Tuesday, September 29, 2009
"Ladies First" Free Write
Post the three paragraph essay response to Felicia Pride's "Ladies First" here. Remember, use a block quote from the song by Queen Latifah, a paraphrase and another citation from Pride's narrative. Include a works cited section of the paper.
American Culture Cyber-Posts
Today the presentations went very well. Please post your narratives here. They will certainly be more in depth than the presentations for some of you. Remember DEEP was the tag line.... The 100 words was a minimum.
In the future, please complete your homework, at home. I could tell the difference. Oh, and for students presenting essays on Thursday, October 1 re: Women in Hip Hop, Relax and have fun, if you need another couple of days to get the essay in to me or you'd like me to look at it, give you feedback and then allow you to turn it in later, come to the study hour 12-1 10/01 in L-235 with your paper or make arrangements in advance.
You can also email the essay to me today and I can look at it before 10/01 and give you comments. Call me and tell me you sent it, just in case.
Again, post your narratives here. If you didn't present, still post the narrative here. You can present on Thursday, October 1, before papers are presented. Be prompt. So far, Forrest is the only one I know who is presenting.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Presentation in the morning...Index cards
From the syllabus
Presentation 1: Due Tuesday, Sept. 29
Bring in an object that represents the intersection between hip hop and American culture. How does the object signify a tradition older than itself—go deep and philosophical… while at the same time represent a progression into something fresh or new or is it all an illusion, a trend, hip hop culture just a cycle human-kind has cycled through before and will again—all that changes is the treads?
Be prepared to share. Write a brief profile on the object justifying its inclusion in the archives (100 words or so). You will post the written response on the blog. I’ll take photos.
Index Cards Sept. 14-24
Please list your contact information: Name, Address, phone number e-mail address, best time to call and the class you are in with time.
What strengths do you bring to the class? What do you hope to obtain from the course – any particular exit skills? What do I need to know about you to help you meet your goals
We'll save time for students to have a rehearsal/peer review on Women in Hip Hop essays due Thursday, October 1, 2009. You will be videotaped. All presentations will be videotaped and posted on YouTube.
Presentation 1: Due Tuesday, Sept. 29
Bring in an object that represents the intersection between hip hop and American culture. How does the object signify a tradition older than itself—go deep and philosophical… while at the same time represent a progression into something fresh or new or is it all an illusion, a trend, hip hop culture just a cycle human-kind has cycled through before and will again—all that changes is the treads?
Be prepared to share. Write a brief profile on the object justifying its inclusion in the archives (100 words or so). You will post the written response on the blog. I’ll take photos.
Index Cards Sept. 14-24
Please list your contact information: Name, Address, phone number e-mail address, best time to call and the class you are in with time.
What strengths do you bring to the class? What do you hope to obtain from the course – any particular exit skills? What do I need to know about you to help you meet your goals
We'll save time for students to have a rehearsal/peer review on Women in Hip Hop essays due Thursday, October 1, 2009. You will be videotaped. All presentations will be videotaped and posted on YouTube.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Total Chaos: Got Next: Round Table on Aesthetics (33)
Post your reflection on the essay here. Each response should be about 250 words minimally. These responses, which look at the key ideas explored as well as question premises and challenge the writers--you don't have to agree, can be the basis of any one of the research essays you are writing this semester. The reflection needs to incorporate citations from the article: paraphrase, one direct quote and one block quote. You will be graded on your grasp of key ideas, how well you incorporate the citation --signal phrases, as well as your facility with the genre, essay writing. is there a clearly stated thesis, how well is it supported and how sophisticated is the analysis. Go deep.
Don't forget to respond to each other and ask questions. I am still thinking about a midterm question. I'll let you know once I figure it out. M1 from Dead Prez is speaking at a variety of locations this week. I am hosting the discussion in San Jose this Sunday at 6. The schedule is posted below.
The response is due no later than a week after it is assigned and discussed in class.
Remember, for tomorrow two essays were assigned, one about dance the other about hip hop literature. If you plan to attend the conference at East Side this weekend, I'd encourage you to read the panel discussion with Traci Bartlow. She is hosting the conference Sept. 26.
We have a guest tomorrow morning.
M1 from Dead Prez is on a speaking tour this week. He was in Gaza, as in Palestine, with Cynthia McKinney, former Georgia Congresswoman and Green Party Presidential nominee. I plan to attend 9/24 and I will host 9/27.
Next week I might show a film about hip hop in Palestine and hip hop in Ghana. It's called HipLife there. The filmmaker, Eli Jacobs-Fantauzi is interviewed in Total Chaos. Ghana's first president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah's centennial birthday was Monday, Sept. 21.
East Oakland, Thursday, Sept. 24, 7:30 p.m., Wose Community Center, 8924 Holly St. – Minister of Information JR will interview M1
• San Francisco, Friday, Sept. 25, 7 p.m., POOR Magazine, Redstone Building, 2940 16th St. at Mission, Second Floor Theater – Richard Brown of the San Francisco 8 will interview M1
• West Oakland, Saturday, Sept. 26, 6 p.m., Black Dot Cafe, 1195 Pine St. – Nadra Foster, the 12-year volunteer KPFA broadcaster who was beaten by police inside the station, will interview M1
• San Jose, Sunday, Sept. 27, 6 p.m., DeBug Magazine, 701 Lenzen Ave. – Bay View Arts Editor Wanda Sabir will interview M1
• Santa Cruz, Monday, Sept. 28, 7 p.m., Barrios Unidos, 1817 Soquel Ave.
• Sonoma, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 7:30 p.m., Multi-Purpose Room, Student Union Building, Sonoma State University
October is also Black Panther Awareness Month. Visit www.itsabouttimebpp.net for the schedule which includes: art exhibits, panel discussions on topics such as Women in the BPP, a Job/Book Fair, and a film festival. Most of these events are free.
Don't forget to respond to each other and ask questions. I am still thinking about a midterm question. I'll let you know once I figure it out. M1 from Dead Prez is speaking at a variety of locations this week. I am hosting the discussion in San Jose this Sunday at 6. The schedule is posted below.
The response is due no later than a week after it is assigned and discussed in class.
Remember, for tomorrow two essays were assigned, one about dance the other about hip hop literature. If you plan to attend the conference at East Side this weekend, I'd encourage you to read the panel discussion with Traci Bartlow. She is hosting the conference Sept. 26.
We have a guest tomorrow morning.
M1 from Dead Prez is on a speaking tour this week. He was in Gaza, as in Palestine, with Cynthia McKinney, former Georgia Congresswoman and Green Party Presidential nominee. I plan to attend 9/24 and I will host 9/27.
Next week I might show a film about hip hop in Palestine and hip hop in Ghana. It's called HipLife there. The filmmaker, Eli Jacobs-Fantauzi is interviewed in Total Chaos. Ghana's first president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah's centennial birthday was Monday, Sept. 21.
East Oakland, Thursday, Sept. 24, 7:30 p.m., Wose Community Center, 8924 Holly St. – Minister of Information JR will interview M1
• San Francisco, Friday, Sept. 25, 7 p.m., POOR Magazine, Redstone Building, 2940 16th St. at Mission, Second Floor Theater – Richard Brown of the San Francisco 8 will interview M1
• West Oakland, Saturday, Sept. 26, 6 p.m., Black Dot Cafe, 1195 Pine St. – Nadra Foster, the 12-year volunteer KPFA broadcaster who was beaten by police inside the station, will interview M1
• San Jose, Sunday, Sept. 27, 6 p.m., DeBug Magazine, 701 Lenzen Ave. – Bay View Arts Editor Wanda Sabir will interview M1
• Santa Cruz, Monday, Sept. 28, 7 p.m., Barrios Unidos, 1817 Soquel Ave.
• Sonoma, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 7:30 p.m., Multi-Purpose Room, Student Union Building, Sonoma State University
October is also Black Panther Awareness Month. Visit www.itsabouttimebpp.net for the schedule which includes: art exhibits, panel discussions on topics such as Women in the BPP, a Job/Book Fair, and a film festival. Most of these events are free.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Library Orientation Cyber-Assignment
We are at the Library at the College of Alameda presently.Not all students are here and many students forgot, and were happy to see Dominique at C-211 at 9 to remind them where we were today. It was our typical quiet class. No one said much, I hope the information was useful and that students are now more prepared to approach the writing assignments than before.
Please write a response to the library orientation. Share with your classmates what you learned and what resources you plan to use in your research process.
Post which essays you plan to write this semester in the post below--Assignments Fall 2009. Give a brief synopsis of what you'd like to accomplish in each essay and what you need to do this. Choose 4 topics. If I can be of help, please let me know. I know a lot about the topic and know many of the people Jeff Chang interviews in Total Chaos.
The in-class assignment was to find a scholarly article about the topic you plan to write about first, along with locating another article which defines "What is hip hop?"
Write a summary of both articles --it can be in the same essay response. Include a works cited page with the MLA format. Post the summary/essay here now. Homework is to read the Pure Movement (59) essay and On Lit Hop essay(92). I will put a link for your responses for Thursday. We will have a guest on Thursday and then we will go over to A-205 to continue our discourse on-line.
Please write a response to the library orientation. Share with your classmates what you learned and what resources you plan to use in your research process.
Post which essays you plan to write this semester in the post below--Assignments Fall 2009. Give a brief synopsis of what you'd like to accomplish in each essay and what you need to do this. Choose 4 topics. If I can be of help, please let me know. I know a lot about the topic and know many of the people Jeff Chang interviews in Total Chaos.
The in-class assignment was to find a scholarly article about the topic you plan to write about first, along with locating another article which defines "What is hip hop?"
Write a summary of both articles --it can be in the same essay response. Include a works cited page with the MLA format. Post the summary/essay here now. Homework is to read the Pure Movement (59) essay and On Lit Hop essay(92). I will put a link for your responses for Thursday. We will have a guest on Thursday and then we will go over to A-205 to continue our discourse on-line.
Assignments for English 1B in greater detail
Assignments for English 1B
Fall 2009
We are practicing skills which you developed in English 1A. The difference is we are looking at literature and analyzing other genres, in our case: poetry, fiction, music, theatre, visual arts, and dance. Since this is hip hop culture the political is always a consideration as the genre emerged from a political context, but then this is not unusual—aesthetics plus politics. In order to do justice to the topics you chose to explore, the writer cannot ignore the history of the genre nor its current discourses or new roots.
I will be looking at the writing, but more than this I will be paying attention to the scholarship, which is why each essay has to include a citation from a scholarly article—7-10 plus pages from a scholarly source.
Your essays can use multiple styles…be creative. However, I need to know that you know how to write an essay, so save the creative work for last (smile). And if you plan to deviate from the norm, don’t surprise me, share the idea with me first.
We will be reading the following essays from Total Chaos: On Pure Movement (59), From Dope Spot to Broadway (78), On Lit Hop (92), The City in Public (149), Black Talk and Hot Sex (178), Native Tongues (278), Inventos (255), Toward a Hip Hop Aesthetics (349) and perhaps others.
We have already read three essays and their corresponding introductions: Cape Flats Alchemy (262), Got Next (33), A Brand New Feminism (233), plus an essay on Graffiti Arts and Hyper-masculinity.
For each article students will write, minimally, a three paragraph response incorporating three citations from the article: an in text citation, a free paraphrase and a block quote. These will be cyber-assignments. I will give you the dates as we cover the genres. You can certainly read ahead and read other articles, especially those which help inform your essay topics.
Again, if you have questions please ask and see me at my office hours. If an essay is not a passing grade, C, or better, then you have to revise it. You cannot revise your midterm or final, which is the Hip Hop Fiction essay.
