English 1102
Mystery’s Agent & Me
–but a shallow witness– Detective Fictions and Psychological Thrillers: a course in all kinds of composition University of Georgia, English Department, Spring 2019, Special Topics MWF 11:15-12:05 (Park Hall 80, #28900), 12:20-1:10 (Park Hall 79, #28890), 1:25-2:15 (Park Hall 81, #38159)
Instructor: Dr. Joshua Hussey Email: jhussey@uga.edu Office: Park Hall 326, Desk 6 Office Hours: M 3:00-4:00pm, T 1:30-2:30pm, W by appt
Course Materials
First-Year Composition Guide, 2018-2019 Edition
Raymond Chandler, The Big Sleep (ISBN 978-0394758282)
Other Readings made available as PDF files
Film (Filmography)—
Peter Yates, Bullitt, 1968.
Nicholas Winding Refn, Drive, 2011.
David Fincher, Gone Girl, 2014.
Alfred Hitchcock, Vertigo, 1958.
Hitchcock, Strangers on a Train, 1948.
David Slade, Bandersnatch, 2018.
Michelangelo Antonioni, Blowup, 1966.
Christopher Nolan, Inception, 2010.
Games (Ludography)—
Oxenfree, Night School Studios, 2016.
Her Story, Sam Barlow, 2015.
Course Description
This Special Topics ENGL 1102 course in multimodal composition is themed around detective fiction and psychological thrillers. In this class, we will read classic detective fiction (short stories, comics, and a novel), watch film, and play games, bringing our close attention to the rhetorical forms through which these texts are composed. Course work will include two traditional analytical essays, as well as a third group project where students will use the hypertext software, Twine (twinery.org) to author mysteries furnished with archival material (i.e. make a videogame). The game will consider features of narrative design and player experience; students will also produce documents that report on their group’s methodology.
The purpose of the course curriculum is to provide rich possibilities for critical engagement of historic and contemporary psychological literature. While this course covers specific genre content, the emphasis of the class will remain on techniques of composition and rhetorical strategies. Assignments will include reading quizzes, labs on media engagement, a standard critical essay on a written text, a multimodal essay on film/media, and a group project using Twine software (twinery.org) to develop an interactive narrative hypertext mystery.
Note on course content: the nature of the genre is one of violence and sexuality. While we will do our best to provide balanced discussions of the content, know that this stuff may be particularly graphic.
The purpose of this course is to develop abilities in composition, with respect to UGA English FYC learning goals. In order to navigate these goals, students will: critically engage with a variety of texts from traditional print sources to interactive media; study genre as a rich database of social forms; author essays responding to genre features, points of view, and relationships among language, knowledge, and power; collaborate on a complex composition assignment that utilizes contemporary rhetorical forms and adapts language conventions over various academic disciplines (i.e., technical writing, game design); use code to understand logic and causality in interactive texts.
This class counts as a Praxis class for the Digital Humanities Undergraduate Certificate. The digital methods and tools we will use in this class support the larger goals of the certificate to build digital research skills and digital literacy at the undergraduate level. For more information about other eligible classes or pursuing this certificate visit: https://digi.uga.edu/certificate/. Post-course DH survey: https://ugeorgia.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3ZNsMbtkkqpLLRH
Goals
The First-Year Composition Guide and the Website (english.uga.edu/first-year-composition-courses) provide the standard prerequisites and goals of the core composition courses for the University of Georgia. The goals of our class are the same as any regular 1102 course though we will spend some additional time considering digital literacy. FYC Goals follow:
- read fiction, drama, and poetry and write analytically about them;
- understand literary principles and use basic terms important to critical writing and reading;
- complete written projects in and out of class using processes that include discovering ideas and evidence, organizing that material, and revising, editing, and polishing the finished paper;
- think critically so that they can recognize the difference between opinion and evidence and so that they can support a complex, challenging thesis, and more specifically, document essays using textual evidence;
- address written work to a range of audiences;
- understand the collaborative and social aspects of the writing process and demonstrate an ability to critique the writing of themselves and others;
- develop a sense of voice appropriate to the subject, the writer’s purpose, the context, and the reader’s expectations;
- understand how genres shape reading and writing and produce writing in several genres;
- follow the conventions of standard edited English and MLA documentation;
- use electronic environments for drafting, reviewing, revising, editing, and sharing texts;
- understand and exploit the differences in the rhetorical strategies and in the affordances available for both print and electronic composing processes and texts.
