Writing and David Foster Wallace
English 101 E: Due Wednesday, August 27
Week 1 Assignment: read David Foster Wallace’s commencement speech at Kenyon College. This is on Blackboard, under “Syllabus and Course Readings.” You can also find it online at: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122178211966454607.html. Or you can google “David Foster Wallace On Life and Work” and the first result is the reading. Submit your assignment through Turnitin on Blackboard and bring a copy to class. If you have troubles with Turnitin, please just bring your assignment to class.
Writing assignment:
Write a well-organized, 2-3 paragraph response to Wallace’s speech. Your response should be typed, double-spaced, and in a reasonable-sized font. This required writing will not be marked with a letter-grade. However, you will receive written comments in response to your paper, and this paper will prepare you for your first formal essay assignment. Questions to consider as you write your response:
1. What are some of your favorite ideas from the speech, and why are these ideas compelling to you?
2. For Wallace, what is important about a college education?
3. What do you think about Wallace’s ideas regarding education?
4. For you, what is important about a college education?
You do not need to answer each of these questions in order. Rather, synthesize your ideas into a well-organized response that captures your views about Wallace’s speech, and your views about education.
For next class, please come prepared to discuss a few quotes from the Wallace essay that you found particularly compelling. More importantly, please be prepared to discuss why these quotes were compelling to you.
As this is your first writing assignment, and as this is the first day of class, you’re probably wondering what I want to see in your writing. While each of your writing assignments will require different approaches, generally speaking I want to see the following: 1) Passion/Excitement/Engagement with topic:
Week 1 Assignment: read David Foster Wallace’s commencement speech at Kenyon College. This is on Blackboard, under “Syllabus and Course Readings.” You can also find it online at: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122178211966454607.html. Or you can google “David Foster Wallace On Life and Work” and the first result is the reading. Submit your assignment through Turnitin on Blackboard and bring a copy to class. If you have troubles with Turnitin, please just bring your assignment to class.
Writing assignment:
Write a well-organized, 2-3 paragraph response to Wallace’s speech. Your response should be typed, double-spaced, and in a reasonable-sized font. This required writing will not be marked with a letter-grade. However, you will receive written comments in response to your paper, and this paper will prepare you for your first formal essay assignment. Questions to consider as you write your response:
1. What are some of your favorite ideas from the speech, and why are these ideas compelling to you?
2. For Wallace, what is important about a college education?
3. What do you think about Wallace’s ideas regarding education?
4. For you, what is important about a college education?
You do not need to answer each of these questions in order. Rather, synthesize your ideas into a well-organized response that captures your views about Wallace’s speech, and your views about education.
For next class, please come prepared to discuss a few quotes from the Wallace essay that you found particularly compelling. More importantly, please be prepared to discuss why these quotes were compelling to you.
As this is your first writing assignment, and as this is the first day of class, you’re probably wondering what I want to see in your writing. While each of your writing assignments will require different approaches, generally speaking I want to see the following: 1) Passion/Excitement/Engagement with topic: