Cosmic Funnies
Misplaced Lens Cap
RMH
I'd rather be in outer space 🛸
trying on a metaphor
Show & Tell
Keni
Not today Justin
JVL
titsay
Today's Document
noise dept.
Peter Solarz
Stranger Things
Monterey Bay Aquarium
official daine visual archive
Love Begins
2025 on Tumblr: Trends That Defined the Year
$LAYYYTER
if i look back, i am lost
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@106216-blog
playlist for the end of the world
Agenda for the last day of class:
Write letters to our future selves
Listen to David Foster Wallace’s commencement speech, “This Is Water”
Eat donuts
Turn in projects
Have a great summer!
D.J. #16 (THE FINAL ENTRY)
As the semester comes to an end, we are usually too busy to reflect on what we’ve learned this past semester--or year, for that matter. Then summer takes over our brains, and before we know it, it’s August and we’re starting all over again.
This is a chance to write down some of the things you want to remember from this last year at Purdue. These can be related to English 106, or they can be about your studies in general, or they can be matters of personal growth, or memories you wish to hang on to. Whatever you want. (The only catch is I’ll read them, so only share what you feel comfortable with me reading.)
How works is you will write a letter to your future self detailing some of these things you want to remember. Then, choose a date in the future. I will type up your letter and send it to your email--however, it won’t be delivered until the date of your choosing. (You will receive a email from FutureMe.org to confirm that you wish to receive this letter.) If you want the date to be a surprise, I’ll choose one for you.
In-text citations
The guidelines for in-text citations depend on the medium of the source. Below are examples from the Purdue Owl of commonly cited mediums. You can find more examples on the Purdue Owl website.
In general, MLA citation requires that the author’s last name and the page number of the quote must appear in your text. The author’s name may either appear in the sentence or in the parentheses following the sentence.
Print sources (books, magazines, scholarly journal articles, newspapers)
General format
Human beings have been described by Kenneth Burke as "symbol-using animals" (3).
Human beings have been described as "symbol-using animals" (Burke 3).
Sources with multiple authors
Smith, Yang, and Moore argue that tougher gun control is not needed in the United States (76).
The authors state, "Tighter gun control in the United States erodes Second Amendment rights" (Smith, Yang, and Moore 76).
Sources with more than three authors
Jones et al. counter Smith, Yang, and Moore's argument by noting that the current spike in gun violence in America compels law makers to adjust gun laws (4).
Jones, Driscoll, Ackerson, and Bell counter Smith, Yang, and Moore's argument by noting that the current spike in gun violence in America compels law makers to adjust gun laws (4).
The Bible
Ezekiel saw "what seemed to be four living creatures," each with faces of a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle (New Jerusalem Bible, Ezek. 1.5-10).
Indirect source (a source cited in another source)
Ravitch argues that high schools are pressured to act as "social service centers, and they don't do that well" (qtd. in Weisman 259).
Non-print sources (movies, online articles)
Werner Herzog's Fitzcarraldo stars Herzog's long-time film partner, Klaus Kinski. During the shooting of Fitzcarraldo, Herzog and Kinski were often at odds, but their explosive relationship fostered a memorable and influential film.
One online film critic stated that Fitzcarraldo is "...a beautiful and terrifying critique of obsession and colonialism" (Garcia, “Herzog: a Life”).
Schoolchildren practicing a “Duck and Cover” drill, a (largely futile) safety measure encouraged during the nuclear anxiety of the Cold War. (x)
WEEK 16 (April 25-April 29)
Welcome to the last week of English 106.
Tuesday, we will go over in-text citations and paragraph structure. You will have most of the class to work on your personal essay and research paper revisions.
Wednesday’s class is optional. I will be in the computer lab in Heavilon 227 from 11:30-12:20. Feel free to swing by with last minute questions or if you need help.
