Assignment Calendar
The purpose of this assignment is to give you an opportunity to read and review a novel about the American West, and to share your new knowledge with your classmates. As creative, artistic works, novels can provide a perspective on the American West that complements views we are encountering through non-fiction and through other media.
Instructions for producing your book review:
First, identify a novel that interests you. It must relate somehow to the American West, such as in theme or setting. It can be an old novel or a recent one. Please read a novel that you have not read before. No later than 5:35 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 16, please e-mail me the novel's author, title, and date of original publication. I will let you know whether or not I think it will work for this assignment.
Next, before you read your novel, read the "Book Review" section (not the "Book Report" section) of the handout from the University of Western Ontario's Effective Writing Program, available in the "Course Documents" area of Blackboard (<http://bb.uwb.edu/>). (Reading this document is a required part of this assignment.) I also recommend (but do not require) that you read an example of a published review of a novel. I have posted one in the "Course Documents" area of Blackboard.
Then, carefully and critically read the entire work at least once, taking notes as appropriate. Remember to copy quotations exactly if you choose to quote. In all cases, make sure you write down in your notes the page number of all the material to which you might want to refer when you later write your analysis, so you can provide the reader with page numbers. Use the University of Western Ontario's handout questions to help guide your thinking. I strongly recommend that you avoid reading any published reviews about your book to ensure your review is original. It goes without saying, of course, that using any other source without proper attribution constitutes plagiarism and will result in a zero on the assignment.
Finally, write an argumentative review (not just a summary) including but not limited to such issues as the following (in any order):
Make sure you identify the book's author, title, place and name of publisher, and year of publication, in MLA format, at the top of your review (between your review's title and the beginning of the review's text). Your review should constitute a formal essay (sharp thesis supported throughout the essay with specific evidence). Carefully read and follow the "Tips for Better Prose" document at <http://faculty.washington.edu/davidgs/Prose.html>. Quote sparingly, only when the author uses a particularly interesting or problematic phrasing; otherwise, paraphrase. Read Becky Rosenberg's document, "Using Direct Quotations" for guidance: <http://faculty.washington.edu/davidgs/Quotation.html>.
Your double-spaced, typed review, which must be a Microsoft Word document in a standard typeface (such as 12-point Times) with one-inch margins on all four sides, is due in the Discussion Board area of Blackboard no later than 5:35 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 8 , and should run about four hundred words (no fewer than three hundred; no more than five hundred, according to the word count tool in Microsoft Word).
A five-point penalty will apply for reviews submitted late (after 5:35 p.m. on Feb. 8) , and no late reviews will be accepted after 5:35 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 15. I recommend tricking yourself into believing that your review is due on Feb. 7 rather than Feb. 8 so you have some time cushion for unforeseen problems.
Be sure to allow some time for unforeseen problems with the electronic submission. I recommend trying to submit it at least a day or two early. I use electronic copies of papers for several reasons: (1) You and I have access to it from any Internet-ready computer; (2) your classmates and I can read it online if we want, saving paper; and (3) you and I can verify that the review was submitted and when.
Your book review will be graded according the following criteria:
Completeness of review (responds appropriately to the
assignment) 10% Depth
of ideas presented 75% Writing quality 15% TOTAL 5 percent of final course grade
This page last updated January 8, 2007.
