Rachel Rys

Writing 501
Professor Johnson
12 December 2015
Reflections on Syllabus
Since I am not teaching Writing 2, I have instead built a syllabus for a dream course
about feminist writing that I would like to teach in the future. The full syllabus for this class,
which Im calling Reading, Writing, and Resistance, appears on the following pages. While
Feminist Studies requires a significant amount of both reading and writing, we do not offer a
dedicated undergraduate writing course within the department. Given this opening, I hope to
pitch this course to my department for next summer or fall quarter. The course is imagined as an
upper-division course, primarily intended for majors. I hope that this course would provide an
overview of feminist writing across different contexts and prepare students for the writing
required of the major and of their future education or careers. I also hope that a course like this
could center and solidify the recently-approved Writing Studies emphasis within our Ph.D
program.
Instead of identifying syllabus changes, the following brief reflection considers how this
syllabus was shaped by the readings and discussions that we shared in 501. First, the course
borrows much of its structure from Writing 2. Specifically, it has three writing projects with
designated project builders, as well as a substantial revised final portfolio. In addition to the
structure of these assignments, I designed the syllabus to reflect the following takeaways from
501:

Studying genre focuses attention on rhetorical purpose and increases students ability to
transfer knowledge across contexts and writing tasks.

The course is structured around three different writing projects that examine writing across
different contexts. The first project examines the personal narrative essay-style writing that was
foundational for the field. The second project examines the conventions and politics of academic
feminist writing. The third project is a historical inquiry and genre translation which asks
students to locate a text of feminist interest in the archive and create an original project in the
same genre. By structuring the course around these different projects, students must identify
writing conventions within different contexts and critically consider the role of audience and
form in doing academic and activist work. I hope that by studying feminist writing in these
different contexts, students will discover the extent to which these types of writing are
intertwined.

Reflection and revision are necessary components for improving writing.

While the courses that I have designed in the past have included structured revision (i.e.
proposals, drafts, feedback meetings, etc.), the readings from 501 have emphasized the
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importance of including reflection and revision as part of the structure of the course itself. The
syllabus that I have proposed here includes a significant amount of time dedicated to in-class
revision, which I imagine will be divided among both individual and peer review. The projects
themselves will require cover memos that encourage students to engage in metacognitive
reflection about their own writing processes and decisions. Finally, by including dedicated time
in class to presenting work, I hope to expand opportunities for students to tailor their work to a
tangible audience and solicit feedback on their written work.

Feminist Studies 190: Reading, Writing, and Resistance

Winter 2016
Instructor: Rachel Rys
Email: rachelrys@umail.ucsb.edu
Class Time: X

Location: X
Office Hours: X
Office: South Hall 4431, Cubicle R

COURSE DESCRIPTION & OBJECTIVES

In this course, we will explore the current and historical relationship between feminism and writing. This
course investigates how writing been used by feminists across different personal, academic, and activist
contexts. By exploring diverse genres of feminist writing, we will critically consider the role of language
and politics in both feminist knowledge production and community building.
This course will engage with the following questions: What do feminists write and for whom? What are
the conditions that shape feminist writing? What are the connections and divergences between personal
essays, academic articles, and activist writings throughout time?
Given the interdisciplinary nature of feminist analyses, this course will utilize a wide range of
informational sources and presentation modalities (i.e. lecture, discussion, student presentations,
interactive group exercises, writing activities, films, guest speakers). In order to build a community of
learners, each class member is expected to participate in both learning and teaching throughout the
session.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By participating in this course, we will:
Identify how intersecting categories of social difference (such as gender, race, ethnicity, class,
sexual identity, body, and ability) shape the form, content, and audience of activist writings
Create and share personal narrative, analytic reflection, and historically-informed exploration of
different written genres

REQUIRED TEXTS
This class requires a course reader, which is available for purchase at SB Printer in the UCen. Everyone is
responsible for bringing the reading to class each day. If purchasing the reader represents a financial
barrier to participating in this course, please let me know ASAP.
The reader may occasionally be supplemented by readings posted to Gauchospace. Reading is subject to
change, so be aware of announcements in class and via email.

