620AS Requirements (i.e. the workload)
As a graduate seminar, English 620AS will require a great deal of work, from weekly participation in discussion both online and in the classroom, to presentations, to a final paper. I hope to help everyone in class gain a clear understanding of Spiegelman's work and influence, as well as a solid grounding in contemporary comics studies. That's going to demand much reading and writing, as well as some thinking outside the proverbial "box" (in our case, heh, panel). Below are the requirements as I envision them in mid-July, with the proviso that I may tinker with them a bit before the class launches on August 25.
Your grade in 620AS will be based on how effectively you fulfill the following requirements:
Your grade in 620AS will be based on how effectively you fulfill the following requirements:
In-class participation
Be in class, be attentive, be alive, and contribute to our ongoing conversation. Make your presence felt! A seminar lives or dies by the energy and commitment of its community. About 10% of your course grade will be based on attendance and participation records.
Moodling
Almost every week you'll be responding to the readings in an online Moodle post of at least 300 words per week. Plus you should respond briefly to at least two classmates' Moodle posts per week. Finally, each of you will be responsible once during the semester for writing a final roundup or reflection on the previous week's Moodle discussion. Think 20% of your course grade.
Discussion launches (2)
Once or twice during the semester you will be responsible for launching in-class discussion. To do this, you'll need to post to Moodle early, pose discussion questions for your classmates, and kick off the class with a five-minute lightning talk (or perhaps a collaborative 10-minute talk with one or two of your classmates). 20% total.
Short presentation on Maus scholarship
Early in the semester everyone will be reading and commenting on an academic journal article that deals with Spiegelman's Maus. You will need to post an abstract, synopsis, and evaluation of your article to Moodle, and then do a five-minute lightning talk about it in class. Expect to cover such issues as discipline/field, methodology, theoretical lenses, conclusions, and the overall value of the article in your opinion. 10%.
Tracing project
This project is to consist of two traced pages from one of the comics on our syllabus, annotated and accompanied by a written synthesis/reflection of about five pages. Expect to get your hands dirty by redrawing Spiegelman's (or possibly some other artist's) work! I've adapted this assignment, with thanks, from Dr. Mark Sample's terrific Graphic Novel course syllabus at George Mason University. 15%.
Seminar paper
By semester's end you will be writing a research-based 10 to 12-page critical essay on a topic crafted by you (expect to submit a 200-word abstract to Moodle by around mid-term for my and your classmates' feedback). This essay should clearly be in the field of comics studies, or more broadly word and image studies (or, more specifically, Spiegelman studies!). It should do something critical with Art Spiegelman's work, either as a main focus or as a basis of comparison (or as a critical source: bear in mind that Spiegelman has been a historian, critic, and teacher of comics as well as a practicing cartoonist). In short, the choice of topic is up to you but must touch on Spiegelman, and must be refined in dialogue with me and the rest of the class. 25%.
Bear in mind that attempting and completing every assignment is prerequisite to having a chance to pass the course. Everyone needs to do everything!