Friday, your pop personal essay and your research paper are due. Here is what you need to print, staple, and turn in:
The final draft of your personal essay
Your Hunger Games think tank
Your research plan
Your topic proposal (your original draft)
Your working bibliography (described in guidelines, MLA format here)
The final draft of you research paper
Conferences are optional this week. You must sign up to meet with me for feedback on your rough drafts.
Looking ahead: Let me know by this Friday (April 29) if you would like me to comment on your projects. You can come by my office (Heavilon 207A) next Wednesday (May 4) or Friday (May 6) from 11:30-12:20 to pick them up. Otherwise, you will be able to see your grades on Blackboard.
Color key for my highlighting patterns.
Notes about this grading section:
Absences as of 4/18. Remember that you cannot have more than five and earn above a C, and you cannot pass once you’ve reached nine absences.
If I have noted a pop culture collective post as skipped but given you full credit for it, that is the one post you get to drop for being a part of the winning group for our “Diary of a Smoker” exercise.
The Dismaland post was a practice exercise and is your D.J. #4, not a pop culture collective post.
Workshop: Research Paper
This link leads to the workshop response sheet. Download it and complete it for the person whose work you have been assigned to workshop. Note: Please save your response as a .pdf before uploading it to your partner’s work folder.
William Axley: Workshop Zac Coons Zac Coons: Workshop William Axley
Hannah Bruer: Workshop Dav Delisi Dav Delisi: Workshop Hannah Bruer
Matthew Higgins: Workshop Dani Marty Dani Marty: Workshop Matthew Higgins
Katelyn Mellentine: Workshop Kristen Siebenheller Kristen Siebenheller: Workshop Katelyn Mellentine
Abir Shukla: Workshop Zhengliang Lan Zhengliang Lan: Workshop Abir Shukla
Alex Johnson: Workshop Tom Heinz Tom Heinz: Workshop Alex Johnson
Hannah Metzelaar: Workshop Shengqi Wang Shengqi Wang: Workshop Hannah Metzelaar
Sabrina Smuts: Workshop Whitney Weidenbenner Whitney Weidenbenner: Workshop Sabrina Smuts
Allison Oddi: Workshop Sarah Whisman Sarah Whisman: Workshop Allison Oddie
Reed Nicley: Workshop Eric Shim Eric Shim: Workshop Reed Nicley
On Wednesday (April 20), half the class will meet for the second part of workshop. Please wait in the hall outside Heavilon 107 until I call in you and your workshop partner.
11:30-11:40 William Axley & Zac Coons
11:40-11:50 Dav Delisi & Hannah Bruer
11:50-12:00 Dani Marty & Matthew Higgins
12:00-12:10 Katelyn Mellentine & Kristen Siebenheller
12:10-12:20 Zhengliang Lan & Abir Shukla
On Friday (April 22), the other half of the class will meet for the second part of workshop. Please wait in the hall outside Heavilon 107 until I call in you and your workshop partner.
11:30-11:40 Tom Heinz & Alex Johnson
11:40-11:50 Hannah Metzelaar & Shengqi Wang
11:50-12:00 Sabrina Smuts & Whitney Weidenbenner
12:00-12:10 Allison Oddi & Sarah Whisman
12:10-12:20 Reed Nicley & Eric Shim
WEEK 15 (April 18-22)
Tuesday, we will complete part one of workshop. Click here to begin. Your final pop culture collective post (#5) is due tonight by 10 p.m.
Wednesday, half the class will complete part two of workshop. Each author will be workshopped for five minutes. Please wait outside Heavilon 107 until I call you in for your workshop time.Â
Friday, half the class will complete part two of workshop. Each author will be workshopped for five minutes. Please wait outside Heavilon 107 until I call you in for your workshop time.Â
No conferences this week (unless you have signed up to meet with me).
Looking ahead: Conferences next week are optional. Please let me know by this Friday, April 22, if you would like to meet, and if you would like me to look at pop personal essay and/or research paper drafts beforehand.
