7/31/2019 Essay 4 - Public Argument Remix and Reflection

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Londie Martin \ First-Year Writing II: Rhetorical Analysis and Argument \ Spring 2011 1 | P a g e

Essay #

Public Argument Remix and Reflection20% of Final Grade for the Course

When I write a poem or a storywhen I am synthesizing, some would sayI do a lot of analysis in the

process. I pay fierce attention to the words I choose, the images I conjure, the sounds I create. I weigh. Icompare. I evaluate both my sentences and my sense. I do this even as I am drafting and trying not to be

too hard on myself so I can get plenty of language on the page. My ongoing analysis leads to more

synthesis. Analysis helps me generate new images, connections, and echoes of language.

When I write an article or book review, howeverwhen I am primarily concerned with analyzing, somewould sayI also do a lot of synthesizing. [. . .]

. . . I see no dichotomy between analysis and synthesis. They are Fred and Ginger. Poncho and Cisco.

Thelma and Louise. Yin and yang. Neither is as effective separately as it is when partnered with the other.

Good writing, regardless of the mode of discourse, causes writers to think. That thinking involves a

productive dialectic between analysis and synthesis.

Tom Romano, on the line between analysis and synthesisWriting with Passion: Life Stories, Multiple Genres (1995), pp. 5-6

Important Dates

4.21 Remix Workshop I, Visual Arguments: photo essays, comics, and more

4.26 Remix Workshop II, Creative Writing: short stories, poems, and manifestos

4.28 Peer Response: Bring 1 copy of your Public Argument Remix to class for peer response.

5.3 Peer Response: Bring 1 copy of your Remix Reflection Essay to class for peer response.

5.6 Final drafts of Essay #4 your remix and your reflection essay are due in the D2L dropbox by 10 am.

Purpose

The purpose of this assignment is to explore the relationship between analysis and synthesis, between

content and form. During this assignment, we will investigate how different forms of writing allow us, as

authors, to explore and re-present our arguments from different perspectives and for different or multiple

audiences. Put differently, we will ask, How does an arguments persuasive power evolve when we remix it

as a poem? As a comic? As a speech? How might different genres work creatively and persuasively for

different audiences? Moreover, this assignment gives you the opportunity to reflect on your writing and

think critically about the approaches that work (and dont work) best for you and the audiences you want toreach. To accomplish these goals, you will need to fulfill the two parts that comprise this assignment:

Part One: Public Argument Remix Part Two: Remix Reflection Essay

Youll find detailed descriptions ofthese parts in the sections that follow.

PART ONE. Public Argument Remix

70 points of final grade for Essay #4 & no page length requirements

For this portion of the assignment, you will build on the work you did for Essay #3 (your Public Argument)

by rewriting your argument to fit a new genre and a new audience. In other words, you will take the

argument you explored in your Public Argument and remix or re-vision itto fit a new writing style, and youllneed to identify a new, specific audience for your work. The success of your Public Argument Remix will rest

mainly on how well the new genre suits your audience, your purpose as a writer, and the subject of your

argument. When you consider these three aspects of your rhetorical situation, what new genre will make

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7/31/2019 Essay 4 - Public Argument Remix and Reflection

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Londie Martin \ First-Year Writing II: Rhetorical Analysis and Argument \ Spring 2011 2 | P a g e

sense? In class, we will consider specific genres: creative writing and visual compositions. However, there

are many, many genres that you can consider. Here is a brief list of possible genres:

speech personal letter restaurant menu

obituary phone conversation postcard collection

recipe memo editorial

eulogy travel poster choose your own adventure narrative

satirical prose advice column fan fiction

invitation memory manifesto

autobiography illustrated timeline tabloid article

play or screenplay short story photographic essay

letter to an editor, politician, or public figure

dialogue via email, IM, Twitter, or other chat technology

a blog, flash animation, or some form of web text

Please remember, this is a brief list of possible genres, and I invite you to generate and explore other

possibilities. Experiment! Invent! If you are unsure, feel free to discuss your ideas with me.

I will evaluate your Public Argument Remix by asking:

How well do you define a new, unique audience for your Remix? How well does the Remix meet the needs, values, and concerns of the new audience you are

addressing?

How well does your Remix meet the conventions of the chosen genre? To fulfill this criterion, youwill need to examine samples of your chosen genre to figure out the elements that comprise it, and

you will need to demonstrate a clear understanding of the genre in your Remix.

How well does the chosen genre suit the content or topic of your Remix? How imaginative and creative is the overall composition concept? (In other words, is your approach

obvious? Or is it unexpected and engaging?)

PART TWO. Remix Reflection Essay

30 points of final grade for Essay #4 and no page length requirements

For this part of the assignment, you should write a separate essay in which you analyze the changes and

rhetorical strategies you used to create your Remix. In other words, I would like you to consider the ways

that the new approach and audience forced you to change your strategies of development. Describe each of

the changes you made and analyze why you made these changes and how the changes affected the argument

itself. It wont be enough to merely describe what the changes are and just say that your new audience could

better appreciate them. Go into detail about your reasons for making each change and what its effects will

be. In this respect, your Remix Reflection Essay is a lot like the directors commentary you might find on film

DVDs. Put differently, think of your Remix Reflection Essay as a rhetorical analysis of the work you did for

your Public Argument Remix.

I will evaluate your Remix Reflection Essay by asking:

How well do you assesswith meaningfullydetailed explanations and examplesthe rhetoricalsituation of your Public Argument Remix? (i.e., Who is your audience? What is your purpose and

argument? What social, historical, cultural context affects your writing, and why is it important to

think critically about this context?)

How well do you analyze the rhetorical strategies (e.g., word choice, tone, types of evidence, style,imagery, etc.) and the rhetorical appeals (i.e., logos, ethos, pathos) you use in your Public Argument

Remix to make your argument persuasive for your unique audience?

How well do you thoughtfully and honestly inquire into your own development as a writer?