Syllabus for the Novel Maps of New York course taught at NY

Moacir P. de Sá Pereira

Humanities Commons

ENGL-UA 59.001Digital Literary Studies: Novel Maps of NewYorkhttp://moacir.com/courses-nyu/novel-maps-of-ny-2017Moacir P. de Sá Pereiramds17@nyu.eduAutumn 2017. 194M, 303MW 12:30–13:45Office hours: 244 Greene, 506, T 13:30–16:30Course descriptionHow does the geography of New York City shape the literature of New York City? Does the literature shape the geographyin return? In this course, we aim to understand the spatiotemporality of the Big Apple through novels of the 20th and 21stcenturies that recreate and react to it. Not only will we read spatially, however, but we will also create spatially. Studentswill make maps that launch projects of geographical storytelling as a mode of literary analysis. More concretely, we will buildonline data repositories and exhibits (using JavaScript and HTML) that synthesize our reading and mapping practices. Noprevious programming knowledge is needed, but a curiosity and interest in puzzle solving is.Goals of the course• to make you better readers and writers by– introducing you to* thinking about the city as a setting and object;* technologies to help shape your own work;* novels about New York City;– developing your skills in* writing web pages with JavaScript, HTML, and Markdown;* using Git and the Atom text editor;* making maps with Leaflet;* reading literary texts carefully and analytically;* summarizing and presenting texts in class;* getting lost on purpose;* developing critical projects that are cogent and syncretic, making use of the various methods on hand.Books• Cole, Teju. Open City (2009)1• Crockford, Douglas. JavaScript: The Good Parts (2008) [optional]• Hardwick, Elizabeth. Sleepless Nights (1979)• Haverbeke, Marijn. Eloquent JavaScript (2011) [optional]• McKay, Claude. Amiable with Big Teeth (1941)• Messud, Claire. The Emperor’s Children (2006)• Robinson, Kim Stanley. New York 2140 (2016) [optional]• Slesinger, Tess. The Unpossessed (1934)• Whitehead, Colson. Zone One (2011) [optional]• Woodson, Jacqueline. Another Brooklyn (2016)Course requirements & policiesAssessmentParticipation10%The success of any course is directly related to the levels of engagement brought both by the instructor and the students.As such, class participation is vitally important. Similarly, though attendance is logically required for class participation, it isnot sufficient. This class requires active participation both inside the classroom and outside.You can miss up to three meetings without penalty, and you can use these opportunities tactically, to provide space andtime to either fulfill other obligations or recuperate from the previous night. I don’t care why you didn’t come. I start tocare with the fourth absence, and I start to require documentation. Repeated unexcused absence quickly gobbles up the classparticipation component of the grade and begins to threaten your ability to even pass the course.In a discussion-oriented class, “active participation” involves the following components. All of these are necessary toreceive maximum points for participation:• being in class on time and staying in the classroom,• arriving having done the reading for that day,• having considered the reading and found points of entry into class discussion via questions about specific passages,• participating in class discussion in ways that build upon contributions from others, and• refraining from the use of electronic devices.JavaScript Homework20% Every week, for the Wednesday class, the respective problem set for that week in The JavaScripting English Major1 willbe due. The answers should be emailed to me before class on Wednesday, and you should bring your homework to class onWednesday as well, where we will correct it as a group.The JavaScripting English Major is a course I am preparing, so your feedback is very useful. Most of the chapters dovetailwith the chapters in Eloquent JavaScript, and if my description of a feature is insufficient, please look to the Haverbeke textfor more information. Crockford’s JavaScript: The Good Parts is more for reading on