The final drafts of your pop personal essay and your research paper are due Friday, April 29.
DIALECTIC JOURNAL #14 & 15
(answer on tumblr)
14: Bearing in mind the three components of a thesis and using your own words, write Leslie Jamison’s thesis in “Grand Unified Theory of Female Pain.”
15: What have you learned from our personal essay reading this semester? Whose work do you admire, or would like to emulate? Which essay(s) did you struggle with, and why? What skills would you like to incorporate into your own writing--in this class or in the future? Check the essay tag to refresh your memory.Â
A thesis statement should express an arguable claim.
It should not be
verifiable fact
issues of faith or belief
matters of simple opinion or personal taste (unless matters of taste are based on identifiable criteria)
Thesis = topic + perspective + impact
What is your subject, as introduced by your research question? What is your perspective–how would you answer this question? And what does it matter?
The impact section of a thesis is often saved for the conclusion, so that you leave your reader with an understanding of why your argument is significant, interesting, meaningful, unique, and/or necessary.
Example: Despite appearances–and despite itself–David Sedaris’s brief essay “Diary of a Smoker” makes a case against smoking. [This is the topic + perspective.]
Although he argues for personal freedom and choice, it becomes apparent that it is his need for cigarettes--not other people--that is burdening his daily interactions and impeding his enjoyment of everything else. This, perhaps, is the sad truth of addiction: Even in the humorous diary of a self-proclaimed addict, we can see that there isn’t much more to life than the drug. [This is the impact.]
Workshop: Personal Essay
In lieu of a workshop response form, write a letter to your partner. Your letter should freely describe what you like about the essay and what you think is working well, address problem areas or areas of confusion, pose questions you have for the author, and make suggestions for improvement. See the final draft rubric here. Upload the letter to their work folder on Dropbox.
William Axley: Workshop Zac Coons Zac Coons: Workshop William Axley
Hannah Bruer: Workshop Dav Delisi Dav Delisi: Workshop Hannah Bruer
Matthew Higgins: Workshop Dani Marty Dani Marty: Workshop Matthew Higgins
Katelyn Mellentine: Workshop Kristen Siebenheller Kristen Siebenheller: Workshop Katelyn Mellentine
Abir Shukla: Workshop Zhengliang Lan Zhengliang Lan: Workshop Abir Shukla
Alex Johnson: Workshop Tom Heinz Tom Heinz: Workshop Alex Johnson
Hannah Metzelaar: Workshop Shengqi Wang Shengqi Wang: Workshop Hannah Metzelaar
Sabrina Smuts: Workshop Whitney Weidenbenner Whitney Weidenbenner: Workshop Sabrina Smuts
Allison Oddi: Workshop Sarah Whisman Sarah Whisman: Workshop Allison Oddie
Reed Nicley: Workshop Eric Shim Eric Shim: Workshop Reed Nicley
On Wednesday (April 13), we will meet in Heavilon 107 as outline below:
11:30-11:45
William Axley & Zac Coons Dav Delisi & Hannah Bruer Dani Marty & Matthew Higgins
11:45-12:00 Katelyn Mellentine &Â Kristen Siebenheller Zhengliang Lan & Abir Shukla Tom Heinz & Alex Johnson
12:00-1:20 Hannah Metzelaar & Shengqi Wang Sabrina Smuts & Whitney Weidenbenner Allison Oddi & Sarah Whisman Reed Nicley & Eric Shim
Cover of the post-apocalyptic novel Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel.
WEEK 14 (April 11-April 15)
Before we get started on Tuesday, please spend a couple minutes organizing your work folders. Inside your work folder, create folders for each project (op-ed, analysis, research paper, and personal essay), and sort your drafts accordingly. Either move your workshop feedback to the corresponding project’s folder, or create a new folder for workshop feedback.