1. Women in Hip Hop with a side-bar on Hyper-Masculinity: October 1
2. The Graf or Writing Movement, October 6 essay is due for peer review, Oct. 8 presentation
3. Dance or Bi-boying, Bi-Girling, October 13/15
4. DJing, Oct. 20/22—
5. MC or Poet/Rapper Oct. 27/29, Nov. 3 presentation
6. Nov. 5/10 Project reports in small groups
7. Nov. 12/17 Fiction presentations (all)
8. Extra credit: Hip Hop as a Global Movement, Hip Hop Theatre, Hip Hop Spirituality (turn in by or before Nov. 12).
Assignment:
Start with an artist who exemplifies the genre you wish to talk about. This person will provide the frame for you to tell the story of the development of the genre. This person will help you illustrate your point as well as focus the essay which is just a reflection on a larger topic.
Choose 3-4 key points you wish to develop. Give us a brief bio of the person, why they decided or how they found themselves using hip hop culture as their lens, include a sample of their work, compare and contrast it with both historic and contemporary examples….
Within each essay give a definition of hip hop culture and how the element emerges, reflects, fits into and expands this philosophical landscape.
If you are speaking of women in hip hop—the topic is broad so your introduction could be a historic overview and then you can focus your paper on the artist of your choice who illustrates attributes you’d like to consider in the paper.
Even though you are focusing on one artist, place your artist within the context of the work…which means you have to center the person within her genre surrounded by her peers…show how the work the artist produces expands and enlarges the scope of the discipline.
You can look both nationally and internally. In at least one paper, I want the focus to be on an artist who is from Northern California. The person has to be alive. If you chose to write about graffiti or writing I’d encourage students to borrow Style Wars, it is a great history of the Graffiti movement. You can also use material from Piece by Piece and the essay I gave you to read.
Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop is a great resource and of course so is Total Chaos, both are by Jeff Chang.
This weekend, Saturday, Sept. 26, at East Side Cultural Center in Oakland there is a day long conference on hip hop dance beginning at 11 AM. If you plan to write your paper on hip hop dance, I’d suggest you attend the event, take notes and get some interviews about the genre. Traci Bartlow is the event coordinator.
Start with the Initial Planning Sheet (handout), next develop an outline that includes research (each essay also needs to include one scholarly essay). Each essay also needs to incorporate one direct quote, one block quote and one free paraphrase. The rest of the writing needs to be original.
The essay is to be 4-5 pages long with a works cited page and a bibliography. All of the relevant essays previously read, all the films watched whether used in the essay or not need to be cited in the bibliography.
I’d like to see outlines and Initial Planning Sheets for the essays a week in advance: Sept. 24 for October 1; October 1 for October 6 peer review; October 8 for October 13.
Initial Planning Questions:
What is your topic?
Who is your audience?
Why do you want to write about this topic?
What question do you want your essay to answer?
What major writing strategy will you use?
See the handout for an example.
Each student needs to identify the 3-4 research essays they plan to write and get into me this Thursday, Sept. 24, no later than Friday, Sept. 25. Everyone has to make a presentation on the novel. We are going to read a play in class, I hope. I also hope we’ll be able to attend a play or some other event together. Machiavelli was great. You can visit www.centralworks.org to read the play.
I hope this helps. We have a study hour on Thursdays 12-1 in L-235. I am also available during the week—see the syllabus for office hours. I am also available by appointment, via email and on the phone. If you email me and don’t get a response, call me. I didn’t see the email.
An outline I like is:
Thesis (use a complete sentence)
First major point
Evidence (detailed evidence, that is article name, citation you’d like to use, if known…).
Evidence (stats, examples, definitions, analogies, consequences)
Evidence…(testimony…)
Second Major Point
Evidence…
Third Major Point
Evidence…
Fourth Major Point (and so on...)
Evidence…
Concluding sentence
Fall 2009
We are practicing skills which you developed in English 1A. The difference is we are looking at literature and analyzing other genres, in our case: poetry, fiction, music, theatre, visual arts, and dance. Since this is hip hop culture the political is always a consideration as the genre emerged from a political context, but then this is not unusual—aesthetics plus politics. In order to do justice to the topics you chose to explore, the writer cannot ignore the history of the genre nor its current discourses or new roots.
I will be looking at the writing, but more than this I will be paying attention to the scholarship, which is why each essay has to include a citation from a scholarly article—7-10 plus pages from a scholarly source.
Your essays can use multiple styles…be creative. However, I need to know that you know how to write an essay, so save the creative work for last (smile). And if you plan to deviate from the norm, don’t surprise me, share the idea with me first.
We will be reading the following essays from Total Chaos: On Pure Movement (59), From Dope Spot to Broadway (78), On Lit Hop (92), The City in Public (149), Black Talk and Hot Sex (178), Native Tongues (278), Inventos (255), Toward a Hip Hop Aesthetics (349) and perhaps others.
We have already read three essays and their corresponding introductions: Cape Flats Alchemy (262), Got Next (33), A Brand New Feminism (233), plus an essay on Graffiti Arts and Hyper-masculinity.
For each article students will write, minimally, a three paragraph response incorporating three citations from the article: an in text citation, a free paraphrase and a block quote. These will be cyber-assignments. I will give you the dates as we cover the genres. You can certainly read ahead and read other articles, especially those which help inform your essay topics.
Again, if you have questions please ask and see me at my office hours. If an essay is not a passing grade, C, or better, then you have to revise it. You cannot revise your midterm or final, which is the Hip Hop Fiction essay.
1. Women in Hip Hop with a side-bar on Hyper-Masculinity: October 1
2. The Graf or Writing Movement, October 6 essay is due for peer review, Oct. 8 presentation
3. Dance or Bi-boying, Bi-Girling, October 13/15
4. DJing, Oct. 20/22—
5. MC or Poet/Rapper Oct. 27/29, Nov. 3 presentation
6. Nov. 5/10 Project reports in small groups
7. Nov. 12/17 Fiction presentations (all)
8. Extra credit: Hip Hop as a Global Movement, Hip Hop Theatre, Hip Hop Spirituality (turn in by or before Nov. 12).
Assignment:
Start with an artist who exemplifies the genre you wish to talk about. This person will provide the frame for you to tell the story of the development of the genre. This person will help you illustrate your point as well as focus the essay which is just a reflection on a larger topic.
Choose 3-4 key points you wish to develop. Give us a brief bio of the person, why they decided or how they found themselves using hip hop culture as their lens, include a sample of their work, compare and contrast it with both historic and contemporary examples….
Within each essay give a definition of hip hop culture and how the element emerges, reflects, fits into and expands this philosophical landscape.
If you are speaking of women in hip hop—the topic is broad so your introduction could be a historic overview and then you can focus your paper on the artist of your choice who illustrates attributes you’d like to consider in the paper.
Even though you are focusing on one artist, place your artist within the context of the work…which means you have to center the person within her genre surrounded by her peers…show how the work the artist produces expands and enlarges the scope of the discipline.
You can look both nationally and internally. In at least one paper, I want the focus to be on an artist who is from Northern California. The person has to be alive. If you chose to write about graffiti or writing I’d encourage students to borrow Style Wars, it is a great history of the Graffiti movement. You can also use material from Piece by Piece and the essay I gave you to read.
Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop is a great resource and of course so is Total Chaos, both are by Jeff Chang.
This weekend, Saturday, Sept. 26, at East Side Cultural Center in Oakland there is a day long conference on hip hop dance beginning at 11 AM. If you plan to write your paper on hip hop dance, I’d suggest you attend the event, take notes and get some interviews about the genre. Traci Bartlow is the event coordinator.
Start with the Initial Planning Sheet (handout), next develop an outline that includes research (each essay also needs to include one scholarly essay). Each essay also needs to incorporate one direct quote, one block quote and one free paraphrase. The rest of the writing needs to be original.
The essay is to be 4-5 pages long with a works cited page and a bibliography. All of the relevant essays previously read, all the films watched whether used in the essay or not need to be cited in the bibliography.
I’d like to see outlines and Initial Planning Sheets for the essays a week in advance: Sept. 24 for October 1; October 1 for October 6 peer review; October 8 for October 13.
Initial Planning Questions:
What is your topic?
Who is your audience?
Why do you want to write about this topic?
What question do you want your essay to answer?
What major writing strategy will you use?
See the handout for an example.
Each student needs to identify the 3-4 research essays they plan to write and get into me this Thursday, Sept. 24, no later than Friday, Sept. 25. Everyone has to make a presentation on the novel. We are going to read a play in class, I hope. I also hope we’ll be able to attend a play or some other event together. Machiavelli was great. You can visit www.centralworks.org to read the play.
I hope this helps. We have a study hour on Thursdays 12-1 in L-235. I am also available during the week—see the syllabus for office hours. I am also available by appointment, via email and on the phone. If you email me and don’t get a response, call me. I didn’t see the email.
An outline I like is:
Thesis (use a complete sentence)
First major point
Evidence (detailed evidence, that is article name, citation you’d like to use, if known…).
Evidence (stats, examples, definitions, analogies, consequences)
Evidence…(testimony…)
Second Major Point
Evidence…
Third Major Point
Evidence…
Fourth Major Point (and so on...)
Evidence…
Concluding sentence
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Wear Clean Drawers Freewrite
Today in class we read the essays from Sept.10, Total Chaos pp. 33-51. Only two students did their homework, other students went to the book store to buy the book. It's out, now students have to wait. You can check the libraries and other books stores.
I passed out several chapters from Felicia Pride's book "The Message."
Wear Clean Drawers
http://www.musicsonglyrics.com/C/thecouplyrics/thecoupwearcleandrawslyrics.htm
You know you're my cookie baby and you're too smart
I can see it in the lines of your school art
True heart
I mean courage
Expressed with care
Go on draw them superheroes with the curly hair
You're my daughter
My love
More than kin to me
This for you and the woman that you finna be
Tell that boy he's wrong
Girls are strong
Next time at show and tell play him our song
Tell your teacher I said princesses are evil
How they got all they money was they killed people
If somebody hits you
Hit 'em back
Then negotiate a peace contract
Life if a challenge and you gotta team up
If you play house pretend that the man clean up
You too busy with the other things you gotta do
If you start something, now
Remember, follow through
Later on you gon' blossom like a lotus
You'll get into boys and the boys gon' notice
It don't matter who you do it with
Just remember when I tell you baby you the shit
Handshakes are promises
Lies can spoil it
Words should be bond and seal
Wash you hands after using the toilet
Brush after every meal
And also
*Chorus*
Wear clean draws
Everyday
'cuz things may fall
The wrong way
You'll be lying there
Waiting' for the ambulance
And your underwear
Got holes and shit
Wear clean draws
Everyday
'cuz things may fall
The wrong way
You'll be lying there
Waiting' for the ambulance
And your underwear
Got holes and shit
Pam can I get a little scratch right here?
(yeeah)
Pam can I get a little scratch right here?
(oh yeah)
Pam can I get a little scratch right here?
(yeeah)
Pam can I get a little scratch right there?
(oh yeah)
My boogie baby now
The world ain't no fairy tale
And it's ran by some rich white scary males
To make it simple for you let's call 'em the bosses
They take money while the people take losses
Stole Black folds from Africa
To work for free
And we still barely get paid enough to eat
That's what I told you
I be saying in my vocals
That's why the woman got the gun on the logo
The star is the future
That we gon' create
Where nobody steal money from the things we make
The revolution takes time and space
But you as a woman gotta know you're place
That's in the front baby
I'm being blunt baby
If the get mad say it's they time of the month baby
Your face is just like the sun when it raises
Thank you for adding beauty to my phrases
Handshakes are promises
Lies can spoil it
Words should be bond and seal
Wash your hands after using the toilet
Brush after every meal
And also
*Chorus*
Wear clean draws
Everyday
'cuz things may fall
The wrong way
You'll be lying there
Waiting' for the ambulance
And your underwear
Got holes and shit
Wear clean draws
Everyday
'cuz things may fall
The wrong way
You'll be lying there
Waiting' for the ambulance
And your underwear
Got holes and shit
Pam can I get a little scratch right here?