the side, if you find the programmingaspects of the course especially interesting.1http://the-javascripting-english-major.org2Dérives20% You will undertake two dérives2 during the semester. In both, you will get lost in Manhattan (and beyond?), while alsodocumenting and tracking yourself. In order to direct your dérive, you will use either the Derive App3 for your smartphoneor a set of cards printed out ahead of time. In order to track the dérive, you are required to trace your path and take notes ona Field Papers atlas4 and, if possible, track yourself using GPS (the Derive App, if you let it, will save your route).During the course of the dérive, which can last hours, you should reflect on the readings we have already done for the class,both in what you observe while getting lost, but also in the process of getting lost itself. This is a time for psychogeography5,not wandering listlessly about while checking the ’Gram. Stroll without headphones; look around and feel the environmentaround you.At the end, you will write up a short (1,100–1,250 words) report for each dérive, including textual references from ourreadings. The report will be joined by the original Field Papers atlas with notes. You can and are encouraged to use otherforms of media to supplement the report.Finally, you will create a Leaflet map tracing your two dérives, to be hosted on GitHub.Presentation15% You will give a short presentation on one of the novels we are reading. This presentation should be about five minuteslong and introduce another writer’s views on the novel. Usually, this means looking up a book review. Most of the bookswill have been reviewed by at least one of the New York Times or New York Review of Books, but you can look for otherreviews from newspapers and magazines. The presentation should summarize the review and include your thoughts on thereview having read (at least some of) the novel in question. For guidelines on giving a good presentation, see my webpage onpresentation tips6.Final project35%Throughout the semester, youwill be building a project based onone of the novels in the class and its relationship toNewYork City. This project will be a website, hosted on GitHub. Because it must contain at least one Leaflet map, thematicallythe project will benefit from tracing certain geographies in the novel of your choice and reproducing them online. The resultof the project should not be a fixed conclusion, but, rather, a new series of questions prompted by your thinking about thenovel geographically. That is, what does the map you create tell you about the novel that you did not previously know? Whatkinds of future avenues of inquiry open up because of it?You should be thinking about the project as early as possible, even considering from the discussion on the first day whichnovel you may want to choose for your focus and jumping ahead on it. Right before Thanksgiving, you will send me a shortoutline of the project, a précis, that describes the structure of the site (a “wireframe”), the content, andwhat kinds of questionsyou will be investigating. During the last week of the course, we will have time in class to troubleshoot technical problems,and on the last class, you will give a quick, five-minute presentation about your project. Over the following week, you willcomplete the project.Hitting every deadline is crucial, so being late on any of these three points (précis, presentation, final submission) will hurtyour final grade.PoliciesAssignmentsThe assignment instructions, though detailed in the syllabus, may be enhanced or supplemented during the course. If youhave any questions about an assignment, you should ask for clarification early. The assignments are due on the dates noted inthe syllabus.The writing can be submitted electronically.2http://www.cddc.vt.edu/sionline/si/theory.html3http://deriveapp.com/s/v2/4http://fieldpapers.org/compose#14/40.7220/-73.99245https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychogeography6http://moacir.com/courses/presentation-tips/3Late assignments jeopardize both your and my rhythms in the class, so they will be penalized. I will give you