HERE IS NEW YORK CITY
You may want to visit the Museum of the City of New York for this assignment. You might also want to look around www.forgotten-ny.com.
For this assignment, you will need to find a piece of forgotten New York history: an object, location, building, etc. that either no longer serves its original function, serves no function at all, or now serves a different function. This could be a physical object, or even be a neighborhood, a street, or a building. Research the history of the object (through ProQuest historical newspapers and other first-hand and secondhand sources). Write an essay in which you make an argument about the object’s survival: what does it say about the particular location, and the city as a whole, that this object still exists?
11/18 In Class: How to craft an argument.
HOMEWORK DUE THURSDAY 11/20 BY 5PM ON THE DISCUSSION BOARD
Please read Kelly Lo's essay "Chinatown: A Guide to the Mysteries of a Lost World"
Also, read Jhumpa Lahiri, “Rhode Island” and E.B. White “Once More to the Lake”
Write a one paragraph response to something in either Lahiri’s or White's essay that interested, intrigued, infuriated, or provoked some other emotion in you.
11/21 In Class: More on argument. The effect of place.
1) Read Ian Frazier's “Take the F” and Gene Weingarten's “Pearls Before Breakfast”
2) Re-read Kelly Lo's essay "Chinatown: A Guide to the Mysteries of a Lost World"
3) Write a substantial paragraph describing your site so that someone who's never been there can picture it.
Post your paragraphs by MONDAY 11/24 BY 5PM ON THE DISCUSSION BOARD
11/25 In Class: Forgotten New York
HOMEWORK DUE TUESDAY 12/2
1) Read Joseph Williams' chapter “Clarity”. I will email it to you.
2) Find and read five substantive sources on your site. At least one must be a book. Compose an alphabetized annotated bibliography. For each source, write out a full citation in MLA format, skip a line, and then write a brief paragraph summarizing the source and discussing its main usefulness for your project. (Please see annotated bibliography handout.)
3) Also, prepare a 5-minute presentation that indicates what object, location, building, etc. you've chosen. You should explain why you chose this particular site, briefly describe its history, and provide a preliminary argument for what you think it means that this site survives in some form today.
11/28 – NO CLASS (Thanksgiving Break!)
12/2 – research reports, library day*
HW: Draft due on Tuesday 12/9
12/5 – research reports, library day*
HW: Draft due on Tuesday 12/9
12/9 – In Class Writing Workshop
* On research reports, library day, only one-half of the class will be responsible for attendance. In other words, one-half the class will attend on Tuesday, 12/2 and one-half the class will attend on Friday, 12/5.
Other essays to consider:
Jamaica Kincaid's “Sowers and Reapers”
William Cronon's “The Trouble with Wilderness"
FINAL EXAM:
L12: Friday December 19 at 9:30AM
L13: Tuesday December 16 at 9:30AM
It is mandatory that all students attend the exam.
For this assignment, you will need to find a piece of forgotten New York history: an object, location, building, etc. that either no longer serves its original function, serves no function at all, or now serves a different function. This could be a physical object, or even be a neighborhood, a street, or a building. Research the history of the object (through ProQuest historical newspapers and other first-hand and secondhand sources). Write an essay in which you make an argument about the object’s survival: what does it say about the particular location, and the city as a whole, that this object still exists?
11/18 In Class: How to craft an argument.
HOMEWORK DUE THURSDAY 11/20 BY 5PM ON THE DISCUSSION BOARD
Please read Kelly Lo's essay "Chinatown: A Guide to the Mysteries of a Lost World"
Also, read Jhumpa Lahiri, “Rhode Island” and E.B. White “Once More to the Lake”
Write a one paragraph response to something in either Lahiri’s or White's essay that interested, intrigued, infuriated, or provoked some other emotion in you.
11/21 In Class: More on argument. The effect of place.
1) Read Ian Frazier's “Take the F” and Gene Weingarten's “Pearls Before Breakfast”
2) Re-read Kelly Lo's essay "Chinatown: A Guide to the Mysteries of a Lost World"
3) Write a substantial paragraph describing your site so that someone who's never been there can picture it.
Post your paragraphs by MONDAY 11/24 BY 5PM ON THE DISCUSSION BOARD
11/25 In Class: Forgotten New York
HOMEWORK DUE TUESDAY 12/2
1) Read Joseph Williams' chapter “Clarity”. I will email it to you.
2) Find and read five substantive sources on your site. At least one must be a book. Compose an alphabetized annotated bibliography. For each source, write out a full citation in MLA format, skip a line, and then write a brief paragraph summarizing the source and discussing its main usefulness for your project. (Please see annotated bibliography handout.)
3) Also, prepare a 5-minute presentation that indicates what object, location, building, etc. you've chosen. You should explain why you chose this particular site, briefly describe its history, and provide a preliminary argument for what you think it means that this site survives in some form today.
11/28 – NO CLASS (Thanksgiving Break!)
12/2 – research reports, library day*
HW: Draft due on Tuesday 12/9
12/5 – research reports, library day*
HW: Draft due on Tuesday 12/9
12/9 – In Class Writing Workshop
* On research reports, library day, only one-half of the class will be responsible for attendance. In other words, one-half the class will attend on Tuesday, 12/2 and one-half the class will attend on Friday, 12/5.
Other essays to consider:
Jamaica Kincaid's “Sowers and Reapers”
William Cronon's “The Trouble with Wilderness"
FINAL EXAM:
L12: Friday December 19 at 9:30AM
L13: Tuesday December 16 at 9:30AM
It is mandatory that all students attend the exam.