(yeeah)
Pam can I get a little scratch right here?
(oh yeah)
Pam can I get a little scratch right here?
(yeeah)
Pam can I get a little scratch right there?
(oh yeah)
Clap yo hands
Clap yo hands
Clap yo hands
Clap yo hands
Clap yo hands
Clap yo hands
The Coup Wear Clean Draws lyrics
I passed out several chapters from Felicia Pride's book "The Message."
Wear Clean Drawers
http://www.musicsonglyrics.com/C/thecouplyrics/thecoupwearcleandrawslyrics.htm
You know you're my cookie baby and you're too smart
I can see it in the lines of your school art
True heart
I mean courage
Expressed with care
Go on draw them superheroes with the curly hair
You're my daughter
My love
More than kin to me
This for you and the woman that you finna be
Tell that boy he's wrong
Girls are strong
Next time at show and tell play him our song
Tell your teacher I said princesses are evil
How they got all they money was they killed people
If somebody hits you
Hit 'em back
Then negotiate a peace contract
Life if a challenge and you gotta team up
If you play house pretend that the man clean up
You too busy with the other things you gotta do
If you start something, now
Remember, follow through
Later on you gon' blossom like a lotus
You'll get into boys and the boys gon' notice
It don't matter who you do it with
Just remember when I tell you baby you the shit
Handshakes are promises
Lies can spoil it
Words should be bond and seal
Wash you hands after using the toilet
Brush after every meal
And also
*Chorus*
Wear clean draws
Everyday
'cuz things may fall
The wrong way
You'll be lying there
Waiting' for the ambulance
And your underwear
Got holes and shit
Wear clean draws
Everyday
'cuz things may fall
The wrong way
You'll be lying there
Waiting' for the ambulance
And your underwear
Got holes and shit
Pam can I get a little scratch right here?
(yeeah)
Pam can I get a little scratch right here?
(oh yeah)
Pam can I get a little scratch right here?
(yeeah)
Pam can I get a little scratch right there?
(oh yeah)
My boogie baby now
The world ain't no fairy tale
And it's ran by some rich white scary males
To make it simple for you let's call 'em the bosses
They take money while the people take losses
Stole Black folds from Africa
To work for free
And we still barely get paid enough to eat
That's what I told you
I be saying in my vocals
That's why the woman got the gun on the logo
The star is the future
That we gon' create
Where nobody steal money from the things we make
The revolution takes time and space
But you as a woman gotta know you're place
That's in the front baby
I'm being blunt baby
If the get mad say it's they time of the month baby
Your face is just like the sun when it raises
Thank you for adding beauty to my phrases
Handshakes are promises
Lies can spoil it
Words should be bond and seal
Wash your hands after using the toilet
Brush after every meal
And also
*Chorus*
Wear clean draws
Everyday
'cuz things may fall
The wrong way
You'll be lying there
Waiting' for the ambulance
And your underwear
Got holes and shit
Wear clean draws
Everyday
'cuz things may fall
The wrong way
You'll be lying there
Waiting' for the ambulance
And your underwear
Got holes and shit
Pam can I get a little scratch right here?
(yeeah)
Pam can I get a little scratch right here?
(oh yeah)
Pam can I get a little scratch right here?
(yeeah)
Pam can I get a little scratch right there?
(oh yeah)
Clap yo hands
Clap yo hands
Clap yo hands
Clap yo hands
Clap yo hands
Clap yo hands
The Coup Wear Clean Draws lyrics
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Homework
Students are coming to class under and unprepared. Also, many students are not completing their on-line assignments. These assignments are prewriting work geared to the 4 research essays due this semester. The freewrite is a way to think about the topics and decide whether or not it is one you would like to explore in depth.
The research essays, the first due October 1, are scholarly research which uses a practitioner in the art form, whatever it is, as a model to talk about the genre. For instance, if you decide to look at women in hip hop, you could use Aya de Leon as a model or Faviana Rodriguez, two women who are seeped in hip hop culture--Faviana is a print maker and visual artist who has won many awards and has an organization in Oakland and Aya is a professor at UC Berkeley and also a poet, playwright who has also won numerous awards for her work. They are great models because there is a body of work written about them and they have work which is
accessible.
Today in class students received a rubric along with copies of the Initial Planning Sheet, 3-Part Essay, Topical Invention.
Syllabus
Students were to respond to the syllabus in writing. No one has, please do so.
The research essays, the first due October 1, are scholarly research which uses a practitioner in the art form, whatever it is, as a model to talk about the genre. For instance, if you decide to look at women in hip hop, you could use Aya de Leon as a model or Faviana Rodriguez, two women who are seeped in hip hop culture--Faviana is a print maker and visual artist who has won many awards and has an organization in Oakland and Aya is a professor at UC Berkeley and also a poet, playwright who has also won numerous awards for her work. They are great models because there is a body of work written about them and they have work which is
accessible.
Today in class students received a rubric along with copies of the Initial Planning Sheet, 3-Part Essay, Topical Invention.
Syllabus
Students were to respond to the syllabus in writing. No one has, please do so.
Legality vs. Self-Expression, Art vs. Vandalism
English 1B
Sept. 15, 2009
Today we watched the film, Piece by Piece. Write a minimally 3-paragraph essay about graffiti culture. What is graffiti and how is it emblematic of hip hop culture (clue: define hip hop culture).
What do the graf movement in San Francisco and New York share and where do the two depart? Make sure you define graffiti art from the perspective of the “crews” and the civic officials who perhaps do not like this art form. Talk about the legality of this art form. Are there any historic parallels. Are there any other instances where "the artist" was considered an outlaw?
The art form has a unique language. Do you recall any of those words? Define them in your essay.
Other Homework
Other homework is to identify analogies, consequences, testimony and definitions in the essay: The Politics of Graffiti.
Note: We have a library orientation on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 9 AM. We will meet in the library at the desks. Bring your questions about potential research essays.
Piece by Piece
http://www.kqed.org/arts/programs/trulyca/episode.jsp?epid=192903
Piece by Piece documents the history of San Francisco's controversial graffiti art movement, with a fast-paced journey into the world of San Francisco street art, as seen through the eye of the artists. Chronicling more than 20 years of creation and destruction -- honestly, accurately, and critically, the film takes you alongside those who lived in what is arguably one of the most influential youth cultures of our time.
San Francisco's graffiti style arose in the period from 1983 to 1993. Piece by Piece starts by documenting what laid the groundwork for today's Bay Area graffiti: "Cholo" writing and the impact of PBS's 1983 documentary, Style Wars. The film includes not only San Francisco's graffiti originals, but also commentary from noted New York "writers" such as Seen, Cope 2, and Case 2. It also covers the tragedy of Dream One, a San Francisco graffiti pioneer and a vocal figurehead in Bay Area urban welfare activism.
From 1993 to 2000, San Francisco became an international magnet for ground-breaking graffiti styles yet to be seen in other parts of the world. The film elaborates on what it takes to establish credibility among the graffiti community, featuring classic works from KR and the horses of Reminisce; and documenting the creative expression of these and other "writers." The film also features well-known graffiti artists such as Grey, Buter, Joro, Norm, and Barry McGee (Twist).
While graffiti is largely considered an underground movement, it's no secret that this art form has provoked a huge response from everyday citizens. The final segment of Piece by Piece explores the wide range of public opinion towards graffiti by giving a voice to the citizens of San Francisco and the law enforcement officers who claim to represent their interests. The film also captures the artists' heartfelt confessions of their love of and addiction to graffiti art and typographic lettering, as well as their social activism, and the short life span of their works.
[Original air date: Sun, Feb 10, 2008]
Filmmaker Profiles: Nic Hill, director/editor of Piece by Piece.
Nic Hill graduated from the University of San Francisco's Media/Film Studies program, where he studied communication/media theory and documentary filmmaking. He was an assistant producer on various short films for San Francisco director Melinda Stone. His 2003 short film Diet took Best in Show at the Mira Costa DV Festival in San Diego. He currently lives and works in San Francisco as a director and editor, and is directing a feature length documentary about Wikipedia.
See http://www.piecebypiecemovie.com/site.htm
Piece by Piece: Crew & Credits
Directed by: Nic Hill
Coordinating Producers
Ed Walker Jr.
Tom Quickel
Noah Tsusui
Editors
Nic Hill
John Murillo
Assistant Editor
Adam Hazard
Narrator
Senor One
Cinematography & Audio
Nic Hill
John Murillo
Vu Pham
Mike Mattson
Noah Tsutsui
Caroline Cho
One Werd
Mike Tran
Susan Ali
Sect
Joey Alone
Devon Huges
Akasha Rabut
16mm
David Stucky
Justin Lawrence
Chris Osborn
Graphic Design
Brishen Mahoney
Mike Tran
Damon Anderson
Adam Hazard
Titles & Motion Graphics
Adam Hazard
Credits
Chris Sanchez
Technical Assistance
Noah Tsutsui
Nixon Hazard
Audio Mastering
Dominique C. Toulon
@ Capp Studios
Videography
Jason Gigs Ed Walker
Norm Demon Dement
Check Awe Diet
Giant Maseo Eskae
Deen Twick Skrag
Crayone Igni Vegan
Gigs Jorone Estria
Vogue Apex Sibl
Skrag K2 Tryal
Kasper Phresk Gabe
Krupt Renos Haze
Nate DJ Rise Brock
Neon Shady Essec
Heis Lanes Abhor
Norm Reyes Asia
Shuman Orfn Bles
Jason Vaughn Charo
Malicios Mischief
Josolin Superstar
Patrick Nelson Barnes
BayAreaGraffiti.com
Contributing Writers
Alone India Cope2
Ader Erupto K2
Estria Cyme Krupt
Vogue Kode MQ
Skew Dalex Dement
Renos Sac Eskae
Bisaro The MUNI Deat
Chief Bus Hoppers
Fury Diet BST
Heis Doper Pastime
Kasper Rolex Naka
Orfin Dare Werd
Oven King Yern
Sect Delux Bask2
Seen Nez Onset
Skrag Apex Tryal
Awe Iz the Wiz Case2
Breakdancers
BeatsNpieces Crew
Thanks to
My family -- for the support
Deen TMF -- for the trust
Sean -- good lookin out
All the writers who put it down in the bay
FE, ETC, 2SR5, 340
Dr. Melinda Stone
Shelby Ulibarri Dr. Kidd
Katie Argurie Anni Tran
John Rogers Nick Nack
Niles Tucker Tin
Nixon Hazard Sarah Quickel
Slick Ricky Sherri Brenner
Gibran soto USF Media Lab
Jake Kozel Jennifer Morgan
Niko Coucouvanis
The Mac Addict Staff
FTC
Thank you to Society
Sergeant Nevel, SFPD
BART Police
James Prigoff
DJ Qbert
The people of San Francisco
KTVU Channel 2 news
Found Footage
Internet Archive (at archive.org)
"Boy in Court"
"Act Your Age"
"Vandalism"
"Saint Paul"
Music Contribution
"War Night"
by A.A. Kertz
"Untitled"
"Untitled"
by TD Camp
"Razorblade Alcohol Slide"
"Invasion of the Octopus People"
by DJ Qbert
"Lit Up and Protruding"
by Electric Company
"Off the Block"
by R Clothing & Music
"You Just Don't Understand"
by Kid 606
"Silly", "Havana", "Take Over"
by Archetect
"Catharsis"
by All Bets Off
"Bad Bender"
by B Student
"A.C.P.P.F.G.", "Trapture"
by Ika Dry (Gus & Dryhump)
"Straight Outta Frisco"
by D-Styles
"Electosynthesis"
by Bas1
TMF Section
"Untitled"
by Unknown
"Cleanrok"
by rundown
"H.T.s Mist"
"Interrupted Silence"
by Josh Hertel
"Are You With Me"
"That's How It Was"
by Ink One for Bhrn Poppie Music
"SF Mafia"
by Angelo Shadik
"Random Thought"
by Kool DJ Rize
"Evacuate"
by Baligerance
"Untitled"
by Wash House Music
"Untitled"
by Morgan Tucker
"Untitled"
by Dystopia
"West Side," "Misbehaving," and "SlooShea"
by Chris Fox
"Roko"
by Crayone
"Move to the Left"
by Board Stiff
"Lost"
by Crash Faster
"Lil J Says Wus Up"
by Equipto
"San Francisco Knights"
"Slow Bullet"
by The People Under the Stairs
"Taste Your Own Medicine"
"Population Birth Control"
Dystopia
"Fifteen"
by Stab1
written/produced by Jason Foote
"DWA"
by TOPR
written/produced by
Dick Nasy & Bootleg
"White Film"
by Tujiko Noriko
Sept. 15, 2009
Today we watched the film, Piece by Piece. Write a minimally 3-paragraph essay about graffiti culture. What is graffiti and how is it emblematic of hip hop culture (clue: define hip hop culture).
