Last Day of Writing for the Arts

Hello Students,

The DCAD class of 2021 is different and better than any other cohort that I've experienced in my 32 years of college teaching. You're more politically aware, more committed to making real change, more embracing of genuinely inclusive diversity, less tolerant of bullshit, etc. I have great hope for our future, because I see it in you. Your generation will do far better than mine, by miles. You inspire me. I have not been a good online teacher; that I am only too aware of. I'm trying to figure it out. 

Today is our final day. By no later than midnight tonight, you should have your final paper uploaded to our Populi page. The assignment is titled "Final Essay." The drafts I've read have been very good. Please remember to proofread your essay carefully before uploading it. It's totally OK to have a friend or family member look it over. Learning never ends. 

Also look at your assignment tab and make sure that you've successfully uploaded all assignments. I'm still grading the zines. 

Lastly and most importantly, please join our final class on Zoom this afternoon. We will start at the official time (remember that?), and everyone will be encouraged to make a super-informal presentation (no PowerPoints, just talking) about their final mini research paper. Focus on the ideas. 

If you have any questions, I am here at csmith@dcad.edu

A Directed Assignment for Those of You Who Don't Want to Come Up with Your Own Topic

Here is a link to a new essay titled "No Fun" by Tina Rivers Ryan.
It's a fresh piece, published just two weeks ago in the influential art magazine Artforum. This essay directly addresses some of the grim realities of our new situation. Let this act as a trigger warning; some students would probably rather not address these issues at this time. And that's ok. Likewise, you might not want to click on the online exhibition titled "Well Now, WTF?" that Rivers Ryan mentions in her Artforum essay.

If you choose this topic for your essay, remember to find some research that supports your position and ideas about online art in the age of quarantine. Make the essay your own. You are not parroting the work of others, but skillfully using their evidence to support your own unique ideas. Get specific. Those two words will always improve your writing. 

Please remember that you're also free to write and research a subject of your choice (as long as it's not recycled work from a previous class or assignment). Talk to me if you have questions.

MLA for Dummies

I've searched the internet for the best instructional video that breaks down the basics for using MLA style in a typical college academic essay. This was the best video I found. It's about twenty minutes long, but genuinely informative and as engaging as possible given the subject matter. Yes, it's somewhat tedious. I know that. And, yes, it seems like a minor concern compared to the actual "content" of the ideas that are the centerpiece of any worthwhile scholarly work. However, the hard truth of the matter is that MLA format is the "Lingua Franca" (common language) of American higher education. Even if you don't continue on to a BFA or BA program, your place of employment might have a different standardized format for all work-related writing. For you to be successful in that environment, you'll have to learn that language. This makes sense, doesn't it? It's just the truth, not an opinion. 

Your final essay will use in-text (parenthetical) citations, and it will include a final page with the words "Works Cited" centered at the top, and at least three sources (primary and/or secondary) with full and correct entries. If you watch the video above and take notes, you will get it right. You might have to watch it twice, but it's a finite thing. 

If you want to check with me and ask if you're "doing it right", send me an email message with your document attached: csmith@dcad.edu

Change in Page Requirement for Final Assignment

Hello Everybody,

One of your classmates made a reasonable argument that it's really hard to complete a 5-7 page paper in the next two weeks. I agree, and I'm thankful for the student who pointed this out to me. I have decided to change the page requirement to at least three full or nearly full pages of double-spaced text plus a Works Cited page. Those of you who need more room to build a nuanced argument can stay with the 5-7 page guideline, but there's no advantage to writing a longer paper rather than a shorter one. In other words, you will not receive a higher grade for a paper that is longer just because it's longer. 

In my over 30 years (yikes) of experience teaching college writing courses, I've learned that 90% of essays with a 5-7 page requirement, conclude at the mid-point of the 5th page (which is essentially four and a half pages). So, this revision to the assignment will result in about a 33% reduction in word count. However, the rest of the assignment remains the same. 

Please keep in mind that your paper will still need an introduction, conclusion, and citations. The body of it will be radically shorter. That's the major difference. 

Steady On,  Casey

PS: I hope everybody having a good day. Gorgeous weather in Wilmington, but a little chilly for mid-April. Maybe by the time you read this there will still be time to go out for some fresh air. 

Final Assignment

We only have one more assignment to complete for the semester. Obviously, we can't do a proper "exhibition review" because exhibitions are not happening. Online exhibitions are better than nothing, but then we're seeing images of images, not the work itself. Everything is reduced to the scale of a computer screen, everything is flattened, color is off, etc. 

Our final assignment is an essay with a research component. I don't want to call it a "research essay" because that term sends chills down the spines of college students everywhere. 