Course Requirements
Students will write two essays (approximately 1000-1500 words) engaging literary works and electronic texts. In addition to these essays, for the third project, students will work in groups to author historical fictions told through interactive hypertext software. In lieu of a final exam, all students will create an electronic portfolio that counts approximately as one-third of their final grade.
While the essays, projects, and the final portfolio constitute a major portion of the course grade, the class will stress the importance of developing writing through recursive processes and practice journaling, in-class writing assignments, drafts, and peer reviews. These practices will encourage an appropriate approach to university-level writing. In order to fulfill the requirements for each of the essays, you must complete all of the writing process assignments.
Participation is considered through the timely completion of reading and writing assignments including process work, verbal contributions in class, quizzes, and attendance record. Regular class engagement is expected to best foster a connected class environment. There will also be opportunities for small group participation. Students are expected to read all assigned materials, to bring books to class, to contribute to class discussions, and to pay attention to the instructor and to each other. The assumption will be that students are aware that certain kinds of behavior are not appropriate in class.
Late Work Policy
Late work is not accepted unless extenuating circumstances prevent the student from completing work on time. Students must contact the instructor in advance of the deadline to discuss complications.
Attendance Policy
Because writing skills develop slowly over time, a students’ regular attendance is essential in First-Year Composition. As stated in First-Year Composition Guide, on the fifth absence (MWF classes) or the fourth absence (TR classes), no matter what the reason, students can expect to be dropped either with a W before the midpoint of the semester and with a F after the midpoint of the semester. Additionally, lateness is unprofessional and continual tardiness will reflect poorly on one’s final grade.
Access Policy and Disability Resource Center
Students with particular needs are invited and encouraged to discuss them with the instructor. In the case of a documented disability with the DRC, the student must meet with the instructor to discuss their specific accommodations.
English Department Resources
All first-year composition students are eligible for free tutorial services in the Writing Center (Park Hall 66). Book a writing center appointment at uga.mywconline.com.
All first-year composition students are also eligible to use the Digital Writing Lab (Park Hall 118) during open hours. The computer lab in Park 118 is dedicated to general technical support. Its hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM, and it will be staffed by assistants who can assist you. If you have computer problems or questions regarding course software, ask your instructor first, but feel free to go to the lab for assistance.
Non-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy
All students in the room are entitled to feel safe, listened to, represented, and respected in an anti-oppressive classroom space. As a result, it is of critical importance that students adhere to UGA’s Non-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment policy. This policy mandates “Neither employment nor study, nor institutional services, programs, and activities should be hindered by such prohibited bias factors as race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, genetic information, veteran status, or disability.” Any statements that are deemed racist, sexist, homophobic, classist, or otherwise discriminatory toward others in the class or outside of class will not be tolerated. Please review the policy on UGA’s Equal Opportunity’s website at: http://eoo.uga.edu/policies/NDAH-Policy.html.
Academic Honesty
You are required to know all the University policies regarding plagiarism and other dishonesties. Not knowing does not reprieve one from recourses for academic dishonesty. All academic work must meet the standards contained in “A Culture of Honesty”. Students are responsible to inform themselves about those standards before performing any academic work.
Optional Revision Policy
Revision is one of the most important processes in any communicative project, be it written, oral, visual, or electronic. Furthermore, writing and communication skills improve through practice. Therefore, as a result, each student is provided the opportunity to revise one essay assignment for a grade replacement. Students may take advantage of this provision by fulfilling the following non-negotiable requirements: 1) Teacher Consultation, a one-on-one meeting with the instructor to review essay and discuss next steps in revision work, completed before 12 April; 2) sustained revision work that re-envisions the essay, both in content and in structure; 3) Re-submission of the new essay by the deadline noted on the course calendar.
Grade Distribution Essay 1: 100 (+ 50 process) Essay 2: 100 (+ 50 process) Project 3: 100 (Twine narrative) + 100 (Game Guide and Oral Presentation) Portfolio: 300 Quizzes/Labs/Group Research: 200
Assignment Deadlines 08 Feb | Essay 1 | Writing on Stories 08 Mar | Essay 2 | Writing on a Novel, Film, or Videogame (multimodal) 17 Apr | Project 3 | Hypertext Narrative Mystery and Game Documentation 29 Apr | Final Course Portfolio
The course syllabus is a general plan for the course; deviations announced to the class by the instructor may be necessary.