After you’ve completed this small task, move on to workshop. You will only be workshopping one personal essay. Please note that the format is different: Instead of making comments on the draft and responding to a workshop form, you will write your partner a letter (details found at the top of the workshop post.)
Wednesday, we will all meet in Heavilon 107 for workshop. Please wait in the hall until I call in you and your partner. Bring your dialectic journals.
For Friday, read our last personal essay, Leslie Jamison’s “Grand Unified Theory of Female Pain.” In the interest of time and clarity, I have shortened the essay and provided comments on the .pdf. We will meet in a computer lab (TBD).
We are meeting in groups for this week’s conferences. Upload your research topic proposal to your work folder before we meet, and bring your laptop.
Looking ahead: Conferences next week are optional. Please let me know by this Friday, April 15, if you would like to meet, and if you would like me to look at pop personal essay and/or research paper drafts beforehand.
Your research paper rough draft is due Monday, April 18, to Dropbox by 10 p.m. Your fifth and final pop culture collective post is due Tuesday, April 19, to your tumblr by 10 p.m.
DIALECTIC JOURNAL #13
1. What about this research question particularly interests you?
2. What do you already know about your topic? Similarly, what might be a hypothetical thesis responding to this research question?
3. What types of information do I need to answer my research question? To which subjects/areas of study does it correspond? Does it relate to the real world, or is more concerned with literary analysis?
4. Revise for clarity, specificity, and scope. Example:
What role do symbols play in uprisings and rebellions? –>
What is the importance of the Mockingjay pin Katniss wears, and the District 12 sign (three-finger salute) she receives? –>
How does the use of symbols and symbolic gestures, such as the Mockingjay and the District 12 three-finger salute, contribute to the rebellion’s power in The Hunger Games?
Below is an example of a topic proposal, following the guidelines expressed in your Field Guide on p. 213.
A concise discussion of the subject.
The Hunger Games franchise has inspired much conversation about issues of social justice and social revolution. Teachers have used the text as a way of introducing political consciousness to their students, and young readers have identified with Katniss as a role model for hope and resilience in a dark and confusing world. I recently discovered that the three-finger salute used in the books and films as symbol of resistance has been co-opted by real world protestors, including demonstrations in Bangkok protesting a military regime and pro-democracy sit-ins in Hong Kong, both in 2014.
A clear statement of your intended focus.
I am curious about symbols, and how they contribute to the power of uprisings. In The Hunger Games, the three-finger salute and the Mockingjay become gestures and images of unity, as well as rebellion. In this paper, I will argue that symbols are metaphors that bridge difference. All rebellions face internal conflicts of ideals, agendas, and strategies. This is inevitable, as no matter how aligned in their primary objective members of a group may be, they are still different people: their backgrounds, identities, beliefs, ethics, hopes, fears, and experiences are multitudinous. Symbols, however, provide relief from the chaos of nuanced perspectives. They represent how members of a group are the same, and their use is an emotional projection of this sameness.
A rationale for choosing the topic.
I have always found symbols of social movements poignant, and sometimes frightening. From the raised fist to the swastika, the cohesive ideology performed by these symbols is affecting and momentous.
Mention of resources.
My research will concentrate primarily on the use of symbols in historical uprisings. “Commemoration of Mutiny, Rebellion, and Resistance in Postwar Germany: Public Memory, History, and the Formation of 'Memory Beacons’” by Douglas Peifer studies how post-war Germany has commemorated acts of rebellion by soldiers and sailors through symbols and reenactments. This seems particularly useful in examining how groups use symbols to differentiate themselves from oppressors and create a moral dichotomy. I will use this research as a frame for how the symbols used in The Hunger Games influence the traction of the rebellion. I will also use web articles about the protests in Bangkok and Thailand to show how The Hunger Games has provided a symbol representative of many struggles in today’s world.
TIPS FOR READING SOURCES
Skim-read. You can always return for a more careful reading once you’ve determined the source is useful for your purposes.
