Guidelines for Final Portfolios and Grading

Your final portfolios are due by 5 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 16. This deadline is absolute. No extensions. There will be a drop box outside my office (208 FOB).

Your final portfolio should be compiled in a binder or a folder. It should include the following seven or eight items (in this order):

1. A final revision of one piece you've done this semester. The revision should reflect your understanding of all the concepts we've covered. It will be graded on AP Style, grammar, thoroughness of reportage (5Ws/1H), effective use of sources and quotes, and overall journalistic technique (smooth transitions, organization, sense of news-worthiness, etc.). It should show evidence that you've revisited your subject, conducted more in-depth interviews as needed, and applied the feedback you received during in-class lectures and workshops.

ALSO include:

2. A one-page statement discussing your approach to revision of the piece. What steps did you take to make the piece better? Why? What guided your organization of the piece (what you chose for the lede, how you focused the story, etc.)? What did you struggle with? What did you enjoy about writing the piece? What, if anything, would you still like to improve upon (you may discuss your reportage, your interviewing techniques, etc.)?

Then include original versions of the following pieces (labeled accordingly) in this order:

3. Q&A
4. Terkel Assignment
5. Profile Piece
6. Second news brief
7. First news brief

Also include:

8. Any clips you have from The Insider, if applicable (print out and include here)

(Note: Only original copies are required. However, you may opt to revise each piece if you'd like to try and boost your grade. Staple revisions to original copies and be sure to label the revision as REVISION. Revising pieces doesn't guarantee that your grade will improve. Grading will be based on the quality of the revisions.)

Your final grade will be calculated this way:

1. 60 percent -- quality of written work/final portfolio
2. 30 percent -- quiz and test grades
3. 10 percent -- citizenship (attendance, participation, professionalism, conduct)

Post-Turkey Joy: Written/Spoken Reading Tuesday, Nov. 30 features Stacey Waite

The 2010-2011 Pitt-Greensburg Written/Spoken Reading Series continues with November speaker Stacey Waite on Tuesday, Nov. 30 at 7 p.m. in the Coffeehouse.

After receiving her MFA in poetry in 2003, Waite has published two collections of poems, both of which were recognized with awards. Her poetry collection “Choke” won the 2004 Frank O’Hara Prize in Poetry, and her collection “Love Poem to Androgyny” was the winner of the 2006 Main Street Rag Chapbook Competition.

Waite’s most recent work has been published in “The Cream City Review,” “Interim,” “Knockout,” and “Black Warrior Review.” Her newest collection of poems, “The Lake Has No Saint,” has just been released from Tupelo Press. In addition, her poem “Trans,” which appears in the anthology “I Go to the Ruined Place: Contemporary Poems in Defense of Global Human Rights,” was nominated for a Pushcart Prize.

Originally from New York, Waite currently teaches courses in Composition, Women’s Studies, Literature, and Creative Writing as a PhD Candidate at the University of Pittsburgh. Her full length collection “Butch Geography” will be published by Tupelo Press in 2012.

Opening readers for Stacey include UPG poet Kim Wolff and nonfiction writer Montana Miller.

The Written/Spoken series offers readings on the last Tuesday of every month, and brings local and nationally-known poets and writers to campus for readings and workshops. The series is sponsored by the University’s writing program and is free and open to the public. All readings in the series begin at 7 p.m. in the campus coffeehouse, located in Village Hall. Book signings and receptions follow all events.

For more information about the series or about Waite’s visit, contact Lori Jakiela, associate professor of English, at 724.836.7481 or email loj@pitt.edu

Class canceled tomorrow, Tuesday Nov. 16

Our class tomorrow, Tuesday Nov. 16, is canceled. We'll pick up
on Thursday with an open-book quiz on Joan Didion's work. Please continue
reading Vintage Didion to prepare for the quiz.

Also, unless you were a member of Team 1 (the winners of News Jeopardy), there
will be a news section on your quiz. Please be familiar with this week's
headlines.

And remember to bring your Q&A to class (one hard copy + e-copy).

Thanks!

Thursday, November 4

More Terkel! We'll watch some short interviews with Studs himself, then move on to workshop of your own Terkel-inspired pieces.

Your next piece won't be due until Thursday, Nov. 18. It will be a Q&A piece. Base your work on the CITY PAPER handout I'll give you today in class. Pick a timely, news-worthy subject. AP Style. Grammar. All of it counts. Approximately 500-700 words. Bring an e-copy and a hard copy to class on November 18.

Also begin reading Joan Didion. I'll lecture a bit on her next week. We'll be focusing mostly on news next week, though, so be sure to read the headlines and follow the big stories.

