This document provides information about an English 201 course, including the instructor's contact information, course description, learning objectives, required texts, assignments, grading criteria, and course schedule. The main assignments include five papers of 4-7 pages and a final research paper of 8-12 pages. Students will receive grades based on engagement, major assignments, homework, and a final portfolio. The course aims to improve students' critical thinking, writing, and research skills.

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ENGLISH 201 R6: ADVANCED WRITING I
TUESDAY/THURSDAY, 2:00 PM – 3:20 PM
CLEMENS 107
Instructor: Matthew A. Zebehazy, Adjunct Instructor
Office: Clemens 305
E-Mail: zebehazy@buffalo.edu
Office Hours: Tuesday/Thursday, 12:00 – 1:30 PM; ABA
Mailbox: Located outside the English Graduate Office, Clemens 302
“Every novel, like it or not, offers some answer to the question: What is human existence, and
wherein does its poetry lie?” (p. 210).
-- Milan Kundera
They say that time is like a river
And stories are the key to the past
But now I’m stuck in between
Here at my typing machine
Tryin’ to come up with some words that will last
-- Jimmy Buffett,
from “Coastal Confessions” on License to Chill
English 201 is a course that is designed to continue where English 101 left off. The skills that
you learned last semester will be built upon and expanded. In the end, you will be required to
write a substantial, well-thought out eight to 12 page research paper that exhibits two semesters’
worth of learning. To that end, you will be asked to compose five other papers that are a bit
shorter, but which show you are able to think critically, analyze thoughtfully and apply what has
been discussed and read. To accomplish these goals, I have chosen a text which has a broad
range of topics which, in essence, pose the question: What does this say about us as humans, our
experiences and our reactions to those experiences? The point is how that query is answered,
which will be different for all of us as all of our experiences are different. To become a better
writer it is imperative that you follow the advice of Joyce Carol Oates: “Read widely, read
enthusiastically, be guided by instinct and not design. For if you read, you need not become a
writer; but if you become a writer you must read” (p. 28). Then, when you do start to write, it
may be a struggle because, according to Roger Angell, “[w]riting is hard, even for authors who
do it all the time” (p. 131). The intention, then, is for you to be able to embrace the struggle, read
material that forces you to think, and then produce written material that reflects your answers to
questions posed.
Texts: In the bookstore
The Rowman & Littlefield Guide to Writing with Sources, 2nd
ed. James P. Davis
The Paris Review Book of Heartbreak, Madness, Sex, Love, Betrayal, Outsiders, Intoxication,
War, Whimsy, Horrors, God, Death, Dinner, Baseball, Travels, The Art of Writing, and
Everything Else in the World Since 1953 (For obvious reasons, this anthology will be
referred to as The Paris Review and abbreviated PR in the syllabus.)
You should also dig out your copy of Muriel Harris’ Prentice Hall Guide to Grammar and
Usage, 5th
ed. This is the same grammar book you were told not to return at the end of English
101 because you would need it for this course.

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Supplies: In the bookstore, too, if needed.
Any good dictionary. If you do not currently own one, this is a good time to invest in one.
There are many available in the bookstore. (I recommend Webster’s or American Heritage.)
A full-sized notebook for writing assignments in class. OR, a 3 ring binder with looseleaf
paper.
A sturdy folder in which you keep all your work for the class AND a disk on which you save
all your writing (including multiple drafts). This is the one that you keep for yourselves.
A pocket folder in which you put the cover letter, drafts, supplementary materials and final
version of each assignment when you hand it in. This is the folder that I get.
Note: Save all the writing you do during the semester. You can clear your files in May. Until
then, you never know what may prove to be useful during a revision. If you compose and revise
on a computer, periodically print out (or save on disk) versions of your draft so that you have a
record of its process. Keep a copy for yourself (either on disk or a hard copy) of all major
assignments handed in to me. In addition, keep all drafts on which you have received comments
from me or your classmates.
Course Requirements and Grading Policy
This is a workshop course in writing in which class activities are essential to your development
as a writer; in class activities will include discussion, debate, written and oral responses,
freewriting, peer review, and paper workshops (critiquing and editing of your workgroup's
papers). The success of the course, and your successful performance in it, depends upon your
participation and contributions, both spoken and written. Since this class is a writing and
research course, you will be required to produce at least 25 pages of formal writing (this
excludes journal entries, response papers, etc.) You will therefore produce five papers between
four and seven pages in length and one more substantial research paper between eight and 12
pages in length. This course does not have a final exam; instead, you will be required to turn in a
portfolio consisting of three revised papers.
UB uses a lettered grading policy, A - F, including + and - grades. Your final grade will be
calculated according to the following breakdown:
An incomplete grade may only be given to students who have (1) fulfilled the attendance
requirement for the course and (2) completed all but one of the written assignments.
Engagement: 10%
Participation begins with attendance. Both absences and tardiness will affect this portion of your
grade. You are allowed two absences without penalty. A third absence will result in the
reduction of this portion of your grade by a full letter grade. A fourth absence will result in the
reduction of your final grade by a full letter grade. A fifth absence can result in a failing grade
for the course. Although the advice "Better late than never" should be heeded (you will learn by
being present), arrival in class more than 10 minutes after it begins will be considered an
absence.
You are responsible for contacting me or a fellow class member if you miss a class, and you are
expected to be fully prepared for the next class session. This can be accomplished easily by
checking Blackboard [ublearns.buffalo.edu] and your e-mail [webmail.buffalo.edu or through
Mulberry] AT LEAST once each day, preferably prior to coming to class. I know that sickness

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happens, accidents happen, bad weather happens, computer problems happen, over-sleeping
happens, family crises happen, the bus never comes ... that's what the two excused absences are
for. Save them for these kinds of emergencies.
Your engagement grade will also reflect the quality and thoughtfulness of your contributions in
class, respect shown to class members, your attitude and role in small group exercises, and
evidence given of completion of reading assignments. Preparation for, attitude toward, and
involvement in our individual conferences count here, too.
Please note that many in-class writing exercises assume (and depend upon) your having read the
assigned material. Review your syllabus frequently, and plan your workload accordingly.
Major Assignments: 70%
Cover Letters, Letters of Response, and Homework: 10%
Essays are due at the beginning of class on the date due. Late essays are subject to having their
final grade reduced typically 1/3 grade for each day late. This means that an A becomes an A-
for one day late, a B+ for two days late, a B for three days late, etc. Don't test me on this. And
don't make it a habit. Absence from class on the date due does not excuse the lateness of your
assignment. Submit it on the date due with a classmate or through the Digital Dropbox on
Blackboard. I will not accept papers that are sent to me as an e-mail attachment. Allow plenty of
time for printing your essay in the computer lab and/or keep an extra printer ribbon/ink cartridge
handy at home.
All essays handed in to me are to be typed/word-processed. Use Times New Roman 12 point
font, double-space the paper and make sure that it has one inch margins. Each essay to be graded
will be accompanied by a cover letter, minimum one page, detailing your writing process for that
particular piece and the essay's evolution, along with your assessment of the successful and less
successful aspects of the essay. I will not grade essays that are hand-written or lack a cover
letter, and the assignment will accrue late penalties until it satisfies this requirement.
Formal writing assignments will be evaluated for the following: quality (including technical and
mechanical elements); command of voice, tone, and a sense of audience; the degree to which
they satisfy the given assignment; and the development they demonstrate from earlier efforts or
original drafts. For an essay to be graded you must turn in all relevant components of the
assignment If you fail to include things like a cover letter, revisions, peer review comments, etc.
with your final assignment, it will be returned to you and marked late until all components are
present. Please note, we will be writing first drafts and revisions of all of our work, in order for
your second draft to count as a revision it must conform to the following criterion:
• It differs substantially from the first draft. This means that you have carefully
reconsidered the paper (please note that changing/fixing sentence level
grammar/punctuation errors does not count as a revision.)
• It must demonstrate a re-visiting of the topic by the author that is mindful of the
comments made on the draft by myself and/or other classmates.
• It must demonstrate significant improvement from the original.
Assignments submitted more than one week late will receive an F. However, you must
complete all five major essay assignments and submit a complete final portfolio in order to earn
a passing grade for the course.
Major assignments will be graded using the A - F scale. At times, I may assign you a grade of R,
requesting a revision of the piece before I formally grade it. You always have the right to revise
your assignment for a higher grade, and you may revise it as many times as you like, but I