Rather than give a specific topic for this paper, I'm going to be open-minded. You might choose to go for a "deeper dive" on the artist you chose for your catalogue entry assignment; you might choose to write an essay about art in the age of pandemic; you might choose to write about a particular art movement that intrigues you. 

The paper will follow MLA format (see Purdue OWL) and be between 5-7 double-spaced pages, with a separate Works Cited page. We will be talking more about this assignment from here on out, but it's your job now to start brainstorming about what you want to learn more about. Details to follow.

Send me an email message with your ideas...   Casey

Grades Posted

Hello Writing for the Arts Students,
I posted a bunch of grades this morning. I'm in a really positive mood, because the quality of your writing is generally very high. I've been teaching college writing for over 30 years, so I have a pretty good idea of gauging the quality of first-year writing. Congratulations!  

10/10 = A+ (rare & exemplary)
9.5/10 = A (excellent & impressive)
9/10 = A- (solid & real achievement)
8.5/10 = B (very good, but room for improvement)
8/10 = B- (Ok, needs attention to detail)

If you receive a grade in the 7 or lower range, this is an indication that you really need to spend more time and concentration on your writing. Thankfully, there were not many grades in this range.

If you have any questions about a particular grade, please let me know and I'll explain it to you. Maybe you can make a good argument for me to bump you up a little? I'll listen to any substantive argument. 

Check out the Zines

Hello Writing for the Arts Students,

I'm still missing more than a few of the zines. Please upload them ASAP if you have yet to do so. Send me an email message when you do. Remember to include your name and colophon. Many of you have forgotten to do this, and your zine is totally anonymous. 

Here is the link. 

I'm opening up a discussion board on the Populi course page. Your assignment is simple. Read and enjoy your classmates' zines, and respond with a paragraph about your experience writing and reading the online zines. That's it. If you want to write more than a paragraph, go for it. This assignment is due no later than Wednesday, April 15, at 11:59 pm. Questions? csmith@dcad.edu

I will be "on call" this afternoon in a Zoom conference. You are welcome to join, especially those students who who have been relatively absent. Thanks! -- Casey

Uploading Zines on Populi

Hello Writing for the Arts Students (both sections),

I've been wrestling with the Issuu.com platform to make a portfolio of your zines. I think I'll be able to figure it out, but it might take most of the afternoon. 

Here's a link to Trinity's zine that I think comes out more or less right. Trinity made her book (pretty great, huh?), but then had to take photos of it and send them as Google slides. 

I'm planning to split you into groups of 3 or 4 and ask you to comment on the strengths and "areas for improvement" for your group-members. Stay tuned. 

Below is a very simple and somewhat artless new letterpress print from my home studio. 

Send me an email message. Want to Zoom chat? I can do that. -- C

Amazing Animated Short

Check this out: Kiki of Montparnasse 
Animated Art History!

Zoomin' Today

Today for the first 30 minutes of class, I'm going live on Zoom and I encourage you to join in. This is not required, but if you can make it, please do. We might have tech difficulties. You have been warned. Check the blog, check your email. Rinse, repeat.

Whether you join the conference call or not, EVERYBODY is required to send me a brief email message no later than 11:59 pm. Think of it as a developed paragraph. Tell me what's going on with you, let me know about your idea(s) for your zine. Communication!

csmith@dcad.edu

Catching Up With Back-Grading

This is just to say that I am painfully aware that I need to catch up on my back-grading. Please be patient. Thanks.  -- Casey

Uploading Zines and Other News

Alas, this is not my cat. His name is Harry Wilder and he lives with my friend Jim down in Bethesda, MD. In front of him is what is called a "California Job Case" used by letterpress printers.

Enough diversion, back to "Writing for the Arts."

Check out my first "virtual book" on Issuu.com:
https://issuu.com/caseysmith0/docs/for_dunya.docx

It's the text of a poem I read down in DC on March 8, before the world turned upside down. Can you spot the typo? I think there's only one. 

Students will be submitting their zines on Populi, and I will transform them into the Issuu.com platform. It worked seamlessly as a .docx file, and I imagine a PDF would likewise work. Please don't send me a Creative Cloud file (Illustrator, PhotoShop, InDesign, etc.) You could import your pages into GoogleDocs and remember to "save as .docx" or "save as PDF. One big change with this platform is WONDERFUL: You don't have to limit your zine to just 8 pages. It can be as long as you like, and it can have an odd or even number of pages. Remember to give it a cover and to include a colophon. Of course, proofread carefully. 

Here's a hint for the zine itself: Make it something that you can imagine your classmates learning from and also enjoying. In other words, aim to educate and entertain.

Due Date: No later than Monday, April 6,  11:59 pm 
Questions: csmith@dcad.edu or (202) 460-6864