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1Todays QuestIntrosWhy the focus on writing?UndergarmentsOverview of semester & assignments The Road to Rhetoric

2A course about big ideasThe State of Nature, the Nature of the State

Liberty, property, equality

Democracy, Forms of Governance

Competition and Markets

Wealth, Inequality, and the Role of Government3A course about big ideas and communicating themNo one questions that certain kinds of errors are status marking: That is, they tend to suggest that the person is uneducated, whether or not this is true.- Constance Weaver, Grammar to Enrich & Enhance Writing

There are few professions where you wont need to express yourself in writing every single day.

4A course about big ideasand your underwear

Would you hire this man?

There are few professions where you wont need to express yourself in writing every single day.5A course about big ideas(and lots of little stuff)Yes, spelling and typos matter. A lot.And punctuation, and pronouns, and

Yes, word counts matter. A lot.If asked for 1000 words, make it about a thousand

Deadlines matter: Late submissions impact grades

In other words: Its hard to pay attention to what youre saying when your underwear is showing6Writing rules matterBut keep it looseFive paragraphs?Paragraph size?Sentence size?Contractions?First person?Fragments?Humor?Quotes?75 CsClarityConcisionCohesionCritical thinkingCredible evidence8Papers and Grades6 graded writing assignments3 short ones and 3 longer ones

Collectively, they account for 40% of your BPE grade

Class participation (including on-time attendance) counts in the writing portion of the course as well(overall, participation = 10% of your grade)(I collaborate with Prof. Foudy in assigning that 10%)9Papers and GradesFirst writing assignments: 3 short analyses leading to the first long-form paper.

Explicate the rhetorical situation for one of three designated articles, 250 wordsSummarize the article, 200 wordsAnalyze the article, 400 words

And thenCompare and contrast the article with another of the assigned articles, 1000 words10Comments on CommentsPlease be forewarned, so no one faints: every assignment I return to you will have a sea of red, bloody comments running down the right column (unless your settings change the color) I try to make the comments direct, but gentle...

11The BookMichael Harvey, The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing (Second Edition)

The chapters are short, so please read before class.

Optional: The Little Brown Essential Handbook (custom text for NYU on writing)12Some Favorite Resources(Ill e-mail these to you)Purdue Online Writing Lab http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/

Grammar Girl! http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/

Grammar Bytes! http://www.chompchomp.com/

131st Writing AssignmentExplicate the Rhetorical Situation for 1 of these 3 assigned articles:

The Rise of Illiberal Democracy (Zakaria)When Will the Chinese People Be Free (Rowen)The Un-political Animal (Menand)250 Words

Printed draft due in class on 9/16Submit final version online by 11 pm on 9/1614Explicate? Rhetorical Situation?Merriam-Webster definition of EXPLICATE1: to give a detailed explanation of 2: to develop the implications of : analyze logically

A sullied wordWhen you hear the word rhetoric, whats the usual connotation?Rhetoric: No Longer Just for Liars?Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)Using language effectively to persuade, inform, educate, or entertain.

Richard Nordquist, About.com, Grammar & CompositionThe study and practice of effective communication.The study of the effects of texts on audiences.The art of persuasion.A pejorative term term for insincere eloquence intended to win points and manipulate others.Aristotle: The Art of Persuasion Pathos: emotion

Logos: reason, logic, evidence

Ethos: common ground, shared values

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=x4tTugqBkJU

But were not talking about the art of persuasion just yet.18What is a Rhetorical Situation?The context of a rhetorical act, made up (at a minimum) of a rhetor, an issue (or exigence), and an audience.

Put another way, a rhetorical situation occurs when a rhetor, an audience, a medium (such as text or speech), and a context converge to create a rhetorical act, such as writing or speaking.Richard Nordquist, About.com, Grammar & Composition

So whats the heck is a rhetor?What is a Rhetorical Situation?In simpler terms:The set of circumstances under which one writes (and an audience reads) or speaks (and an audience hears).

Texas A&M writing center:Experienced writers / speakers know that the rhetorical situation is the first thing to consider. Simply put, the rhetorical situation is a situation that calls for a spoken or written response to an audience;For example, a funeral calls for a eulogy; an academic conference calls for the reading of an academic paper. Some situations elicit a letter to the editor, etc.The Rhetorical SituationSource: Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)

21The WriterCulture, personal characteristics and interests affect what you write about and how you write it:Your ageYour experiencesYour genderYour locationYour political beliefsYour parents and peersYour education

22Purpose: Your Reason For Writing

23Genre / Aim of a Rhetorical SituationCategory or type of writing

Genres hinge upon purpose and the needs/expectations of the projected audience.

Examples: fiction, autobiographical story, news article, review, editorial, letter to the editor, rhetorical analysis, criticism, persuasive essay

Source: Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)

24Audience: To Whom are you Writing?Many of the same factors that affect the writer also affect the audienceAgeSocial classEducationPast experienceCulture/subcultureExpectations

Writers need to choose words and a tone appropriate to their audiences.

Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)

25Context of a Rhetorical SituationThe situation that generates a need to write (or speak or communicate in some fashion)

Affected by: Time period or timingLocationCurrent eventsCultural significance

Source: Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)26Rhetorical SituationWriterPurposeAudienceTopicContextCulture27What this meansYou need to be aware that a rhetorical situation exists every time you write.

You need to adapt your writing depending on your purpose and your audience.28Some practiceIn groups of three, identify the rhetorical situation:The Gettysburg address http://avalon.law.yale.edu/19th_century/gettyb.aspThis semesters BPE papersThese 2 grocery lists:

1% milk, whole wheat bread, non-fat grated mozzarella cheese, cookies for the grandkids (you decide), 8 bananas

milk, sandwich bread, cheese for pizza, cookies, bananas

29Some practice: AudienceGroups of three:How might a writer in favor of gun control write for members of the National Rifle Association? A gun control group? An undecided voter?How might a historian explain the Clinton impeachment trial in a second grade history textbook? A ninth grade textbook? A college textbook?How might you write a letter to your parent about the last party you attended? To your best friend from high school? To a grandparent?30For Next Monday Writing Read: Nuts & Bolts, Chapter 1, Concision

Explicate the Rhetorical Situation for 1 of these 3 assigned articles in 250 words:

The Rise of Illiberal Democracy (Zakaria)When Will the Chinese People Be Free (Rowen)The Un-political Animal (Menand)

Hard copy draft due in class on 9/16Submit final version online by 11 pm on 9/1631