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SYLLABUS (subject to change)

WEEK 1: Intro
Mon. 1/14 Class Intro HW: Bring disk with a word document on it
Wed. 1/16 Tutorial: Class Website HW: None
Fri. 1/18 Set up e-journals
E-journal writing exercise 1: Beginning and ending in opposites

HW: CP McPherson, "The Working Line"
CP Hall, "The Line"
CP Kaufman, "Some Thoughts about Lines"
CP Brooks, "We Real Cool"
CP Simic, "Some Thoughts about the Line"
CP Clifton, "Walnut Grove Plantation"
CP Ginsberg, "Arrangement of Open Verse"

 

WEEK 2: What's in a Line? Distinguishing poetry from prose
Mon. 1/21
MLK HOLIDAY  
Wed. 1/23 Discuss essays
Sign up for presentations

HW: CP Kennedy & Gioia, "What is Poetry?" and "Literal Meaning"
Find an interesting piece of prose (not your own) which you think could work as a poem. Bring it to the next class.
Fri. 1/25

Introduce pantoums
E-journal exercise 2 and workshop: Found poetry

HW: CP Kinnell, "Poetry, Personality, and Death"
CP Rich, "Poetry, Personality, and Wholeness"
SLAM Smith, "Persona" 70-75
CP Jones, "Scarlet Pantoum"
Write poem 1: Pantoum

 

WEEK 3: Whose Voice? The Self and Persona

Mon. 1/28 		Student-led discussion of essays, POEM 1 DUE HW: Read Selected Poems

Wed. 1/30 		* Last Drop/Add Day*
Student-led discussion of poetry 		HW: Write Comments
Read Questions to keep in mind when commenting on poetry
Fri. 2/1 Workshop 1: Pantoums

HW: CL Middleton, "Sound Reading" 262-266 only
CP Kumin, "Audience"
CP Kennedy & Gioia, "Reading Poems Aloud"
Write poem 2: Persona

 

WEEK 4: Reading vs. Performance
Mon. 2/4

Introduce discussion forums
Student-led discussion of essays, POEM 2 DUE

HW: Due by 5PM on 2/5: Write a 400-500 word forum post in which you make your own distinction between a poetry reading and a performance of poetry (or give eloquent reasons and examples of why you concur with any of our authors). You will present your ideas at the next class.
Wed. 2/6 Intro to rhyme & resonance
Responding to forum threads
Discussion of essays 		HW: Write Comments
Post two 1-2 paragraph responses to your classmates' forum threads
Fri. 2/8 Workshop 2: Persona

HW: CP Hudson "Poetics in Performance"
CP Ginsberg, "A Definition," "Six Gallery Reading," and "Mode Of Music"
CP Janssen, "Literary Kicks: Jazz"
Write poem 3: Rhyme & resonance

 

WEEK 5: Precursors: The Beats

Mon. 2/11 		Overview of Analysis
Student-led discussion of essays, POEM 3 DUE 		HW: Read Selected Poems (Beats)
E-journal exercise 3: 13 ways of looking
Wed. 2/13 Assign first performance
Student-led discussion of poetry 		HW: Write Comments
Fri. 2/15

Workshop 3: Rhyme & resonance
Handout: Origin Myths

HW: CP Stewart, "Black Revolutionary Artist"
CP Selections from "Black Arts Movement" website (Hiltz and Sell)
Write Poem 4: Origin myth

 

WEEK 6: Precursors: The Black Arts Movement
Mon. 2/18 Poem 4 due
Student-led discussion of essays
Video clips

HW: Read Selected Poems (Black Arts)
Reminder: Analysis 1 due in one week!

Wed. 2/20

Student-led discussion of poetry
Instructions for first performance
Handout: annotations
Video clips: Black Arts
Handout: Guest Poets' work

HW: E-journal exercise 4: annotating a performance poem. Bring annotated poem on Monday.
Read Guest Poets' work; read Lucy Anderton's poems on the e-poets site.
Fri. 2/22 Guest Poets

HW: Write comments on poem 4
Prepare performances
Finish Analysis 1


WEEK 7: Performances
Mon. 2/25 ANALYSIS 1 DUE
Return comments on poem 4
Performance workshop 		HW: Prepare performances
Wed. 2/27 Rehearse perfomances HW: Prepare performances
Fri. 3/1 Individual Performances

