Phil Druker/Department of English/ University of Idaho

 

TRAVEL WRITING SYLLABUS English 404-1/504-3
SPRING 2009

Phil Druker,  phild@uidaho.edu  


Reading abbreviations:

BT = The Best American Travel Writing (Cahill),  LP = Travel Writing. Lonely Planet,
      ER = E-Reserve article:  See the Course Web site or click "Articles"

Notations:  è= something is due

Week

Tuesday

Thursday

1

 No class

1/15
No class 

2

1/20

·       Introduction to the course

 

1/22

Reading: BT pp. xiv-xxi, 6-23

Creative non-fiction

Description exercise

3

1/27

Reading: BT: pp1-5; ER: Tisdale
LP 11-19, 43-63

What makes good travel

Assignment 1

1/29

Reading: BT: 153-155 ER-Stern, Hansen

Place: Mary

 è  Email query

4

2/3

Readings: ER- Hansen, Tsui,

èBring 3 copies of your draft

 Format
Alan Dodd -guidebook writer

2/5  

èWorkshop Assignment1

Reading: BT ?, LP: 65-76

 

5

2/10 

èAssignment 1  DUE
Sentence style
 
Discuss Assignment 2
Readings:
LP:  pp 89 – 92,ER:  Gross- Hawaii; Greenfield-Hong Kong

2/12

Travel writing magazines: audience and kinds of articles accepted
 

Readings:BT: 44-70, ER -Doonan

6

2/17

èEmail query for Assignment 2 due by noon, please

Readings: BT:218- 224, 175-178
LP: 100- 105,
92-100
Narration:  Kate

2/19
Readings (Samples like Assignment 2) :: Read these before you write the draft (we'll discuss them briefly on 2/24

ER: Ohlson (Kabul) - Gormet
     Vlahos (Iran) - NY Times Travel
      Arnold (Australia SE) - Outside

    7

2/24

 
è 4 copies of A2 to distribute for workshop

2/26
Reading
èWorkshop A2

8

3/3
èAssignment 2 DUE 
Sentence style
Discuss Assignment 3

Readings: BT 156-174

ER: Jenkins

3/5

 Reading: BT 211-217  (Turkey)
      ER: Gilbert (France) ore

 

9

3/10

Reading: BT 77-92

 Characterization: Stephanie

èEmail query due/Assignment 3 -by 5PM

3/12

Reading: BT 239-263 (Dubai)

 

3/17  Spring Break

3/19 Spring Break

10

3/24

Reading: BT:291 (ski Korea), 193-211  (giant in Ukraine) ,

Kate's essay about Sun Valley

3/20

  Reading:  BT 264 (Sedaris)

  Tone:  Tessa

11

3/31

No Class

 

è4 copies of A3 to distribute for workshop

4/2
 

èWorkshop A3

12

4/7

Reading:BT 105-122 (sex trade/Costa Rica) 

èASSIGNMENT 3 Due

Discuss Assignment 4

4/9

Reading: BT 105-122(sex trade/Costa Rica),  135-153 (founder of Lonely Planet)

 Kate E.

13

4/14

Reading: The Border (P Chilson) > ER

Also read BT 224-238 (Libya)

 èQuery for Assignment 4 due

 

Guest Speaker: Peter Chilson

 

(Stephanie

Russ)  > to be rescheduled.

4/16

Readings: BT 224-238 (Libya)

271 (flying)

èQuery for Assignment 4 due

 

Hadley and Jillian

Lindsay

14

4/21    

 Readings:239-263 (Dubai)

Rob Haggart --photo editor

 Photos and format

Becca

Colleen

4/23
 Readings:239-263 (Dubai)

Mary: pacing, use of headings, ...

Revision of Assignment 3 DUE (optional)

Eric
Emily

15

4/28

Reading: Hessler (China) ER

 

èBring 4 copies of A4 to distribute for workshop

Tessa

Mary

4/30

 

 Reading:      

èWorkshop A 4

16

5/5

 No class

 

Office hours 1-3:30

5/7 No class

èASSIGNMENT 4 DUE by 2PM

Turn in your work in a file folder:

Cover letter + new article  or

Cover letter (briefly explain what you revised)  + Two thoroughly revised articles