What do the graf movement in San Francisco and New York share and where do the two depart? Make sure you define graffiti art from the perspective of the “crews” and the civic officials who perhaps do not like this art form. Talk about the legality of this art form. Are there any historic parallels. Are there any other instances where "the artist" was considered an outlaw?
The art form has a unique language. Do you recall any of those words? Define them in your essay.
Other Homework
Other homework is to identify analogies, consequences, testimony and definitions in the essay: The Politics of Graffiti.
Note: We have a library orientation on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 9 AM. We will meet in the library at the desks. Bring your questions about potential research essays.
Piece by Piece
http://www.kqed.org/arts/programs/trulyca/episode.jsp?epid=192903
Piece by Piece documents the history of San Francisco's controversial graffiti art movement, with a fast-paced journey into the world of San Francisco street art, as seen through the eye of the artists. Chronicling more than 20 years of creation and destruction -- honestly, accurately, and critically, the film takes you alongside those who lived in what is arguably one of the most influential youth cultures of our time.
San Francisco's graffiti style arose in the period from 1983 to 1993. Piece by Piece starts by documenting what laid the groundwork for today's Bay Area graffiti: "Cholo" writing and the impact of PBS's 1983 documentary, Style Wars. The film includes not only San Francisco's graffiti originals, but also commentary from noted New York "writers" such as Seen, Cope 2, and Case 2. It also covers the tragedy of Dream One, a San Francisco graffiti pioneer and a vocal figurehead in Bay Area urban welfare activism.
From 1993 to 2000, San Francisco became an international magnet for ground-breaking graffiti styles yet to be seen in other parts of the world. The film elaborates on what it takes to establish credibility among the graffiti community, featuring classic works from KR and the horses of Reminisce; and documenting the creative expression of these and other "writers." The film also features well-known graffiti artists such as Grey, Buter, Joro, Norm, and Barry McGee (Twist).
While graffiti is largely considered an underground movement, it's no secret that this art form has provoked a huge response from everyday citizens. The final segment of Piece by Piece explores the wide range of public opinion towards graffiti by giving a voice to the citizens of San Francisco and the law enforcement officers who claim to represent their interests. The film also captures the artists' heartfelt confessions of their love of and addiction to graffiti art and typographic lettering, as well as their social activism, and the short life span of their works.
[Original air date: Sun, Feb 10, 2008]
Filmmaker Profiles: Nic Hill, director/editor of Piece by Piece.
Nic Hill graduated from the University of San Francisco's Media/Film Studies program, where he studied communication/media theory and documentary filmmaking. He was an assistant producer on various short films for San Francisco director Melinda Stone. His 2003 short film Diet took Best in Show at the Mira Costa DV Festival in San Diego. He currently lives and works in San Francisco as a director and editor, and is directing a feature length documentary about Wikipedia.
See http://www.piecebypiecemovie.com/site.htm
Piece by Piece: Crew & Credits
Directed by: Nic Hill
Coordinating Producers
Ed Walker Jr.
Tom Quickel
Noah Tsusui
Editors
Nic Hill
John Murillo
Assistant Editor
Adam Hazard
Narrator
Senor One
Cinematography & Audio
Nic Hill
John Murillo
Vu Pham
Mike Mattson
Noah Tsutsui
Caroline Cho
One Werd
Mike Tran
Susan Ali
Sect
Joey Alone
Devon Huges
Akasha Rabut
16mm
David Stucky
Justin Lawrence
Chris Osborn
Graphic Design
Brishen Mahoney
Mike Tran
Damon Anderson
Adam Hazard
Titles & Motion Graphics
Adam Hazard
Credits
Chris Sanchez
Technical Assistance
Noah Tsutsui
Nixon Hazard
Audio Mastering
Dominique C. Toulon
@ Capp Studios
Videography
Jason Gigs Ed Walker
Norm Demon Dement
Check Awe Diet
Giant Maseo Eskae
Deen Twick Skrag
Crayone Igni Vegan
Gigs Jorone Estria
Vogue Apex Sibl
Skrag K2 Tryal
Kasper Phresk Gabe
Krupt Renos Haze
Nate DJ Rise Brock
Neon Shady Essec
Heis Lanes Abhor
Norm Reyes Asia
Shuman Orfn Bles
Jason Vaughn Charo
Malicios Mischief
Josolin Superstar
Patrick Nelson Barnes
BayAreaGraffiti.com
Contributing Writers
Alone India Cope2
Ader Erupto K2
Estria Cyme Krupt
Vogue Kode MQ
Skew Dalex Dement
Renos Sac Eskae
Bisaro The MUNI Deat
Chief Bus Hoppers
Fury Diet BST
Heis Doper Pastime
Kasper Rolex Naka
Orfin Dare Werd
Oven King Yern
Sect Delux Bask2
Seen Nez Onset
Skrag Apex Tryal
Awe Iz the Wiz Case2
Breakdancers
BeatsNpieces Crew
Thanks to
My family -- for the support
Deen TMF -- for the trust
Sean -- good lookin out
All the writers who put it down in the bay
FE, ETC, 2SR5, 340
Dr. Melinda Stone
Shelby Ulibarri Dr. Kidd
Katie Argurie Anni Tran
John Rogers Nick Nack
Niles Tucker Tin
Nixon Hazard Sarah Quickel
Slick Ricky Sherri Brenner
Gibran soto USF Media Lab
Jake Kozel Jennifer Morgan
Niko Coucouvanis
The Mac Addict Staff
FTC
Thank you to Society
Sergeant Nevel, SFPD
BART Police
James Prigoff
DJ Qbert
The people of San Francisco
KTVU Channel 2 news
Found Footage
Internet Archive (at archive.org)
"Boy in Court"
"Act Your Age"
"Vandalism"
"Saint Paul"
Music Contribution
"War Night"
by A.A. Kertz
"Untitled"
"Untitled"
by TD Camp
"Razorblade Alcohol Slide"
"Invasion of the Octopus People"
by DJ Qbert
"Lit Up and Protruding"
by Electric Company
"Off the Block"
by R Clothing & Music
"You Just Don't Understand"
by Kid 606
"Silly", "Havana", "Take Over"
by Archetect
"Catharsis"
by All Bets Off
"Bad Bender"
by B Student
"A.C.P.P.F.G.", "Trapture"
by Ika Dry (Gus & Dryhump)
"Straight Outta Frisco"
by D-Styles
"Electosynthesis"
by Bas1
TMF Section
"Untitled"
by Unknown
"Cleanrok"
by rundown
"H.T.s Mist"
"Interrupted Silence"
by Josh Hertel
"Are You With Me"
"That's How It Was"
by Ink One for Bhrn Poppie Music
"SF Mafia"
by Angelo Shadik
"Random Thought"
by Kool DJ Rize
"Evacuate"
by Baligerance
"Untitled"
by Wash House Music
"Untitled"
by Morgan Tucker
"Untitled"
by Dystopia
"West Side," "Misbehaving," and "SlooShea"
by Chris Fox
"Roko"
by Crayone
"Move to the Left"
by Board Stiff
"Lost"
by Crash Faster
"Lil J Says Wus Up"
by Equipto
"San Francisco Knights"
"Slow Bullet"
by The People Under the Stairs
"Taste Your Own Medicine"
"Population Birth Control"
Dystopia
"Fifteen"
by Stab1
written/produced by Jason Foote
"DWA"
by TOPR
written/produced by
Dick Nasy & Bootleg
"White Film"
by Tujiko Noriko
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Dyson Essay in Class Cyber-Post
Today in small groups and as individuals students discussed the essay: Dyson & Hurt in groups: Identified 5 key arguments numbered them & the evidence. Developed 5 thesis sentences. Wrote a 3-4 paragrpagh essay--incorporated 1 paraphrase, 1 direct quote, 1 block quote (in that order) and post here on the blog.
This is homework now due by sundown (7:30 PM)--if you have to post it later, that's fine. Get it in before Friday evening.
List the names of the group, so everyone can get credit for the assignment. Students need to come to class with the reading completed in advance, the article annotated.
This is homework now due by sundown (7:30 PM)--if you have to post it later, that's fine. Get it in before Friday evening.
List the names of the group, so everyone can get credit for the assignment. Students need to come to class with the reading completed in advance, the article annotated.
We Can't Bomb the World into Peace
Homework is to read the article: Craig Castleman's "The Politics of Graffiti." Bring in an annotated copy and be prepared to respond to a question connected to the reading. We will watch a classic film entitled: Style Wars. It is a long film, bring coffee. Thursday, I will show you another film about Bay Area Graffiti scene. The essay related to this genre will be due October 6-8.
Read pp. 33-51 in Chaos.
Read pp. 33-51 in Chaos.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Assignment Due Dates this Semester
Assignment Due Dates this Semester
Unlike classes in the past, this semester I am trying something new, besides looking at the global reach of hip hop and key stakeholders beginning with women in hip hop, students will make several short presentations for each unit. In each unit the student has to indentify one artist who is representative of the genre discussed and use their life and work as emblematic of the core values, themes and aesthetics of the art form. Again, for each essay take a free write which you have posted and expand ideas already explored, the idea is not to write an entirely different essay, but to reflect more deeply on ideas already shared perhaps in hast. It is also an opportunity to do more research to sharpen or strengthen your position. Students will write and present 3-4 essays from the list below. (If you like one of the extra credit topics better, we can talk about your swapping it for one of the seven listed below.)
