Author: Prof. Savonick

Instructions for Friday 4/12

Hi all,

My apologies again that I can’t be in class on Friday! Your homework for Monday is to bring in a short text (article, form, document, song lyrics, bill, etc.) that makes you mad or upset, that feels inaccurate or offensive. Be prepared to write on it. We will be making our own found poems. Also, bring Zong!, since we will continue our discussions.

In order to receive participation credit for Friday’s class, please follow the instructions below and post your comment by midnight on Friday. You will need your copy of Zong! handy.

First, watch this video of Phillip reading Zong 17, 18, 19 (29-34). Start from the beginning and watch until about 4:36. You may want to listen twice: once while looking at the poems she is reading and once without, to take it all in.

Next, please listen to this short lecture (20 mins), which will help you answer one of the discussion questions below. Follow along in your book. (Bonus = my cat interjects throughout!)

In your comment, please respond to one of the following discussion questions. You are encouraged to quote from the text and engage with the ideas of your peers.

  • How did watching the video of Phillip reading change the way you read the text? Did it help you see any aspect of the text in a new way?
  • In what sense is this an “impossible” story to tell?
  • How did you read the names at the bottom of each page? What do they suggest?
  • What strategies did you develop for reading these difficult poems?
  • Phillip repeatedly compares the process of writing Zong! To the actual Zong massacre itself. Why? What is she inviting us to think about?
  • Was there a particularly striking detail, pattern, or theme you observed in the poems for today (20-76) that raised an interesting thought or question? Please explain.

Comments are due by midnight on Friday. Looking forward to reading your responses. Have a great weekend and see you Monday!

Conference Schedule & Midterm Rough Drafts

  • Small group conferences are mandatory
  • Homework – paste a link to the draft of your essay to our course website beforehand
    • Google Doc set to “Everyone with the link can comment”
  • Bring a device for viewing/commenting on each other’s draft
  • Arrive five minutes early – Old Main 115E
  • We will focus on thesis statements and questions about the assignment
  • The more writing you bring, the more feedback you can get
  • Active, generous, kind, helpful engagement with your peers’ work is part of your participation grade

Conference schedule

Add a link to your rough draft here

Welcome

Welcome to “ENG252 – Intro to Multicultural Literature”! I’m Professor Savonick and this is my first year teaching at SUNY Cortland. Previously, I taught for five years at Queens College. I can’t wait for our semester together!

Prior to our first course session, there are a few things that you can do to ensure a smooth start to the semester.

  1. Read through the syllabus. I will make small adjustments throughout the semester, but this should give you a general idea of what will be covered in our course. We will go over the syllabus on the first day of class, so please come prepared with questions.
  2. Register to use this course site. Before you are able to access readings, blog, and comment on our course site, you will need to register. For this course, you will be writing blogs that are publicly available. For that reason, I encourage you to sign up for an account with a username that will not disclose your identity. Your username and name should include your first name and last initial and I recommend you set “Who is allowed to see this field?” to “All Members” so that only our class can identify you. Remember to save your username and password! Once you register, you should receive a confirmation email. I will then activate your account and you will be all set to read and write.
  3. You might find it useful to bookmark this site.

Enjoy the rest of break!

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