Assignment for Friday, Sept. 22, and Monday, Sept. 25

For Friday (Day 1) and Monday (Day 2): Read pp. 119-151 in Vance's Hillbilly Elegy. Pay attention to any contradictions that appear in Vance's writing, either in his claims and arguments about society, or about the way he remembers his experiences. Keep in mind especially his observations about self-reliance.

Letter Writing

Read two or three of the letters posted below. Some letters show the original document; if it's hard to read, you can scroll down for a typed transcript. Pay attention to standard rhetorical features, especially the influence of audience and purpose on the writer's stylistic choices.

To My Old Master
I Am Very Real
We All Wish for Peace (to Anne Frank)
Apology Letter from Madonna
I Embrace You with All My Heart (Camus)

Video Interviews with Vance

For this week's homework, see the next blog post.

If you missed class Monday or Tuesday, make some time to watch the interviews below. We watched them in class on Monday and Tuesday.

Vance interview with PBS NewsHour (about 8 minutes long)

Vance interview with NBC News (about 13 minutes long)

Assignment for Wednesday, Sep. 20, Friday, Sept. 22, and Monday, Sept. 25

For Wednesday (Day 6): Communicate with someone or some people about your response so far to Vance's Hillbilly Elegy. Consider the most appropriate venue, means, and audience for your thoughts about this book. Length won't be a major consideration in my assessment of this piece of writing, but it should reflect that you've given the book, and writing about it, some thought. Email this response to mrmontasmph@gmail.com before the start of class.

For Friday (Day 1) and Monday (Day 2): Read pp. 119-151 in Vance's Hillbilly Elegy. Pay attention to any contradictions that appear in Vance's writing, either in his claims and arguments about society, or about the way he remembers his experiences. Keep in mind especially his observations about self-reliance.

Assignments for Monday, Sept. 18, Tuesday, Sept. 19, and Wednesday, Sept. 20

For Monday (Day 4), read pp. pp. 81-117 in Vance's Hillbilly Elegy. Continue to pay attention to his word choice. While reading, identify a passage that best expresses the most significant development in this reading. Also, continue working on the Action Plan. If you misplaced the handout, it is posted to the right.

For Tuesday (Day 5) and Wednesday (Day 6), communicate with someone or some people about your response so far to Vance's Hillbilly Elegy. Consider the most appropriate venue, means, and audience for your thoughts about this book. Length won't be a major consideration in my assessment of this piece of writing, but it should reflect that you've given the book, and writing about it, some thought.

Assignments for Thursday, Sept. 14, Friday Sept. 15, and Monday, Sept. 18

For Thursday, read pp. 39-80 in Vance's Hillbilly Elegy. Again, pay attention to his word choice and, as we discussed in class (from They Say / I Say), consider the conversation he is participating in.

For Friday and Monday, read pp. pp. 81-117 in Vance's Hillbilly Elegy. Continue to pay attention to his word choice. While reading, identify a passage that best expresses the most significant development in this reading. Also, continue working on the Action Plan. If you misplaced the handout, it is posted to the right. 

Assignment for Tuesday, Sept. 12, Wednesday, Sept. 13, and Thursday, Sept. 14

For Tuesday, read pp. 1-37 in J. D. Vance's Hillbilly Elegy. Pay particular attention to his word choice, and identify any words that you think stand out because they're very descriptive, make a strong impression, or help communicate a particular idea especially well. In addition, in class, we will read and work on the Preface and Introduction to They Say / I Say.

For Wednesday and Thursday, read pp. 39-80 in Vance's Hillbilly Elegy. Again, pay attention to his word choice and, as we discussed in class (from They Say / I Say), consider the conversation he is participating in.

Assignment for Monday, Sept. 11, and Tuesday, Sept. 12

Read pp. 1-37 in J. D. Vance's Hillbilly Elegy. Pay particular attention to his word choice, and identify any words that you think stand out because they're very descriptive, make a strong impression, or help communicate a particular idea especially well. In addition, in class, we will read and work on the Preface and Introduction to They Say / I Say.

Charlottesville News Reports for Class

You don't have to read these for homework; you'll read these in class on Thursday and Friday:

The New York Times: "White Nationalists March on the University of Virginia"
The Guardian: "Charlottesville: Far-Right Crowd with Torches Encircles Counter-Protest Group"
BBC: "A Reckoning in Charlottesville"
Fox News: "Charlottesville White Nationalist Rally Blamed for Three Deaths, Dozens of Injuries"
The Washington Post: One Dead as Car Strikes Crowds Amid Protests of White Nationalist Gathering in Charlottesville; Two Police Die in Helicopter Crash"

Welcome! (And Thursday's and Friday's Assignment)

Welcome to The Senior Seminar (formally known as Advanced Language and Composition). I am very excited to help you to discover more about the world and prepare you to  read and write in college.

For Thursday and Friday, watch J. D. Vance's TED talk (watch it here). Come prepared to discuss Vance's argument and his presentation style. Among the questions we'll discuss in class: What is his main point? How does he make it? Is he persuasive? Why or why not?