English 624-902: The New Yorker
Spring 2011: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 5:30-6:45 pm (Anderson 101)
Professor Bryant Mangum (307 Anderson House; 828-1255; bmangum@vcu.edu)
I. Book ListA. Required Texts:
1. Each weekly issue of The New Yorker (beginning with the issue for the second week and continuing through the final week of class). I
think the best way to get this (and the one that gives you weekly access to the digital edition of the magazine and the digital archives) is to go to http://www.newyorker.com/, click on Subscription Services (at the bottom of the page), and order a year’s subscription with a credit card, at the same time creating a New Yorker account. As soon as you do this you will be given a password that allows you to access the current issue as well as the digital archives. We’ll talk about other alternatives in class (e.g., New Yorker app for iPad, dvd set, etc).
2. “Anthology” of New Yorker fiction and poetry: Online through Blackboard; Details to be announced.
B. Background and Reserve Texts (most available through at the Reserve Shelf of the library):Adler, Renata Gone: The Last Days of The New Yorker
Corey, Mary The World through a Monocle: The New Yorker at Midcentury
Gill, Brendan Here at the New Yorker
Grant, Jane Ross, The New Yorker and Me
Kahn, E.J., Jr. About The New Yorker and Me
Kramer, Dale Ross and The New Yorker
Kunkel, Thomas Genius in Disguise: Harold Ross of The New Yorker
Ross, Harold. Letters from the Editor: The New Yorker's Harold Ross
Ross, Lillian. Here But Not Here
Mehta, Ved. Remembering Mr. Shawn's New Yorker
Thurber, James The Years With Ross
Yagoda, Ben About Town
Check our “Reserves” link through the library web page for additional texts
Suggested Text:
Strunk and White The Elements of Style
II. Course Description and Objectives
The New Yorker short story probably “causes more debate, and results in more distemper, than anything else about the magazine," observes Dale Kramer in Ross and The New Yorker. One of the major reasons for this debate is the denial by many (among them New Yorker editors and staff members through the years) of the existence of "a New Yorker story." In this seminar we will read and discuss stories and poems by writers from each of these categories: (1) those whose work has appeared regularly in the magazine and who are by reputation New Yorker writers, (2) those who have published stories or poems in The New Yorker but who are not known as New Yorker writers, and (3) writers who publish regularly in the magazine but whose stories or poems seem at first glance odd choices for the magazine given its audience. Against these three groups we will place the fiction writers and poets whose work happens to appear in the current issues of The New Yorker during the semester. One major objective will be to determine if there is such a thing as "a New Yorker story" (or poem) and if it makes sense (particularly in light of recent and obvious changes in the magazine) to talk about The New Yorker school of fiction; in much the same way, we will also examine whether there is a New Yorker school of poetry, reading and discussing poems published in the magazine from 1925 to the present. In the course of the semester we will also be examining historical details about the magazine, including the editorial principles upon which Harold Ross founded it in 1925 and the degree to which William Shawn carried Ross's vision into the 1980's. While we will focus sharply on The New Yorker of Ross and Shawn, the “old” New Yorker, we will at the same time be looking at the “new” New Yorker, the magazine that has evolved since Shawn’s departure in 1987—The New Yorker of editors William Gottlieb, Tina Brown, and now David Remnick.III. Assignments
A. Assigned readings, including short stories, poems, and background readings.
Participation in seminar discussions of readings, possible short quizzes, and Blackboard postings. 5% of course grade.
B. 10-minute seminar report—historical and anecdotal—and paper which grows out of it. 15% of course grade (5% for the presentation, 10% for the 3-page written paper that follows). The paper is due two weeks after you have given your oral report and will include a list of works consulted.
C. Comprehensive Bibliography for your author (primary and secondary) and Prefatory Note explaining your process. 20% of grade. (Detailed discussion will follow.)
D. A 15-20- minute oral report on your work in progress as your research develops on the author you have chosen (for C above and for your final paper). This report will introduce members of the seminar to your author (to important biographical details and to such things as his or her style and subject matter). Your talk will conclude with your leading the class in a discussion of one of the stories (or poems) by your author—one that all members of the class will have read prior to your presentation. The material you discover in your research for this report will present will likely become the foundation for your long, end-of-term paper. 5% of course grade.
E. A 3-5-page paper growing out of your report. This paper will be a thesis-driven paper growing out of your research for the seminar report above and centering on one story by your author (possibly the story we discussed in class, though possibly not). The paper will contain a bibliography of relevant sources. 15% of course grade.
F. Final paper: a paper of approximately 15-20 pages in which you explore an original thesis about the short fiction of the author you have chosen. 40% of course grade.IV. Expanded Notes on the Assignments
A. Seminar Participation. 5% of course grade. In addition to the readings and seminar discussions (and possible short quizzes on the readings), you are to post substantive responses to questions and topics that I will post on Blackboard (five postings minimum).
B. Historical/Anecdotal Talk and Paper: 15% of course grade (5% for the presentation, 10% for the written paper). This talk is designed to acquaint the class with some item related to The New Yorker—generally historical and generally from the years with Ross and Shawn. A list of possibilities will be given to you, and each of you will select one of them. You will turn in a written paper that grows out of this report (three or so pages, with bibliography). I expect this to be one of the most enjoyable parts of the research that you will do in the course. The work you will do will fill in gaps for other members of the seminar. In the talk itself, be sure that you focus your topic sharply enough that you can present it in a ten-minute report. Create a context for your topic for the class and clearly organize the material that you present. Your paper will give you a chance to crystallize your ideas and perhaps elaborate on things you were not able to present in class. Document your paper, using footnotes and a bibliography.C. Bibliography and Prefatory Bibliographical Note: 20% of course grade. Select the New Yorker author you wish to study in detail. Do a job as thorough as possible of compiling a bibliography which has the following headings: (1) Novels by (2) Poems by (3) Essays by (4) Short Stories by (annotated to include, when possible, subsequent reprintings of each story) (5) Books about (6) Articles about. This will ultimately be the bibliography that accompanies your end-of-term paper. The bibliography is due two weeks before end of the semester with a first draft of final paper. The purpose of the bibliography and note is to acquaint the reader with the number and kinds of writings by the author and with the amount of critical work that has been done on the author. I recognize several variables that will affect the completeness of your bibliography, and ask only (or mainly) that you demonstrate in it an honest attempt to explore the resources available. If a bibliography (book-length) is available, list it in your own bibliography and describe its strengths and weaknesses. Is it outdated, for example? Does it seem complete based on your own spot checking of a few of its entries? If there are useful selected bibliographies contained in other books, list them. On the other hand, if there appears to be no bibliography available for your author (available to you, anyhow), your own bibliography will include only those things that you have been able to locate yourself. If this is the case, be sure to say so in your prefatory note. We will discuss the parameters of this assignment further in class. In any case, do the following in your bibliography:
1. Avoid duplicating someone else's bibliography. Simply refer the reader to it.
2. Place an asterisk by those works that you actually consulted, leaving without an
asterisk those works you know of only second-hand.
3. Include a bibliographical note (probably before the bibliography proper) which
describes the procedures you followed and the problems you encountered in
researching your author. Don't overdo this note: your efforts will usually show.
4. Follow the MLA style consistently in your entries.
5. We will discuss documentation of electronic resources in class.
D. 15-20 Minute Oral Report: This report should have two purposes: to acquaint the class with your author (through giving biographical and bibliographical details, as well as information related to such things as the authors subject matter and style) and to introduce the class to the author through a close analysis and discussion of one of his or her works. To accomplish this last purpose you should select a New Yorker story or poem by your author. We will arrange for copies of it to be available to everyone one week before your report. Everyone will read the story or poem, and you will briefly introduce us to the author's themes, style, etc. through comments about the specific work. Here the object is to have you give other seminar members benefit of your research on the author you have chosen to work with, using a specific story or poem by that author. In each case, everyone will receive a copy of the work that you will use and read it before the class during which you are to lead the discussion. The material you present will likely help you form a foundation for your long, end-of-term paper. 5% of course grade.
E. The 3-5-page paper that grows out of your report should be a “close reading” paper containing a clearly limited main claim (i.e., it should be thesis driven). It should build on and evolve from your research for the seminar report, and it should center on one story by your author. The paper will contain a bibliography of relevant sources and, when possible, include some of the critical discourse that you have encountered in your research on the story. (In some cases there may be little or no critical discourse.) 15% of course grade.F. Final Paper. 40% percent of course grade. I would like for you somehow to relate your thesis to The New Yorker even if this means that you will simply restrict your discussion to the author's New Yorker stories (or poems); or you will perhaps want to compare his or her New Yorker stories with the author’s stories from other magazines. If all this fails, see me. Some of you have spoken to me about modifying this final paper to focus on poetry rather than short fiction. This will be fine (and I’ve built in that option in the preceding descriptions). We will discuss this in more detail in class. While the main focus of our concern is with the New Yorker school of fiction, this focus by one or more of you on the poetry will add a rich dimension to our course. A rough draft of the paper will be due approximately two weeks before the end of class. I will read the drafts and return them. Then the final paper will be due on the final day of class.