Download .pdfs of all possible sources. Create two folders, one indicating “heck yes” and the other “maybe.” Sort your sources accordingly. Go through the “heck yes” folder first. Delete .pdfs if you determine they’re useless. Record the ones you’ll use in your working bibliography.
While you skim-read, always consider the following: What is the author’s thesis, and how does the argument they’re making relate to my topic?
ARTICLES
Read the abstract.
Read the intro & conclusion.
Read the first and last sentences of each paragraph.
BOOKS
Read the table of contents.
Scan the index.
Read the introduction and conclusion. The intro will tell you what the book is going to cover, and the conclusion will tell you what the author hopes the reader takes away from the book.
Read the first and last paragraph of the chapters that seem pertinent to your topic, then the whole chapter if it’s relevant.
FURTHER ADVICE
Look at the footnotes. What authors cite in their work may be useful sources to you, as well--and it saves you time in seeking them out.
CTRL+F is your friend when skimming long sources.
Refer to the reading strategies in The Field Guide pp. 396-413.
DIALECTIC JOURNAL #12
These considerations are posed by our Field Guide (pp. 396-397) to open a dialogue about our reading processes.
What do you read--for pleasure? for work? for school? for something else? Consider all the sorts of reading you do: books, magazines, newspapers, websites, Facebook, texting, blogs, instructions.
When you’re facing a reading assignment, what do you do? Do you do certain things to get comfortable? Do you play music or seek quiet? Do you plan your reading time or set reading goals for yourself? Do you flip through or skim the text before settling down to read it or just start at the beginning and work through it?
How do you motivate yourself to read material you don’t have any interest in? How do you deal with boredom while reading?
Do you ever highlight, underline, or annotate text as you read? Do you take notes?
How well do your reading processes work for you, both in school and otherwise? What would you like to change?
DIALECTIC JOURNAL #11
Complete the following scavenger hunt and write the answers in your notebook.
Challenge #1
From the Purdue library website, go to Databases.
Find the PsycINFO database.
Through the PsycINFO database, use the advanced search to search for “Hunger Games” and “gender.”
Write the MLA citation for the first article.
Challenge #2
From the Purdue library website, go to Advanced Search.
Search for the keywords “violence” AND “youth” AND “economic” OR “poverty” (in “ANY”).
Find a book published in 2013.
Write the MLA citation for this book.
Challenge #3
On Google Scholar, click the down arrow to access the advanced search.
Find an article with all of the words “hunger games” and with at least one of the words “revolution, uprising” that appear in the title of the article.
Write the MLA citation of one source. Click “Related articles” and write the MLA citation for a related source.
Challenge #4
Using the Purdue library website or Google Scholar, find a source that seems useful to your research topic. Download it as a .pdf and save to “the hunger games readings” folder on Dropbox.
Bring a hard copy of this source to class tomorrow, Wednesday (4/6).
TIPS FOR CONDUCTING A SEARCH
Identify the main keywords in your research question. Make a list of synonyms for each keyword. Also think of words more specific than your keywords--words that may broaden or narrow your topic. Use different combinations of these when using the Purdue library search engine.
Use the Advanced Search option. Select “AND” between words to find sources with both words, and select “OR” to find sources with one word or the other.
Familiarize yourself with your options. Click “Details” under a source to read the abstract first. Click “Find Online” to access the source. On the left, you can refine your search.
Here is a short intro to Primo.
Databases
Databases are paid for by the library so that you can access free, reliable information.
Databases are tagged by subject. Once you access a database, you can search using your more specific keywords. This will narrow your results to designated subject.
Future classes will require the use of scholarly sources. The sources found on databases fall under this category.
Google Scholar
Click the down arrow on the right of the search bar to access advanced search.
If you find an source you want but can’t access via Google Scholar, try searching for that source through the Purdue library website.
Click “Save” to save a source to your library. Click “Related articles” to see more like the source you’ve found.
Click “Cite.” You’re welcome.
