English 251: American Autobiography
Writing Assignments and Assessment
Dr. Sean Meehan
Essay #1: The Craft of Autobiography
A 3 page (digital/double-spaced) essay that focuses on the writing craft of one of the autobiographers read to this point (Tobias Wolff or Annie Dillard). The overall question is: what does the chosen author do as an autobiographical writer? What stands out to you, from your reading experience, as a key to the craft and style of the writer? The answer to this question will be your thesis. To help you develop your reading and thesis (and to keep it from being a survey or book review, which is not the point), select one or two key passages or chapters where we see the craft/style at work; help your reader understand how it works, what role it plays in the book overall—show the craft at work. We will be talking at length in class about craft and style. Secondary/critical resources are not required, though may be effective.
Essay #2: The Culture of Autobiography
A 3 page essay that focuses on the cultural context of either The Names or Hunger of Memory, and explores the ways in which Momaday or Rodriguez represents the issues of cultural diversity and the minority in American experience. The overall questions you will be addressing in this essay come from the American experience rubric (connected to this course): What viewpoint(s) of the minority experience and the issue of diversity in American culture and society does this author express? In your reading of this autobiography, what are significant aspects of the culture that connect to such viewpoints of the minority experience in American society? How is “minority experience” defined and demonstrated in the autobiography? As with your first essay, you will need to focus in on key passages and sections where you read and can demonstrate these cultural aspects of the autobiography. In addition, you will need to make a connection to at least 1-2 secondary resources that help you explain and illuminate the cultural issues you focus on and its relation to the autobiography. We will be talking about this, and be doing library research.
Evaluation rubric:
I will be focusing on four areas in my evaluation, each worth 25 points: [1]your focus and development; [2]effectiveness of your reading connections; [3]thought and creativity; [4]presentation of your writing: editing, style, mechanics
F/failing: Assignment not completed.
D/insufficient: The essay addresses the assignment generally, without providing the kind of focus that is necessary for coherence and development; the essay makes no use of a connection to reading; the essay shows little thought and creativity in exploring the topic; the mechanics of the essay suggest that little to no editing was done. In general, this essay reflects a weak and insufficient achievement, suggesting the need for improvement in multiple areas. Revision required.
C/sufficient: The essay addresses the assignment sufficiently and provides a necessary focus, though with a need for further development; the essay makes a sufficient connection to reading but not in a way that is effective for the essay; the essay demonstrates sufficient thought and creativity, with a need to do more during the revision process; the mechanics of the essay indicate the need to address some issues during editing. In general, this essay reflects sufficient achievement with the assignment, suggesting room to improve in one or more of the areas mentioned.
B/strong: The essay addresses the assignment fully and develops its focus coherently and effectively; the essay makes effective and thoughtful use of connections to reading, demonstrating the writer’s understanding of the reading; the essay demonstrates the kind of thought and creativity that is necessary for an effective and compelling piece of critical writing; the mechanics of the essay indicate no significant problems. In general, this essay reflects strong work and achievement; there is room to refine and push a bit further in one of the areas mentioned, something the writer can do if selecting this for future work and potential publication.
A/exceptional: The essay responds to the assignment in an exceptional manner, developing its focus with impressive coherence and thoroughness; the essay’s use of connections to reading are highly effective, perceptive, and thoughtful, demonstrating great insight; the essay’s thoughtfulness and creativity are demonstrated throughout the piece, making it highly engaging and compelling; the essay is clean, well edited. In general, this essay reflects excellence in all aspects; the writer should consider refining or perhaps expanding the piece for publication.
Autobiographical chapter
All the work in the course, the reading and the writing, leads to this project. You will write a substantial autobiographical essay (5-10 pages, double-spaced)—or as I like to think of it, a chapter from your autobiography in progress, the one you have been working on in your head for some years and will, with this as a start, publish in the future. Chapter allows us to think about focusing on a more specific and significant moment or event or idea from our past (for example, think of any of the chapters in the books we have read), and not worry about what comes before or after it. In other words, the key for this essay is to focus and develop (unearth, dig out, as Dillard suggests) the significance of this particular moment/event/idea—a significance that might then be part of the larger story of your autobiography. The point is not to do an overview of your autobiography in one chapter. The point is to build upon lessons from your reading and writing this term and apply them to a particular aspect of your life, your actual autobiography in progress.
One main objective for this project is for you to apply the creative and critical lessons of the course to your writing and thus experience the craft and culture of American autobiography with your own hands. A related objective is for you to finish this essay (and leave the course) feeling more confident about your ability as an autobiographer and a writer—interested in continuing to write your larger autobiography and perhaps publish it someday.
Evaluation rubric:
I will be focusing on four areas in my evaluation, each worth 25 points: [1]your focus and development; [2]effectiveness of your reading connections; [3]thought and creativity; [4]presentation of your writing: editing, style, mechanics
F/failing: Assignment not completed.
D/insufficient: The chapter addresses the assignment generally, without providing the kind of focus that is necessary for coherence and development; the chapter reflects little in the way of lessons from the course regarding the craft and culture of autobiography and shows little thought and creativity in exploring its topic; the mechanics of the writing suggest that little to no editing was done. In general, this essay reflects a weak and insufficient achievement, suggesting the need for improvement in multiple areas, including effort.
C/sufficient: The chapter addresses the assignment sufficiently and provides a necessary focus, though with a need for further development; the chapter reflects some lessons from the course regarding the craft and culture of autobiography, but not in a way that is yet effective; the chapter demonstrates sufficient thought and creativity, with a need to do more during the revision process; the mechanics of the essay indicate the need to address some issues during editing. In general, this essay reflects sufficient achievement with the assignment, suggesting room to improve in one or more of the areas mentioned to achieve a stronger piece of writing.
B/strong: The chapter addresses the assignment fully and develops its focus coherently and effectively; the chapter effectively and thoughtfully demonstrates lessons from the course regarding the craft and culture of autobiography; the essay demonstrates the kind of thought and creativity that is necessary for an effective and compelling piece of autobiographical writing; the mechanics of the essay indicate no significant problems. In general, this essay reflects strong work and achievement; there is room to refine and push a bit further in one of the areas mentioned. Writer should continue to work on this and future chapters.
A/exceptional: The chapter responds to the assignment in an exceptional manner, developing its focus with impressive coherence and thoroughness; the chapter’s reflection of lessons from the course regarding the craft and culture of autobiography are highly effective, perceptive, and thoughtful, demonstrating great insight; the essay’s thoughtfulness and creativity are demonstrated throughout the piece, making it highly engaging and compelling; the essay is clean, well edited. This essay reflects excellence in both the process and the product; the writer should begin thinking about starting the next chapter and consider the work for future publication.