Each research essay is 3-4 pages long, not including the works cited. Include 1 direct citation, 1 free paraphrase, and 1block quote in each essay—three citations in total:
Presentations and Essays
1. Women in Hip Hop with a side-bar on Hyper-Masculinity: October 1
2. The Graf or Writing Movement, October 6 essay is due for peer review, Oct. 8presentation
3. Dance or Bi-boying, Bi-Girling, October 13 essay/15 presentation
4. DJing, Oct. 20 essay/22 presentation
5. MC or Poet/Rapper Oct. 27/29 writing workshop, Nov. 3 presentation
6. Nov. 5/10 Project reports in small groups
7. Nov. 12/17 Fiction presentations
8. Extra credit projects: Hip Hop as a Global Movement, Hip Hop Theatre, Hip Hop Spirituality, Hip Hop Visual Artists
End of semester.
Revision workshop—11/19…portfolio narratives begun in class. Posted by 11/20
Announcement
M1 of Dead Prez is in town this month. He will be talking about his trip to Gaza with the Hon. Cynthia McKinney, former Congresswoman and Green Party Presidential nominee. I will post the flier later
Unlike classes in the past, this semester I am trying something new, besides looking at the global reach of hip hop and key stakeholders beginning with women in hip hop, students will make several short presentations for each unit. In each unit the student has to indentify one artist who is representative of the genre discussed and use their life and work as emblematic of the core values, themes and aesthetics of the art form. Again, for each essay take a free write which you have posted and expand ideas already explored, the idea is not to write an entirely different essay, but to reflect more deeply on ideas already shared perhaps in hast. It is also an opportunity to do more research to sharpen or strengthen your position. Students will write and present 3-4 essays from the list below. (If you like one of the extra credit topics better, we can talk about your swapping it for one of the seven listed below.)
Each research essay is 3-4 pages long, not including the works cited. Include 1 direct citation, 1 free paraphrase, and 1block quote in each essay—three citations in total:
Presentations and Essays
1. Women in Hip Hop with a side-bar on Hyper-Masculinity: October 1
2. The Graf or Writing Movement, October 6 essay is due for peer review, Oct. 8presentation
3. Dance or Bi-boying, Bi-Girling, October 13 essay/15 presentation
4. DJing, Oct. 20 essay/22 presentation
5. MC or Poet/Rapper Oct. 27/29 writing workshop, Nov. 3 presentation
6. Nov. 5/10 Project reports in small groups
7. Nov. 12/17 Fiction presentations
8. Extra credit projects: Hip Hop as a Global Movement, Hip Hop Theatre, Hip Hop Spirituality, Hip Hop Visual Artists
End of semester.
Revision workshop—11/19…portfolio narratives begun in class. Posted by 11/20
Announcement
M1 of Dead Prez is in town this month. He will be talking about his trip to Gaza with the Hon. Cynthia McKinney, former Congresswoman and Green Party Presidential nominee. I will post the flier later
Syllabus
English 1B, Fall 2009
College of Alameda; Professor Wanda Sabir
Course code 43489, Room C-211 9-10:50 TTh
Class Meetings: August 20-Dec. 10; No classes: 9/7; 10/23; 11/11; 11/26-27
Final Exam: 8-10, Tuesday, Dec.15 (Portfolios due via e-mail)
Drop dates: Sept. 5 (w/refund), Sept. 19 (w/out a W), Nov. 25 (w/W).
Syllabus for English 1B: College Composition and Reading
English 1B is a transferable college writing course. It builds on the competencies gained in English 1A with a more careful and studied analysis of expository writing based on careful reading of selected plays, poems, novels, and short fiction.
Plan to have a challenging, yet intellectually stimulating 18 weeks, which I hope you begin by setting goals for yourself. Make a schedule and join or create a study group. Writing is a social activity, especially the type of writing you’ll be doing here. We always consider our audience, have purpose or reason to write, and use research to substantiate our claims, even those we are considered experts in.
We’re supposed to write about 8000 words or so at this level course. This includes drafts. What this amounts to is time at home writing, time in the library researching, reading documents to increase your facility with the ideas or themes your are contemplating, before you once again sit at your desk writing, revising, and writing some more.
Writing is a lonely process. No one can write for you. The social aspect comes into play once you are finished and you have an opportunity to share.
I thought it might be interesting this semester to look at the global reach of hip hop as we also look at how hip hop has influenced or perpetuated certain views of women. Byron Hurt directs a film, Hip Hop Beyond Beats and Rhymes, which looks at misogyny in hip hop culture. I am still trying to decide on what books we’ll use, so for the moment we will look at essays about genre from scholars and artists, to compare the personal with the theoretical. At each meeting we will listen to an artist or watch a film to analyze the work—is it fair to look at rap’s literary quality, minus the performance aspect? What happens when we take a song out of context?
As the weeks progress we will develop a list of the key architects of this genre. Why aren’t their names more well-known by contemporary fans? Does their absence from popular culture limit or change the nature of hip hop? What is this argument that hip hop is dead? Who is KRS-1 who calls himself “hip hop” and refers to the genre as a nation?
Keep a reading log. Discussion groups will meet each week. Students will also keep a reading log/journal/notes with key ideas outlined for each discussion section, along with vocabulary and key arguments listed, along with primary writing strategies employed: description, process analysis, narration, argument, cause and effect, compare and contrast, definition, problem solving.
Unlike classes in the past, this semester I am trying something new, besides looking at the global reach of hip hop and key stakeholders beginning with women in hip hop, students will make several short presentations for each unit: Women in Hip Hop with a side-bar on Hyper-Masculinity, the Graf or Writing Movement, Dance or Bi-boying, Bi-Girling, DJing, Fiction and the MC or Poet/Rapper.
Everyone will write an essay on each genre—a short 250 word response posted on the blog. The new twist is each student will have to choose four elements to expand into a longer paper to present to the class this semester. Each research paper will be between 3-4 pages long. We will toss the lower graded paper.
Everyone has to do fiction or poetry. It’s your choice. Independently, students need to read a hip-hop novel or a collection of poetry by a hip-hop artist and write a paper analyzing its merits and themes. This is your final essay and the first draft is due November 16, final draft due via email by Nov. 20 8 AM to professorwandasposse@gmail.com
We’ll work on your portfolios the following class. The portfolio is due by Wednesday, November 25 at 3 PM via email or on CD. There is no final the day of the final. Revisions need to be in by December 15 if necessary.
For each genre or element, students need to profile a person representative of the art form analyzed or critiqued. I would like for students to look for artists who are also social entrepreneurs, artists who use their work for social change, to better society—
Each essay needs to use at least 3-4 outside sources which should include at least one (1) scholarly article along with other material. Each essay should also include One (1) direct quote, one (1) free-paraphrase and one (1) block quote—one citation per page—no more, no less. Each essay also needs to include a works cited page and a bibliography. We will practice this in class. We will write many of the shorter essays in class or for homework. The task should be simple once students decide which four (4) elements they’d like to respond to in depth.
Midterm
There will be a midterm. We will probably look at a theme we’ve already discussed, perhaps the objectification of women in rap music and how this tendency is a by-product of a larger problem confronting American society. Students might be asked to bring in a song and an article to develop a position on the issue.
Another question might look at the history of rap and how it was defined fifty years ago and how it has evolved. Would the founding parents be proud or dismayed by its offspring? Remember the conversation a few years back about Hip Hop being dead?
I think we’ll look at poetry for our midterm question. We’ll analyze some of the poetry of some of the artists portrayed in The Spoken Word Revolution (slam, hip hop and the poetry of a new generation). There are some great programs happening at EastSide Arts Alliance this month students might want to check out. Visit www.eastsidearts.org
Also, this weekend Michael Franti’s Power to the Peaceful is Saturday, Sept.12, 9-5 in San Francisco at Golden Gate Park, Speedway Meadows, and on Sunday, Sept. 13, 10-7 at the Herbst Theatre. Visit http://powertothepeaceful.org/ It’s $5 but no one is turned away.
Hopefully the material we are covering will encourage you to leave your comfort zone and venture out to have primary experiences: attend concerts, performances, poetry readings. If any student wants to organize an outings let me know. If you hear of an event you think the class might enjoy let us know. The anniversary of Tupac’s killing is Sept.13, there might be something happening locally. Also, in Berkeley there is a production of Machiavelli's The Prince at the Berkeley City Club (2315 Durant Ave., (510) 848-7800). $14-$25 CentralWorks.org Ticket prices are: $14-$25 with shows Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m., Sundays, 5 p.m. and Sat., Sept. 19, 5 p.m. Continues through Sept. 19. Visit http://www.eastbayexpress.com/events/machiavelli_s__i_the_prince__i_/ Event?oid=1179438 for a review.
Theatre
Next week there is a free production of San Francisco Mime Troupe’s current play at Laney College, Sept. 16, 6:30 (music), 7 p.m. (show). Visit http://www.sfmt.org/schedule/
Jot down briefly what your goals are this semester. List them in order of importance.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Presentation 1: Due Tuesday, Sept. 29
Bring in an object that represents the intersection between hip hop and American culture. How does the object signify a tradition older than itself—go deep and philosophical… while at the same time represent a progression into something fresh or new or is it all an illusion, a trend, hip hop culture just a cycle human-kind has cycled through before and will again—all that changes is the treads?
Be prepared to share. Write a brief profile on the object justifying its inclusion in the archives (100 words or so). You will post the written response on the blog. I’ll take photos.
Index Cards Sept. 14-24
Please list your contact information: Name, Address, phone number e-mail address, best time to call and the class you are in with time.
What strengths do you bring to the class? What do you hope to obtain from the course – any particular exit skills? What do I need to know about you to help you meet your goals
Assignment
Written Response to the Syllabus due next week either Sept. 22 or 24
Write a comment to me regarding the syllabus: your impressions, whether you think it is reasonable, questions, suggestions. This is our contract, I need to know you read it and understand the agreement.
Library Orientation
We will meet at the Library Tuesday, Sept.22, for the entire class meeting, 9-10:50 AM. Please arrive on time.
Grading
Blog essays and comments: 15 percent
Discussion Groups and Preparedness: 10 percent
Midterm: 15 percent
Research Essays/Presentation: 25 percent
Portfolio: 25 percent
Peer Reviews from Lab teachers/class aide (Dominique) or college tutor: 10 percent
The blog and in-class essays, which take their themes from the class: hip hop as global movement, hip hop and women, the aesthetics of hip hop, are practice essays, and are about a fourth of your grade, your midterm is another fourth with the peer reviews. The short research essays or expanded freewrites are another fourth. Your portfolio is the final chunk bringing the grand total to 100 percent! The portfolio is really just a compilation of your work this semester with two cover essays, each just one page in length. (Save all of your work.) I suggest students start a personal blog for the class and send me the link for your portfolio at the end of the course.
To encourage participation and for this students have to be prepared, I weighed the preparedness and participation strongly which means I will be taking notes when students do not do their homework. If you are in a group where students are pretending to be prepared when they are not, drop me an anonymous note.
I am not above the pop quiz on readings. Remember, this plan can change in a twinkling of the eye, if we find it isn’t working.
Writing Center
You will also need to plan to spend time weekly in the Writing Lab (L-234-235, 748-2132). It is a great place to get one-on-on assistance on your essays, from brainstorming and planning the essays, to critique on the essay for clarity, organization, clearly stated thesis, evidence of support, logical conclusions, and grammatical problems for referrals to other ancillary materials to build strong writing muscles such as SkillsBank, the Bedford Handbook on-line, Diana Hacker’s Rules for Writers on-line, Townsend Press, and other such computer and cyber-based resources. Call for hours. There is also an Open Lab for checking e-mail, and a Math Lab. All academic labs are located in the Learning Resource Center (LRC) or library.
