Reader's Journal #1

Reader’s Journal:

Reader’s journals can be found on the class blog and will be marked clearly. They are to be typed into the blog, identified with your name, and catalog at home. To catalog your reader’s journals, type it up, submit it to the blog, and then print it off. You may do this using a word processed document or you could just print it off of the blog. These reader’s journals will have specific dates to be turned in on the blog, so pay attention to the directions.

Entries are to be in response to a specific essay from either The Language of Composition, The Norton Sampler, The Best American Essays of…, The New Yorker magazine (and others like it), or an essay from The Reader’s Journal blog post.

Title your entry with the name of the Author, the title of the essay/article to which you are responding, and a capital letter “R” so that I know you are writing a reader’s journal response. In the post itself, make sure you cite the source in MLA format at the end.

Because the purpose of this type of entry is to help you expand your reading experiences and encourage thoughtful response, I will not evaluate the post merely for the way it is written. Instead, you will be evaluated for your efforts to grow as a reader and a writer.

You will receive a grade no lower than a B+ for the quarter on your reader’s journals if they are done in a timely and complete manner. If you miss one reader’s journal in the quarter, your grade will be no lower than a C. More than one missed reader’s journal entry will result in a maximum grade of a D-. I will reward writing that reflects superior effort and extraordinary insight as well as that which reflects intellectual and compositional risk-taking—so experiment with your writing here.

Your responses should be honest and thoughtful. Don’t try to second guess me, for I will respect your opinion whether I share it or not. What you say stays within the class, and it will not be published for public viewing. Please respect the opinions and rights of your peers and refrain from bring their writing to school or the dinner table to mock, jibe, or criticize in public.

Aspects of Writing to Consider when Writing a Reader’s Journal:
Overarching Ideas
Thematic Implications
VOICE
Make your journals inviting, informal, organized, and well-written

The first reader's journal, as we have discussed in class, is due tomorrow, October 2nd. You must choose either Gordon Wood's article on the War for Independence or "Suffer Not a Woman to Speak." Write your journal in response to your thoughts on whichever you choose.