feedback andwill happily discuss any work with you, but grades should be considered final.AttendanceAs indicated above, attendance is required. Three absences will be excused without supplemental documentation, and I en-courage you to use these tactically. Catching up is your responsibility.Subsequent absence requires formal documentation. Otherwise it begins to harm your final grade. Though class partic-ipation is only part of the final grade, extreme absenteeism (more than six meetings missed) will put your ability to pass thecourse at risk.Please show up on time to class, as well.ElectronicsOur time in class is meant as a sanctuary from the distractions of the rest of the world. Additionally, our class relies on discus-sion and engagement, and the front of a laptop screen is a brilliant shield behind which a student can hide, even unintention-ally. During our meetings, then, there can be no use of electronic devices. Please also set whatever devices you have but aren’tusing to silent mode.CommunicationCommunication is vitally important to the pedagogical process, and this course depends on clear communication in bothdirections. If you have questions, comments, or concerns, the best course of action is to come visit me during my office hoursas noted at the top of this document. If your questions, etc., cannot wait until then, then clearly you can also email me. Ishould respond within 48 hours, but please write again if I do not.This is a new course, meaning that there will be even more unfinished edges ready to scratch someone than in a typicalcourse. We have a collective goal of learning, however, so if the unfinished edges get to be overwhelming, I’ll adjust the param-eters of the course appropriately. I’m not out to catch you, nor is this course a process of grotesque punishment. Please don’ttreat it as such.Once more, with feeling: communication is vitally important to the pedagogical process. If you have concerns or worries,please let me know about them sooner rather than later.DisabilitiesIf you have a disability, you should register with the Moses Center for Students with Disabilities (mosescsd@nyu.edu; 726Broadway, 2nd Floor, 212.998.4980), which can arrange for things like extra time for assignments. Please inform me at thebeginning of the semester if you need any special accommodations regarding the assignments.Academic integrityPlease look at NYU’s full statement on academic integrity7. Any instance of academic dishonesty will result in an F and willbe reported to the relevant dean for disciplinary action. Remember that plagiarism is a matter of fact, not intention. Knowwhat it is, and don’t do it.SyllabusThis syllabus is available at the course webpage8. A pdf version is also available9. The source code and documentation forthis document is available at its Github repository10. The syllabus is ©2017, Moacir P. de Sá Pereira. It is licensed as CreativeCommons 4.0 by-nc-sa, giving you permission to share and alter it in any way, as long as it is for non-commercial purposes,7http://cas.nyu.edu/page/academicintegrity8http://moacir.com/courses-nyu/novel-maps-of-ny-20179http://moacir.com/courses-nyu/novel-maps-of-ny-2017/syllabus.pdf10http://github.com/muziejus/novel-maps-of-ny-20174maintains the license, and gives proper attribution. Further information regarding the license, the history of the document,and influences can be viewed at the Github repository.5ScheduleRequired readings indicated with quotation marks (“”) will be available as pdfs. They should be printed out for use in class.The texts for the presentations are also available as pdfs.The list of references at the end of the pdf version of the syllabus provides bibliographic details for all the texts for thecourse.HW n refers to the homework in the nth chapter of The JavaScripting English Major11.• Wednesday, 6 Sep: Introductions, Whitehead, “City Limits.”• Monday, 11 Sep: Cole,Open City through ch. 6.• Wednesday, 13 Sep: Cole,Open City through ch. 16; HW 1 & 2• Monday, 18 Sep: Cole,Open City to end.• Wednesday, 20 Sep: Debord, “Theory of the Dérive”; HW 3.• Monday, 25 Sep: McKay,Amiable with Big Teeth through ch. 8.