William Eggleston's Guide essay assignment and calendar

William Eggleston essay assignment

Eng 102, Writing and Photography

INTRODUCTION: For this essay, you will pick a single photo that is somehow representative of the concerns/interests you detect in William Eggleston’s Guide. You will then want to offer a Close Reading (a thesis-driven, specific analysis) of that picture, in the context of the rest of the Guide. Then, you will want to bring in at least 3 sources that will both help you in making your claims about Eggleston’s work, and also to situate your analysis in-terms of The History of Photography, Social/Cultural Concerns, The Role of Art in Society, or other broader critical lenses. Finally, you will want to include 4 of your own, original photos, meant to illustrate, or demonstrate, or further, or expand your essay.

GENRE: Even though you will be analyzing photos, it is still appropriate to consider this essay a Literary Analysis. It is your job to offer a reading of Eggleston’s work, and then to use outside sources to advance and expand that reading.

LENGTH: 5 pages of writing double-spaced (about 2000 words) *Depending on how you include your pictures, and how large they are, your essay could be more than 5 pages in total*

SOURCES: At least one of your sources must be a scholarly essay you find with your classmates, or on your own, AND you must use this sources substantially. The other two can be, but don’t have to be, written sources we have considered as a class.

KEY GOALS: 1) Present thoughtful, detailed, sustained analysis of William Eggleston’s Guide 2) Consider a primary text (the Guide) in the context of broader critical lenses 3) Blend your ideas with those of other writers 4) Locate critical source material 5) Complete writing and revising process, incorporating peer and instructor feedback 6) Practice correct use of MLA format 7) Continue to explore the relationships between writing and photography.

SCHEDULE:

M            01/31       Photos Due: Present Photos

For Friday, have read Susan Sontag’s PLATO’s CAVE (available as a link on the class

blog). Write your own blog post about connections between Sontag’s work and

Eggleston’s. Also include questions about key terms, and ideas in Sontag’s essay.

W            02/02       Present Photos

F              02/04       Discuss Sontag / Reflection Paper Due

M            02/07       Assign Group Research Project

W            02/09       Meet in Ely Library

F              02/11       Reflection Paper Due

Meet in Computer Classroom: Bates 3 (in the basement)

M            02/14       Research Presentations

W            02/16       Research Presentations / Reflection Paper Due

F              02/18       CONFERENCES (initial draft due)

M            02/21       CONFERENCES (initial draft due)

W            02/23       Revised Draft Due / Copy-editing / Peer review Workshop

F              02/25       Final Draft Due / Introduction to Unit 2

M            02/28       Reflection Paper Due