fall semester, 2014

last week at this hour large parts of me were dreading the pressure and obligation of classes and campus. maybe I've been too busy to think about all that this week. or maybe the dread was unfounded and silly.

maybe both.

I have surrendered my life for the next four months to many, many things. it's exciting for now, and I'm hoping I don't get strangled by difficulties later on. there will be so much reading. so much theory. so much mental chewing-on-things and so much hurrying about from classroom to classroom, wearing different hats, looking through different windows.

I'll manage. I must.

English 680 Gender, Rhetoric, and the Body with Dr. Jenny Bay 
we'll be working with a few local social service programs in this class: Food Finders and WIC. our first readings have covered the connections between athletics and rhetoric, some thoughts on violence as related to gender and race, and a lot of fascinating theory about pain, torture, war, and language. I think this is the class I'm most excited about.

English 680 Professional Writing Theory with Dr. Patricia A. Sullivan
and here we will read and read and see if we can figure out what makes professional writing what it is, or what we want it to be, or what other people might want it to be. discussions about these disciplinary definitions always seem to go around in circles, but somehow I don't hate them for that. it's kind of awesome that we have the power to define and redefine what we do, who we are, and what it means, isn't it?

English 624 Issues In Composition Studies: Modern Period with Dr. Patricia A. Sullivan
once upon a time I had a semester of Modern Rhetorical Theory, but I am not very sure that it was in any way the same thing. maybe it was. if so, it was at a less-intense undergraduate level anyway, less flooded with primary texts from Ramus and Whately and other such folks. that was a long time ago. I blogged a few times about that class. it was my first introduction to rhetoric. and I wrote an essay about the Bible. crazy. I'll try and pay more attention this time around, in any case. I'll try not to blog too much or too boringly about Ramus and Whately and other such folks while I'm at it.

English 681 the Hutton Lectures In Rhetoric And Composition
there are all kinds of rumors about who will be the invited speakers for this lecture series. Dr. Blackmon is keeping us in some suspense about the schedule, so I don't have much to say here yet.

English 502 Writing Lab Practicum with Dr. Richard Johnson-Sheehan 
did I mention I've been hired at the writing lab for this year? I have dreamed of this day, and the silver platter of fate (upon which have been delivered most of the other great things I've been lucky enough to participate in) has finally obliged to hand me a job as a tutor. my first week has been pretty fun, and this class will make sure I keep enough professionalism and strategy mixed in, as well. writing lab work will probably contribute to 59% of all my rushing around this fall, but I am pretty sure it will be worth the craziness.

and now, I think I'll go sit on my back porch and continue with all the reading...