Assignment description with calendar and hyperlinked model & craft essay

Crowe, Brenna E.

City University of New York

City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works Open Educational Resources City College of New York 2023 Satirical Essay Assignment prompt & calendar Brenna E. Crowe CUNY City College How does access to this work benefit you? Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cc_oers/447 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: AcademicWorks@cuny.edu Prose Workshop, Spring 2023The Satirical Essay4+ pagesStandard Formatting (double spaced, 12pt.)Heading/Title/Page NumbersMLA or APA CitationsDraft Due DatesFirst Full: Tues. 3/14Final: Fri. 3/17For satirists, the pen is quite literally mightier than the sword. Satire directly pokes, prods,agitates, and subverts power hierarchies or general clear or hidden absurdities. It functions in justabout any artistic medium. The writer might make an audience laugh while also exposing ordeflating the power of a particular force at play—if only for a moment. As a literary genre, satire islayered and elusive. Its cultural function is often underappreciated, because humor is highlycontextual to specific audiences who will understand the subtext. It often fails to have the sameeffect across culture and time. Successful satire will effectively criticize and challenge powerfulpeople, cultural institutions, or illogical-collective-cultural habits or situations. The writer can be sillyor serious, dead pan or energetic. The writer might suggest some sincere or sarcastic solutions—orat least make the chaos a bit lighter with some playful levity.For this project, you will be building upon your expected learnings. You will choose aspecific audience to write for, and have specific intentions for their reactions and understanding.Your attention to diction, syntax, and tonewill channel the voice and style. Your thesismight beimplicit or explicit—but omnipresent in your piece. It should be clear the piece is satire. It is similarto the rhetorical analysis assignment in that you will tell a story and address the context of yoursubject and unpack the significance of your observations of what big or little things are at stake.You might also synthesize your chosen subject with other related concerns while being aware ofyour own rhetorical situation. You might want to mock another genre to structure the essay andyou have the option to write smaller pieces so long as your collated final submission is 4+ pages.Use of multimedia (e.g. images, memes, art, videos, etc.) is encouraged.How will you choose a topic? You are required to use at least one source as a basis. Wewill brainstorm topics you’re passionate about, but you can also peruse the internet forinspiration. I recommend only using credible & reputable news sites for base sources, but socialmedia might work for subsidiary points depending on your topic and your intention. You will getto exercise some creativity with the absurdity you address or manifest! You can use the tools ofparody, paradox, exaggeration, juxtaposition, metaphor, analogy, double entendre, freeassociations, clang associations, non-sequiturs, etc.You’re welcome to draw on your “native,” “home,” or “other” languages, literacies,and ways of being as you so choose.Assignment Criteria1. Effective rhetorical choices for a satirical essay and anticipate theassumptions of and appropriately reach the intended audienceHow effectively does the satirical essay tailor its perspective, examples, andlanguage to meet the expectations of the intended audience?2. Guide readers to understand the critique/progression of the story. Howeffectively is the essay narrowed, organized, and transitioned? How effective and specificis the thesis (whether explicit or implicit)? Does the author make the satirical elementsclear?3. Demonstrate Exigence. How effectively does the essay answer the So what? Whocares? questions to demonstrate the exigence and to make connections to largerimplications?4.General Requirements. Were all requirements for length and due date met?Phase 2 Calendar:The Satirical EssayDuring Phase 2, you will craft a 4+pages of satirical essay(s) that satirizes the frivolity oquotidian interactions or a powerful institution of your choosing. You will develop a specificvoice, style, and tone. You will continue to develop the storytelling strategies you practiced inphase 1. Key:✷ discussion post/reading response◾ writing for workshopWk Day HWDue Before Class In-ClassDiscussion5 Tues.2/21***No Class, classes follow a Monday Schedule***Watch: “The Shapes of Stories” lecture by Kurt VonnegutThurs.2/23✷Read and respond to: “Four Institutional Monologues” by GeorgeSaundersRead: “The Statue of Liberty was Built to Welcome Immigrants—ThatWelcome Must not End” by Dave EggersPhase 1 ReflectionIntro. to SatiricalEssayBrainstorm6Tues.3/1◾Write a 1-page brainstorming for your essay—provide detailsabout a social issue, injustice, or observation that you find to beimportant and explain why & what is at stake. Who has the power?(use this explore what you want to write about if you’re unsure)Read: “Adorable, Taxable You” by S.J. Perelman, p. 234Sketching ArcsStrategies for humorHoratian vs.Juvenalian satireThurs.3/2✷Read & write a response to: “A Better Place” by David SedarisRead: Brief History of Attacks on Satirists by Roger KreuzSketch an Arc for the story you’ll tell about the subject you aresatirizing & post to BBSketching ArcsCraft DiscussionPromptSharing Arcs7 Tues.3/7◾Write a messy draft of your satirical essayRead: “How to Write About Africa” by Binyavanga WainainaWorkshopConductinginterviewsThurs.3/9Read: “If Fathers Could Breastfeed” by Namrata PoddarRevise your evolving draft based on free-writes/peer commentsWorkshop draftsMore on interviews8 Tues.3/14◾Write a full draft of your Satirical essay. Please also upload it tothe BB Discussion Forum.Read: “National Jail Contractors” by Ryan M. MoserWorkshop of draftsPeer-review lettersThurs.3/16Revise your essay based on peer comments and prepare to read yourwork outloud.Read: “PEN vs. Sword” by Ayad Akhtar, Andrey Kurkov, PatriceNganang, Salman Rushdie, Yiyun LiOpen Mic/GroupWorkshopFri.3/17Revise & polish the final draft of your satirical essay and Submiton BB.No class, ofcourse

Satirical Essay Assignment prompt & calendar

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Satirical Essay Assignment prompt & calendar

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