Engl 208 List Essay; UI Fall '19 Malone

1. Engl 208: Personal and Exploratory Writing UIdaho Fall ’19; Malone
Assignment 2: The List
Lists:
In Reality Hunger, David Shields calls for nontraditional, hybrid forms of nonfiction. You’ll remember that
he writes the book in list format. Indeed, lists have become more and more popular among writers of
creative nonfiction. We might think of to-do lists or grocery lists, and indeed, the kinds of lists that
writers are frequently publishing now retain the same readability and fragmentation – sometimes even
the practicality – of such lists. As we will see, though, lists are far more versatile.
Lists take complex tasks and ideas and break them into smaller units. We will study how various list
writers use the format of the list to break complex ideas into individual units which gain their power
through their relationship to other units. While the individual units – or fragments – are hopefully very
readable, the cumulative effect of them is an essay that is complex and networked, one which weaves
together various story arcs or threads to demonstrate their relationship to each other. The list, for
example, is a popular form for writers looking to blend research with their personal writing – showing
the role that theory, art, or the lives of others plays in their own life.
Your Task:
Your next challenge is to write such a list that is 750-1000 words long! Connect three(ish) “arcs” that
may not seem obviously related to each other. At least one arc should be personal and at least one other
should be a focused research arc. You should identify a primary, secondary, and tertiary arc. Then, draft
ways that you can develop those arcs in list format. You will have to break your three arcs into many
smaller units, then weave the units from each of the arcs together into a list.
To help you plan this complex task of fracturing your story arcs, there are smaller assignments embedded
into this unit. Instead of peer review, I will ask you to write a proposal, where you tell me what your
three arcs will be and how you plan to fragment and weave them together. Just before the final draft is
due, I will ask you to complete a Back Trace activity to track – even visualize – the way your arcs are
working together; whether each is fully realized, whether they are spread evenly to develop pace, rhythm,
cohesion. Then, after you turn in the final draft, you will showcase your list alongside your classmates.
Pay attention to the following:
• Arcs: What are the three storylines you want to develop? One should be personal; one should be
research-based. Which storyline gets primary attention? Secondary? Tertiary? How are they
related? Can you blend the research with the personal to prove that each affects what the other
means to you?
• Fragment: How will you break each arc into many smaller units, and then distribute these units
to develop a coherent list, one which ultimately develops, resolves, and connects the three arcs?
• Sensory Detail and Emotional Resonance: Like in the epistolary essay, what kinds of elements
(objects, people, sights, places, smells, foods, etc.) can you use to truly invite your reader into the
story and develop emotional impact?
Due Dates:
Succeeding on this assignment requires careful attention to organization and planning. You will be
graded based on the bullet pointed list above as well as the clarity and correctness of your writing. Of
course, “correctness” means accuracy in grammar/punctuation, except in cases where those rules are
intentionally broken for the sake of tone/voice.
The “List” is worth 150 points in class, broken down as follows:
15 pts Proposal DUE: 10/8 at 11:59 PM
25 pts Back Trace Activity DUE: 10/17 at 11:59 PM
100 pts List DUE: 10/22 at 11:59 PM
10 pts Showcase POST: 10/22 at 11:59 PM; Three REPLIES 10/24 at 11:59 PM

2. Engl 208: Personal and Exploratory Writing UIdaho Fall ’19; Malone
Assignment 2: The List
Outcomes:
This essay aims to meet all learning outcomes for the course with additional emphasis on students’
ability to:
• Carefully organize all the elements in the essay do develop cohesion at the level of individual
numbers and the overall essay.
• Blend research with personal writing to create a complex, resonant essay with clear stakes for a
public audience.
Rubric:
I will grade your letter according to this scale, copied from the syllabus:
I will award all your assignments a letter grade in increments of 2.5 points. An “A” project, for example,
might receive a 100, 97.5, 95, 92.5, or a 90.
To earn at least a 90, your assignment must be complete (on time, with all prompt components,
meeting length requirements) and show strong evidence of the particular skills emphasized by
the prompt and in class.
To earn at least an 80, you should turn in a relevant assignment on time. However, if you are
missing components of the prompt or if you do not meet the length requirements, you may be
ineligible to earn above an 89.
To earn at least a 70, you must do more than one of the following:
• Submit work late
• Fail to meet page count
• Fail to include a significant component of the prompt
• Demonstrate minimal effort to practice the targeted skills for the assignment
• Appear to have misinterpreted the prompt
You will earn below a 70 if you turn in an irrelevant assignment with multiple missing
components.
Late work policy:
You will lose half a letter grade for each day your assignment is late. After seven days, you will receive an
automatic “0” on the assignment.