washington apologizes for injustice, North or South, does not rightly value the privilege and duty of voting, belittles the emasculating effects of caste distinctions, and opposes the higher training and ambition of our brighter minds,--so far as he, the South, or the Nation, does this,--we must unceasingly and firmly oppose them. By every civilized and peaceful method we must strive for the rights which the world accords to men, clinging unwaveringly to those great words which the sons of the Fathers would fain forget: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

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About W.E.B. Du Bois

From: The Souls of Black Folk (Chapter III), Chicago: A.C. McClurg & Company, 1903.
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American Literature--An Address Delivered at the Opening... (Booker T. Washington, 1856-1915)

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(Original 1903 photo, from The Library of Congress Prints and Photographs collection (reference number LC-USZ62-4956), {{PD-US}})
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FULL TITLE: “An Address Delivered at the Opening of the Cotton States Exposition in Atlanta, Georgia, September, 1895.”

This “Atlanta Compromise” was a very controversial speech in that the more radical African-Americans of that time felt that Booker T. Washington was all too willing to concede to the ways of white people. Other African-American leaders, such as Henry Highland Garnet and W.E.B. Du Bois, felt that more direct action should be taken, even at the risk of bloodshed.

This speech is probably Washington's most famous and widely-known piece of oratory:

Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Board of Directors and Citizens:

One-third of the population of the South is of the Negro race. No enterprise seeking the material, civil, or moral welfare of this section can disregard this element of our population and reach the highest success. I but convey to you, Mr. President and Directors, the sentiment of the masses of my race when I say that in no way have the value and manhood of the American Negro been more fittingly and generously recognized than by the managers of this magnificent Exposition at every stage of its progress. It is a recognition that will do more to cement the friendship of the two races than any occurrence since the dawn of our freedom.

Not only this, but the opportunity here afforded will awaken among us a new era of industrial progress. Ignorant and inexperienced, it is not strange that in the first years of our new life we began at the top instead of at the bottom; that a seat in Congress or the state legislature was more sought than real estate or industrial skill; that the political convention or stump speaking had more attractions than starting a dairy farm or truck garden.

A ship lost at sea for many days suddenly sighted a friendly vessel. From the mast of the unfortunate vessel was seen a signal,“Water, water; we die of thirst!” The answer from the friendly vessel at once came back, “Cast down your bucket where you are.” A second time the signal, “Water, water; send us water!” ran up from the distressed vessel, and was answered, “Cast down your bucket where you are.” And a third and fourth signal for water was answered, “Cast down your bucket where you are.” The captain of the distressed vessel, at last heeding the injunction, cast down his bucket, and it came up full of fresh, sparkling water from the mouth of the Amazon River. To those of my race who depend on bettering their condition in a foreign land or who underestimate the importance of cultivating friendly relations with the Southern white man, who is their next-door neighbor, I would say: “Cast down your bucket where you are”— cast it down in making friends in every manly way of the people of all races by whom we are surrounded.

Cast it down in agriculture, mechanics, in commerce, in domestic service, and in the professions. And in this connection it is well to bear in mind that whatever other sins the South may be called to bear, when it comes to business, pure and simple, it is in the South that the Negro is given a man’s chance in the commercial world, and in nothing is this Exposition more eloquent than in emphasizing this chance. Our greatest danger is that in the great leap from slavery to freedom we may overlook the fact that the masses of us are to live by the productions of our hands, and fail to keep in mind that we shall prosper in proportion as we learn to dignify and glorify common labour, and put brains and skill into the common occupations of life; shall prosper in proportion as we learn to draw the line between the superficial and the substantial, the ornamental gewgaws of life and the useful. No race can prosper till it learns that there is as much dignity in tilling a field as in writing a poem. It is at the bottom of life we must begin, and not at the top. Nor should we permit our grievances to overshadow our opportunities.

To those of the white race who look to the incoming of those of foreign birth and strange tongue and habits for the prosperity of the South, were I permitted I would repeat what I say to my own race,“Cast down your bucket where you are.” Cast it down among the eight millions of Negroes whose habits you know, whose fidelity and love you have tested in days when to have proved treacherous meant the ruin of your firesides. Cast down your bucket among these people who have, without strikes and labour wars, tilled your fields, cleared your forests, builded your railroads and cities, and brought forth treasures from the bowels of the earth, and helped make possible this magnificent representation of the progress of the South. Casting down your bucket among my people, helping and encouraging them as you are doing on these grounds, and to education of head, hand, and heart, you will find that they will buy your surplus land, make blossom the waste places in your fields, and run your factories. While doing this, you can be sure in the future, as in the past, that you and your families will be surrounded by the most patient, faithful, law-abiding, and unresentful people that the world has seen. As we have proved our loyalty to you in the past, in nursing your children, watching by the sick-bed of your mothers and fathers, and often following them with tear-dimmed eyes to their graves, so in the future, in our humble way, we shall stand by you with a devotion that no foreigner can approach, ready to lay down our lives, if need be, in defense of yours, interlacing our industrial, commercial, civil, and religious life with yours in a way that shall make the interests of both races one. In all things that are purely social we can be as separate as the fingers, yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress.

There is no defense or security for any of us except in the highest intelligence and development of all. If anywhere there are efforts tending to curtail the fullest growth of the Negro, let these efforts be turned into stimulating, encouraging, and making him the most useful and intelligent citizen. Effort or means so invested will pay a thousand per cent interest. These efforts will be twice blessed—blessing him that gives and him that takes. There is no escape through law of man or God from the inevitable:
The laws of changeless justice bind
Oppressor with oppressed;
And close as sin and suffering joined
We march to fate abreast...
Nearly sixteen millions of hands will aid you in pulling the load upward, or they will pull against you the load downward. We shall constitute one-third and more of the ignorance and crime of the South, or one-third [of] its intelligence and progress; we shall contribute one-third to the business and industrial prosperity of the South, or we shall prove a veritable body of death, stagnating, depressing, retarding every effort to advance the body politic.

Gentlemen of the Exposition, as we present to you our humble effort at an exhibition of our progress, you must not expect overmuch. Starting thirty years ago with ownership here and there in a few quilts and pumpkins and chickens (gathered from miscellaneous sources), remember the path that has led from these to the inventions and production of agricultural implements, buggies, steam-engines, newspapers, books, statuary, carving, paintings, the management of drug stores and banks, has not been trodden without contact with thorns and thistles. While we take pride in what we exhibit as a result of our independent efforts, we do not for a moment forget that our part in this exhibition would fall far short of your expectations but for the constant help that has come to our educational life, not only from the Southern states, but especially from Northern philanthropists, who have made their gifts a constant stream of blessing and encouragement.

The wisest among my race understand that the agitation of questions of social equality is the extremest folly, and that progress in the enjoyment of all the privileges that will come to us must be the result of severe and constant struggle rather than of artificial forcing. No race that has anything to contribute to the markets of the world is long in any degree ostracized. It is important and right that all privileges of the law be ours, but it is vastly more important that we be prepared for the exercise of these privileges. The opportunity to earn a dollar in a factory just now is worth infinitely more than the opportunity to spend a dollar in an opera-house.

In conclusion, may I repeat that nothing in thirty years has given us more hope and encouragement, and drawn us so near to you of the white race, as this opportunity offered by the Exposition; and here bending, as it were, over the altar that represents the results of the struggles of your race and mine, both starting practically empty-handed three decades ago, I pledge that in your effort to work out the great and intricate problem which God has laid at the doors of the South, you shall have at all times the patient, sympathetic help of my race; only let this he constantly in mind, that, while from representations in these buildings of the product of field, of forest, of mine, of factory, letters, and art, much good will come, yet far above and beyond material benefits will be that higher good, that, let us pray God, will come, in a blotting out of sectional differences and racial animosities and suspicions, in a determination to administer absolute justice, in a willing obedience among all classes to the mandates of law. This, coupled with our material prosperity, will bring into our beloved South a new heaven and a new earth.

About Booker T. Washington

Source: Louis R. Harlan, ed., The Booker T. Washington Papers, Vol. 3, (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1974), 583–587.

American Literature--"An Address to the Slaves of the United States of America" (Henry Highland Garnet, 1815-1882)

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Henry Highland Garnet (Original photo)
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BRETHREN AND FELLOW CITIZENS:

Your brethren of the north, east, and west have been accustomed to meet together in National Conventions, to sympathize with each other, and to weep over your unhappy condition. In these meetings we have addressed all classes of the free, but we have never until this time, sent a word of consolation and advice to you. We have been contented in sitting still and mourning over your sorrows, earnestly hoping that before this day, your sacred Liberties would have been restored. But, we have hoped in vain. Years have rolled on, and tens of thousands have been borne on streams of blood, and tears, to the shores of eternity. While you have been oppressed, we have also been partakers with you; nor can we be free while you are enslaved. We therefore write to you as being bound with you.

Many of you are bound to us, not only by the ties of common humanity, but we are connected by the more tender relations of parents, wives, husbands, children, brothers, and sisters, and friends. As such we most affectionately address you.

Slavery has fixed a deep gulf between you and us, and while it shuts out from you the relief and consolation which your friends would willingly render, it afflicts and persecutes you with a fierceness which we might not expect to see in the fiends of hell. But still the Almighty Father of Mercies has left to us a glimmering ray of hope, which shines out like a lone star in a cloudy sky. Mankind are becoming wiser, and better—the oppressor's power is fading, and you, every day, are becoming better informed, and more numerous. Your grievances, brethren, are many. We shall not attempt, in this short address, to present to the world, all the dark catalogue of this nation's sins, which have been committed upon an innocent people. Nor is it indeed, necessary, for you feel them from day to day, and all the civilized world look upon them with amazement.

Two hundred and twenty-seven years ago, the first of our injured race were brought to the shores of America. They came not with glad spirits to select their homes, in the New World. They came not with their own consent, to find an unmolested enjoyment of the blessings of this fruitful soil. The first dealings which they had with men calling themselves Christians, exhibited to them the worst features of corrupt and sordid hearts; and convinced them that no cruelty is too great, no villainy, and no robbery too abhorrent for even enlightened men to perform, when influenced by avarice, and lust. Neither did they come flying upon the wings of Liberty, to a land of freedom. But, they came with broken hearts, from their beloved native land, and were doomed to unrequited toil, and deep degradation. Nor did the evil of the bondage end at their emancipation by death. Succeeding generations inherited their chains, and millions have come from eternity into time, and have returned again to the world of spirits, cursed and ruined by American Slavery.

The propagators of the system, or their immediate ancestors very soon discovered its growing evil, and its tremendous wickedness and secret promises were made to destroy it. The gross inconsistency of a people holding slaves, who had themselves "ferried o'er the wave," for freedom's sake, was too apparent to be entirely overlooked. The voice of Freedom cried, "emancipate your Slaves." Humanity supplicated with tears, for the deliverance of the children of Africa. Wisdom urged her solemn plea. The bleeding captive plead his innocence, and pointed to Christianity who stood weeping at the cross. Jehovah frowned upon the nefarious institution, and thunderbolts, red with vengeance, struggled to leap forth to blast the guilty wretches who maintained it. But all was vain. Slavery had stretched its dark wings of death over the land, the Church stood silently by—the priests prophesied falsely, and the people loved to have it so. Its throne is established, and now it reigns triumphantly.

Nearly three millions of your fellow citizens, are prohibited by law, and public opinion (which in this country is stronger than law), from reading the Book of Life. Your intellect has been destroyed as much as possible, and every ray of light they have attempted to shut out from your minds. The oppressors themselves have become involved in the ruin. They have become weak, sensual, and rapacious. They have cursed you—they have cursed themselves—they have cursed the earth which they have trod. In the language of a Southern statesman, we can truly say "even the wolf, driven back long since by the approach of man now returns after a lapse of a hundred years, and howls amid the desolation of slavery."

