Class, Thurs, 9/22

Thinking About Spelman

Fastwrite: In the next-to-last sentence of Repair, Spelman writes:

The story of H. reparans throws into sharp relief how we humans have responded to the fact of being creatures who are inherently limited by the resources at our disposal, who are subject to the ever-present possibility of failure and decay, who sometimes seek continuity with the past, and who face the necessity of deciding whether or not to patch up relationships with our neighbors—in short, it reminds us of some facts about the human condition that perhaps we tend to find disturbing. (138–39)

Please offer an example from your own experience, or observations, or reading, of what Spelman might mean that the impulse to repair testifies to some “disturbing” aspects of our human condition.

Highlighting r2

• Hannah M (M2)
• Aarif M (S2)
• Gabby D (S1)

How to Improve Your Writing

• Pay attention to what readers have to say about your work
• Pay attention to what other writers are doing in response to the assignments you’ve been given

Highlighting r2

• Olivia D (F1)
• Sonia T (S3)
• Olivia DeG (M1)

Writing Geek

Aldus Mantius, the inventor of the semicolon and the italic face

Aldus Mantius, 1449–1515

When to Use Italics

• Titles or foreign words
• Words “as words”
• Unexpected emphasis
• Some examples

Highlighting r2

• Ashil P (F3)
• Karley F (F2)
• Kelly S (M3)

r3

You may respond to any moment in Spelman’s book that you find particularly intriguing or provocative. If you wish, you may build on (and revise) writing you have done for r1 or r2. But make sure you (a) respond to a specific passage in Spelman, and (b) connect that passage to a specific example from your experience, observation, or reading.

To Do

1. Mon, 9/26, 4:00 pm: Post r3 to this site.
2. Tues, 9/27, class: Read the r3s of your group members in preparation for our in-class workshop.
3. Thurs, 9/28, class: Read the highlighted r3s. Be ready to write about which response you plan to develop into your first essay.