Conferences on Tuesday, Nov. 2

Remember we won't meet in the classroom on Tuesday, Nov. 2. There's a sign-up sheet on my office door (208 FOB). Please sign up for individual conferences. The conferences aren't mandatory, but they're highly recommended. During the conferences, we'll go over your work one-on-one. Please be sure to bring any of your old stories with you if you'd like to review them; I'll have your profile piece on hand. I can let you know where you stand mid-term grade-wise.

Extra credit roster

The following folks will receive extra credit for attending the Written/Spoken series on Tuesday, Oct. 26:

Nicole H., Tiffany B., Phoebe N., Natalie S., Corey Fl., C.J. S., Jordan H., Eric R., Michelle W., and Justin M.

Happy bonus!

Extra credit opportunity!

If you'd like extra credit for our class -- or if you'd just like to enjoy a great night with wonderful writers -- please come to tonight's Written/Spoken reading. It's at 7 p.m. in the coffeehouse. We're celebrating Alumni Night, so all the guest writers will be graduates of Pitt-Greensburg's Writing Program.

The line-up includes our own Corey Florindi as the opening reader. Guest writers incude nonfiction/memoirist/poet Adam Matcho; poet/fictioneer Carrie Smith; and Dave Newman, whose novel Please Don't Shoot Anyone Tonight was just published by World Parade Books.

The reading is free and open to the public. Village credit. A reception and booksigning will follow the reading. We'll also have a raffle -- you can win signed copies of books by Pitt-Greensburg's faculty authors.

Your extra-credit points can buy your way out of one news brief.

Hope to see you all there!

The Art of the Interview -- Oct. 26 -28

This week we'll focus on the art of interviewing. A powerpoint lecture will advance your understanding of the basics, and we'll watch and listen to some of today's greatest interviewers at work.

We'll watch Larry King tangle with Jon Stewart, and compare King's style with NPR's Terry Gross' technique on her show "Fresh Air." We'll watch Barbara Walters as she re-visits Fidel Castro 25 years after their first interview. More!

On Thursday, we'll trace everything back to the master -- Studs Terkel. Over the weekend, you'll practice Terkel's interviewing technique with a subject of your choice.

Terkel Assignment details:

* Choose a subject whose job interests you. Preferably talk to a stranger.
* Record your conversation.
* Transcribe your conversation using Terkel's technique (as covered in class; use the handout as an example)
* E-mail your transcription -- complete with a "bingo" moment -- to me by 5 p.m. next Wednesday. E-mail your piece as a Word attachment. Put your name on your e-mail and on your piece. Send to: lljakiela@gmail.com.
* We'll use selected transcriptions for workshop in class on Thursday

Keep your edited transcription short -- 500 words. Use good grammar and AP Style. Be sure to meet the deadline.

Sample Profile Pieces

Here are the samples/models we covered in class. Also, check out Lillian Ross' Portrait of Hemingway for a book-length example (and to learn more about those 52 cats).

Standard Profile: Novel Explores Desperation of Teens

Q & A: Breakfast with Shannen Doherty

Class Schedule: Tuesday, Oct. 19 and Thursday, Oct. 21

On Tuesday, we'll be workshopping your profile pieces. Please be sure to bring an electronic copy of your work as well as one hard copy. I'll collect your hard copies. Please be sure to also bring your AP Stylebook to class. You'll need it for workshop.

On Thursday, we'll have a quiz on Rick Bragg. Please be sure to finish reading the book. You'll be able to use your book as a reference for the quiz. The quiz will also include concepts we've already covered in class re: Bragg's technique.

Be sure to bring your book and Stylebook to class on Thursday.

Class canceled for tomorrow, Thursday, Oct. 14

I'm out with the flu. We won't have class tomorrow, Thursday, Oct. 14. We'll pick back up on Tuesday.

Thanks!

Week of October 4: Rick Bragg, Possum Trot and Finding the Extraordinary in the Ordinary

This week, please read Rick Bragg's "Somebody Told Me." I'll lecture on Bragg and his work on Tuesday.

For Thursday, please come to class with the following:

* The name and contact information for someone you'd like to do a short profile piece on. The person should be newsworthy (per all our discussions about what makes news). The person should not be related to you or be a close friend. Please be aware of your own biases. Remember objective method.

* The name and contact information of at least one (more is preferred) secondary source you can use for the story. This person/these persons should have insider knowledge of your story subject. Try to go for both expected and unexpected sources. Again, this person/these persons should not be directly connected to you in any way.

* A rationale for why your subject is newsworthy now. (A few sentences addressing the 5Ws/1H; what this person is involved in now that's newsworthy; what makes this person interesting/extraordinary; etc.)

* A rationale for how you'll do the interview and where/why.

Once your subject is approved, you'll write a short profile piece. Your piece will be due in class on Thursday, Oct. 14. Bring an e-copy of your piece and your interview notes to class. You'll work with one of your classmates and with me to polish your story for The Insider.