The colonists threw the blame upon England. They said that the mother country entailed the evil upon them, and that they would rid themselves of it if they could. The world thought they were sincere, and the philanthropic pitied them. But time soon tested their sincerity. In a few years, the colonists grew strong and severed themselves from the British Government. Their independence was declared, and they took their station among the sovereign powers of the earth. The declaration was a glorious document. Sages admired it, and the patriotic of every nation reverenced the Godlike sentiments which it contained. When the power of Government returned to their hands, did they emancipate the slaves? No, they rather added new links to our chains. Were they ignorant to the principles of Liberty? Certainly they were not. The sentiments of their revolutionary orators fell in burning eloquence upon their hearts, and with one voice they cried, LIBERTY OR DEATH. O, what a sentence was that! It ran from soul to soul like electric fire, and nerved the arm of thousands to fight in the holy cause of Freedom. Among the diversity of opinions that are entertained in regard to physical resistance, there are but a few found to gainsay that stern declaration. We are among those who do not.

SLAVERY! How much misery is comprehended in that single word. What mind is there that does not shrink from its direful effects? Unless the image of God is obliterated from the soul, all men cherish the love of Liberty. The nice discerning political economist does not regard the sacred right, more than the untutored African who roams in the wilds of Congo. Nor has the one more right to the full enjoyment of his freedom than the other. In every man's mind the good seeds of Liberty are planted, and he who brings his fellow down so low, as to make him contented with a condition of slavery, commits the highest crime against God and man. Brethren, your oppressors aim to do this. They endeavor to make you as much like brutes as possible. When they have blinded the eyes of your mind—when they have embittered the sweet waters of life—when they have shut out the light which shines from the word of God—then, and not till then has American slavery done its perfect work.

To SUCH DEGRADATION IT IS SINFUL IN THE EXTREME FOR YOU TO MAKE VOLUNTARY SUBMISSION. The divine commandments, you are in duty bound to reverence, and obey. If you do not obey them you will surely meet with the displeasure of the Almighty. He requires you to love him supremely, and your neighbor as yourself—to keep the Sabbath day holy—to search the Scriptures—and bring up your children with respect for his laws, and to worship no other God but him. But slavery sets all these at naught, and hurls defiance in the face of Jehovah. The forlorn condition in which you are placed does not destroy your moral obligation to God. You are not certain of Heaven, because you suffer yourselves to remain in a state of slavery, where you cannot obey the commandments of the Sovereign of the universe. If the ignorance of slavery is a passport to heaven, then it is a blessing, and a curse, and you should rather desire its perpetuity than its abolition. God will not receive slavery, nor ignorance, nor any other state of mind, for love, and obedience to him. Your condition does not absolve you from your moral obligation. The diabolical injustice by which your Liberties are cloven down, NEITHER GOD, NOR ANGELS, OR JUST MEN COMMAND YOU TO SUFFER FOR A SINGLE MOMENT. THEREFORE IT IS YOUR SOLEMN AND IMPERATIVE DUTY TO USE EVERY MEANS, BOTH MORAL, INTELLECTUAL, AND PHYSICAL, THAT PROMISE SUCCESS. If a band of heathen men should attempt to enslave a race of Christians, and to place their children under the influence of some false religion, surely, heaven would frown upon the men who would not resist such aggression, even to death. If, on the other hand, a band of Christians should attempt to enslave a race of heathen men and to entail slavery upon them, and to keep them in heathenism in the midst of Christianity, the God of heaven would smile upon every effort which the injured might make to disenthrall themselves.

Brethren, it is as wrong for your lordly oppressors to keep you in slavery, as it was for the man thief to steal our ancestors from the coast of Africa. You should therefore now use the same manner of resistance, as would have been just in our ancestors, when the bloody footprints of the first remorseless soul-thief was placed upon the shores of our fatherland. The humblest peasant is as free in the sight of God, as the proudest monarch that ever swayed a scepter. Liberty is a spirit sent out from God, and like its great Author, is no respecter of persons.

Brethren, the time has come when you must act for yourselves. It is an old and true saying, that "if hereditary bondsmen would be free, they must themselves strike the blow." You can plead your own cause, and do the work of emancipation better than any other. The nations of the old world are moving in the great cause of universal freedom, and some of them at least, will ere long, do you justice. The combined powers of Europe have placed their broad seal of disapprobation upon the African slave trade. But in the slave holding parts of the United States, the trade is as brisk as ever. They buy and sell you as though you were brute beasts. The North has done much—her opinion of slavery in the abstract is known. But in regard to the South, we adopt the opinion of the New York Evangelist—"We have advanced so far, that the cause apparently waits for a more effectual door to be thrown open than has been yet." We are about to point you to that more effectual door. Look around you, and behold the bosoms of your loving wives, heaving with untold agonies! Hear the cries of your poor children! Remember the stripes your fathers bore. Think of the torture and disgrace of your noble mothers. Think of your wretched sisters, loving virtue and purity, as they are driven into concubinage, and are exposed to the unbridled lusts of incarnate devils. Think of the undying glory that hangs around the ancient name of Africa—and forget not that you are native-born American citizens, and as such, you are justly entitled to all the rights that are granted to the freest. Think how many tears you have poured out upon the soil which you have cultivated with unrequited toil, and enriched with your blood; and then go to your lordly enslavers, and tell them plainly, that YOU ARE DETERMINED TO BE FREE. Appeal to their sense of justice, and tell them that they have no more right to oppress you, than you have to enslave them. Entreat them to remove the grievous burdens which they have imposed upon you, and to remunerate you for your labor. Promise them renewed diligence in the cultivation of the soil, if they will render to you an equivalent for your services. Point them to the increase of happiness and prosperity in the British West Indies, since the act of Emancipation. Tell them in language which they cannot misunderstand, of the exceeding sinfulness of slavery, and of a future judgement, and of the righteous retributions of an indignant God. Inform them that all you desire, is FREEDOM, and that nothing else will suffice. Do this, and forever after cease to toil for the heartless tyrants, who give you no other reward but stripes and abuse. If they then commence the work of death, they, and not you, will be responsible for the consequences. You had far better all die—die immediately, than live slaves, and entail your wretchedness upon your posterity. If you would be free in this generation, here is your only hope. However much you and all of us may desire it, there is not much hope of Redemption without the shedding of blood. If you must bleed, let it all come at once—rather, die freemen, than live to be slaves. It is impossible, like the children of Israel, to make a grand Exodus from the land of bondage. THE PHARAOHS ARE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BLOOD-RED WATERS! You cannot remove en masse, to the dominions of the British Queen—nor can you pass through Florida, and overrun Texas, and at last find peace in Mexico. The propagators of American slavery are spending their blood and treasure, that they may plant the black flag in the heart of Mexico, and riot in the halls of the Montezumas. In the language of the Rev. Robert Hall, when addressing the volunteers of Bristol, who were rushing forth to repel the invasion of Napoleon, who threatened to lay waste the fair homes of England, "Religion is too much interested in your behalf, not to shed over you her most gracious influences."

You will not be compelled to spend much time in order to become inured to hardships. From the first moment that you breathed the air of heaven, you have been accustomed to nothing else but hardships. The heroes of the American Revolution were never put upon harder fare, than a peck of corn, and a few herrings per week. You have not become enervated by the luxuries of life. Your sternest energies have been beaten out upon the anvil of severe trial. Slavery has done this, to make you subservient to its own purposes; but it has done more than this, it has prepared you for any emergency. If you receive good treatment, it is what you could hardly expect; if you meet with pain, sorrow, and even death, these are the common lot of the slaves.

Fellow men! patient sufferers! behold your dearest rights crushed to the earth! See your sons murdered, and your wives, mothers, and sisters, doomed to prostitution! In the name of the merciful God! and by all that life is worth, let it no longer be a debatable question, whether it is better to choose LIBERTY or DEATH!

In 1822, Denmark Vesey, of South Carolina, formed a plan for the liberation of his fellow men. In the whole history of human efforts to overthrow slavery, a more complicated and tremendous plan was never formed. He was betrayed by the treachery of his own people, and died a martyr to freedom. Many a brave hero fell, but History, faithful to her high trust, will transcribe his name on the same monument with Moses, Hampden, Tell, Bruce, and Wallace, Toussaint L'Ouverture, Lafayette and Washington. That tremendous movement shook the whole empire of slavery. The guilty soul-thieves were overwhelmed with fear. It is a matter of fact, that at that time, and in consequence of the threatened revolution, the slave states talked strongly of emancipation. But they blew but one blast of the trumpet of freedom, and then laid it aside. As these men became quiet, the slaveholders ceased to talk about emancipation; and now, behold your condition today! Angels sigh over it, and humanity has long since exhausted her tears in weeping on your account!

The patriotic Nathaniel Turner followed Denmark Vesey. He was goaded to desperation by wrong and injustice. By Despotism, his name has been recorded on the list of infamy, but future generations will number him upon the noble and brave.

Next arose the immortal Joseph Cinque, the hero of the Amistad. He was a native African, and by the help of God he emancipated a whole ship-load of his fellow men on the high seas. And he now sings of Liberty on the sunny hills of Africa, and beneath his native palm trees, where he hears the lion roar, and feels himself as free as that king of the forest. Next arose Madison Washington, that bright star of freedom, and took his station in the constellation of freedom. He was a slave on board the brig Creole, of Richmond, bound to New Orleans, that great slave mart, with a hundred and four others. Nineteen struck for Liberty or death. But one life was taken, and the whole were emancipated, and the vessel was carried into Nassau, New Providence. Noble men! Those who have fallen in freedom's conflict, their memories will be cherished by the true hearted, and the God-fearing, in all future generations; those who are living, their names are surrounded by a halo of glory.

We do not advise you to attempt a revolution with the sword, because it would be INEXPEDIENT. Your numbers are too small, and moreover the rising spirit of the age, and the spirit of the gospel, are opposed to war and bloodshed. But from this moment cease to labor for tyrants who will not remunerate you. Let every slave throughout the land do this, and the days of slavery are numbered. You cannot be more oppressed than you have been—you cannot suffer greater cruelties than you have already. RATHER DIE FREEMEN, THAN LIVE TO BE SLAVES. Remember that you are THREE MILLIONS.

It is in your power so to torment the God-cursed slaveholders, that they will be glad to let you go free. If the scale was turned and black men were the masters, and white men the slaves, every destructive agent and element would be employed to lay the oppressor low. Danger and death would hang over their heads day and night. Yes, the tyrants would meet with plagues more terrible than those of Pharaoh. But you are a patient people. You act as though you were made for the special use of these devils. You act as though your daughters were born to pamper the lusts of your masters and overseers. And worse than all, you tamely submit, while your lords tear your wives from your embraces, and defile them before your eyes. In the name of God we ask, are you men? Where is the blood of your fathers? Has it all run out of your veins? Awake, awake; millions of voices are calling you! Your dead fathers speak to you from their graves. Heaven, as with a voice of thunder, calls on you to arise from the dust.

Let your motto be RESISTANCE! RESISTANCE! RESISTANCE! No oppressed people have ever secured their Liberty without resistance. What kind of resistance you had better make, you must decide by the circumstances that surround you, and according to the suggestion of expediency. Brethren, adieu. Trust in the living God. Labor for the peace of the human race, and remember that you are three millions.