Students have to enroll in LRNE 501 (Supervised Tutoring) Class Code: 43990. It is free and there no penalties. All it does is allow you to use the academic labs on campus. It takes 24-hours to kick in, so register now. Go to www.peralta.edu Click enroll now link. Click activate my account link… and follow the instructions to activate your account and set your password. The steps are too many to type here. If you have questions see Pat Denoncourt, LRC Coordinator, Rm. L204
The student ID is necessary to use the labs and to check out books. The IDs are free and you can take the photo in the F-Building, Student Services.
Have a tutor of teacher sign off on your essays before you turn them in; if you have a “R,” which means revision necessary for a grade or “NC” which means “no credit,” you have to go to the lab and revise the essay with a tutor or teacher before you return both the graded original and the revision (with signature) to me. Revise does not mean “rewrite,” it means to “see again.”
When getting assistance on an essay, the teacher or tutor is not an editor, so have questions prepared for them to make best use of the 15-20 minute session in the Lab. For more specific assistance sign up for one-on-one tutoring, another free service. For those of you on other campuses, you can get assistance at the Merritt Colleges’ Writing Center, as well as Laney’s.
All essay assignments you receive comments on have to be revised prior to resubmission; included with the revision is a student narrative to me regarding your understanding of what needed to be done; a student can prepare this as a part of the Lab visit, especially if said student is unclear over what steps to take.
Students can also visit me in office hours for assistance; again, prepare your questions in advance to best make use of the time. Do not leave class without understanding the comments on a paper. I don’t mind reading them to you.
English language fluency in writing and reading; a certain comfort and ease with the language; confidence and skillful application of literary skills associated with academic writing. Familiarity if not mastery of the rhetorical styles used in argumentation, exposition and narration will be addressed in this class and is a key student learning outcome (SLO).
We will be evaluating what we know and how we came to know what we know, a field called epistemology or the study of knowledge. Granted, the perspective is western culture which eliminates the values of the majority populations, so-called underdeveloped or undeveloped countries or cultures. Let us not fall into typical superiority traps. Try to maintain a mental elasticity and a willingness to let go of concepts which not only limit your growth as an intelligent being, but put you at a distinct disadvantage as a species.
This is a highly charged and potentially revolutionary process - critical thinking. The process of evaluating all that you swallowed without chewing up to now is possibly even dangerous. This is one of the problems with bigotry; it’s easier to go with tradition than toss it, and create a new, more just, alternative protocol.
Grades, Portfolio
We will be honest with one another. Grades are not necessarily an honest response to work; grades do not take into consideration the effort or time spent, only whether or not students can demonstrate mastery of a skill - in this case: essay writing. Grades are an approximation, arbitrary at best, no matter how many safeguards one tries to put in place to avoid such ambiguity. Suffice it to say, your portfolio will illustrate your competence. It will represent your progress, your success or failure this summer session in meeting your goal.
Office Hours
I’d like to wish everyone good luck. I am available for consultation on Monday mornings 9:30-10:30 a.m. , Wednesday 9:30-10:30 a.m., Wednesday afternoon 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, if you want to take me to lunch—just kidding, I am available after 12 for appointments if you notify me in advance. All the office hours take place in my office, L-236. I am not on campus on Fridays. (Jot my cell number down in this section.) My office number is (510) 748-2131, e-mail professorwandasposse@gmail.com.
I am more a phone person than an email person, so you can call me if I don’t respond to an email. I do read your blog posts.
I’d encourage students to exchange phone numbers with classmates (2), so if you have a concern, it can be addressed more expediently when I am not available. Study groups are recommended, especially for those students finding the readings difficult; don’t forget, you can also discuss the readings as a group in the Lab with a teacher or tutor acting as facilitator. Dominique is hosting a study group on Thursdays, L-bldg., second floor, 12 noon to 1 p.m.
Keep a vocabulary log for the semester and an error chart (taken from comments on essay assignments). List the words you need to look up in the dictionary, also list where you first encountered them: page, book and definition, also use the word in a sentence. You will turn this in with your portfolio.
I do not expect students to confuse literal with free paraphrase (a literal paraphrase is plagiarism). Students should also not make confused word errors, sentence fragment errors, comma splice errors, subject verb agreement errors, errors in parallel structure, subject verb agreement errors, MLA citations errors, errors with ellipses, formatting an essays—margins, headings, etc. If you are not clear on what I mean, I suggest you run through Stewart Pidd Hates English. It is on reserve in the library.
Students are expected to complete their work on time. If you need more time on an assignment, discuss this with me in advance if possible to keep full credit, also certain assignments, such as in-class essays cannot be made up. All assignments prepared outside of class are to be typed, 12-pt. font, double-spaced lines, indentations on paragraphs, 1-inch margins around the written work (see Hacker: The Writing Process; Document Design.)
Cheating
Plagiarism is ethically abhorrent, and if any student tries to take credit for work authored by another person the result will be a failed grade on the assignment and possibly a failed grade in the course if this is attempted again. This is a graded course.
Homework
If you do not identify the assignment, I cannot grade it. If you do not return the original assignment you revised, I cannot compare what changed. If you accidentally toss out or lose the original assignment, you get a zero on the assignment to be revised. I will not look at revisions without the original attached – no exceptions. Some student essays will be posted on-line at the website. Students will also have the option of submitting assignments via email.
All assignments completed away from class should be typed. Use blue or black ink when writing responses in class. You can annotate your books in pencil.
Textbooks:
Total Chaos: The Art and Aesthetics of Hip Hop. Ed. Jeff Chang. Basic Civitas Books, 2006. ISBN: 10: 0-465-00909-3 (I’m thinking about this book.)
The Spoken Word Revolution (slam, hip hop & the poetry of a new generation). Ed. Mark Eleveld. Sourcebooks MediaFusion, 2004. ISBN: 1-4022-0246-6.
Students also need a dictionary. I recommend: The American Heritage Dictionary. Fourth Edition.
Recommended:
Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip Hop Generation. Jeff Chang. Picador, 2005. ISBN: 0-312-42579-1
Know What I Mean? Reflections on Hip Hop. Michael Eric Dyson. Basic Civitias Books, 2007. ISBN: 0-465-017716-9 (I am making copies of certain chapters).
Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America. Tricia Rose. Wesleyan Press, 1994.
The Africanist Aesthetic in Global Hip Hop: Power Moves. Halifu Osumare. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008.
Fiction
Students have to chose a work of fiction to read on their own to present later in class. There is a written and an oral aspect to this assignment.
The Coldest Winter Ever. Sister Souljah. Simon & Schuster. 2006.
http://www.simonsays.com/content/book.cfm?tab=1&pid=514298&er=9781416521693
Angry Black White Boy or The Miscegenation of Macon Detornay. Adam Mansbach. Crown/Three Rivers Press, 2005.
The Brief Wondrous Times of Oscar Wao. Junot Díaz. Penguin, 2007.
Interesting article
http://www.libsuccess.org/index.php?title=Urban_Fiction/Street_Lit/Hip_Hop_Fiction_Resources_for_Librarians
Students need a grammar style book. You don’t have to purchase mine, but you need something comparable.
Rules for Writers. Fourth or Fifth edition. Diana Hacker. Bedford/St. Martins. (If you don’t already have such a book.)
Elements of Style (any edition)
Additional Items
Along with a dictionary, the prepared student needs pens with blue or black ink, along with a pencil for annotating texts, paper, a stapler or paper clips, floppy disks, a notebook, three hole punch, a folder for work-in-progress, and a divided binder to keep materials together.
Also stay abreast of the news. Buy a daily paper. Listen to alternative radio:
KPFA 94.1 FM (Hardknock), KQED 88.5, KALW 91.7. Visit news websites: AllAfrica.com, Al Jazeera, CNN.com, AlterNet.org, DemocracyNow.org, FlashPoints.org, CBS 60Minutes.
College of Alameda; Professor Wanda Sabir
Course code 43489, Room C-211 9-10:50 TTh
Class Meetings: August 20-Dec. 10; No classes: 9/7; 10/23; 11/11; 11/26-27
Final Exam: 8-10, Tuesday, Dec.15 (Portfolios due via e-mail)
Drop dates: Sept. 5 (w/refund), Sept. 19 (w/out a W), Nov. 25 (w/W).
Syllabus for English 1B: College Composition and Reading
English 1B is a transferable college writing course. It builds on the competencies gained in English 1A with a more careful and studied analysis of expository writing based on careful reading of selected plays, poems, novels, and short fiction.
Plan to have a challenging, yet intellectually stimulating 18 weeks, which I hope you begin by setting goals for yourself. Make a schedule and join or create a study group. Writing is a social activity, especially the type of writing you’ll be doing here. We always consider our audience, have purpose or reason to write, and use research to substantiate our claims, even those we are considered experts in.
We’re supposed to write about 8000 words or so at this level course. This includes drafts. What this amounts to is time at home writing, time in the library researching, reading documents to increase your facility with the ideas or themes your are contemplating, before you once again sit at your desk writing, revising, and writing some more.
Writing is a lonely process. No one can write for you. The social aspect comes into play once you are finished and you have an opportunity to share.
I thought it might be interesting this semester to look at the global reach of hip hop as we also look at how hip hop has influenced or perpetuated certain views of women. Byron Hurt directs a film, Hip Hop Beyond Beats and Rhymes, which looks at misogyny in hip hop culture. I am still trying to decide on what books we’ll use, so for the moment we will look at essays about genre from scholars and artists, to compare the personal with the theoretical. At each meeting we will listen to an artist or watch a film to analyze the work—is it fair to look at rap’s literary quality, minus the performance aspect? What happens when we take a song out of context?
As the weeks progress we will develop a list of the key architects of this genre. Why aren’t their names more well-known by contemporary fans? Does their absence from popular culture limit or change the nature of hip hop? What is this argument that hip hop is dead? Who is KRS-1 who calls himself “hip hop” and refers to the genre as a nation?
Keep a reading log. Discussion groups will meet each week. Students will also keep a reading log/journal/notes with key ideas outlined for each discussion section, along with vocabulary and key arguments listed, along with primary writing strategies employed: description, process analysis, narration, argument, cause and effect, compare and contrast, definition, problem solving.
Unlike classes in the past, this semester I am trying something new, besides looking at the global reach of hip hop and key stakeholders beginning with women in hip hop, students will make several short presentations for each unit: Women in Hip Hop with a side-bar on Hyper-Masculinity, the Graf or Writing Movement, Dance or Bi-boying, Bi-Girling, DJing, Fiction and the MC or Poet/Rapper.
Everyone will write an essay on each genre—a short 250 word response posted on the blog. The new twist is each student will have to choose four elements to expand into a longer paper to present to the class this semester. Each research paper will be between 3-4 pages long. We will toss the lower graded paper.
Everyone has to do fiction or poetry. It’s your choice. Independently, students need to read a hip-hop novel or a collection of poetry by a hip-hop artist and write a paper analyzing its merits and themes. This is your final essay and the first draft is due November 16, final draft due via email by Nov. 20 8 AM to professorwandasposse@gmail.com
We’ll work on your portfolios the following class. The portfolio is due by Wednesday, November 25 at 3 PM via email or on CD. There is no final the day of the final. Revisions need to be in by December 15 if necessary.
For each genre or element, students need to profile a person representative of the art form analyzed or critiqued. I would like for students to look for artists who are also social entrepreneurs, artists who use their work for social change, to better society—
Each essay needs to use at least 3-4 outside sources which should include at least one (1) scholarly article along with other material. Each essay should also include One (1) direct quote, one (1) free-paraphrase and one (1) block quote—one citation per page—no more, no less. Each essay also needs to include a works cited page and a bibliography. We will practice this in class. We will write many of the shorter essays in class or for homework. The task should be simple once students decide which four (4) elements they’d like to respond to in depth.
