ABOUT FRIDAY FORUM
Friday Forum is a hybrid class/reading series. Every
other week, we hold a reading and Q&A session in Engineering 371. We
bring you some of the most interesting and active literary figures working today
in New York and beyond. On our off weeks, we prepare for the next week's
reading with a discussion group. Here, a smaller group of students will
have a conversation lead by either Gina or Nelly about the next reader's
work. They'll think about questions to ask the reader. And
they'll begin to plan the introduction which will be given the following
week at the start of the reading.
POLICIES, RULES and SUGGESTIONS:
In Friday Forum, attendance and participation are key.
1. You are required to attend every reading. There will be
a sign-in roster by the door which will require your signature. You should
arrive by 11:50, and the reading will start at noon. If you arrive after the
reading starts, you will be considered absent. Prepare for each reading by making
yourself familiar with the bio and work that we have linked to on the Friday
Forum website: pratt.edu/~fforum. Of
course you are encouraged to go more deeply into your study of each reader,
find and read books, read interviews, and think about questions you may want
to ask. (Reading attendance is 42% of your grade)
2. You are required to sign up for and attend one discussion group. You
are responsible for remembering which group you signed up for on the first day
of class. With so many students, two professors, seven readings and six
discussion groups, it's just too complicated to make changes in the planning
once we have it set, so be sure you have picked the writer you're interested
in and a date that will work for you.
It is your responsibility to read and research and obtain work by your chosen
author well ahead of the scheduled discussion group. Explore the range of
the author's work, read as much as you can, collect reviews, interviews,
statements, and other materials. You should research on the net and at
the library. For help using the library's databases or to order materials
through interlibrary loan, see the reference librarian. If you cannot find
a book in the library it is your responsibility to purchase it, as you would
a text for any class. You must read more than what is linked to on the Friday
Forum website. A lack of adequate preparation for the discussion group
will be reflected in your final grade.
Together the presenting group is responsible for reading ALL of its chosen
author's available work prior to the Discussion Group class period. An
individual student's reading load for a discussion group will vary according
to genre, a book of poems, a novel, a memoir, a collection of short stories or
articles, or a screenplay. (The most effective approach in the case of authors
with multiple books or of a wide range of articles is to meet briefly with your
group a full two weeks in advance directly after a reading to delegate
responsibilities.) Small group discussions meet in Engineering, room 114.
At the end of the discussion group, we will make a plan for the writing of the
introduction speech for next week's reading; it can be done by one person,
a couple of people, or a group. You are encouraged to volunteer
to work on the introduction. (Discussion group attendance and participation
is 38% of your grade).
A concise, well-crafted introduction is expected: generally speaking, one paragraph
should cover biography (books, personal and professional background, awards);
the other should contextualize the writer's work in a deeper way discussing
its themes, style, language, and relationship to tradition. Select emblematic
quotes from the author; let your peers know how this writer excels and what compels
you about his or her writing. To read some examples of well-written introductions
please click on the link: http://pratt.edu/~fforum/sample_intros.html
Please get your introduction to the teacher who led the discussion group
by noon the Thursday before the author’s reading. This way we can
edit or suggest changes if they are needed.
3. After the discussion group, you are required to write up your
thoughts on the author and email them to Gina, Nelly and the students who have
volunteered to write the introduction. These responses are due by 6:00 p.m. on
the Tuesday before the author’s reading. The volunteers will then be able
to cull from everybody's responses. (Emailed write-up is 20%
of your grade).
If you have an emergency that will affect your attendance of
either a reading or discussion group, you must contact both Gina and Nelly as
soon as possible and bring documentation (doctor's note, for instance)
if you want to work on making up the credit.
Please note: There are few requirements but they'll weigh heavily
on the grade you'll earn.
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