• Wednesday, 27 Sep: McKay,Amiable with Big Teeth through ch. 16; dérive 1 due; HW 4.• Monday, 2 Oct: McKay,Amiable with Big Teeth to end.• Wednesday, 4 Oct: De Certeau, “Walking in the City”; HW 5.• Monday, 9 Oct: No class• Wednesday, 11 Oct: Slesinger, The Unpossessed through part 1, ch. 5; HW 6.• Monday, 16 Oct: Slesinger, The Unpossessed through part 2, ch. 5• Wednesday, 18 Oct: Slesinger, The Unpossessed to end of part 2; HW 7.• Monday, 23 Oct: Slesinger, The Unpossessed first half of part 3.• Wednesday, 25 Oct: Slesinger The Unpossessed to end; dérive 2 due; HW 8.• Monday, 30 Oct: Messud, The Emperor’s Children to May. 15.• Wenesday, 1 Nov: Messud, The Emperor’s Children through ch. 15; HW 9.• Monday, 6 Nov: Messud, The Emperor’s Children through ch. 22.• Wednesday, 8 Nov: Messud, The Emperor’s Children through ch. 33; HW 10.• Monday, 13 Nov: Messud, The Emperor’s Children through ch. 42.• Wednesday, 15 Nov: Messud, The Emperor’s Children through ch. 48; dérive leaflet due; HW 11.• Monday, 20 Nov: Messud, The Emperor’s Children through ch. 60; Final project précis due; HW 12.• Wednesday, 22 Nov: No class ￿• Monday, 27 Nov: Messud, The Emperor’s Children to end.• Wednesday, 29 Nov: Woodson,Another Brooklyn through ch. 5; HW 13.• Monday, 4 Dec: Woodson,Another Brooklyn through ch. 12.• Wednesday, 6 Dec: Woodson,Another Brooklyn to end; HW 14.11http://the-javascripting-english-major.moacir.com6• Monday, 11 Dec: Hardwick, Sleepless Nights through part 6.• Tuesday, 12 Dec: Hardwick, Sleepless Nights to end; Project studio• Wednesday, 13 Dec: Presentations; HW 15.• Wednesday, 20 Dec: Final Project Due ￿7ReferencesCole, Teju.Open City: A Novel. New York: Random House, 2012.Crockford, Douglas. JavaScript: The Good Parts. Sebastopol, CA: O’Reilly Media, 2008.de Certeau, Michel. The Practice of Everyday Life. Translated by Steven Rendall. Berkeley: University of California Press,2002.Debord, Guy. “Theory of the Dérive.” Translated by Ken Knabb. Les lèvres nues, November 1956. http://www.cddc.vt.edu/sionline/si/theory.html.Hardwick, Elizabeth. Sleepless Nights. 1979. New York: NYRB Classics, 2001.Haverbeke,Marijn.Eloquent JavaScript, 2nd Ed.: AModern Introduction to Programming. 2nd ed. San Francisco: No StarchPress, 2014. http://eloquentjavascript.net.McKay, Claude. Amiable with Big Teeth: A Novel of the Love Affair between the Communists and the Poor Black Sheep ofHarlem, edited by Jean-Christophe Cloutier and Brent Hayes Edwards. 1941. New York: Penguin Classics, 2017.Messud, Claire. The Emperor’s Children. New York: Vintage, 2007.Robinson, Kim Stanley.New York 2140. New York: Orbit, 2017.Slesinger, Tess. The Unpossessed: A Novel of the Thirties. 1934. New York: NYRB Classics, 2002.Whitehead, Colson. “City Limits.” In The Colossus of New York: A City in Thirteen Parts, 3–11. New York: Anchor Books,2004.. Zone One. New York: Anchor, 2012.Woodson, Jacqueline.Another Brooklyn: A Novel. New York: Amistad, 2017.8CalendarWeek Monday Tuesday Wednesday4 Sep No Class (Office Hours) Introductions / Whitehead11 Sep Cole (Office Hours) Cole HW 1 & 218 Sep Cole (Claire, Soleil) (Office Hours) Debord HW 325 Sep McKay (Office Hours) McKay dérive 1 due HW 42 Oct McKay (Ben, Julia, Anaya) (Office Hours) De Certeau HW 59 Oct No Class (Office Hours) Slesinger HW 616 Oct Slesinger (Office Hours) Slesinger HW 723 Oct Slesinger (Amelia) (Office Hours) Slesinger (Ashlyn) dérive 2 due HW 830 Oct Messud (Office Hours) Messud (Nikita) HW 96 Nov Messud (Tamar) (Office Hours) Messud HW 1013 Nov Messud (Office Hours) Messud dérive leaflet due HW 1120 Nov Messud final project précis HW 12 (Office Hours) No Class ￿27 Nov Messud (Vanessa) (Office Hours) Woodson HW 134 Dec Woodson (Office Hours) Woodson (Justin) HW 1411 Dec Hardwick Hardwick (Jade), Project studio Project presentations HW 1518 Dec (Office Hours) Final Project Due ￿9

Digital Literary Studies: Novel Maps of New York

https://hcommons.org/deposits/download/hc:18134/CONTENT/de-sa-pereira-novel-maps-of-new-york-syllabus.pdf/

Digital Literary Studies: Novel Maps of New York

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Humanities Commons