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strongly encourage you to meet with me to discuss the nature of the revisions you will make. All
revisions of essays for a higher grade (accompanied by the original graded essay) are due to me
no later than Thursday, 31 March 2005. We will use the two weeks of class to workshop essays
and to develop writing portfolios. The writing portfolio will include three final revisions of
earlier essays.
All paper assignments will also require that you submit supplementary material—preliminary
drafts, cover letters, etc.—with your final draft. If your final draft does not meet the length
requirement or the required supplementary material is not attached, then your paper will not be
accepted. It will be returned to you so that you can make the necessary adjustments, and then
submit the paper for late credit.
You have the right to revise your assignment for a higher grade, and you may revise it as many
times as you like, but I strongly encourage you to meet with me to discuss the nature of the
revisions you will make. Such revisions must be re-submitted, with the original, graded draft and
all supporting materials, for evaluation within one week of you getting it back.
With the exception of in-class writing and quizzes, all writing done outside of class must be
typed, or it will not be accepted. If for whatever reason you will not be in class the day a major
paper is due, you may either turn it in early, send it to class with a classmate, or submit it to me
via the Digital Dropbox on Blackboard. If you opt to turn it in with a classmate, choose carefully
because your paper will be considered late if your classmate does not show up.
You must complete all five major essay assignments and submit a complete final portfolio
in order to earn a passing grade for the course.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is using another person's words and ideas as though they were your own. It is easy to
avoid plagiarism: simply put the material you have taken from someone else's writing in
quotation marks and cite the person's name and publication in your paper. Plagiarism is a serious
offense which can result in expulsion from the University. A paper which contains any
plagiarized material at all will receive an F; two such plagiarized papers will result in the student
receiving an F for the course. (Note: plagiarism is not restricted to the use of published work; the
passing of another student's work as your own is also a case of plagiarism.) Further, according to
Student Conduct Rules, University Standards and Administrative Regulations (August, 2003)
plagiarism is defined as “copying or receiving material from a source or sources and submitting
this material as one’s own without acknowledging the particular debts to the source (quotations,
paraphrases, basic ideas), or otherwise representing the work of another as one’s own” (p. 2).
“The plagiarist is, in a minor way, the cop who frames innocents, the doctor who kills his
patients. The plagiarist violates the essential rule of his trade. He steals the lifeblood of a
colleague” (David Plotz, p. 200).
End of Term Portfolio: 10%
Your portfolio consists of all writing submitted in this course: rough drafts, graded drafts, and
writing especially revised for the portfolio reviews (see the schedule). The end-of-semester
portfolio will include an autobiography of yourself as a writer and final revisions of three of the
major assignments (the nature of the revision will be discussed in class).

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WARNING
Please do not stop coming to class without contacting me as soon as possible. The more you
miss, the less likely it is that you will do well in this class. Please remember that a third absence
negatively impacts your Engagement grade and any absences after that negatively impact your
final grade. Also, do not, under any circumstances, decide not to turn in any assignments until
the middle of the semester. I will not tolerate this and will be forced to take disciplinary action.
Two final notes about this course:
1) This syllabus functions as a contract. Being enrolled in this course means that you agree to
and accept all conditions and terms laid out herein. Not reading the syllabus or misunderstanding
what it contains does not exempt you from the penalties or policies that are detailed above.
2) By the end of English 201, students should be able to do the following:
o think critically and to make intellectual discriminations.
o recognize and apply introductory level learning and methods of logic and
argumentation.
o complete a process of observation, inference, and generalization with accuracy
and precision.
o maintain some intellectual independence at a level of University discourse. The
student should be able to sustain either side of a debate with some agility.
o form a restricted arguable thesis and organize supporting points.
o develop and sustain an exposition and/or argument over a longer, 5-10 page,
paper.
o research primary and secondary sources, including familiarity with the resources
in the University Libraries, and to integrate research into a thesis.
o complete a paper without distracting mechanical errors.
o document a research paper properly
o sustain a consistent tone, with variations appropriate to the audience and purpose
of the essay
o conceptualize and interpret human experience.
o analyze the meaning and significance of creative works.
All quotes used in this syllabus are from The Writer’s Mentor: Secrets of Success from the
World’s Greatest Writers, edited by Ian Jackman and published by Random House Reference in
2004.