HW: SLAM Glazner, "Introduction" and "The Rules" 11-14
CP Smith, "Slam Philosphies"
CP Olson, "Diary of a Slam Poet"
CP Ott, "Slam Poet as Rock Star"
CP materials from Austin Poetry Slam Website
Write Poem 5: OPEN


WEEK 8: Slam Poetry
Mon. 3/4 Cancelled
  
Wed. 3/6

Finish Performances
Student-led discussion of essays
POEM 5 DUE

HW: Review Selected Poems (from Slam and Aloud)
Write comments
Fri. 3/8

Intro ekphrasis
Student-led discussion of poetry

HW: Write comments
E-journal 5: Reflect on performances
Write Poem 6: Ekphrastic Poem

 

SPRING BREAK: 3/11-3/15


WEEK 9: Slam Poetry
Mon. 3/18 Workshop 5: Open
E-journal 5 and Poem 6 due		 HW: Reminder: Analysis 2 due in one week!
CL Damon, "Was that Difference…" 324-339
SLAM McDaniel, "Slam and the Academy" 35-37
CP Heinz, "Incomplete History of Slam"
Wed. 3/20 Student-led discussion of essays
Introduce second performance		 HW: Write Comments
Fri. 3/22 Workshop 6: Ekphrastic Poem

HW: Write Poem 7: Slam Poem


WEEK 10: Poetry in Film
Mon. 3/25

Poem 7 Due
Slamnation viewing

HW: E-journal 6: List
Reminder: UT Slam on 3/26, 8:30 PM, Texas Union Showroom (by Wendy's)
Wed. 3/27 E-Journal 6 Due
Slamnation viewing

HW: Post a link to the Slamnation discusion forum by 3/28 at 5 PM
Write Comments
Fri. 3/29

ANALYSIS 2 DUE
Workshop 7: Slam Poem

HW: Prepare performances


WEEK 11: Performances
Mon. 4/1 Rehearse Performances
HW: Prepare performances
Read Guest Poet's work
Wed. 4/3

Guest Poet
Rehearsal as time permits

 HW: Prepare performances
Fri. 4/5 Individual Performances

HW: Write Poem 8: Credo/Identity Poem (due on Wed.; see Monday's homework for examples)

 

WEEK 12: Performance Poetry, Politics, and Identity
Mon. 4/8 Individual Performances
Group Assignments/brainstorming

 HW: CP Gates, "Sudden Def"
CP Sanchez, Forward to Bum Rush the Page
CP Medina, Introduction to Bum Rush the Page
Read Selected Poems (Politics and Identity)
Wed. 4/10

Student-led discussion of essays and poems
POEM 8 DUE
Further group brainstorming as time permits

 HW: Write Comments
E-journal exercise 7: Collaborative work
Fri. 4/12 Workshop 8: Credo/Identity Poem

HW: SLAM "Group Piece" 214-220 and poems, 220-232


WEEK 13: Towards Collaborative Work
Mon. 4/15

E-journal 7 due
Student-led discussion of essays and poems
Group scripting

 HW: Reminder: Analysis 3 due in one week!
Script Poem 9: collaborative poem (requires meeting out-of-class)
Wed. 4/17 POEM 9 DUE
Assign position paper
Video clips of group pieces
 HW: Write Comments
Fri. 4/19 Workshop 9: Collaborative Poem

HW: Visit links to alternative media sources on the Web for discussion. Be sure to explore extensively the starred channels, and visit the others to get a sense of the range of alternative media for poetry.

 

WEEK 14: Poetry and Alternative Media
Mon. 4/22 ANALYSIS 3 DUE
Student-led discussion of alternative media 		HW: Rehearse
Wed. 4/24 Discussion of revision and final portfolio and self-evaluation
CP Ginsberg's 14 steps
Group Workshop/Rehearsal 		HW: Rehearse
Fri. 4/26 Group Workshop /Rehearsal

HW: Rehearse


WEEK 15: Group Performances
Mon. 4/29 GROUP PERFORMANCE HW: Rehearse
Wed. 5/1 GROUP PERFORMANCE
Class Wrap-Up 		HW: Finish position paper
Fri. 5/3 NO CLASS
POSITION PAPER DUE

HW: Revise poems and prepare self-evaluation

 

Final Portfolios & Self-Evaluations Due by 5PM on Wednsday, May 8, in Parlin 408.
Be sure to include a 9x12 SASE if you would like your portfolio back with comments.


ABBREVIATION KEY:
CP=Course Packet
CL=Close Listening
SLAM= Poetry Slam: The Competitive Art of Performance Poetry
AL=Aloud

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