Midterm
There will be a midterm. We will probably look at a theme we’ve already discussed, perhaps the objectification of women in rap music and how this tendency is a by-product of a larger problem confronting American society. Students might be asked to bring in a song and an article to develop a position on the issue.
Another question might look at the history of rap and how it was defined fifty years ago and how it has evolved. Would the founding parents be proud or dismayed by its offspring? Remember the conversation a few years back about Hip Hop being dead?
I think we’ll look at poetry for our midterm question. We’ll analyze some of the poetry of some of the artists portrayed in The Spoken Word Revolution (slam, hip hop and the poetry of a new generation). There are some great programs happening at EastSide Arts Alliance this month students might want to check out. Visit www.eastsidearts.org
Also, this weekend Michael Franti’s Power to the Peaceful is Saturday, Sept.12, 9-5 in San Francisco at Golden Gate Park, Speedway Meadows, and on Sunday, Sept. 13, 10-7 at the Herbst Theatre. Visit http://powertothepeaceful.org/ It’s $5 but no one is turned away.
Hopefully the material we are covering will encourage you to leave your comfort zone and venture out to have primary experiences: attend concerts, performances, poetry readings. If any student wants to organize an outings let me know. If you hear of an event you think the class might enjoy let us know. The anniversary of Tupac’s killing is Sept.13, there might be something happening locally. Also, in Berkeley there is a production of Machiavelli's The Prince at the Berkeley City Club (2315 Durant Ave., (510) 848-7800). $14-$25 CentralWorks.org Ticket prices are: $14-$25 with shows Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m., Sundays, 5 p.m. and Sat., Sept. 19, 5 p.m. Continues through Sept. 19. Visit http://www.eastbayexpress.com/events/machiavelli_s__i_the_prince__i_/ Event?oid=1179438 for a review.
Theatre
Next week there is a free production of San Francisco Mime Troupe’s current play at Laney College, Sept. 16, 6:30 (music), 7 p.m. (show). Visit http://www.sfmt.org/schedule/
Jot down briefly what your goals are this semester. List them in order of importance.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Presentation 1: Due Tuesday, Sept. 29
Bring in an object that represents the intersection between hip hop and American culture. How does the object signify a tradition older than itself—go deep and philosophical… while at the same time represent a progression into something fresh or new or is it all an illusion, a trend, hip hop culture just a cycle human-kind has cycled through before and will again—all that changes is the treads?
Be prepared to share. Write a brief profile on the object justifying its inclusion in the archives (100 words or so). You will post the written response on the blog. I’ll take photos.
Index Cards Sept. 14-24
Please list your contact information: Name, Address, phone number e-mail address, best time to call and the class you are in with time.
What strengths do you bring to the class? What do you hope to obtain from the course – any particular exit skills? What do I need to know about you to help you meet your goals
Assignment
Written Response to the Syllabus due next week either Sept. 22 or 24
Write a comment to me regarding the syllabus: your impressions, whether you think it is reasonable, questions, suggestions. This is our contract, I need to know you read it and understand the agreement.
Library Orientation
We will meet at the Library Tuesday, Sept.22, for the entire class meeting, 9-10:50 AM. Please arrive on time.
Grading
Blog essays and comments: 15 percent
Discussion Groups and Preparedness: 10 percent
Midterm: 15 percent
Research Essays/Presentation: 25 percent
Portfolio: 25 percent
Peer Reviews from Lab teachers/class aide (Dominique) or college tutor: 10 percent
The blog and in-class essays, which take their themes from the class: hip hop as global movement, hip hop and women, the aesthetics of hip hop, are practice essays, and are about a fourth of your grade, your midterm is another fourth with the peer reviews. The short research essays or expanded freewrites are another fourth. Your portfolio is the final chunk bringing the grand total to 100 percent! The portfolio is really just a compilation of your work this semester with two cover essays, each just one page in length. (Save all of your work.) I suggest students start a personal blog for the class and send me the link for your portfolio at the end of the course.
To encourage participation and for this students have to be prepared, I weighed the preparedness and participation strongly which means I will be taking notes when students do not do their homework. If you are in a group where students are pretending to be prepared when they are not, drop me an anonymous note.
I am not above the pop quiz on readings. Remember, this plan can change in a twinkling of the eye, if we find it isn’t working.
Writing Center
You will also need to plan to spend time weekly in the Writing Lab (L-234-235, 748-2132). It is a great place to get one-on-on assistance on your essays, from brainstorming and planning the essays, to critique on the essay for clarity, organization, clearly stated thesis, evidence of support, logical conclusions, and grammatical problems for referrals to other ancillary materials to build strong writing muscles such as SkillsBank, the Bedford Handbook on-line, Diana Hacker’s Rules for Writers on-line, Townsend Press, and other such computer and cyber-based resources. Call for hours. There is also an Open Lab for checking e-mail, and a Math Lab. All academic labs are located in the Learning Resource Center (LRC) or library.
Students have to enroll in LRNE 501 (Supervised Tutoring) Class Code: 43990. It is free and there no penalties. All it does is allow you to use the academic labs on campus. It takes 24-hours to kick in, so register now. Go to www.peralta.edu Click enroll now link. Click activate my account link… and follow the instructions to activate your account and set your password. The steps are too many to type here. If you have questions see Pat Denoncourt, LRC Coordinator, Rm. L204
The student ID is necessary to use the labs and to check out books. The IDs are free and you can take the photo in the F-Building, Student Services.
Have a tutor of teacher sign off on your essays before you turn them in; if you have a “R,” which means revision necessary for a grade or “NC” which means “no credit,” you have to go to the lab and revise the essay with a tutor or teacher before you return both the graded original and the revision (with signature) to me. Revise does not mean “rewrite,” it means to “see again.”
When getting assistance on an essay, the teacher or tutor is not an editor, so have questions prepared for them to make best use of the 15-20 minute session in the Lab. For more specific assistance sign up for one-on-one tutoring, another free service. For those of you on other campuses, you can get assistance at the Merritt Colleges’ Writing Center, as well as Laney’s.
All essay assignments you receive comments on have to be revised prior to resubmission; included with the revision is a student narrative to me regarding your understanding of what needed to be done; a student can prepare this as a part of the Lab visit, especially if said student is unclear over what steps to take.
Students can also visit me in office hours for assistance; again, prepare your questions in advance to best make use of the time. Do not leave class without understanding the comments on a paper. I don’t mind reading them to you.
English language fluency in writing and reading; a certain comfort and ease with the language; confidence and skillful application of literary skills associated with academic writing. Familiarity if not mastery of the rhetorical styles used in argumentation, exposition and narration will be addressed in this class and is a key student learning outcome (SLO).
We will be evaluating what we know and how we came to know what we know, a field called epistemology or the study of knowledge. Granted, the perspective is western culture which eliminates the values of the majority populations, so-called underdeveloped or undeveloped countries or cultures. Let us not fall into typical superiority traps. Try to maintain a mental elasticity and a willingness to let go of concepts which not only limit your growth as an intelligent being, but put you at a distinct disadvantage as a species.
This is a highly charged and potentially revolutionary process - critical thinking. The process of evaluating all that you swallowed without chewing up to now is possibly even dangerous. This is one of the problems with bigotry; it’s easier to go with tradition than toss it, and create a new, more just, alternative protocol.
Grades, Portfolio
We will be honest with one another. Grades are not necessarily an honest response to work; grades do not take into consideration the effort or time spent, only whether or not students can demonstrate mastery of a skill - in this case: essay writing. Grades are an approximation, arbitrary at best, no matter how many safeguards one tries to put in place to avoid such ambiguity. Suffice it to say, your portfolio will illustrate your competence. It will represent your progress, your success or failure this summer session in meeting your goal.
Office Hours
I’d like to wish everyone good luck. I am available for consultation on Monday mornings 9:30-10:30 a.m. , Wednesday 9:30-10:30 a.m., Wednesday afternoon 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, if you want to take me to lunch—just kidding, I am available after 12 for appointments if you notify me in advance. All the office hours take place in my office, L-236. I am not on campus on Fridays. (Jot my cell number down in this section.) My office number is (510) 748-2131, e-mail professorwandasposse@gmail.com.
I am more a phone person than an email person, so you can call me if I don’t respond to an email. I do read your blog posts.
I’d encourage students to exchange phone numbers with classmates (2), so if you have a concern, it can be addressed more expediently when I am not available. Study groups are recommended, especially for those students finding the readings difficult; don’t forget, you can also discuss the readings as a group in the Lab with a teacher or tutor acting as facilitator. Dominique is hosting a study group on Thursdays, L-bldg., second floor, 12 noon to 1 p.m.
Keep a vocabulary log for the semester and an error chart (taken from comments on essay assignments). List the words you need to look up in the dictionary, also list where you first encountered them: page, book and definition, also use the word in a sentence. You will turn this in with your portfolio.
I do not expect students to confuse literal with free paraphrase (a literal paraphrase is plagiarism). Students should also not make confused word errors, sentence fragment errors, comma splice errors, subject verb agreement errors, errors in parallel structure, subject verb agreement errors, MLA citations errors, errors with ellipses, formatting an essays—margins, headings, etc. If you are not clear on what I mean, I suggest you run through Stewart Pidd Hates English. It is on reserve in the library.
Students are expected to complete their work on time. If you need more time on an assignment, discuss this with me in advance if possible to keep full credit, also certain assignments, such as in-class essays cannot be made up. All assignments prepared outside of class are to be typed, 12-pt. font, double-spaced lines, indentations on paragraphs, 1-inch margins around the written work (see Hacker: The Writing Process; Document Design.)
Cheating
Plagiarism is ethically abhorrent, and if any student tries to take credit for work authored by another person the result will be a failed grade on the assignment and possibly a failed grade in the course if this is attempted again. This is a graded course.
Homework
If you do not identify the assignment, I cannot grade it. If you do not return the original assignment you revised, I cannot compare what changed. If you accidentally toss out or lose the original assignment, you get a zero on the assignment to be revised. I will not look at revisions without the original attached – no exceptions. Some student essays will be posted on-line at the website. Students will also have the option of submitting assignments via email.
All assignments completed away from class should be typed. Use blue or black ink when writing responses in class. You can annotate your books in pencil.
Textbooks:
Total Chaos: The Art and Aesthetics of Hip Hop. Ed. Jeff Chang. Basic Civitas Books, 2006. ISBN: 10: 0-465-00909-3 (I’m thinking about this book.)
The Spoken Word Revolution (slam, hip hop & the poetry of a new generation). Ed. Mark Eleveld. Sourcebooks MediaFusion, 2004. ISBN: 1-4022-0246-6.
Students also need a dictionary. I recommend: The American Heritage Dictionary. Fourth Edition.
Recommended:
Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip Hop Generation. Jeff Chang. Picador, 2005. ISBN: 0-312-42579-1
Know What I Mean? Reflections on Hip Hop. Michael Eric Dyson. Basic Civitias Books, 2007. ISBN: 0-465-017716-9 (I am making copies of certain chapters).
Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America. Tricia Rose. Wesleyan Press, 1994.
The Africanist Aesthetic in Global Hip Hop: Power Moves. Halifu Osumare. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008.
Fiction
Students have to chose a work of fiction to read on their own to present later in class. There is a written and an oral aspect to this assignment.
The Coldest Winter Ever. Sister Souljah. Simon & Schuster. 2006.
http://www.simonsays.com/content/book.cfm?tab=1&pid=514298&er=9781416521693
Angry Black White Boy or The Miscegenation of Macon Detornay. Adam Mansbach. Crown/Three Rivers Press, 2005.
The Brief Wondrous Times of Oscar Wao. Junot Díaz. Penguin, 2007.