About Henry Highland Garnet

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Henry Highland Garnet, ed., Walker's Appeal, With a Brief Sketch of His Life. New York: J. H. Tobitt (printer), 1848. 90-96.
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American Literature--Letter to My Old Master, Thomas Auld (Frederick Douglass, 1817-1895)

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Frederick Douglass (Original photo)
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The following is a full-text version of "Letter to His Master," from African-American Literature: an Anthology:

Thomas Auld:
Sir—The long and intimate, though by no means friendly, relation which unhappily subsisted between you and myself, leads me to hope that you will easily account for the great liberty which I now take in addressing you in this open and public manner. The same fact may remove any disagreeable surprise which you may experience on again finding your name coupled with mine, in any other way than in an advertisement, accurately describing my person, and offering a large sum for my arrest. In thus dragging you again before the public, I am aware that I shall subject myself to no inconsiderable amount of censure. I shall probably be charged with an unwarrantable, if not a wanton and reckless disregard of the rights and properties of private life. There are those north as well as south who entertain a much higher respect for rights which are merely conventional, than they do for rights which are personal and essential. Not a few there are in our country, who, while they have no scruples against robbing the laborer of the hard earned results of his patient industry, will be shocked by the extremely indelicate manner of bringing your name before the public. Believing this to be the case, and wishing to meet every reasonable or plausible objection to my conduct, I will frankly state the ground upon which I justify myself in this instance, as well as on former occasions when I have thought proper to mention your name in public. All will agree that a man guilty of theft, robbery, or murder, has forfeited the right to concealment and private life; that the community have a right to subject such persons to the most complete exposure. However much they may desire retirement, and aim to conceal themselves and their movements from the popular gaze, the public have a right to ferret them out, and bring their conduct before the proper tribunals of the country for investigation. Sir, you will undoubtedly make the proper application of these generally admitted principles, and will easily see the light in which you are regarded by me; I will not therefore manifest ill temper, by calling you hard names. I know you to be a man of some intelligence, and can readily determine the precise estimate which I entertain of your character. I may therefore indulge in language which may seem to others indirect and ambiguous, and yet be quite well understood by yourself.

I have selected this day on which to address you, because it is the anniversary of my emancipation; and knowing no better way, I am led to this as the best mode of celebrating that truly important events. Just ten years ago this beautiful September morning, yon bright sun beheld me a slave—a poor degraded chattel—trembling at the sound of your voice, lamenting that I was a man, and wishing myself a brute. The hopes which I had treasured up for weeks of a safe and successful escape from your grasp, were powerfully confronted at this last hour by dark clouds of doubt and fear, making my person shake and my bosom to heave with the heavy contest between hope and fear. I have no words to describe to you the deep agony of soul which I experienced on that never-to-be-forgotten morning—for I left by daylight. I was making a leap in the dark. The probabilities, so far as I could by reason determine them, were stoutly against the undertaking. The preliminaries and precautions I had adopted previously, all worked badly. I was like one going to war without weapons—ten chances of defeat to one of victory. One in whom I had confided, and one who had promised me assistance, appalled by fear at the trial hour, deserted me, thus leaving the responsibility of success or failure solely with myself. You, sir, can never know my feelings. As I look back to them, I can scarcely realize that I have passed through a scene so trying. Trying, however, as they were, and gloomy as was the prospect, thanks be to the Most High, who is ever the God of the oppressed, at the moment which was to determine my whole earthly career, His grace was sufficient; my mind was made up. I embraced the golden opportunity, took the morning tide at the flood, and a free man, young, active, and strong, is the result.

I have often thought I should like to explain to you the grounds upon which I have justified myself in running away from you. I am almost ashamed to do so now, for by this time you may have discovered them yourself. I will, however, glance at them. When yet but a child about six years old, I imbibed the determination to run away. The very first mental effort that I now remember on my part, was an attempt to solve the mystery—why am I a slave? and with this question my youthful mind was troubled for many days, pressing upon me more heavily at times than others. When I saw the slave-driver whip a slave-woman, cut the blood out of her neck, and heard her piteous cries, I went away into the corner of the fence, wept and pondered over the mystery. I had, through some medium, I know not what, got some idea of God, the Creator of all mankind, the black and the white, and that he had made the blacks to serve the whites as slaves. How he could do this and be good, I could not tell. I was not satisfied with this theory, which made God responsible for slavery, for it pained me greatly, and I have wept over it long and often. At one time, your first wife, Mrs. Lucretia, heard me sighing and saw me shedding tears, and asked of me the matter, but I was afraid to tell her. I was puzzled with this question, till one night while sitting in the kitchen, I heard some of the old slaves talking of their parents having been stolen from Africa by white men, and were sold here as slaves. The whole mystery was solved at once. Very soon after this, my Aunt Jinny and Uncle Noah ran away, and the great noise made about it by your father-in-law, made me for the first time acquainted with the fact, that there were free states as well as slave states. From that time, I resolved that I would some day run away. The morality of the act I dispose of as follows: I am myself; you are yourself; we are two distinct persons, equal persons. What you are, I am. You are a man, and so am I. God created both, and made us separate beings. I am not by nature bond to you, or you to me. Nature does not make your existence depend upon me, or mine to depend upon yours. I cannot walk upon your legs, or you upon mine. I cannot breathe for you, or you for me; I must breathe for myself, and you for yourself. We are distinct persons, and are each equally provided with faculties necessary to our individual existence. In leaving you, I took nothing but what belonged to me, and in no way lessened your means for obtaining an honest living. Your faculties remained yours, and mine became useful to their rightful owner. I therefore see no wrong in any part of the transaction. It is true, I went off secretly; but that was more your fault than mine. Had I let you into the secret, you would have defeated the enterprise entirely; but for this, I should have been really glad to have made you acquainted with my intentions to leave.

You may perhaps want to know how I like my present condition. I am free to say, I greatly prefer it to that which I occupied in Maryland. I am, however, by no means prejudiced against the state as such. Its geography, climate, fertility, and products, are such as to make it a very desirable abode for any man; and but for the existence of slavery there, it is not impossible that I might again take up my abode in that state. It is not that I love Maryland less, but freedom more. You will be surprised to learn that people at the north labor under the strange delusion that if the slaves were emancipated at the south, they would flock to the north. So far from this being the case, in that event, you would see many old and familiar faces back again to the south. The fact is, there are few here who would not return to the south in the event of emancipation. We want to live in the land of our birth, and to lay our bones by the side of our fathers; and nothing short of an intense love of personal freedom keeps us from the south. For the sake of this, most of us would live on a crust of bread and a cup of cold water.

Since I left you, I have had a rich experience. I have occupied stations which I never dreamed of when a slave. Three out of the ten years since I left you, I spent as a common laborer on the wharves of New Bedford, Massachusetts. It was there I earned my first free dollar. It was mine. I could spend it as I pleased. I could buy hams or herring with it, without asking any odds of anybody. That was a precious dollar to me. You remember when I used to make seven, or eight, or even nine dollars a week in Baltimore, you would take every cent of it from me every Saturday night, saying that I belonged to you, and my earnings also. I never liked this conduct on your part—to say the best, I thought it a little mean. I would not have served you so. But let that pass. I was a little awkward about counting money in New England fashion when I first landed in New Bedford. I came near betraying myself several times. I caught myself saying phip, for fourpence; and at one time a man actually charged me with being a runaway, whereupon I was silly enough to become one by running away from him, for I was greatly afraid he might adopt measures to get me again into slavery, a condition I then dreaded more than death.

I soon learned, however, to count money, as well as to make it, and got on swimmingly. I married soon after leaving you; in fact, I was engaged to be married before I left you; and instead of finding my companion a burden, she was truly a helpmate. She went to live at service, and I to work on the wharf, and though we toiled hard the first winter, we never lived more happily. After remaining in New Bedford for three years, I met with William Lloyd Garrison, a person of whom you have possibly heard, as he is pretty generally known among slaveholders. He put it into my head that I might make myself serviceable to the cause of the slave, by devoting a portion of my time to telling my own sorrows, and those of other slaves, which had come under my observation. This was the commencement of a higher state of existence than any to which I had ever aspired. I was thrown into society the most pure, enlightened, and benevolent, that the country affords. Among these I have never forgotten you, but have invariably made you the topic of conversation—thus giving you all the notoriety I could do. I need not tell you that the opinion formed of you in these circles is far from being favorable. They have little respect for your honesty, and less for your religion.

But I was going on to relate to you something of my interesting experience. I had not long enjoyed the excellent society to which I have referred, before the light of its excellence exerted a beneficial influence on my mind and heart. Much of my early dislike of white persons was removed, and their manners, habits, and customs, so entirely unlike what I had been used to in the kitchen-quarters on the plantations of the south, fairly charmed me, and gave me a strong disrelish for the coarse and degrading customs of my former condition. I therefore made an effort so to improve my mind and deportment, as to be somewhat fitted to the station to which I seemed almost providentially called. The transition from degradation to respectability was indeed great, and to get from one to the other without carrying some marks of one's former condition, is truly a difficult matter. I would not have you think that I am now entirely clear of all plantation peculiarities, but my friends here, while they entertain the strongest dislike to them, regard me with that charity to which my past life somewhat entitles me, so that my condition in this respect is exceedingly pleasant. So far as my domestic affairs are concerned, I can boast of as comfortable a dwelling as your own. I have an industrious and neat companion, and four dear children—the oldest a girl of nine years, and three fine boys, the oldest eight, the next six, and the youngest four years old. The three oldest are now going regularly to school—two can read and write, and the other can spell, with tolerable correctness, words of two syllables. Dear fellows! they are all in comfortable beds, and are sound asleep, perfectly secure under my own roof. There are no slaveholders here to rend my heart by snatching them from my arms, or blast a mother's dearest hopes by tearing them from her bosom. These dear children are ours—not to work up into rice, sugar, and tobacco, but to watch over, regard, and protect, and to rear them up in the nurture and admonition of the gospel—to train them up in the paths of wisdom and virtue, and, as far as we can, to make them useful to the world and to themselves. Oh! sir, a slaveholder never appears to me so completely an agent of hell, as when I think of and look upon my dear children. It is then that my feelings rise above my control. I meant to have said more with respect to my own prosperity and happiness, but thoughts and feelings which this recital has quickened, unfit me to proceed further in that direction. The grim horrors of slavery rise in all their ghastly terror before me; the wails of millions pierce my heart and chill my blood. I remember the chain, the gag, the bloody whip; the death-like gloom overshadowing the broken spirit of the fettered bondman; the appalling liability of his being torn away from wife and children, and sold like a beast in the market. Say not that this is a picture of fancy. You well know that I wear stripes on my back, inflicted by your direction; and that you, while we were brothers in the same church, caused this right hand, with which I am now penning this letter, to be closely tied to my left, and my person dragged, at the pistol's mouth, fifteen miles, from the Bay Side to Easton, to be sold like a beast in the market, for the alleged crime of intending to escape from your possession. All this, and more, you remember, and know to be perfectly true, not only of yourself, but of nearly all of the slaveholders around you.

At this moment, you are probably the guilty holder of at least three of my own dear sisters, and my only brother, in bondage. These you regard as your property. They are recorded on your ledger, or perhaps have been sold to human flesh-mongers, with a view to filling our own ever-hungry purse. Sir, I desire to know how and where these dear sisters are. Have you sold them? or are they still in your possession? What has become of them? are they living or dead? And my dear old grandmother, whom you turned out like an old horse to die in the woods—is she still alive? Write and let me know all about them. If my grandmother be still alive, she is of no service to you, for by this time she must be nearly eighty years old—too old to be cared for by one to whom she has ceased to be of service; send her to me at Rochester, or bring her to Philadelphia, and it shall be the crowning happiness of my life to take care of her in her old age. Oh! she was to me a mother and a father, so far as hard toil for my comfort could make her such. Send me my grandmother! that I may watch over and take care of her in her old age. And my sisters—let me know all about them. I would write to them, and learn all I want to know of them, without disturbing you in any way, but that, through your unrighteous conduct, they have been entirely deprived of the power to read and write. You have kept them in utter ignorance, and have therefore robbed them of the sweet enjoyments of writing or receiving letters from absent friends and relatives. Your wickedness and cruelty, committed in this respect on your fellow-creatures, are greater than all the stripes you have laid upon my back or theirs. It is an outrage upon the soul, a war upon the immortal spirit, and one for which you must give account at the bar of our common Father and Creator.