Your story should be structured something like this:

First paragraph: Lead (you can be more creative/follow Bragg's style/color)
Second paragraph: Follow-up information for lead
Third paragraph: Quote from primary source
Fourth paragraph: Weave (we'll discuss in class -- background info)
Fifth paragraph: Quote from primary source
Sixth paragraph: Weave and introduction of secondary source
Seventh paragraph: Quote from secondary source
Eighth paragraph: Weave
Ninth paragraph: Final quote from source

Approximately 500 words. AP Style. Grammar counts. Accuracy counts.

Plans for Thursday, Sept. 31

Don't be sad. We won't have a news quiz tomorrow (Thursday, Sept. 31).

Instead, we'll informally check out the day's big stories, review your second news briefs, polish and send these to the Insider, AND (if there's time) have a fascinating powerpoint lecture on interviewing skills.

Don't miss it!

Class canceled for tomorrow -- Tuesday, Sept. 28

Our class for tomorrow -- Tuesday, Sept. 28 -- is canceled. Please use this time to work on your second news briefs. We'll stay on schedule, so be sure to e-mail your news briefs to me at lljakiela@gmail.com by midnight on Wednesday, Sept. 29. We'll workshop your stories in class on Thursday. Guidelines for the news briefs are on the blog (see list of assignments from last week).

Pendulum, UPG's Literary Magazine, Accepting Submissions

Pendulum, the literary magazine of Pitt-Greensburg, is now accepting submissions for the Fall 2010 issue. The editors are looking for poetry, prose, artwork and photography. Multiple submissions are fine (no more than three please). All writing submissions should be kept to 1,000 words or fewer.

Submissions can emailed and attached as Microsoft Word documents, then sent
to UPGPendulum@gmail.com.

New Novel from UPG Writing Program Graduate (Our First-Ever!)

Dave Newman, a 1993 graduate of the UPG Writing Program, has a new (and first) novel out now. His novel, "Please Don't Shoot Anyone Tonight," is a crime and coming-of-age story set in nearby Irwin, Pa. It's the first-ever book by a UPG Writing Program grad. Ever. Check it out here. And for more about Dave, visit his website here.

National Undergraduate Lit Mag Seeks Submissions

Here's a great chance for you lit-writer types. The inaugural edition of Catfish Creek, a national undergraduate literary journal based at Loras College, needs submissions.

The details from the magazine's editors:

"Catfish Creek, the national undergraduate literary journal of Loras College, is pleased to announce the release of its inaugural edition, slated for Spring 2011. Catfish Creek is intended as a showcase for undergraduate writers from across the country and around the world. We are welcoming submissions of fiction, poetry, and literary nonfiction.

"Any student currently registered in an undergraduate program is eligible to submit. If we accept your work, we will ask for proof of your current enrollment.

"Our reading period is September 1-November 15. Any manuscripts received outside of that time will be deleted unread. Simultaneous submissions are welcome as long as we are informed if the work is accepted elsewhere.

"Submission Guidelines:
All submissions should be sent electronically, as MS-Word (.doc or .docx) or RTF attachments, to Catfish.Creek@loras.edu. Please specify the genre of your submission (poetry, fiction, nonfiction) in the Subject line of your message.
Ex: Fiction submission—“Story Title”

"For more submission guidelines please see our website

"We are excited at Loras College to be starting a new tradition, and equally excited to read the incoming submissions. Welcome to Catfish Creek!"

Job Opp -- Examiner.com

Turn your journalism pieces into a little extra cash by writing for Examiner.com. This hyper-local news and entertainment blog runs on freelance writers who bring expertise in specialized topics and coverage areas. (For instance, sports writers: see here to apply to be a Pitt-Greensburg Bobcats Examiner.)

Atomic Cafe and Dr. Strangelove

THE ATOMIC CAFE is a both terrifying and hilarious film released in 1982 as a reminder of cold-war era paranoia in the U.S. The film, which has since become a classic must-see, includes collages of newsreels, military training films and government archives -- all set to a 1950s soundtrack. The film captures a panicked nation and offers an account of life during the atomic age -- complete with duck-and-cover drills and fall-out shelters and government propaganda campaigns. Critics compare it to both "Reefer Madness" and Kubrick's "Dr. Strangelove" -- another classic film about bomb-love and fear. Here's an online glimpse at The Atomic Cafe.

Some Background: Hiroshima

This video from the BBC includes commentary from survivors of the bombing of Hiroshima. The approach -- a focus on individual, human stories -- is similar to the one Hersey takes.

This actual footage from the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki represents the kind of coverage that was more common before Hersey's reportage. (Note focus on the bombs' power.)