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Tuesday/Thursday Schedule
Week One: Love
Tuesday, 18 January 2005
Introduction to the class and each other. In-class writing assignment: Write one paragraph on
who you are, why you are and what you hope to learn this semester.
Homework: Read “Introduction” and “Letter to an Editor” in PR. Write a one page reaction to
both of these and bring it to next class.
Thursday, 20 January 2005
In-class writing: What makes a good writer? What makes a good piece of writing?
Lecture on critical reading and analysis and evaluating an essay’s contents.
Homework: Read “Little Expressionless Animals (p. 163); “Pearls” (p. 213) and “Everything”
(p. 221) in PR. For discussion, consider an answer to this: Based on your criteria, are these good
pieces of writing? Be able to explain your answer.
Paper #1 assigned: At the end of this unit [Love, Betrayal and Heartbreak], choose the three
pieces that had the greatest impact on you. Using textual evidence explain why you chose these
selections, the reactions you had to them and why they had an impact on you. Present this
analysis in a four to six page paper. [An assignment sheet with full details will be provided.]
Week Two: Betrayal
Tuesday, 25 January 2005
Discussion of the readings.
Lecture on the mechanics of quotations and incorporating these into your prose.
Homework: Read “Migraine Sonnets” (p. 226) and “The Beet Queen” (p. 258) in PR.
Consider the following for discussion: How are these examples of betrayal? What or who is
being betrayed? By whom? For what purpose?
Thursday, 27 January 2005
Discussion of readings.
Lecture on cover letters.
Homework: 1) Read “The Fine Art of Sighing” (p. 39) and “Intensive Care” (p. 41) in PR.
2) Choose one of these and write a one page reaction to the selection, which will
be due next class.
Tomorrow is the last day to resign without an R grade.
Week Three: Heartbreak
Tuesday, 1 February 2005
Discussion of the readings.
Lecture on thesis statements.
Homework: Read “Careful” (p. 43). Consider: What do the main characters have to be
heartbroken about? Is this sad for one, both or none of the main characters?

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Thursday, 3 February 2005
Discussion of the reading.
Lecture on Modern Languages Association format and citation.
Paper #1 workshop.
Homework: 1) Choose three of the selections from The Art of Writing section in PR. Write the
title of the selections, their page numbers and the author down and bring it
with you to next class. It is imperative that you make the next class and
complete this assignment as it will be your first foray into research and the
UB libraries.
2) Read Rowman and Littlefield “Introduction” (pgs. 1- 6).
Assign paper #2: Find the original versions of the selections. What new insights do they provide
about the art of writing? Do you agree with that writing is, in fact, an art? Explain your answer.
Then, provide a brief (two to three page) biography of one of the authors of one of your
selections. [Assignment sheet with full details will be provided.]
Week Four: The Art of Writing
Tuesday, 8 February 2005
Class to meet in the Undergraduate Library for introduction to research methods and the libraries
at UB. Room to be announced.
Paper #1 due.
Homework: Read Rowman and Littlefield “When Do You Need to Acknowledge A Source?”
(pgs. 7-10).
Thursday, 10 February 2005
Lecture on revision.
Homework: Read “Zelda: A Worksheet” (p. 57) and “Do You Know What It Means to Miss
New Orleans?” (p. 69) in PR. Consider: Is there a touch of madness in all
of us? Why do you think this way? What are those issues that provide a bit
of madness for you? How do you deal with the madness in your life?
Assign paper #3: At the end of this unit (Madness, Death and War), you will write a five to seven
page paper that analyzes one of those themes in light of current events. [Assignment sheet with
full details will be provided.]
Week Five: Madness
Tuesday, 15 February 2005
Discussion of readings.
Lecture on what makes a good research paper and its components: Proposal, Abstract, Annotated
Bibliography, Outline, several Drafts.
Homework: 1) Read “Lunar caustic” (p. 59) and “Delirium” (p. 64) in PR.
2) Write a one page reaction for each selection.
3) Create a list of seven to ten topics that you think you would like to research.