The responsibility which you have assumed in this regard is truly awful, and how you could stagger under it these many years is marvelous. Your mind must have become darkened, your heart hardened, your conscience seared and petrified, or you would have long since thrown off the accursed load, and sought relief at the hands of a sin-forgiving God. How, let me ask, would you look upon me, were I, some dark night, in company with a band of hardened villains, to enter the precincts of your elegant dwelling, and seize the person of your own lovely daughter, Amanda, and carry her off from your family, friends, and all the loved ones of her youth—make her my slave—compel her to work, and I take her wages—place her name on my ledger as property—disregard her personal rights—fetter the powers of her immortal soul by denying her the right and privilege of learning to read and write—feed her coarsely—clothe her scantily, and whip her on the naked back occasionally; more, and still more horrible, leave her unprotected—a degraded victim to the brutal lust of fiendish overseers, who would pollute, blight, and blast her fair soul—rob her of all dignity—destroy her virtue, and annihilate in her person all the graces that adorn the character of virtuous womanhood? I ask, how would you regard me, if such were my conduct? Oh! the vocabulary of the damned would not afford a word sufficiently infernal to express your idea of my God-provoking wickedness. Yet, sir, your treatment of my beloved sisters is in all essential points precisely like the case I have now supposed. Damning as would be such a deed on my part, it would be no more so than that which you have committed against me and my sisters.

I will now bring this letter to a close; you shall hear from me again unless you let me hear from you. I intend to make use of you as a weapon with which to assail the system of slavery—as a means of concentrating public attention on the system, and deepening the horror of trafficking in the souls and bodies of men. I shall make use of you as a means of exposing the character of the American church and clergy—and as a means of bringing this guilty nation, with yourself, to repentance. In doing this, I entertain no malice toward you personally. There is no roof under which you would be more safe than mine, and there is nothing in my house which you might need for your comfort, which I would not readily grant. Indeed, I should esteem it a privilege to set you an example as to how mankind ought to treat each other.

I am your fellow-man, but not your slave.

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Originally published in My Bondage and My Freedom

About Frederick Douglass

American Literature--"The Slave Mother" (Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, 1825-1911)

2009-12-13T10:25:00.000-08:00

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Frances Ellen Watkins Harper (Original photo)
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Heard you that shriek? It rose
-----So wildly on the air,
It seemed as if a burden'd heart
----- Was breaking in despair.

Saw you those hands so sadly clasped--
-----The bowed and feeble heart--
The shuddering of that fragile form--
-----That look of grief and dread?

Saw you the sad, imploring eye?
-----Its every glance was pain,
As if a storm of agony
-----Were sweeping through the brain.

She is a mother, pale with fear,
-----Her boy clings to her side,
And in her kirtle vainly tries
-----His trembling form to hide.

He is not hers, although she bore
-----For him a mother's pain;
He is not hers, although her blood
-----Is coursing through his veins!

He is not hers, for cruel hands
-----May rudely tear apart
The only wreath of household love
-----That binds her breaking heart.

His love has been a joyous light
-----That o'er her pathway smiled,
A fountain gushing ever new,
-----Amid life's desert wild.

His lightest word has been a tone
-----Of music round her heart,
Their lives a streamlet blent in one--
-----Oh, Father! must they part?

They tear him from her circling arms,
-----Her last and fond embrace.
Oh! never more may her sad eyes
-----Gaze on his mournful face.

No marvel, then, these bitter shrieks
-----Disturb the listening air:
She is a mother, and her heart
-----Is breaking in despair.

First published in Poems on Miscellaneous Subjects (1854)

About Frances Ellen Watkins Harper

American Literature: "Nat Turner's Confession" (Nat Turner, 1800-1831, as told to Thomas R. Gray)

2009-12-13T06:35:00.000-08:00

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Discovery of Nat Turner.
Image was originally found on Encyclopedia Virginia. The print is in the Bettman Archive. The image has been printed on p. 321 of 1882's A Popular History of the United States, and p. 154 of 1894's History of the United States from the Earliest Discovery of America to the Present Day.
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The following contains the full text of "Nat Turner's Confession," including the full descriptions of the actual slayings; the murdered victims included women and children, an infant among them.

The excerpt from African-American Literature: an Anthology contains only part of the story; by omission of crucial text, the actions of Nat Turner and his band of killers may seem less horrific and more defensible.

You decide:

Be it remembered, That on this tenth day of November, Anno Domini, eighteen hundred and thirty-one, Thomas R. Gray of the said District, deposited in this office the title of a book, which is in the words as following.
The Confessions of Nat Turner, the leader of the late insurrection in Southhampton, Virginia, as fully and voluntarily made to Thomas R. Gray, in the prison where he was confined. and acknowledged by him to be such when read before the Court of Southampton, with the certificate, under seal, of the Court convened at Jerusalem, November 5, 1831, for his trial. Also, an authentic account of the whole insurrection, and with lists of the whites who were murdered, and of the Negroes brought before the Court of Southampton, and there sentenced, &., the right where of he claims as proprietor, in conformity with an Act of Congress, entitled, "An act to amend the several acts respecting Copy Rights."

The Confession
Agreeable to his own appointment, on the evening [Nat Turner] was committed to prison, with permission of the jailer, I [Thomas R. Gray] visited NAT on Tuesday the 1st November, when, without being questioned at all, he commenced his narrative in the following words:
Sir, you have asked me to give a history of the motives which induced me to undertake the late insurrection, as you call it. To do so I must go back to the days of my infancy, and even before I was born.

I was thirty-one years of age the 2nd of October last, and born the property of Benjamin Turner, of this county. In my childhood a circumstance occurred which made an indelible impression on my mind, and laid the ground work of that enthusiasm, which has terminated so fatally to many, both white and black, and for which I am about to atone at the gallows. It is here necessary to relate this circumstance--trifling as it may seem, it was the commencement of that belief which has grown with time, and even now, sir, in this dungeon, helpless and forsaken as I am, I cannot divest myself of.

Being at play with other children, when three or four years old, I was telling them something, which my mother overhearing, said it had happened before I was born. I stuck to my story, however, and related some thing's which went, in her opinion, to confirm it. Others being called on were greatly astonished, knowing that these things had happened, and caused them to say in my hearing, I surely would be a prophet, as the Lord had shewn me things that had happened before my birth. And my father and mother strengthened me in this my first impression, saying in my presence, I was intended for some great purpose, which they had always thought from certain marks on my head and breast [a parcel of excrescence's which I believe are not at all uncommon, particularly among Negroes, as I have seen several with the same. In this case he has either cut them off or they have nearly disappeared]--my grandmother, who was very religious, and to whom I was much attached, my master, who belonged to the church, and other religious persons who visited the house, and whom I often saw at prayers, noticing the singularity of my manners, I suppose, and my uncommon intelligence for a child, remarked I had too much sense to be raised, and if I was, I would never be of any service to any one as a slave.

To a mind like mine, restless, inquisitive and observant of every thing that was passing, it is easy to suppose that religion was the subject to which it would be directed, and although this subject principally occupied my thoughts; there was nothing that I saw or heard of to which my attention was not directed. The manner in which I learned to read and write, not only had great influence on my own mind, as I acquired it with the most perfect ease, so much so, that I have no recollection whatever of learning the alphabet, but to the astonishment of the family, one day when a book was shewn to me to keep me from crying, I began spelling the names of different objects, this was a source of wonder to all in the neighborhood, particularly the blacks, and this learning was constantly improved at all opportunities

When I got large enough to go to work, while employed, I was reflecting on many things that would present themselves to my imagination, and whenever an opportunity occurred of looking at a book, when the school children were getting their lessons, I would find many things that the fertility of my own imagination had depicted to me before; all my time, not devoted to my master's service, was spent either in prayer, or in making experiments in casting different things in molds make of earth, in attempting to make paper, gun-powder and many other experiments, that although I could not perfect, yet convinced me of its practicability if I had the means.

I was not addicted to stealing in my youth, nor have ever been. Yet such was the confidence of the Negroes in the neighborhood, even at this early period of my life, in my superior judgment, that they would often carry me with them when they were going on any roguery, to plan for them. Growing up among them with this confidence in my superior judgment, and when this, in their opinions, was perfected by Divine inspiration, from the circumstances already alluded to in my infancy, and which belief was ever afterwards zealously inculcated by the austerity of my life and manners, which became the subject of remark by white and black. Having soon discovered to be great, I must appear so, and therefore studiously avoided mixing in society, and wrapped myself in mystery, devoting my time to fasting and prayer.

By this time having arrived to man's estate, and hearing the scriptures commented on at meetings, I was struck with that particular passage which says: "Seek ye the kingdom of Heaven and all things shall be added unto you." I reflected much on this passage, and prayed daily for light on this subject. As I was praying one day at my plough, the spirit spoke to me, saying "Seed ye the kingdom of Heaven and all things shall be added unto you."
Question: what do you mean by the Spirit?

Answer: The Spirit that spoke to the prophets in former days, and I was greatly astonished, and for two years prayed continually, whenever my duty would permit, and then again I had the same revelation, which fully confirmed me in the impression that I was ordained for some great purpose in the hands of the Almighty.
Several years rolled round, in which many events occurred to strengthen me in this my belief. At this time I reverted in my mind to the remarks made of me in my childhood, and the things that had been shewn me, and as it had been said of me in my childhood by those by whom I had been taught to pray, both white and black, and in whom I had the greatest confidence, that I had too much sense to be raised, and if I was, I would never be of any use to any one as a slave. Now finding I had arrived to man's estate, and was a slave, and these revelations being made known to me, I began to direct my attention to this great object, to fulfill the purpose for which, by this time, I felt assured I was intended. Knowing the influence I had obtained over the minds of my fellow servants (not by the means of conjuring and such like tricks--for to them I always spoke of such things with contempt)--but by the communion of the Spirit whose revelations I often communicated to them, and they believed and said my wisdom came from God. I now began to prepare them for my purpose, by telling them something was about to happen that would terminate in fulfilling the great promise that had been made to me.

About this time I was placed under an overseer, from whom I ran away and after remaining in the woods thirty days, I returned, to the astonishment of the Negroes on the plantation, who thought I had made my escape to some other part of the country, as my father had done before. But the reason of my return was, that the Spirit appeared to me and said I had my wishes directed to the things of this world, and not to the kingdom of Heaven, and that I should return to the service of my earthly master. "For he who knoweth his Master's will, and doeth it not, shall be beaten with many stripes, and thus have I chastened you." And the Negroes found fault, and murmured against me, saying that if they had my sense they would not serve any master in the world. And about this time I had a vision, and I saw white spirits and black spirits engaged in battle, and the sun was darkened, the thunder rolled in the Heavens, and blood flowed in streams and I heard a voice saying, "Such is your luck, such you are called to see, and let it come rough or smooth, you must surely bare it. I now withdrew myself as much as my situation would permit, from the intercourse of my fellow servants, for the avowed purpose of serving the Spirit more fully.

And it appeared to me, and reminded me of the things it had already shown me, and that it would then reveal to me the knowledge of the elements, the revolution of the planets, the operation of tides, and changes of the seasons. After this revelation in the year of 1825, and the knowledge of the elements being made known to me, I sought more than ever to obtain true holiness before the great day of judgment should appear, and then I began to receive the true knowledge of faith. And from the first steps of righteousness until the last, was I made perfect; and the Holy Ghost was with me, and said, "Behold me as I stand in the Heavens." And I looked and saw the forms of men in different attitudes, and there were lights in the sky to which the children of darkness gave other names than what they really were, for they were the lights of the Savior's hands, stretched forth from east to west, even as they were extended on the cross on Calvary for the redemption of sinners. And I wondered greatly at these miracles, and prayed to be informed of a certainty of the meaning thereof, and shortly afterwards, while laboring in the field, I discovered drops of blood on the corn as though it were dew from heaven, and I communicated it to many, both white and black, in the neighborhood, and I then found on the leaves in the woods hieroglyphic characters, and numbers, with the forms of men in different attitudes, portrayed in blood, and representing the figures I had seen before in the heavens.

