Foundations in Rhetoric and Writing

English 3850 l Fall 2015

Nathaniel A. Rivers l nrivers1@slu.edu
Office Hours: MW, 1:00-2:00
PHASE ONE: RE-W RITNG @SLU
ONE

Assignment for Next Time

Aug. 24

Rhetoric and Writing Introduction

Syllabus Review
Icebreaker

Read: Foss et al., Perspectives on the Study of Rhetoric (pdf)

Aug. 26

Rhetoric and Writing Introduction

Weak/Strong/Strange Defense of Rhetoric
Reading Quiz

Read: Jim Corder, Argument as Emergence, Rhetoric as Love

(pdf)

Rhetoric and Writing Introduction

Explore: Writing @SLU to rewrite

Read: Where Do Sentences Come From (link/pdf), 88, Or How
Telegraphers Coded Love and Kisses, (link/pdf), and The
Perfection of the Paper Clip (link/pdf)

Aug. 28

TW O

Assignment for Next Time

Aug. 31

Introduce Project #1: Re-Writing @ SLU

Reading Discussion
Text as Technology/Readers as Users

Sept. 2

Jury Duty: No Class

Sept. 4

Memo for Project #1 Due

PSA for Rhetoric (In-Class)

THREE

Memo: Writing to Rewrite (1500 words)

Read: American Collapse (pdf), Preface from Infrastructure by

Hayes (pdf), and Flow from How Buildings Learn by Brand (pdf)
Assignment for Next Time

Sept. 7

Labor Day: No Class

Sept. 9

Maps, Infrastructure, Rhetoric

Reading Quiz

Read: Case and Sunstein Survival of the Fattest (pdf) and Grabil
and Simmons Toward a Critical Rhetoric of Risk
Communication (pdf)

Sept. 11

Maps, Infrastructure, Rhetoric

Project #1 Workshop

Read: Public Enemies: Social Media is Fueling Gang Wars in

Chicago (link) and History of the World in 100 Objects (link)

PHASE TW O: MAPPING @ SLU

FOUR
Sept. 14

Sept. 16
Sept. 18

Assignment for Next Time

Introduce Project #2: Mapping

Due: Project #1
Visit: http://makingmaps.net/

Project #1 Due

Read: selection from Compose Design Advocate (pdf) and Kitchin &
Dodge, Rethinking Maps (pdf)

In-Class Map Analyses

Due: Postmortem (2,000 words)

English 3850 I Foundations in Rhetoric and Writing I Fall 2015 I 1

FIVE

Assignment for Next Time

Sept. 21

Project #1 Postmortem Memo Due

Reading Quiz

Read: Interview/Observation Handout

Listen: Radiolab, You Are Here (link)
Due: Mapping Proposal

Sept. 23

Mapping Project Proposal Due

Proposal Workshop

Review: Mapping Proposals

Sept. 25

Proposal Workshop

Read: Chapter One from Kimballs Document Design (pdf) and

Johnson-Sheehan, Readers and Context of Use (pdf)

SIX

Assignment for Next Time

Sept. 28

Research Report #1 Due

Audience and Context of Use

Chapter Four from Kimballs Document Design (pdf)

Sept. 30

Map Workshop
Reading Quiz

Readings on ANT (TBA)

Oct. 2

Map Workshop

SEVEN

Assignment for Next Time

Oct. 5

Research Report #2 Due

Actor-Network-Theory (ANT) Discussion

Oct. 7

Map Workshop

Oct. 9

Map Workshop
Discuss Presentations (Handout)

EIGHT

Readings on Maps (TBA)

Due: Mapping Due

Assignment for Next Time

Oct. 12

Mapping Project (Project #2) Due

Presentations (5 minutes with handout)

Oct. 14

Mapping Project (Project #2) Due

Presentations (5 minutes with handout)

Oct. 16

Mapping Project (Project #2) Due

Presentations (5 minutes with handout)

NINE

Read: Weiss, 1-60

Assignment for Next Time

Oct. 19

Fall Break: No Class

Oct. 21

Introduce Project #3: Interview Report

Reading Discussion

Oct. 23

In-Class Interview Exercise

Read: Weiss, 61-150

English 3850 I Foundations in Rhetoric and Writing I Fall 2015 I 2

PHASE THREE: INTERVIEW REPORT

TEN

Assignment for Next Time

Oct. 26

Reading Quiz & Discussion

Oct. 28

Review: Professional Interview

Oct. 30

Proposal Work Day

ELEVEN

Read: Weiss, 150-222 (read all appendices)

Due: Interview Proposal
Assignment for Next Time

Nov. 2

Interview Proposal Due

Nov. 4

Developing Interview Questions

Nov. 6

Developing Interview Questions

TW ELVE

Read: Katz, Writing Review as an Opportunity for Individuation

(pdf) and Spilka, Orality and Literacy in the Workplace (pdf)
Assignment for Next Time

Nov. 9

Reading Quiz & Discussion

Nov. 11

Watching Interviews

Nov. 13

Conducting Interviews

THIRTEEN

Read: Ornatowski, Between Efficiency and Politics (pdf) Katz,

The Ethic of Expediency and Rivers-Katz exchange (pdf)

Assignment for Next Time

Read: Johnson-Sheehan, Designing Documents and Interfaces
(pdf)

Nov. 16

Progress Reports (Project #3)

Ethics Exercise: TMNT

Nov. 18

Ethics Exercise: TMNT

Readings on Effective Language

Nov. 20

Ethics Exercise: TMNT

Due: Interview Report Draft

FOURTEEN

Assignment for Next Time

Nov. 23

Interview Report Draft Due

Report Workshop
Revisit Presentations (Handout)

Nov. 25

Thanksgiving Break: No Class

Nov. 27

Thanksgiving Break: No Class

Read: Rivers, Some Assembly Required (pdf)

Read: MacKinnon, Becoming a Rhetor (pdf)

English 3850 I Foundations in Rhetoric and Writing I Fall 2015 I 3

FIFTEEN

Assignment for Next Time

Nov. 30

Interview Report Presentations

Dec. 2

Interview Report Presentations

Dec. 4

Interview Report Presentations

SIXTEEN
Dec. 7

Due: Interview Report

Assignment for Next Time

Interview Report Final Draft Due

English 3850 I Foundations in Rhetoric and Writing I Fall 2015 I 4