Grades
will be
determined on the basis of:
COURSE
ASSIGNMENTS

A=90

Attendance, participation, preparation (15%)

Project 1 (15%)
Project 2 (15%)
Project 3 (15%)
Final revised portfolio (40%)
B=80 C=70 D=60 F=below 59

Information about assignments will be posted on Gauchospace and introduced and discussed during class.
At the end of the quarter, everyone should submit a final portfolio which compiles and revises the work
completed in this course.

CLASS POLICIES
We will have discussions in this course which will require us to interrogate many of our closely held
beliefs and values. Due to the personal and intimate nature of the course topics and materials, we will
workshop class policies together on Day 1. Participants will be asked to sign a course contract of mutually
agreed-upon policies and expectations.

CAMPUS RESOURCES

Women, Gender, & Sexual Equity Department: http://wgse.sa.ucsb.edu

Campus Learning Assistance Services: http://clas.ucsb.edu; 805.893.3269
Counseling & Support Services: http://counseling.sa.ucsb.edu; 805.893.4411
DSP Accommodations: This course welcomes and accommodates all interested students.
Students who require accommodations to fully participate in the course should contact the
Disabled Students Program ASAP: http://dsp.sa.ucsb.edu; 805.893.2668.

IMPORTANT DATES
X
X
X
X
X
X
X

Writing Project 1 presentations in class

Writing Project 1 Submission Packet due to Gauchospace by 5pm
Writing Project 2 presentations in class
Writing Project 2 Submission Packet due to Gauchospace by 5pm
Writing Project 3 presentations in class
Writing Project 3 Submission Packet due to Gauchospace by 5pm
Final Portfolio due to Rachels office by 5pm

WEEK 1:
Mon

We must not examine our classrooms in isolation from the institutional system that
authorizes them (Jeannie Ludlow, 2004)

Welcome & introductions

What is a feminist classroom?

Readings:

Weds

Ludlow, Jeannie. 2004. From Safe Space to Contested Space in the Feminist
Classroom

The histories that bring us to feminism are often the histories that leave us fragile (Sara
Ahmed, 2015)

Why do feminists write?

Readings:

Lorde, Audre. 1978. The Transformation of Silence into Language and Action.
hooks, bell. 2000. Remembered Rapture: Dancing with Words.

Participation Prep:

Bring a quote about writing that is particularly meaningful to you. Who is the author of
this quote? What makes this quote meaningful to you? Be prepared to share your
response with the class.

Assignments:

Participation prep due in class on X.

WEEK 2:
Mon

To change the master script is to change reality; to change reality is to participate in

making a history different from the one the status quo would produce. (Leslie Rebecca
Bloom, 1998)

Introducing Project 1
What do feminists write?

Readings:

Weds

Yu, Su-Lin. 2011. Reclaiming the Personal: Personal Narratives of Third-Wave

Feminists. Womens Studies 40(7): 873-889.

My silences had not protected me. Your silence will not protect you. (Audre Lorde, 1978)

For whom do feminists write?

Readings:

Lorde, Audre. 1984. Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches. New York: Ten Speed Press.

Assignments:

Project Builder 1A due in class

Assignments:

Project Builder 1A due in class on X

WEEK 3:
Mon

I write because Im scared of writing, but Im more scared of not writing. (Gloria
Anzalda, 1983)

How and where does feminist writing travel?

Readings:

Moraga, Cherre and Gloria Anzalda. 1983. This Bridge Called My Back: Writings By
Radical Women of Color. Boston: Kitchen Table/Women of Color Press.

Assignments:

Weds

Project Builder 1B due in class

Re-vision [is] the act of looking back, of seeing with fresh eyes, of entering an old text from
a new critical direction it is an act of survival. (Adrienne Rich, 1972)

Project 1 Re-vision

Readings:

TBD

Assignments:

Project Builder 1B due in class on X

WEEK 4:
Mon

We do not know what we can speak/write into existence until weve done it. (Bronwyn
Davies, 2000)

Project 1 Presentations

Readings:

Weds

N/A

The ideas I present are never fully mine. (Juana Mara Rodrguez, 2003).

Reflection on Project 1
Introducing Project 2
What is academic feminism?

Readings:

Rodrguez, Juana Mara. 2003. A Note of Caution to the Reader.

Assignments:

Project 1 Submission Packet due on Friday, X to the Gauchospace drop box by 5pm

WEEK 5:
Mon

To write feminist theory is always to be positioned within a broader field (Clare

Hemmings, 2013)

What are the conventions and practices of academic feminism?