And now the Holy Ghost had revealed itself to me, and made plain the miracles it had shown me. For as the blood of Christ had been shed on this earth, and had ascended to heaven for the salvation of sinners, and was now returning to earth again in the form of dew, and as the leaves on the trees bore impression of the figures I had seen in the heavens, it was plain to me that the Savior was about to lay down the yoke he had borne for the sins of men, and the great day of judgment was at hand. About this time I told these things to a white man [Etheldred T. Brantley], on whom it had a wonderful effect, and he ceased from his wickedness, and was attacked immediately with a a cutaneous eruption, and blood oozed from the pores of his skin, and after praying and fasting nine days, he was healed, and the Spirit appeared to me again, and said, as the Savior had been baptised so should we be also, and when the white people would not let us be baptised by the church, we went down into the water together, in the sight of many who reviled us, and were baptised by the spirit. After this I rejoiced greatly, and gave thanks to God.

And on the 12th of May, 1828, I heard a loud noise in the heavens, and the Spirit instantly appeared to me and said the Serpent was loosened, and Christ had laid down the yoke he had borne for the sins of men, and that I should take it on and fight against the Serpent, for the time was fast approaching when the first should be last and the last should be first.
Question: Do you not find yourself mistaken now?

Answer: Was not Christ crucified?
And by signs in the heavens that it would make known to me when I should commence the great work, and until the first sign appeared, I should conceal it from the knowledge of men. And on the appearance of the sign [the eclipse of the sun last February], I should arise and prepare myself, and slay my enemies with their own weapons. And immediately on the sign appearing in the heavens, the seal was removed from my lips, and I communicated the great work laid out for me to do, to four in whom I had the greatest confidence [Henry, Hark, Nelson, and Sam].

It was intended by us to have begun the work of death on the 4th of July last. Many were the plans formed and rejected by us, and it affected my mind to such degree, that I fell sick, and the time passed without our coming to any determination how to commence. Still forming new schemes and rejecting them, when the sign appeared again, which determined me not to wait longer.

Since the commencement of 1830, I had been living with Mr. Joseph Travis, who was to me a kind master, and placed the greatest confidence in me; in fact, I had no cause to complain of his treatment to me. On Saturday evening, the 20th of August, it was agreed between Henry, Hark, and myself, to prepare a dinner the next day for the men we expected, and then to concert a plan, as we had not yet determined on any. Hark, on the following morning, brought a pig, and Henry brandy, and being joined by Sam, Nelson, Will and Jack, they prepared in the woods a dinner, where, about three o'clock, I joined them.
Question: Why were you so backward in joining them?

Answer: The same reason that had caused me not to mix with them for years before.
I saluted them on coming up, and asked Will how came he there, he answered, his life was worth no more than others, and his liberty as dear to him. I asked him if he thought to obtain it? He said he would, or lose his life. This was enough to put him in full confidence. Jack, I knew, was only a tool in the hands of Hark, it was quickly agreed we should commence at home [Mr. J. Travis] on that night, and until we had armed and equipped ourselves, and gathered sufficient force, neither age nor sex was to be spared [which was invariably adhered to].

We remained at the feast, until about two hours in the night, when we went to the house and found Austin; they all went to the cider press and drank, except myself. On returning to the house, Hark went to the door with an axe, for the purpose of breaking it open, as we knew we were strong enough to murder the family, if they were awaked by the noise; but reflecting that it might create an alarm in the neighborhood, we determined to enter the house secretly, and murder them whilst sleeping. Hark got a ladder and set it against the chimney, on which I ascended, and hoisting a window, entered and came down stairs, unbarred the door, and removed the guns from their places. It was then observed that I must spill the first blood. On which, armed with a hatchet, and accompanied by Will, I entered my master's chamber, it being dark, I could not give a death blow, the hatchet glanced from his head, he sprang from the bed and called his wife, it was his last word, Will laid him dead, with a blow of his axe, and Mrs. Travis shared the same fate, as she lay in bed.

The murder of this family, five in number, was the work of a moment, not one of them awoke; there was a little infant sleeping in a cradle, that was forgotten, until we had left the house and gone some distance, when Henry and Will returned and killed it; we got here, four guns that would shoot, and several old muskets, with a pound or two of powder.

We remained some time at the barn, where we paraded; I formed them in a line as soldiers, and after carrying them through all the maneuvers I was master of marched them off to Mr. Salathul Francis', about six hundred yards distant. Sam and Will went to the door and knocked. Mr. Francis asked who was there, Sam replied it was him, and he had a letter for him, on which he got up and came to the door; they immediately seized him, and dragging him out a little from the door, he was dispatched by repeated blows on the head; there was no other white person in the family.

We started from there for Mrs. Reese's. Maintaining the most perfect silence on our march, where finding the door unlocked, we entered, and murdered Mrs. Reese in her bed, while sleeping; her son awoke, but it was only to sleep the sleep of death, he had only time to say who is that, and he was no more.

From Mrs. Reese's we went to Mrs. Turner's, a mile distant, which we reached about sunrise, on Monday morning. Henry, Austin, and Sam, went to the still, where, finding Mr. Peeples, Austin shot him, and the rest of us went to the house; as we approached, the family discovered us, and shut the door. Vain hope! Will, with one stroke of his axe, opened it, and we entered and found Mrs. Turner and Mrs. Newsome in the middle of a room, almost frightened to death. Will immediately killed Mrs. Turner, with one blow of his axe. I took Mrs. Newsome by the hand, and with the sword I had when I was apprehended, I struck her several blows over the head, but not being able to kill her, as the sword was dull. Will turning around and discovering it, dispatched her also.

A general destruction of property and search for money and ammunition, always succeeded the murders. By this time my company amounted to fifteen, and nine men mounted, who started for Mrs. Whitehead's (the other six were to go through a by way to Mr. Bryant's and rejoin us at Mrs. Whitehead's). As we approached the house we discovered Mr. Richard Whitehead standing in the cotton patch, near the lane fence; we called him over into the lane, and Will, the executioner, was near at hand, with his fatal axe, to send him to an untimely grave. As we pushed on to the house, I discovered some one run round the garden, and thinking it was some of the white family, I pursued them, but finding it was a servant girl belonging to the house, I left, had not been idle; all the family were already murdered, but Mrs. Whitehead and her daughter Margaret. As I came round to the door I saw Will pulling Mrs. Whitehead out of the house, and at the step he nearly severed her head from her body, with his broad axe. Miss Margaret, when I discovered her, had concealed herself in the corner, formed by the projection of cellar cap from the house; on my approach she fled, but was soon overtaken, and after repeated blows with a sword, I killed her by a blow on the head, with a fence rail.

By this time, the six who had gone by Mr. Bryant's, rejoined us, and informed me they had done the work of death assigned them. We again divided, part going to Mr. Richard Porter's, and from thence to Nathaniel Francis', the others to Mr. Howell Harris', and Mr. T. Doyles. On my reaching Mr. Porter's, he had escaped with his family.

I understood then, that the alarm had already spread, and I immediately returned to bring up those sent to Mr. Doyles, and Mr. Howell Harris'; the party I left going on to Mr. Francis', having told them I would join them in that neighborhood. I met these sent to Mr. Doyles' and Mr. Harris' returning, having met Mr. Doyle on the road and killed him; and learning from some who joined them, that Mr. Harris was from home, I immediately pursued the course taken by the party gone on before; but knowing they would complete the work of death and pillage at Mr. Francis' before I could get there, I went to Mr. Peter Edwards', expecting to find them there, but they had been here also.

I then went to Mr. John T. Barrow's; they had been here and murdered him. I pursued on their track to Capt. Newit Harris', where I found the greater part mounted, and ready to start; the men now amounting to about forty, shouted and hurrahed as I rode up, some were in the yard, loading their guns, others drinking.

They said Captain Harris and his family had escaped, the property in the houses they destroyed, robbing him of money and other valuables. I ordered them to mount and march instantly, this was about nine or ten o'clock, Monday morning. I proceeded to Mr. Levi Waller's, two or three miles distant. I took my station in the rear, and as it was my object to carry terror and devastation wherever we went, I placed fifteen or twenty of the best armed and most relied on, in front, who generally approached the houses as fast as their horses could run; this was for two purposes, to prevent escape and strike terror to the inhabitants; on this account I never got to the houses, after leaving Mrs. Whitehead's, until the murders were committed, except in one case. I sometimes got in sight in time to see the work of death completed, viewed the mangled bodied as they lay, in silent satisfaction, and immediately started in quest of other victims.

Having murdered Mrs. Waller and ten children, we started for Mr. Williams', having killed him and two little boys that were there; while engaged in this, Mrs. Williams fled and got some distance from the house, but she was pursued, overtaken, and compelled to get up behind one of the company, who brought her back, and after showing her the mangled body of her lifeless husband, she was told to get down and lay by his side, where she was shot dead.

I then started for Mr. Jacob Williams. where the family were murdered. Here he found a young man named Drury, who had come on business with Mr. Williams; he was pursued, overtaken and shot.

Mrs. Vaughan was the next place we visited, and after murdering the family here, I determined on starting for Jerusalem.

Our number amounted now to fifty or sixty, all mounted and armed with guns, axes, swords and clubs. On reaching Mr. James W. Parker's gate, immediately on the road leading to Jerusalem, and about three miles distant, it was proposed to me to call there, but objected, as I knew he was gone to Jerusalem, and my object was to reach there as soon as possible; but some of the men having relations at Mr. Parker's, it was agreed that they might call and get his people. I remained at the gate on the road, with seven or eight; the others going across the field to the house, about half a mile off.

After waiting some time for them, I became impatient, and started to the house for them, and on our return we were met by a party of white when, who had pursued our blood-stained track, and who had fired on those at the gate, and dispersed them, which I knew nothing of, not having been at that time rejoined by any of them. Immediately on discovering the whites, I ordered my men to halt and form, as they appeared to be alarmed. The white men, eighteen in number, approached us in about one hundred yards, when one of them fired [this was against the positive orders of Captain Alexander P. Peete, who commanded, and who had directed the men to reserve their fire until within thirty paces].

And I discovered about half of them retreating; I then ordered my men to fire and rush on them; the few remaining stood their ground until we approached within fifty yards, when they fired and retreated. We pursued and overtook some of them who we thought we left dead [they were not killed]; after pursuing them about two hundred yards, and rising a little hill, I discovered they were met by another party, and had halted, and were re-loading their guns [this was a small party from Jerusalem who knew the Negroes were in the field, and had just tied their horses to await their return to the road, knowing that Mr. Parker and family were in Jerusalem, but knew nothing of the party that had gone in with Captain Peete; on hearing the firing they immediately rushed to the spot and arrived just in time to arrest the progress of these barbarous villains, and save the lives of their friends and fellow citizens.]

Thinking that those who retreated first, and the party who fired on us at fifty or sixty yards distant, had all fallen back to meet others with ammunition. As I saw them reloading their guns, and more coming up than I saw at first. and several of my bravest men being wounded, the others became panic struck and squandered over the field; the white men pursued and fired on us several times. Hark had his horse shot under him, and I caught another for him as it was running by me; five or six of my men were wounded, but none left on the field; finding myself defeated here I instantly determined to go through a private way, and cross the Nottoway river at the Cypress Bridge, three miles below Jerusalem, and attack that place in the rear, as I expected they would look for me on the other road, and I had a great desire to get there to procure arms and ammunition. After going a short distance in this private way, accompanied by about twenty me, I overtook two or three who told me the others were dispersed in every direction. After trying in vain to collect a sufficient force to proceed to Jerusalem, I determined to return, as I was sure they would make back to their old neighborhood, where they would rejoin me, make new recruits, and come down again. On my way back, I called at Mrs. Thomas's, Mrs. Spencer's and several other places, the white families having fled, we found no more victims to gratify our thirst for blood; we stopped at Major Ridley's quarter for the night, and being joined by four of his men, with the recruits made since my defeat, we mustered now about forty strong. After placing out sentinels, I laid down to sleep, but was quickly roused by a great racket; starting up, I found some mounted, and others in great confusion; one of the sentinels having given the alarm that we were about to be attacked, I ordered some to ride round and reconnoitre, and on their return the others being more alarmed, not knowing who they were, fled in different ways, so that I was reduced to about twenty again; with this I determined to attempt to recruit, and proceed on to rally in the neighborhood, I had left. Dr. Blunt's was the nearest house, which we reached just before day; on riding up the yard, Hark fired a gun. We expected Dr. Blunt and his family were at Maj. Ridley's as I knew there was a company of men there; the gun was fired to ascertain if any of the family were at home; we were immediately fired upon and retreated, leaving several of my men. I do not know what became of them, as I never saw them afterwards.