You are free to choose any writer who has published a story (or poem) in The New Yorker as a subject for your research. Some authors will be better suited to this study than others. For example, the more "contemporary" an author, the less likely you are to have to pour through volumes of criticism, etc.—not to mention the greater likelihood that you will be able to "break new ground" with your study. Above all, select a writer you care about. As you write the paper you might want to keep the things below in mind. I know that many of the questions and comments address issues with which you are thoroughly familiar. I want to underline here my own feeling that they are the foundation of a good paper. The grade that you receive on the paper will be based primarily on how well your paper demonstrates your concern with the basic principles below.
1. Is the paper unified by a central thesis, and does it develop the thesis in
well-organized, fully developed paragraphs?
2. Is the thesis original? Is it provocative? Does it make the reader want to see
it explored?
3. Is the paper coherent? Does it flow smoothly from one idea to the next, from
one sentence to the next, from paragraph to paragraph? Are its conclusions
and progressions logical?
4. Area the ideas supported with concrete details from the texts of the author's
works?
5. Are ideas from outside sources properly and fully documented using the
MLA style style consistently?
6. Does the paper conform to accepted rules of grammar, usage, etc. set forth in
the Strunk and White.
V. Seminar Participation and Attendance: Much of our seminar will consist of discussion of the works we are reading. You are encouraged to contribute to seminar discussions. Seminar participation will be factored into your final grade. If you miss more than four classes for any reason other than a death in the immediate family or serious illness you will receive a grade of F for the course. Please develop from the beginning of class the habit of getting to class on time. The final day to withdraw from the course with a grade of W is Friday, 25 March.VI. VCU Honor System: "Virginia Commonwealth University recognizes that honesty, truth, and integrity are values central to its mission as an institution of higher education." This class will be conducted in strict adherence to VCU's Honor System policies. In essence, you should not use another student’s work. You should not falsely present source material as your own. Whenever you use material from another source, you must credit this source clearly, whether you are quoting directly, summarizing, or paraphrasing. Conscious and uncorrected acts of plagiarism (either from another student's work or from an academic source) will result in a failing course grade. In other words, respect the work of others and in no way present it as your own. If you have additional questions about academic integrity and plagiarism consult VCU's policy at the following web address: http://www.students.vcu.edu/rg/policies/rg7honor.html
VII. Students with Disabilities: “Virginia Commonwealth University is committed to providing students with disabilities equal opportunities to benefit from all programs, services and activities offered.” Students with disabilities should identify to the instructor at the beginning of the course the services that they will need.
VIII. A Note on Computers: Much of the work in this course will depend on regular use of Blackboard and on email sent to and from your VCU email address. If you do not have a user ID and password that will allow you to access Blackboard and your VCU email, be sure to get one before the second class meeting. You will be able to access all of the course materials by going to http://blackboard.vcu.edu. If you do not have a computer ID number and password you can get one by following the steps listed at the following web address: http://www.vcucard.com/
IX. Online Information: The address for my website is http://www.people.vcu.edu/~bmangum/
The address for our course is http://www.people.vcu.edu/~bmangum/nycoursef11.htmlX. What to Know and Do To Be Prepared for Emergencies at VCU:
1. Sign up to receive VCU text messaging alerts (http://www.vcu.edu/alert/notify).
Keep your information up-to date.
2. Know the safe evacuation route from each of your classrooms. Emergency evacuation routes are posted in on-campus classrooms.
3. Listen for and follow instructions from VCU or other designated authorities.
4. Know where to go for additional emergency information (http://www.vcu.edu/alert)
5. Know the emergency phone number for the VCU Police (828-1234). Report suspicious activities and objects.XI. Daily Assignment Sheet to Follow: I will upload a copy of the basic assignment sheet to Blackboard and our course website. This will be updated periodically on blackboard, which will contain the most recent modifications.