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Thursday, 17 February 2005
Research paper proposals discussed. Potential topics shared from the lists that you created for
homework.
Paper #2 due.
Homework: 1) Read “Last Comes the Raven” (p. 405); “The Art of Fiction CXL” (p. 428);
and “The Art of Fiction CXLIII” (p. 445).
2) Write your proposal.
Week Six: War
Tuesday, 22 February 2005
Discuss readings.
Abstracts explained. Annotated bibliographies discussed and explained.
Annotated bibliography, based on proposal, assigned.
Homework: 1) Write a one page answer to these questions: What lessons about war did you
learn from reading these selections? If you could, would you make these
required reading for politicians? Be sure that you support your responses
with specifics.
2) Read Rowman and Littlefield “When Should You Paraphrase and When Should
You Quote?” and “How Should You Paraphrase Information From A
Source?” (pgs. 11-18).
Thursday, 24 February 2005
Lecture on letters of self-evaluation.
Paper #4 assigned.
Homework: 1) Read “The Virgin Suicides” (p. 659) and “A Work in Progress” (p. 699) in PR.
2) Read the last three sections Rowman and Littlefield.
No classes next week because of mandatory midterm conferences. Be sure to sign up for a
conference time as this meeting counts as part of your participation grade.
Be sure to be working on the annotated bibliography.
Week Seven
Tuesday, 1 March 2005
NO CLASS SCHEDULED. Mandatory midterm conferences held in Center for the Arts
Atrium. Be sure to sign up for a conference time as this meeting counts as part of your
participation grade.
Thursday, 3 March 2005
NO CLASS SCHEDULED. Mandatory midterm conferences held in Center for the Arts
Atrium. Be sure to sign up for a conference time as this meeting counts as part of your
participation grade.

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Week Eight: Death
Tuesday, 8 March 2005
Lesson on primary and secondary sources and how to use them in a research paper.
Research paper questions answered in class.
Abstracts revisited and begun in class.
Thursday, 10 March 2005
Annotated bibliography due.
Outlines discussed and assigned.
Homework: 1) Read “Pomework: An Exercise in Occasional Poetry” (p. 466).
2) Choose three of selections from the reading. For each one chosen, write one
page that provides your reaction to each one you chose.
Paper #3 workshop.
Tomorrow is the last day to resign Spring courses for a grade of R.
Week Nine
Tuesday, 15 March 2005
SPRING BREAK. NO CLASSES SCHEDULED.
Thursday, 17 March 2005
SPRING BREAK. NO CLASSES SCHEDULED.
Week Ten: Whimsy and Intoxication
Tuesday, 22 March 2005
Outline due.
Outline workshop.
Homework: 1) Read “How to Travel with a Salmon (p. 455) and “The Admonitory
Hippopotamus; or Angelica and Sneezby” (p. 458). Consider:
Assign Paper #4.
Thursday, 24 March 2005
Paper #3 due.
Homework: 1)Read “It’s Six A.M., Do You Know Where You Are?” (p. 345) and “The Art of
Fiction XII” (p. 387).
Week Eleven
Tuesday, 29 March 2005
Discussion of readings.
Major Revision #1 started in class.
Homework: Read “The Art of Journalism I (p. 390) and “Car-Crash While Hitchhiking” (p.
396).

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Thursday, 31 March 2005
First draft of research paper due. You must bring a minimum of six complete pages so that we
can complete Workshop #1 for the research paper.
Week Twelve
Tuesday, 5 April 2005
Review comments on draft of research paper. Begin revision of this paper in class.
Paper #4 workshop.
Thursday, 7 April 2005
Workshop #2 for research paper. This means that you need to bring both the original and revised
versions to class as they will be collected.
Week Thirteen
Tuesday, 12 April 2005
Paper #4 due.
Homework: 1) Review new comments and suggestions on the research paper.
2) Begin second revision of this paper.
Thursday, 14 April 2005
Final workshop for research paper.
Portfolio setup and review.
Week Fourteen
Tuesday, 19 April 2005
NO CLASS SCHEDULED. Major research paper due to me in the office [Clemens 305] no
later than 5:00 PM.
Thursday, 21 April 2005
Portfolio setup and review.
Week Fifteen
Tuesday, 26 April 2005
Course evaluations and final portfolio setup and review.
Thursday, 28 April 2005
NO CLASS SCHEDULED. All that I need for you to do today is turn in your final portfolio in
to me in my office [Clemens 305] no later than 5:00 PM. I will be around from 12 noon [the
start of office hours] until the deadline at 5:00 PM. If you have questions or concerns, please find
me in the office [Clemens 305] as I will not be in the classroom.