Pursuing our course back and coming in sight of Captain Harris', where we had been the day before, we discovered a party of white men at the house, on which all deserted me but two [Jacob and Nat]. We concealed ourselves in the woods until near night, when I sent them in search of Henry, Sam, Nelson, and Hark, and directed them to rally all they could, at the place we had had our dinner the Sunday before, where they would find me. And I accordingly returned there as soon as it was dark and remained until Wednesday evening, when discovering white men riding around the place as though they were looking for some one, and none of my men joining me, I concluded Jacob and Nat had been taken, and compelled to betray me. On this I gave up all hope for the present; and on Thursday night after having supplied myself with provisions from Mr. Travis's, I scratched a hole under a pile of fence rails in a field, where I concealed myself for six weeks, never leaving my hiding place but for a few minutes in the dead of night to get water which was very near. Thinking by this time I could venture out, I began to go about in the night and eaves drop the houses in the neighborhood; pursuing this course for about a fortnight and gathering little or no intelligence, afraid of speaking to any human being, and returning every morning to my cave before the dawn of day.

I know not how long I might have led this life, if accident had not betrayed me. A dog in the neighborhood passing by my hiding place one night while I was out, was attracted by some meat I had in my cave, and crawled in and stole it, and was coming out just as I returned. A few nights after, two Negroes having started to go hunting with the same dog, and passed that way, the dog came again to the place, and having just gone out to walk about, discovered me and barked, on which thinking myself discovered, I spoke to them to beg concealment. On making myself known they fled from me.

Knowing then they would betray me, I immediately left my hiding place, and was pursued almost incessantly until I was taken a fortnight afterwards by Mr. Benjamin Phipps, in a little hole I had dug out with my sword, for the purpose of concealment, under the top of a fallen tree. On Mr. Phipps' discovering the place of my concealment, he cocked his gun and aimed at me. I requested him not to shoot and I would give up, upon which he demanded my sword. I delivered it to him, and he brought me to prison. During the time I was pursued, I had many hair breadth escapes, which your time will not permit you to relate. I am here loaded with chains, and willing to suffer the fate that awaits me.
I [Thomas R. Gray] here proceeded to make some inquiries of him, after assuring him of the certain death that awaited him, and that concealment would only bring destruction on the innocent as well as guilty, of his own color, if he knew of any extensive or concerted plan.

His answer was, "I do not."

When I questioned him as to the insurrection in North Carolina happening about the same time, he denied any knowledge of it; and when I looked him in the face as though I would search his inmost thoughts, he replied, "I see, sir, you doubt my word; but can you not think the same ideas, and strange appearances about this time in the heaven's might prompt others, as well as myself, to this undertaking."

I now had much conversation with him and asked him many questions, having forborne to do so previously, except in the cases noted in parenthesis; but during his statement, I had, unnoticed by him, taken notes as to some particular circumstances, and having the advantage of his statement before me in writing, on the evening of the third day that I had been with him, I began a cross examination, and found his statement corroborated by every circumstance coming within my own knowledge or the confessions of others who had been either killed or executed, and whom he had not seen nor had any knowledge since 22nd of August last, he expressed himself fully satisfied as to the impracticability of his attempt.

It has been said he was ignorant and cowardly, and that his object was to murder and rob for the purpose of obtaining money to make his escape. It is notorious, that he was never known to have a dollar in his life; to swear an oath, or drink a drop of spirits. As to his ignorance, he certainly never had the advantages of education, but he can read and write (it was taught him by his parents), and for natural intelligence and quickness of apprehension, is surpassed by few men I have ever seen. As to his being a coward, his reason as given for not resisting Mr. Phipps, shews the decision of his character. When he saw Mr. Phipps present his gun, he said he knew it was impossible for him to escape as the woods were full of men; he therefore thought it was better to surrender, and trust to fortune for his escape.

He is a complete fanatic, or plays his part most admirably. On other subjects he possesses an uncommon share of intelligence, with a mind capable of attaining any thing; but warped and perverted by the influence of early impressions. He is below the ordinary stature, though strong and active, having the true Negro face, ever feature of which is strongly marked. I shall not attempt to describe the effect of his narrative, as told and commented on by himself, in the condemned hole of the prison. The calm, deliberate composure with which he spoke of his late deeds and intentions, the expression of his fiend-like face when excited by enthusiasm, still bearing the stains of the blood of helpless innocence about him; clothed with rags and covered with chains; yet daring to raise his manacled hands to heaven, with a spirit soaring above the attributes of man; I looked on him and my blood curdled in my veins.

I will not shock the feelings of humanity, nor wound afresh the bosoms of the disconsolate sufferers in this unparalleled and inhuman massacre, by detailing the deeds of their fiend-like barbarity. There were two or three who were in the power of these wretches, had they known it, and who escaped in the most providential manner.

There were two whom they thought they left dead on the field at Mr. Parker's, but who were only stunned by the blows of their guns, as they did not take time to re-load when they charged on them. The escape of a little girl who went to school at Mr. Waller's, and where the children were collecting for that purpose, excited general sympathy. As their teacher had not arrived, they were at play in the yard, and seeing the Negroes approach, she ran up on a dirt chimney (such as are common to log houses) and remained there unnoticed during the massacre of the eleven that were killed at this place. She remained on her hiding place till just before the arrival of a party, who were in pursuit of the murderers, when she came down and fled to a swamp where, a mere child as she was, with the horrors of the late scene before her, she lay concealed until the next day, when seeing a party go up to the house, she came up, and on being asked how she escaped, replied with the utmost simplicity, "The Lord helped her." She was taken up behind a gentleman of the party, and returned to the arms of her weeping mother.

Miss Whitehead concealed herself between the bed and the mat that supported it, while they murdered her sister in the same room, without discovering her. She was afterwards carried off, and concealed for protection by a slave of the family, who gave evidence against several of them on their trial.

Mrs. Nathaniel Francis, while concealed in a closet heard their blows, and the shrieks of the victims of these ruthless savages; they then entered the closet, where she was concealed, and went out without discovering her. While in this hiding place, she heard two of her women in a quarrel about the division of her clothes.

Mr. John T. Baron, discovering them approaching his house, told his wife to make her escape, and scorning to fly, fell fighting on his own threshold. After firing his rifle, he discharged his gun at them, and then broke it over the villain who first approached him, but he was overpowered, and slain. His bravery, however, saved from the hands of these monsters, his lovely and amiable wife, who will long lament a husband so deserving of her love. As directed by him, she attempted to escape through the garden, when she was caught and held by one of her servant girls, but another coming to her rescue, she fled to the woods, and concealed herself. Few indeed, were those who escaped their work of death. But fortunate for society, the hand of retributive justice has overtaken them; and not one that was known to be concerned has escaped.

Herein ends the Confessions of the great hero and liberator...

American Literature--The Piano Lesson: Character Study of Avery and Lymon (by Vesna Ilievska)

2009-12-10T06:44:00.000-08:00

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Avery
Avery is an acquaintance of Boy Willie and Lymon from the South, and considers himself to be Bernice’s boyfriend. He’s in his late thirties and has become a preacher. Like most of the characters in the play, he is also fighting for his dream, and that’s starting his own church and being able to hold congregations there. In addition to his Avery’s passion to preach, he also works as an elevator boy, which in a way nicely depicts how well he has adapted to city life, in comparison to working the fields in the South. Avery holding a menial job and doing a totally different kind of work in his community is also something that can be frequently encountered among the people from the African-American community during that period. Nevertheless, as a preacher Avery gets the chance to climb up the social ladder and earn respect far more quickly than being an elevator boy and that position is seems to match Avery’s almost silly religiousness perfectly.

All of this makes Avery look like a good and strong man, but perhaps a little bit unimaginative and plodding, as we see in his relationship with Bernice. When it comes to her, Avery’s extremely respectful, gentle and thoughtful which almost seems to be counterproductive because Bernice continues rejecting his marriage proposals.

He is extremely persistent as well, because as a preacher he is in good social standing to be able to marry any woman he wants, but instead he keep trying to convince Bernice to be his wife which seems almost futile. Finally, I see Avery as the character that has the most indirect approach to things. Boy Willie is ready to load the piano on his truck and Bernice is ready to shoot Boy Willie to keep the piano in the house, but Avery stops to ask Bernice whether there’s “any woman left in her”, instead of actually kissing her and discovering the woman in Bernice.

Lymon
Lymon is Boy Willie’s good friend from the South that has accompanied him to the North, to Pittsburgh, because he wants to make a chance in his life. He’s in his late twenties and seems to be an easygoing man. Like the others, he’s trying to make a future for himself and is looking forward to a new beginning in a new place. There are two main reasons why he chooses the North over the South, one reason being the fact that he is being prosecuted in the South and the other being his beliefs that the law will always be changed to suit white folks, thus he believes he will never be treated equally and make a living like the others. Here, we also discover Lymon’s struggle to be self-sufficient and independent because he would rather stay in prison than have someone pay his debt and go back to serving someone again.

Lymon seems to be rather spontaneous and direct compared to some of other characters, which we see in his attitude towards him moving to the city. Instead of planning his future a touch more, he seems to be more willing to go with the flow and enjoy the nightlife and the women of Pittsburgh rather than find a place to live, a good job and settle down. We do not see a lot of Lymon’s personality because he is after all a stranger to the family and tries not to get between Boy Willie and Bernice. When compared to Boy Willie, Lymon seems to lack Boy Willie’s explosiveness but often is more brilliant in his own way. This is probably what attracts Bernice towards Lymon. We see him as more laid back, yet caring and sensual. Though he is presented as a bit naïve at certain moments in the play, like when he agrees to buy Winning Boy’s coat because he believes the coat will bring him luck in his love life, it takes him only minutes to get to a point with Bernice which would have taken Avery months or even years. In the end, he and Boy Willie go their own ways and even if we do not have any information on what happens next with Lymon, we somehow feel he will succeed in whatever he puts his mind on.

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Note: The American Literature students and I were assigned to develop studies of two characters from the play.

These studies are essentially rough notes, developed to stimulate class discussion. If you quote or paraphrase from these original character studies for a scholarly paper, please cite this post as a source.

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Work Cited
Wilson, August. The Piano Lesson. Rpt. in Literature and Society: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, Nonfiction, 4th Ed. Eds. Pamela J. Annas and Robert C. Rosen. Upper Saddle River (NJ): Pearson-Prentice Hall, 2007. 809-879.
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American Literature--The Piano Lesson: Character Study of Doaker and Grace (by Daniela Atanasova)

2009-12-10T04:41:00.000-08:00

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Doaker
Doaker has a discreet presence in the play The Piano Lesson, by August Wilson, and it would be easy to write him off as a somewhat straightforward and inconsequential character. However, a closer look would reveal that in the persona of Doaker, Wilson has actually created a fully developed character with a complexity all its own.

