English 1301-Writing Assignment and peer review for two classmates

Paper 3 – The Multiple Genre Argument Introduction to Prompt: Get ready to be uncomfortable. Or perhaps I should just ask you to get comfortable with uncertainty. In the Multiple Genre Argument, I am asking you to do something that you have never done before. This will make the project very hard, but the challenge will also make the assignment very rewarding. I don't think we can learn if we are not pushed beyond what we are used to doing. In a book called Writing Analytically that I use for another class, the authors put it this way: "Most of us have to cultivate a more positive attitude toward not knowing. Prepare to be surprised at how difficult this can be. Start by trying to accept that uncertainty--even its more extreme version, confusion--is a productive state of mind, a precondition for having ideas." As daunting as I am making this sound, remember: I am always an email or tweet away. Please ask your questions…I want to help! Prompt: When we experience controversial issues in our everyday lives, no one hands us a ten-page research paper that outlines the issues and tells us what to do. Instead, we have to wade through the controversy and the corresponding piles of paper to figure out what the issues really are and how we should best respond to them. In a Multiple Genre Argument (MGA), your task is to create this context—this collection of material that constitutes the paper trail surrounding a specific issue. During this process, you will become familiar with all sides of the issue, and you will ultimately have to choose which side of the argument you most relate to. You will use traditional academic forms in your MGA, but the point of this project is to use your skills within the context of a tangible and specific controversy. In their book Multiple Genres, Multiple Voices, Cheryl Johnson and Jayne Moneysmith explain in more detail what an MGA looks like: "In a [Multiple Genre Argument], writers create an argument that explores alternative perspectives by using multiple genres written from different points of view. Genres might include a letter, a dialogue, a report, or even a poem—in addition to the traditional essay. Students bolster their argument with research that is reflected within these genres, creating an 'organic' whole, though the 'whole' may not be linear. By combining an array of voices, with the rigor of scholarship, the [Multiple Genre Argument] offers a fresh and powerful approach to research and argument" (2). Their idea of “combining an array of voices, with the rigor of scholarship” might help you better understand what an MGA is. Your project will present the ideas of all sides while adding your own scholarly research, thus making your side of the argument the most convincing. So what is a genre? And how can you have multiple genres in one paper? The different genres you choose will help you become familiar with all sides of the issue, and you will ultimately have to choose which side of the argument you most relate to. You will have at least six sources. Three of these will be academic sources (peer-reviewed books or journals); and the remaining three will come will also come from the library website, but can be other reliable sources like newspapers or magazines. Paper 3 – The Multiple Genre Argument YOU WILL SPEND THIS WEEK PROPOSING YOUR TOPIC AND WRITING YOUR FIRST GENRE. Next week, you will begin your research, begin writing the body of your essay, and prepare to upload your rough draft. Be aware that we will do TWO peer reviews of this paper in Turnitin. Your final draft will be 8-10 pages (2400-3000 words) and will be in MLA format as usual. Please upload your final paper to Turnitin as we have done in the past. Due: the designated day at 11:59 p.m. (see course calendar for date). Now you're wondering, "how the heck do I start writing this thing?" Don't worry too much. Here's a very simple way of thinking about it: I. Creative genre (one or two pages): write a journal entry or a dialogue to introduce the conflict (you can choose any genre--see list below). II. Typical Research (about six pages): You will write a typical research paper here (much like Paper 3). III. Creative genre (one or two pages): write another genre to show how someone might have changed their mind about a topic. You can get more creative than this if you would like, but at the very least, I would like you to start and end with a creative genre. (Just to be clear, you are writing the creative genre...not copying it from somewhere else.) The following is only a list of possible genres. It is only a starting point; you can come up with your own. ACADEMIC GENRES: News article, Book/film review, Classical argument, Biography/Autobiography, Interviews, Response papers, Case studies, Proposals/Abstracts, Editorials, Critical essays, Commentaries, Feature articles, Research reports, Technical reports, Theory-based essays, Written debates, Speeches, Mission statements, and Point/counterpoint. PUBLIC GENRES: Police reports, Letters to public officials, Memos, Newsgroup exchanges, Resumes, Sermons, Job application, Email exchanges, Letters to the editor, Newsletter or pamphlet, Field notes, Letters to experts, Instructions (how-to guide), Letters of complaint, Lab reports, doctor's note. CREATIVE GENRES: Poems, Adventures, Newspaper “fillers,” Songs and ballads, Children’s stories, Screen plays, Diary entries, dialogues, Anecdotes, Slide show, Script, Stories, Mysteries, Telegrams, Prophesies/predictions, Letters to imaginary people, TV/radio scripts, Scenes from a play, Riddles, Recipes or menus, Contracts, Epitaphs, Obituaries, Wills, Fables, Grocery lists, To-do lists, Newscasts, Prayers, Quizzes or surveys, Advice columns, Marriage contracts. You need to send me an Argument Proposal right away and start writing your first draft. Please email me your argument proposal ([email protected]), and begin writing your first genre to introduce your topic. Remember, these topics are off-limits: Gay Marriage, Capital Punishment, Marijuana, Abortion, Global Warming, The Media, Euthanasia, Body Image, Gun Control, School Uniforms, Cell Phones & Texting, Lowering Drinking Age, Steroids, and Bullying.