Readings:

Hemmings, Clare. Why Stories Matter: The Political Grammar of Feminist Theory.
Hemmings, Clare. What are Feminist Theorists Responsible for?

Assignments:

Weds

Project Builder 2A due in class

The product cant be separated from the conditions of its production (Tillie Olsen, 1980)

What are feminist objects of analysis and why?

Readings:

Wiegman, Robyn. 2010. The Intimacy of Critique: Rumination on Feminism as a Living

Thing.

Assignments:

Project Builder 2A due in class on X

WEEK 6:
Mon

Critique is the privileged mode of reading and writing that constitutes field-forming
intimacies in Womens and Gender Studies (Robyn Wiegman, 2010)

Project 2 Re-vision

Readings:

N/A

Assignments:

Weds

Project Builder 2B due in class

Project 2 Presentations
Readings:

N/A

Assignments:

Project Builder 2B due in class on X

Project 2 Submission Packet due on Friday, X to the Gauchospace drop box by 5pm

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WEEK 7:
Mon

The making of archives is frequently where knowledge production begins (Kate

Eichhorn, 2013)

Introducing Project #3
Visit from research librarian
What is an archive?

Readings:

Weds

Eichhorn, Kate. 2013. The Scrap Heap Reconsidered: Selected Archives of Feminist
Archiving.

We must always have a place to store the darkness (Agha Shahid Ali, 1991)

What is an archive for?

Readings:

Arondekar, Anjali. n.d. Without a Trace: Sexuality and the Colonial Archive. Journal
of the History of Sexuality 14 (1/2): 1027.
Cvetkovich, Ann. An Archive of Feelings: Trauma, Sexuality, and Lesbian Public
Culture.

Participation Prep:

Read the sources posted to Gauchospace about how to use an archive. Write down one tip
that you think is important.
Search the UCSB library catalog to find some collections that you may be interested in
viewing.

Assignments:

Participation prep due in class on X.

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WEEK 8:

Mon

Project 3 Work Day

Archive Work Day; No class

What is (and is not) in the archive?

Readings:

Weds

TBD

Project 3 Work Day

Genre discussion groups

What can we learn from the archive?
What are conventions of archival materials?

Readings:

TBD

Assignments:

Project Builder 3A due in class

Assignments:

Visit archive before Wednesday, X

Project Builder 3A due in class on X

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WEEK 9:

Mon

Project 3 Work Day

Readings:

TBD

Assignments:

Weds

Project Builder 3B due in Class

Project 3 Presentations
Readings:

N/A

Assignments:

Project Builder 3B due in class on X

Project 3 Submission Packet due on Friday, X to the Gauchospace drop box by 5pm

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WEEK 10:

Mon

Portfolio Re-vision
Readings:

Weds

TBD

Portfolio Re-vision & Celebrations

Readings:

TBD

Assignments:

Final, revised portfolio due to Rachels office on X by 5pm

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PROJECT 1: The Personal is Political (Due X)

This assignment is worth 15% of your final grade. You will have an opportunity to revise this project as
part of your final portfolio.
Project Description:
What makes the personal political? What makes the political personal? This project examines the
genre of personal feminist essays, considering how personal narrative and reflection fit into to a
broader canon of feminist writing. For this project, you will examine how the personal essay has
contributed to the political and epistemological commitments of the field. In keeping with this
tradition of personal and reflexive writing, you will also be asked to write a brief (3-5 page)
personal narrative of your own, focusing on an experience or issue of your choosing.
Project Builder 1A (Due X):
What are the conventions of the feminist personal narrative essay? What is the purpose of the
personal narrative and who is the audience? What is conventional subject matter for the personal
narrative and why? What makes these essays feminist? How does an author integrate her subject
position into the text? How is this subject position connected to broader issues? How does this
style of writing conform to or diverge from other types of writing that you are familiar with?
Project Builder 1B (Due X):
Think about an anecdote or experience that you would like to write about. Why have you decided
on this experience, given the readings you have done? Who is your audience? How does sharing
this personal experience relate to the political commitments of the field? How can you center
reflexivity and intersectionality in your text? What would this look like in writing?
Writing Project 1 (Draft due X):
In 3-5 pages, write your own personal narrative, drawing inspiration from the seminal texts we
have read for this class. As you write, think about the conventions of this genre that we have
discussed, including tone, audience, and purpose.
You will be asked to share a 5 minute section from this narrative with the class for feedback.