Doaker Charles is described as a forty-seven-year old man “with severe features” (809) who has been working for the railway for twenty-seven years. He has a house which he shares with his niece Berniece and her daughter Maretha and where all the drama of the play takes place. We find out that he has had a wife, Coreen, but they are now separated or divorced and she lives in New York City. There is certain mysteriousness around the story as well as around Doaker’s relation to women in general. According to Boy Willie, his nephew, Doaker used to be or is still very popular with women, and we cannot know to what extent what he says is true, but it is clear that at the time of the action in the play Doaker is well accustomed to living on his own and apparently has no thoughts of chasing women. In several scenes we see him cooking, ironing, etc. so it appears that he does most of the household work (additionally, he works as a cook) and the other characters seem to take that as natural. There is no question of a diminished masculinity here, the fact that Doaker works around the house, I would say, only adds to the dignity he enjoys in the eyes of others.

Again from Boy Willie we find out that Doaker is respected in the black community they all came from, probably because of his job in the railway. Doaker also takes great pride in his work and we can imagine how it must have been more of a big deal earlier, when he was younger and when black people rarely had steady jobs. Doaker has managed to win his independence, to move north and have his own house and reliable income, and that was a great achievement for a black person at the time, which immediately distinguished and separated him from the community as someone to look up to. He is the complete antipode to his brother Wining Boy and his insecure, gambling, adventurous, haphazard way of life. Doaker may be seen as the epitome of sobriety and moral firmness in the play, when compared to the other male characters, although he was not always an angel. For instance, he took part in the family theft of the renowned piano which is the centre of conflict in the play, but perhaps he did that driven by the sense of family loyalty, the same sense, or generosity, which motivated him to admit under his roof Berniece and Maretha for whom he cares and provides support.

Doaker has a very realistic view on life and the people around him; sometimes he even exhibits an ironic trait, like for example when he talks about Avery’s epiphany (827) or when he denigrates Wining Boy for visiting them only when he is broke. However, in the end he still supports Avery in setting up his church and lets him bless the house to drive away Sutter’s ghost, and still gives money to Wining Boy, which shows that he has a warm heart and understands people, their flaws and their dreams. The speech he makes about the railroad on page 820 reveals a contemplative side of Doaker. He knows that people travel in search for a better life; however, to him this only means that they are trying to run away from their existing lives and problems…and what they come up against most of the time are disappointments. Therefore, in his view it is better to stay in one place and play with what you have and try to make the best of it. That is exactly what he is doing and hence he is the centre of stability in the play.

In the conflict between Berniece and Boy Willie, Doaker plays the role of mediator. Although he tries to remain as disinterested and as impartial as possible, he is inevitably drawn in the arguments and sometimes forced to take a side. He never refutes the legitimacy of the claim both Berniece and Boy Willie lay on the piano, but sometimes it seems like he supports Berniece more. However, at one point he states his opinion clearly that Berniece should let go of the past, sell the piano and marry Avery. Nevertheless, he remains respectful of her wishes until the end and even exerts his authority to stop Boy Willie and Lymon from taking the piano out of the house.

Finally, Doaker is an altogether positive character, a caring person that in a way provides shelter and support for all the other members of his family circle. He tells the history of the family to Lymon, his is the house everybody comes back to, he is the one they can always rely on in times of distress to fill them with a sense of belonging and create a consciousness that they at least have a secure base they can start from and build upon.

Grace
Lymon most succinctly describes the type of women Grace represents: “Mostly they be lonely and looking for somebody to spend the night with them. Sometimes it matters who is it and sometimes it don’t” (857). Although she is a minor character that appears in the play only on two occasions, she is set to be a counterpart to Berniece. Contrary to Berniece’s independence, loftiness and reserve when it comes to men, Grace is one of those girls who go out in the bars in a constant search for some love and male companionship. When she meets Berniece the night when they come to Doaker’s house together with Boy Willie, she plays the dignified, and she probably does put on an attitude of a girl with morals and principles. This is doubtful though, since she spends one night with Boy Willie, goes out with Lymon the following day and we hear of a previous boyfriend she used to live with who still has a key to her apartment. However, I believe that she is a good and naïve girl at bottom who will probably find a husband in the end and get settled.

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Note: The American Literature students and I were assigned to develop studies of two characters from the play.

These studies are essentially rough notes, developed to stimulate class discussion. If you quote or paraphrase from these original character studies for a scholarly paper, please cite this post as a source.

___________________________________________________________

Work Cited
Wilson, August. The Piano Lesson. Rpt. in Literature and Society: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, Nonfiction, 4th Ed. Eds. Pamela J. Annas and Robert C. Rosen. Upper Saddle River (NJ): Pearson-Prentice Hall, 2007. 809-879.
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American Literature: The Piano Lesson Notes--Scenes Added to and Changed in the Film Version

2009-12-10T00:40:00.000-08:00

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Berniece (Alfre Woodard), Boy Willie (Charles S. Dutton), and Maretha (Zelda Harris)(From The Piano Lesson, 1995 Hallmark Film)
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Retained the 1936 setting.

Numerous exterior shots of the Charles’ Pittsburgh home and in and around Pittsburgh.

Music:
The viewer hears the actual songs instead of just the lyrics that appear in the play script.
Exterior:
Opening scene. Lymon and Boy Willie are riding in the truck filled with watermelons, which, at first, is kind of shocking, given the negative connotations of associating African Americans with watermelons. The actor Charles Dutton was a bit surprised as well and actually questioned August Wilson about it.
Added Scene:
Doaker “sees” Sutter’s ghost. The piano plays on its own, which we don’t quite see until later in the play. We also see Doaker’s gun, which becomes pivotal later on, when Berneice threatens Boy Willie with it.

Throughout the film, we see and hear evidence of Sutter’s 340-pound ghost, but we don’t SEE him. However, at various times, Doaker, Maretha, Avery, Boy Willie, Wining Boy, Berniece, Lymon, and Grace do see something of the supernatural.
Exterior:
Back in Mississippi, shows the truck breaking down; the stereotype of African Americans being associated watermelons is emphasized, almost shocking.
Added scene:
Maretha playing the piano (albeit badly).
Exterior:
Doaker’s Pittsburgh home.
Flashback scene depicting the family story about the Ghosts of the Yellow Dog.
No main dialogue among the characters in the flashback scene; Doaker acts as a voice-over (with some music in the background. This is not exactly an added scene because in the play itself, Doaker does tell the family story in great detail.
Interior of a bank (?):
Most dramatic scene: Boy Willie and Lymon show up at Avery’s job and teases him (Boy Willie wants info about the piano buyer who had showed up a while back at Doaker’s home and offered to buy the piano from Berniece). This scene was hilarious, Avery so stiff, yet so obviously upset with his friends for seeing him in his role as a subservient worker in the white man’s world.
Exterior:
Streets of Pittsburgh--Boy Willie and Lyon negotiate with a mechanic to get the truck fixed.
Exterior (in a garden, probably at Doaker’s home, since Wining Boy seems to be homeless):
Wining Boy and Doaker discussing the women in their lives. Reveals that Cleotha, Wining Boy’s estranged wife, had died. This scene depicts clearly Wining Boy’s womanizing, gambling, drinking, blues singing, and rambling ways.
Exterior:
INVERTED STEREOTYPE! Now the opening watermelon scene makes sense as Boy Willie and Lymon hawk watermelons in a white neighborhood. These two guys are clearly in control of the situation as they show their sales’ acumen. Brilliant scene! This doesn’t come across as well in the play.

To sell the watermelons, Lymon and Boy Willie used an old technique called the “field holler,” which in the slave days, slaves used to impart important information that they didn’t want to be known by the overseers and slave owners. In slave days, sort of a sung back-and-forth dialogue that was “coded.”
Interior:
Berniece at work in the rich white employer’s home.
Exterior and Interior:
Movie theater, where Boy Willie and Lymon pick up Grace and Dolly.
Interior of a poker hall:
Wining Boy’s poker game, where he loses his money (the money Doaker loaned him and the money he received from selling the green silk suit to Lymon).
Changed scene:
In the film, when Boy Willie tries to move the piano, Doaker has a gun at his side; in the text, he’s just standing in the doorway (pages 861-862). On the other hand, in both play and film, Berniece gets Crawley’s gun (also foreshadowed in the play, page 863, and “shown” as her hand on her pocket on page 870), hides in her pocket (again, we don’t quite see it.)
Interior and Exterior:
Avery in his church as he gathers the materials needed to chase away a ghost.

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References to the play script are from:

Literature and Society: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, Nonfiction, 4th Ed. (Edited by Pamela J. Annas and Robert C. Rosen), Upper Saddle River (NJ): Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2007. 808-879.

American Literature--The Piano Lesson: Character Study of Boy Willie and Wining Boy (by Anita Manceva)

2009-12-09T13:12:00.000-08:00

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Boy Willie
Boy Willie, a rash and impulsive 30-year-old man, comes to Pittsburgh with a truck loaded with watermelons only with one goal – to sell them and to sell the family piano which has a great meaning for the all members of his family.

Boy Willie is the character who introduces the conflict in the play. His intention to sell the family piano brings him into a quarrel with his sister, Berniece, who is strongly opposed to selling the piano. However, his strong will and obstinate nature does not allow him to step back despite his sister’s disapproval, which leads him in fierce quarrels with Berniece every time they meet. Furthermore, taking into consideration his reluctance to listening Bernice’s arguments when they quarrel, his selfish and inflexible nature comes to light. Every time Bernice determinedly says she does not want him to sell the piano he does not even listen or ask her why she does not want the piano to be sold but goes on listing his own arguments and needs (he needs money to buy Sutter’s land on which his ancestors worked as slaves).

Willie is especially zealous about questions of race. He does not acknowledge any difference between himself and white men. His goal in life is to leave a mark of his existence in the ‘white’ society. He follows and acknowledges only the laws that he thinks are just, in the same way he obstinately pursues his intention to sell the piano because he thinks the selling of the piano will serve for a higher purpose.

Boy Willie is a practical man, with practical beliefs, believing that the past should be used for creating a new and better future. He believes that with buying Sutter’s land he will do better in his life than his father did. His buying the land is even more important because that is the land his ancestors worked on as slaves and now he will be the owner of that land, which would be a huge improvement.

Boy Willie is a man with strong beliefs and his own outlook of life. He is the embodiment of the rebellion against the stale conventions of a transient society where “the black” is still seen as obtrusive. Although many readers may take the side of Berniece who tries to preserve the historical legacy of the family (thus refusing to let go the past and face the future), Boy Willie is a man whose practical ambition will inevitably bring progress to all the members of the family, and even wider world: the whole African-American community.

Wining Boy

Wining Boy appears in Act 1 Scene 2 and Wilson depicts him tremendously:

Wining Boy is fifty-six years old. Doaker’s older brother, he tries to present the image of a successful musician and gambler, but his music, his clothes, and even his manner of presentation are old. He is a man who looking back over his life continues to live it with an odd mixture of zest and sorrow (826).

Wining Boy, a tragicomic figure in the play, is just as Wilson delineated: an amalgamation of joyful appearance and latent sorrow. He is lonely (which is most obvious when he talks about his deceased wife Cleotha) and tries to fill the emptiness by gambling and drinking. His soft side comes to light when he talks about his dead wife, enabling us to see Wining Boy not only as a comic figure in the play, but as a man capable of feeling deep emotions.

He tries to leave an impression of successful musician, although his hoarse voice betrays his “success.” He being gifted as a musician, i.e. capable of playing the piano, emphasizes even more the strong connections the family has with the piano (also, Bernice knows how to play the piano and she teaches Maretha; thus Wilson depicts the complex connection of the family lineage with the piano, the whole being symbol of the family generations, Wining Boy representing the past, Berniece the present and Maretha the future).

In addition, he is very persuasive, persuading easily Doaker to give him $5 and persuading Lymon to buy “the magical suit”. He is so good at this that even the reader is puzzled whether he really believes in the things he says. Furthermore, he claims he had talked to the Ghosts of Yellow Dog, which creates even more to the confusion; also this faintly points out his mentally distorted perspective of perceiving things.

Wining Boy is not playing a major role in the play, he is a marginal character; however, Wilson brilliantly manages to depict him as an old shallow fool at first glance, but as the play goes on Wining Boy is more and more humanized and made a more complex character, which perfectly adds to the powerful theme of the play.