Interesting article
http://www.libsuccess.org/index.php?title=Urban_Fiction/Street_Lit/Hip_Hop_Fiction_Resources_for_Librarians
Students need a grammar style book. You don’t have to purchase mine, but you need something comparable.
Rules for Writers. Fourth or Fifth edition. Diana Hacker. Bedford/St. Martins. (If you don’t already have such a book.)
Elements of Style (any edition)
Additional Items
Along with a dictionary, the prepared student needs pens with blue or black ink, along with a pencil for annotating texts, paper, a stapler or paper clips, floppy disks, a notebook, three hole punch, a folder for work-in-progress, and a divided binder to keep materials together.
Also stay abreast of the news. Buy a daily paper. Listen to alternative radio:
KPFA 94.1 FM (Hardknock), KQED 88.5, KALW 91.7. Visit news websites: AllAfrica.com, Al Jazeera, CNN.com, AlterNet.org, DemocracyNow.org, FlashPoints.org, CBS 60Minutes.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes
Today in class we watched Byron Hurt's film, Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes. Students then composed thesis sentences based on themes pulled from the film: violence, misogyny, masculinity, homophobia, media, and power.
1. Homework is to read the essay handed out from Michael Eric Dyson's book, "Know What I Mean: Track 4, Cover Your Eyes As I Describe a Scene So Violent" pp. 91-122. Extra copies will be in the hallway outside the Writing Center (near L-235).
Assignment: Identify Hurt's argument(s). In 250 words minimum, discuss the evidence Hurt presents in the film and whether or not you agree with his premise that commercial rap is misogynistic, violent, and promotes a negative stereotype of manhood.
1. Homework is to read the essay handed out from Michael Eric Dyson's book, "Know What I Mean: Track 4, Cover Your Eyes As I Describe a Scene So Violent" pp. 91-122. Extra copies will be in the hallway outside the Writing Center (near L-235).
Assignment: Identify Hurt's argument(s). In 250 words minimum, discuss the evidence Hurt presents in the film and whether or not you agree with his premise that commercial rap is misogynistic, violent, and promotes a negative stereotype of manhood.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Cyber-Assignment 1 Due by Thursday, Sept. 3, 9-10:50 AM
Counting Headz is the film to watch for those interested in hip hop, the growing number of female artists tackling this genre and for those of us intrigued with the spirit of South Africa.
Until recently, the South African hip hop music scene was exclusively a male domain. This has changed and along with it the content of the music. Women are addressing crime and the hard life in inner cities unlike their male counterparts who dwell on fashion, fancy homes and cars. Featuring three major women performers, the film captures the evolution in overall content from a copy of American rap into a vehicle for addressing socio-political issues. MC Chi asks if there’s a contradiction of values between African and hip-hop cultures, and if it’s possible to reconcile the two. Her questions reflect the obstacles encountered by her fellow sistaz. DJ Sistamatic, challenged by a distorted media portrayal of her persona, addresses the influence of male-formed images of women.
World-renowned graffiti artist Smirk finds a way beyond her family’s initial misgivings about her art to merge a life with hip hop and motherhood. These talented and formidable women tell us of their struggles, their passion, their successes and their hopes and in the process, the music is phat! (http://www.docnz.org.nz/2007/ak/film/counting-headz-south-afrikas-sistaz)
Resources: http://www.myspace.com/countingheadz
This film was the topic of our freewrite this morning. Post your reflections here. Students were asked to look at the connections between the women MCs and hip hop artists and that of the women profiled on Say My Name. If students missed the film last week, then look at an artist you know.
Cyber-Assignment due Sept. 3, 2009
Read the Introduction and the preface to Part One (3-4),Part Three (161-163) and Part Four (247-8), in Jeff Chang's Total Chaos. Because our focus is women in hip hop presently, read the article in Part Three: The Real: Identity in Flux, chapter 22, "A Brand-New Feminism..." p. 233. Also read from Part Four, Chapter 26, "Cape Flats Alchemy: Hip Hop Arts in South Africa, p. 262.
Feel free to augment this reading with any other sources (some mentioned in the articles themselves) which will help you respond to the questions and to better grasp the intricacies of the topic discussed. For each essay respond in 250 words minimum. Use the Total Chaos article as one source. The second source can be your choice.
1. The authors in Cape Flats Alchemy "embrace the transgressive nature of hip hop, and ...look to push and jar conventional boundaries or what is acceptable or accepted" (269). How is art the perfect vehicle for this journey? How does the development of hip hop culture in South Africa mirror this idea that art is a critique of what is what, as it soars towards what is possible? How does this alchemy process work? Use one of the women artists from Counting Headz to illustrate this.
What does it mean to be a woman immersed in hip hop culture in South Africa? The article seemed to stay within the boundaries of its authors' geography. I felt it didn't address certain aspects of the genre the women profiled in the film, spoke of, even though one of the authors is a woman. I also wish they'd spoken more about other African artists from the Bantu or black South African society, men and women whose experiences were vastly different from that of the coloured SA.
How does the history of racial segregation, Apartheid and the rich cultural legacy of South Africa's indigenous people shape the SA hip hop artists' response to their cultural landscape? Is there something tangible the women bring which is unique? How is the imposition of patriarchy echoed cross-culturally among the women profiled in Counting Headz and Say My Name? Be specific, use examples from the films, from the reading and from your personal experience.
How does the presence of these artists offer their communities hope? Look at one of the artists profiled, find a sample of her work and use this artist to illustrate your point here--the hope.
You might not be able to answer all these questions. That's okay. These are talking points.
2. Black feminist? Mark Anthony Neal sees himself as a black feminist. What does this mean? His friend journalist Joan Morgan grew up with Mark and her brothers and thus says that this comfort in male dominated spaces allows her a certain facility, fearlessness and movement. Reflect on these two hip hop scholars. Do you remember the Mike Tyson verdict? Is the incident with the black woman raped by the Lacrosse team an event which left a mark on you dashboard as it faded into the collective oblivion associated with much media today?
How perfect a setting speak about black women and their bodies, their sexuality and sensuality or its absence. Why is the title of the transcribed conversation or panel discussion -- A Brand-New Feminism, perfect? Do you think the addition of the term "womanism" would have expanded the discussion? See
Talk about some of the ideas explored in the conversation between Mark and Joan and what new insights you've gained from its exploration.
The only answer which is unacceptable is the one uttered without thought. Translate: Success is already yours. Think about it.
I loved the examples Joan gives from the music: Mos Def's "Ms. Fatbooty" and Dr. Dre's Chronic. Do you know Ice Cube's first album,"Amerikkka's Most Wanted"? If anyone wants to bring music in to share Tuesday, Sept. 7, please do. We can add Joan's book "When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost" to the list of recommended books for this class. If students want to post the URLs for the articles mentioned by Kevin Powell ("The Sexist in Me" Essence), or Greg Tate's obits for Miles Davis, Joan Morgan's stories on Queen Latifah, Monie Love, Mike Tyson, and Ice Cube...this will count as extra credit.
Until recently, the South African hip hop music scene was exclusively a male domain. This has changed and along with it the content of the music. Women are addressing crime and the hard life in inner cities unlike their male counterparts who dwell on fashion, fancy homes and cars. Featuring three major women performers, the film captures the evolution in overall content from a copy of American rap into a vehicle for addressing socio-political issues. MC Chi asks if there’s a contradiction of values between African and hip-hop cultures, and if it’s possible to reconcile the two. Her questions reflect the obstacles encountered by her fellow sistaz. DJ Sistamatic, challenged by a distorted media portrayal of her persona, addresses the influence of male-formed images of women.
World-renowned graffiti artist Smirk finds a way beyond her family’s initial misgivings about her art to merge a life with hip hop and motherhood. These talented and formidable women tell us of their struggles, their passion, their successes and their hopes and in the process, the music is phat! (http://www.docnz.org.nz/2007/ak/film/counting-headz-south-afrikas-sistaz)
Resources: http://www.myspace.com/countingheadz
This film was the topic of our freewrite this morning. Post your reflections here. Students were asked to look at the connections between the women MCs and hip hop artists and that of the women profiled on Say My Name. If students missed the film last week, then look at an artist you know.
Cyber-Assignment due Sept. 3, 2009
Read the Introduction and the preface to Part One (3-4),Part Three (161-163) and Part Four (247-8), in Jeff Chang's Total Chaos. Because our focus is women in hip hop presently, read the article in Part Three: The Real: Identity in Flux, chapter 22, "A Brand-New Feminism..." p. 233. Also read from Part Four, Chapter 26, "Cape Flats Alchemy: Hip Hop Arts in South Africa, p. 262.
Feel free to augment this reading with any other sources (some mentioned in the articles themselves) which will help you respond to the questions and to better grasp the intricacies of the topic discussed. For each essay respond in 250 words minimum. Use the Total Chaos article as one source. The second source can be your choice.
1. The authors in Cape Flats Alchemy "embrace the transgressive nature of hip hop, and ...look to push and jar conventional boundaries or what is acceptable or accepted" (269). How is art the perfect vehicle for this journey? How does the development of hip hop culture in South Africa mirror this idea that art is a critique of what is what, as it soars towards what is possible? How does this alchemy process work? Use one of the women artists from Counting Headz to illustrate this.
What does it mean to be a woman immersed in hip hop culture in South Africa? The article seemed to stay within the boundaries of its authors' geography. I felt it didn't address certain aspects of the genre the women profiled in the film, spoke of, even though one of the authors is a woman. I also wish they'd spoken more about other African artists from the Bantu or black South African society, men and women whose experiences were vastly different from that of the coloured SA.
How does the history of racial segregation, Apartheid and the rich cultural legacy of South Africa's indigenous people shape the SA hip hop artists' response to their cultural landscape? Is there something tangible the women bring which is unique? How is the imposition of patriarchy echoed cross-culturally among the women profiled in Counting Headz and Say My Name? Be specific, use examples from the films, from the reading and from your personal experience.
How does the presence of these artists offer their communities hope? Look at one of the artists profiled, find a sample of her work and use this artist to illustrate your point here--the hope.
You might not be able to answer all these questions. That's okay. These are talking points.
2. Black feminist? Mark Anthony Neal sees himself as a black feminist. What does this mean? His friend journalist Joan Morgan grew up with Mark and her brothers and thus says that this comfort in male dominated spaces allows her a certain facility, fearlessness and movement. Reflect on these two hip hop scholars. Do you remember the Mike Tyson verdict? Is the incident with the black woman raped by the Lacrosse team an event which left a mark on you dashboard as it faded into the collective oblivion associated with much media today?
How perfect a setting speak about black women and their bodies, their sexuality and sensuality or its absence. Why is the title of the transcribed conversation or panel discussion -- A Brand-New Feminism, perfect? Do you think the addition of the term "womanism" would have expanded the discussion? See
Talk about some of the ideas explored in the conversation between Mark and Joan and what new insights you've gained from its exploration.
The only answer which is unacceptable is the one uttered without thought. Translate: Success is already yours. Think about it.
I loved the examples Joan gives from the music: Mos Def's "Ms. Fatbooty" and Dr. Dre's Chronic. Do you know Ice Cube's first album,"Amerikkka's Most Wanted"? If anyone wants to bring music in to share Tuesday, Sept. 7, please do. We can add Joan's book "When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost" to the list of recommended books for this class. If students want to post the URLs for the articles mentioned by Kevin Powell ("The Sexist in Me" Essence), or Greg Tate's obits for Miles Davis, Joan Morgan's stories on Queen Latifah, Monie Love, Mike Tyson, and Ice Cube...this will count as extra credit.
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