To include in your project submission packet:

Cover Memo
Project Builder 1A
Project Builder 1B
Writing Project 1 Draft

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PROJECT 2: Citation and Critique (Due X)

This assignment is worth 15% of your final grade. You will have an opportunity to revise this project
as part of your final portfolio.
Project Description:
What is the relationship between academic and activist feminisms? How do feminist aims get
taken up in academic feminist writings? This project considers the form, function, and politics of
academic feminist writing. For this project, you will examine the conventions of academic
feminisms, particularly focusing on how these writings represent the history of feminist critique.
You will be asked to write a 5-7 page analysis of academic feminism, in which you analyze the
conventions, topics, and form of a single issue of a Feminist Studies journal.
Project Builder 2A (Due X):
Using the library search tools we discussed in class, identify 2-3 scholarly articles on a topic that
interests you that is related to Feminist Studies. Using the Hemmings reading as a guide, analyze
how these articles discuss the topic. What stories do they tell about the field? How do they
transition from one idea to the next? How does the author situate herself in the field? How does
she make her identity visible in the piece? Who is cited? What counts as evidence? What
differences do you identify between the different pieces you have selected?
Project Builder 2B (Due X):
Pick a recent issue of a Feminist Studies journal or a closely related field. Using this journal issue
as your object of analysis, consider the types of arguments and narratives that are being made
across the issue. What does the introduction to the issue say? Who writes it and why? If the issue
is a special issue, what reasons are given for this focus? What do the authors of the individual
articles say about the field in their introductions and literature reviews? How do these pieces refer
to one another? How do the articles differ from one another? From what you have read, what
types of issues and analyses does this journal value?
Writing Project 2 (Draft due X):
In 5-7 pages, write an analysis of the narratives you discover during Project Builder 2B. As you
write, consider also how these narratives affect the broader field of Feminist Studies. Where do
the authors of these articles direct our attention and focus and why? Be sure that you are
supporting your claims with textual evidence from the journal issue you have selected.
You will be asked to share your findings with the class for feedback.
To include in your project submission packet:

Cover Memo
Project Builder 2A
Project Builder 2B
Writing Project 2 Draft
Works Cited Page

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PROJECT 3: Histories of Feminist Writing (Due X)

The project builders and completed Project #3 are worth 15% of your final grade. You will have the
opportunity to revise your project for inclusion in your final portfolio.
Project Description:
What are some of the methods that have been used throughout time to disseminate a feminist
message? Which feminist writings make it to the archive and which are left out? For this project,
we will consider the politics of the archive and the different types of writing that it contains. For
this project, you will be asked to locate, describe, and analyze a text from the archive. You will
also be asked to use the form of your discovered artifact to create your own text about a topic of
your choosing.
Project Builder 3A (Due X):
During week 8, you will visit the UCSB archives (we will discuss more about this in class).
While visiting the archive, take notes on the important aspects of your archival materials. Make
sure that you take detailed notes about your materials so you can write about them later.
Reflect on the following: What does the text look like? Why do you think it was designed this
way? Who is the audience for this text and how do you know? How does this text relate to other
materials in the box or collection? What conventions do you notice about the piece you have
discovered? For example, if you have located a zine, how long is it? What is the tone? How does
the text integrate different types of media (ie visuals, texts, headlines, artifacts)? Why do you
think that this piece was archived over others?
Project Builder 3B (Due X):
Find and read at least two scholarly resources that discuss the methods or politics of the text you
discovered in the archive (zine, oral history, brochure, etc). We will share some of these resources
in class. What have you learned about this genre from your reading? What aspects are important
to keep in mind when creating or writing about this type of project? What have you learned from
these readings that will help you create your Writing Project? In light of these readings, what are
your next steps for Writing Project 3?
Writing Project 3 (Draft Due X):
Drawing on what you have learned from your observation and reading, create an artifact that
follows the form of the text you discovered in the archive. You can focus on any issue or topic,
but be sure to consider how your text addresses audience, tone, and purpose.
You will be asked to share your project with the class.
To include in your project submission packet:

Cover Memo
Project Builder 3A
Project Builder 3B
Writing Project 3 Draft

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