Essay #

Public Argument Remix and Reflection

20% of Final Grade for the Course

When I write a poem or a storywhen I am synthesizing, some would sayI do a lot of analysis in the process. I pay fierce attention to the words I choose, the images I conjure, the sounds I create. I weigh. I compare. I evaluate both my sentences and my sense. I do this even as I am drafting and trying not to be too hard on myself so I can get plenty of language on the page. My ongoing analysis leads to more synthesis. Analysis helps me generate new images, connections, and echoes of language. When I write an article or book review, howeverwhen I am primarily concerned with analyzing, some would sayI also do a lot of synthesizing. [. . .] . . . I see no dichotomy between analysis and synthesis. They are Fred and Ginger. Poncho and Cisco. Thelma and Louise. Yin and yang. Neither is as effective separately as it is when partnered with the other. Good writing, regardless of the mode of discourse, causes writers to think. That thinking involves a productive dialectic between analysis and synthesis. Tom Romano, on the line between analysis and synthesis Writing with Passion: Life Stories, Multiple Genres (1995), pp. 5-6

Important Dates
4.21 Remix Workshop I, Visual Arguments: photo essays, comics, and more 4.26 Remix Workshop II, Creative Writing: short stories, poems, and manifestos 4.28 Peer Response: Bring 1 copy of your Public Argument Remix to class for peer response. 5.3 Peer Response: Bring 1 copy of your Remix Reflection Essay to class for peer response. 5.6 Final drafts of Essay #4 your remix and your reflection essay are due in the D2L dropbox by 10 am.

Purpose
The purpose of this assignment is to explore the relationship between analysis and synthesis, between content and form. During this assignment, we will investigate how different forms of writing allow us, as authors, to explore and re-present our arguments from different perspectives and for different or multiple audiences. Put differently, we will ask, How does an arguments persuasive power evolve when we remix it as a poem? As a comic? As a speech? How might different genres work creatively and persuasively for different audiences? Moreover, this assignment gives you the opportunity to reflect on your writing and think critically about the approaches that work (and dont work) best for you and the audiences you want to reach. To accomplish these goals, you will need to fulfill the two parts that comprise this assignment: Part One: Public Argument Remix Part Two: Remix Reflection Essay

Youll find detailed descriptions of these parts in the sections that follow.

PART ONE. Public Argument Remix 70 points of final grade for Essay #4 & no page length requirements
For this portion of the assignment, you will build on the work you did for Essay #3 (your Public Argument) by rewriting your argument to fit a new genre and a new audience. In other words, you will take the argument you explored in your Public Argument and remix or re-vision it to fit a new writing style, and youll need to identify a new, specific audience for your work. The success of your Public Argument Remix will rest mainly on how well the new genre suits your audience, your purpose as a writer, and the subject of your argument. When you consider these three aspects of your rhetorical situation, what new genre will make
Londie Martin \ First-Year Writing II: Rhetorical Analysis and Argument \ Spring 2011 1|P a g e

sense? In class, we will consider specific genres: creative writing and visual compositions. However, there are many, many genres that you can consider. Here is a brief list of possible genres:
speech personal letter obituary phone conversation recipe memo eulogy travel poster satirical prose advice column invitation memory autobiography illustrated timeline play or screenplay short story letter to an editor, politician, or public figure dialogue via email, IM, Twitter, or other chat technology a blog, flash animation, or some form of web text restaurant menu postcard collection editorial choose your own adventure narrative fan fiction manifesto tabloid article photographic essay

Please remember, this is a brief list of possible genres, and I invite you to generate and explore other possibilities. Experiment! Invent! If you are unsure, feel free to discuss your ideas with me. I will evaluate your Public Argument Remix by asking: How well do you define a new, unique audience for your Remix? How well does the Remix meet the needs, values, and concerns of the new audience you are addressing? How well does your Remix meet the conventions of the chosen genre? To fulfill this criterion, you will need to examine samples of your chosen genre to figure out the elements that comprise it, and you will need to demonstrate a clear understanding of the genre in your Remix. How well does the chosen genre suit the content or topic of your Remix? How imaginative and creative is the overall composition concept? (In other words, is your approach obvious? Or is it unexpected and engaging?)

PART TWO. Remix Reflection Essay 30 points of final grade for Essay #4 and no page length requirements
For this part of the assignment, you should write a separate essay in which you analyze the changes and rhetorical strategies you used to create your Remix. In other words, I would like you to consider the ways that the new approach and audience forced you to change your strategies of development. Describe each of the changes you made and analyze why you made these changes and how the changes affected the argument itself. It wont be enough to merely describe what the changes are and just say that your new audience could better appreciate them. Go into detail about your reasons for making each change and what its effects will be. In this respect, your Remix Reflection Essay is a lot like the directors commentary you might find on film DVDs. Put differently, think of your Remix Reflection Essay as a rhetorical analysis of the work you did for your Public Argument Remix. I will evaluate your Remix Reflection Essay by asking: How well do you assesswith meaningfully detailed explanations and examplesthe rhetorical situation of your Public Argument Remix? (i.e., Who is your audience? What is your purpose and argument? What social, historical, cultural context affects your writing, and why is it important to think critically about this context?) How well do you analyze the rhetorical strategies (e.g., word choice, tone, types of evidence, style, imagery, etc.) and the rhetorical appeals (i.e., logos, ethos, pathos) you use in your Public Argument Remix to make your argument persuasive for your unique audience? How well do you thoughtfully and honestly inquire into your own development as a writer?
Londie Martin \ First-Year Writing II: Rhetorical Analysis and Argument \ Spring 2011 2|P a g e