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Note: The American Literature students and I were assigned to develop studies of two characters from the play.

These studies are essentially rough notes, developed to stimulate class discussion. If you quote or paraphrase from these original character studies for a scholarly paper, please cite this post as a source.

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Work Cited
Wilson, August. The Piano Lesson. Rpt. in Literature and Society: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, Nonfiction, 4th Ed. Eds. Pamela J. Annas and Robert C. Rosen. Upper Saddle River (NJ): Pearson-Prentice Hall, 2007. 809-879.
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Academic Writing--APA Documentation Style (Updated Answer Keys to Exercises)

2009-12-09T06:22:00.000-08:00

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APA is a documentation system developed by the American Psychological Association that has, generally, been adopted by the scientific community for the purpose of publishing scientific findings by experts in their fields.

Unfortunately, APA does not work very well with literary studies, for reasons that will become clear later. If you go to the U.S. to do graduate work in literary studies, you will most likely be asked to use the Modern Language Association (MLA) documentation style, which is geared more toward the literary arts.

I just want you to be aware of this, so that when you go to that first U.S. university graduate class, you will be prepared to make the shift into MLA, which is not difficult, but significantly different from APA.

For those of you doing pedagogical or translation studies, APA may be totally appropriate, but it will depend on the policy at your U.S. school and department.

For now, you may have to tweak APA to fit literary analysis protocols, explained in some more detail later.

A note about referring to APA's protocol of last name only when referring to an author in text:
APA is primarily a scientific documentation system, which refers to its authors by last name, which seems to work well in the scientific community.

However, in literary studies, this practice can be problematic in that full names of poets and writers are important and should not be truncated. For example, Charlotte Perkins Gilman would never be referred to as "Gilman" in text, except maybe as a second and subsequent reference.
A note about tense (past vs. "historical present"):

When discussing literature itself, one should use the "historical present," which, technically, is incorrect in APA, where the past tense is used to discuss scientific findings.

For example:
In The Yellow Wallpaper, Charlotte Perkins Gilman describes a narrator who slides further and further into a deep depression; by the end of the story, she "creeps" around the room, tearing away pieces of the wallpaper. (historical present, MLA)

In The Yellow Wallpaper, Gilman (1891) described a narrator who slid further and further into a deep depression; at the end of the story, she crept around the room, tearing away pieces of the wallpaper. (past, APA)
For literary studies, the second option is awkward, and does not reflect how literary scholars discuss literature.
A note about "author authority":
In APA, it is assumed that a juried article would be written by an expert in the field, so mentioning his or her last name in text would most likely be a given.

However, when one uses a "popular" source, such as a periodical, newspaper, or website, the authority of the author might be secondary to the publication itself. Journalists, writers who are considered "generalists" (Jacks-of-all-trades), fall into this category. Therefore, it might be more appropriate to mention (in the signal phrase) the title of the publication instead of the author of the article.

For example:
According to The New York Times, Great Britain plans to levy a tax on their bankers (Thomas 2009). (MLA style)

According to The New York Times reporter Thomas (2009), Great Britain, as of 2009, planned to levy a tax on their bankers. (APA style)
In popular culture papers, the first example makes more sense.

Why?

The author/journalist (unless he or she is a superstar journalist specializing in field he/she is writing about) is given authority by the publication for which he or she works, not on his or her own name, so mentioning the publication in the signal phrase would be more appropriate.
Sample internal citations (within text) with explanations:

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What an APA Text Page Looks Like
APA papers are double spaced. Click on image for a larger view.
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1. According to Kate Chopin (2009), Mrs. Mallard has died “of the joy that kills” (para. 23).
Explanation: Although the story was originally published in 1894 (publication venue unknown) and 1897 (in A Vocation and A Voice, a story collection), one should refer to the actual site where the story was found. And "The Story of an Hour" was posted on this website in 2009, which references the original publication dates.
2. USA Today has warned that air travel for the 2009 Christmas season could prove to be vexing, with higher fees, fewer flights, long lines at the ticket counter, and crowded airplanes: “If you haven’t flown in awhile and plan to take to the skies, brace yourself” (Jones, 2009, p. 1a).
Explanation: The authority here is USA Today, not author Jones, so the title of the publication is part of the signal phrase.
3. Frieda Hughes (2007) has revealed that her late mother Sylvia Plath left behind a manuscript of 40 poems, which was later published as the Ariel collection but in a different arrangement as selected by the late poet’s husband Ted Hughes. Ariel: The Restored Edition has restored, in facsimile, the Ariel collection, which “exactly follows the arrangement of her last manuscript as [Plath] left it” (p. ix).
Explanation: I used Frieda Hughes' first and last name because she is widely known as being the daughter of Sylvia Plath. To use just her last name might be confusing; readers might think that the name in the signal refers to Ted Hughes, the late husband of Sylvia Plath, and a poet in his own right.
4. In the movie Their Eyes Were Watching God, Director Darnell Martin (2005) uses an orange color cast to the film to depict the crushing heat of a Florida summer.
Explanation: Again, I used first and last name and included his title. Although this information is in the reference list, including his full name and title allows the text to flow better and also helps the reader to understand the context with a minimum number of words.
5. In “Cut,” the poet Sylvia Plath (2007), has described the aftermath of slicing one’s thumb with a knife: “What a thrill—/My thumb instead of an onion./The top quite gone/Except for a sort of hinge/” (p. 25).
Explanation: As a poet, Sylvia Plath is just too important to be reduced to just her last name.
6. Professor Siegel (2009) has posted “The Story of an Hour” (with paragraph numbers), by Kate Chopin, on her website so that her students can have electronic access to this public domain story. However, she is careful not to post works that are still copyrighted by authors or their estates, unless she has permission.
Explanation: I'm not a famous person, so including my full name would be irrelevant here. However, my title affords me some authority to post educational materials online.
7. According to a Newsweek article (Thomas, 2009), Sarah Palin, ex-Governor of Alaska, is currently promoting her new book Going Rogue by doing interviews with Oprah and Barbara Walters.
Explanation: See #2 (above).

Answer key to reference exercise (with explanations, as needed):

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What A Reference List Looks Like
APA Reference lists are double spaced. Click on image for a larger view.
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References
1. Chopin, K. (2009). The story of an hour. Ms Siegel’s Academic Website. Retrieved from http://www.mssiegel.com/2009/11/academic-writing-assignment-4.html (Original work published 1894, 1897)
Explanation: Although the story was originally published in 1894 (publication venue unknown) and 1897 (in A Vocation and A Voice, a story collection), one should refer to the actual site where the story was found. And "The Story of an Hour" was posted on this website in 2009, which references the original publication dates.
2a. Hughes, F. (2007). Foreword. In Ariel: The restored edition (pp. ix-xvii). New York: HarperCollins Publishers. (Original Foreword and work published 2004)

OR
2b. Hughes, F. (2004, 2007). Foreword. In Ariel: The restored edition (pp. ix-xvii). London and New York: Faber and Faber/HarperCollins Publishers.
Explanation: Although I lean toward accepting the first example, one could make a case for the second as well. When looking on the publication page, one sees publication data for both companies. Moreover, the printer and binder for both editions is located in Chatham (UK).

In class, we discussed that because Ariel was originally published in 1965, we should, at the end, include (Original work published 1965). However, after re-examining the book, I have concluded that this restored edition is significantly different from the original, in that this edition contains a facsimile of Plath's original manuscripts. In addition, the arrangement of poems has also been changed.

One could add (Original work published, in a different format, 1965). However, I chose not to do this because some poems that appeared in the original were pulled from and added to this edition.
3. Jones, C. (2009, November 20-22). Oh, Christmas fees: A holiday jolt for airfares. USA Today. pp. 1a-2a.
Explanation: Although APA asks that a volume number be included, I could not find this in the newspaper.
4. Martin, D. (Director). (2005). Their eyes were watching God [Motion picture]. United States. Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Inc. and Touchstone Television.

5a. Plath, S. (2007). Ariel: The restored edition. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. (Original work published 2004)

OR
5b. Plath, S. (2004, 2007). Ariel: The restored edition. London and New York: Faber and Faber/HarperCollins Publishers.
Explanation: See #2.
6. Siegel, J. S. (2009, 21 November). Academic writing--assignment #4: Summarizing and paraphrasing “The story of an hour” (Kate Chopin, 1851-1904). Ms Siegel’s Academic Website. Retrieved from http://www.mssiegel.com/2009/11/academic-writing-assignment-4.html
Explanation: (Kate Chopin, 1851-1904) is part of the title, not a publication date.
7. Thomas, E. (2009, November 23). Gone rogue. Newsweek, 28-29.
Explanation: Although APA asks that a volume number be included, I could not find this in the magazine.

American Literature--The Piano Lesson: Comparison and Contrast of Lymon and Avery (by Kosta Bojcheski)

2009-12-07T04:57:00.000-08:00

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If we analyze August Wilson's play The Piano Lesson we would come to a conclusion that every character in it is a world of its own. Every character is a separate mixture of feelings and interpretations of the world around them. One could say that a character study of The Piano Lesson would also give a pretty colorful picture of the African American community in the first decades of the 20th century. The two extremes of this culture are presented in this play by the characters of Lymon, 29, and Avery, 38.

If we compare these two characters, we come to a conclusion that they are quite different and apart in society. However, one thing that binds them together is their goal--to prosper and survive in a society which is thought of as “generally white.” They try to accomplish this in different ways.

Lymon is a young man who--determined to leave the cruel treatment of the South--decides to move to Pittsburgh. From his first appearance in the play, he is presented as a quiet man who does not speak unless it is absolutely necessary. He owes some money to a man from the South, but he would not work for a white man. His dream is to move to the North, meet a nice woman (or a few) and make it on his own.

On the other hand, we have Avery, who moved to Pittsburgh some time before Lymon, and is trying to make a living out of serving the “white man.” He is running an elevator in a sky scraper, and, as Wilson puts it--he “has taken to the city like a fish to water” (826). This distinction between Lymon and Avery is important for understanding the two basic currents in African American culture, something which can be traced back as far as slavery time--the need to conform or, the opposite--to become an individual.

Avery becomes a preacher after-- as he says--“the dream about the three hobos” (824), which we might understand as trying to find an escape from the oppressed position of black people in society, whereas Lymon buys a truck and decides those who persecute him.

Another thing that puts these two characters together is the central female figure in the play. Berniece is a young widow who is raising an eleven-year old daughter. Avery is trying to convince her to marry him. This is definitely not attractive to Berniece because she can see that he is only interested in his social status--a married preacher is better than a single preacher. However, he is in love with her and is trying to take care of her and her child.

On the other hand, there is Lymon, whose quietness makes him mysterious, and his rebellious spirit makes him attractive. He [tries] to seduce Berniece, but is too busy thinking about all the women he can get in Pittsburgh for her to get him seriously.

So, although it would be reasonable to say that Avery is a better match for Berniece because he has a sober point of view and realistic ambitions and expectations from life, it would be unfair to say that he is ideal for her. From the play, we get an impression that Berniece is more attracted to Lymon than to Avery. But, [in a way], they both fail her. Lymon takes Grace out to see a movie and Avery does not have the courage to bless her house and get rid of Sutter’s ghost.

I would say that Lymon is a better match for Berniece, but her actions, as well as theirs, are strong proof that a woman like her can be independent and live on her own. So, in a modern world, Berniece would be better off alone, or at least in a search for a more suitable partner.

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Note: The American Literature students and I were assigned to develop studies of two characters from the play.

These studies are essentially rough notes, developed to stimulate class discussion. If you quote or paraphrase from these original character studies for a scholarly paper, please cite this post as a source.

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Work Cited
Wilson, August. The Piano Lesson. Rpt. in Literature and Society: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, Nonfiction, 4th Ed. Eds. Pamela J. Annas and Robert C. Rosen. Upper Saddle River (NJ): Pearson-Prentice Hall, 2007. 809-879.
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