Reading Response--for real this time (and with a choice!)

The long-awaited reading reponse assignment is finally ready for you. Thank you for your patience.

There are two reading options for the response (one reading by Wendall Berry, one by Guy Davenport), both of which will have their own prompt posts, but here are the general guidelines:

TECHNICAL DETAILS/Where to Post In the sidebar, you'll see the two reading options. Once you've done one of the readings, you should use the sidebar to get to the blog post for that reading. Once at that post, you should use the comments area to post your response to the reading.

Your Required Contribution: 300 words for the reading that you choose. (Again, 500 words would be better. There is no maximum.)

How to Contribute (1): For this assignment, click "Post a Comment" at the appropriate blog entry. (See instructions below.)

• Option 1: You can do one big comment to contribute, or you can post a couple of different smaller items.
• Option2: It would be terrific to see you not only posting absolutely original comments but also commenting on each other's comments. The blog allows your response to Convocation to become a conversation in ways that plain-old paper printouts cannot. So let's converse! 

The Deadline

Your response is due by class time on 10/23....you have other work due that day as well, so manage your time and check the syllabus (and the blog) for that other stuff.

Content of Your Response

Your response to the essay should demonstrate insightful, engaged, critical thinking. Select something about the essay that you find especially interesting, provocative, enraging, truthful, controversial, or otherwise noteworthy. Explain what it is that caught your interest, and then explain why you agree or disagree. Be sure to give concrete examples from the text to back up your position. And keep in mind that explaining the author's position is important, but that second part--where you say something about this that only you would say--is where things get interesting.

Conversations

As always on this blog, it would be excellent for you to start a conversation with the rest of the class. As part of your response, you can post questions about the reading. You can also comment on and respond to things that others have already posted about the reading.
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