Commonplace Book Assignment
Throughout this semester, you will keep what is known as a commonplace hook, which is basically a quote book. Traditionally, it is a notebook in which a reader records quotations from works s/he has read. The act of commonplacing- selecting important and interesting phrases, lines, andlor passages from texts and writing them down-dates back to the Middle Ages. and was particularly popular in the nineteenth century.
Many people who kept commonplace books used them to record meaningful passages from favorite books, peri(xlicals, earn recipes, as well as their thoughts and reactions to those passages.
Each week you will write a series of commonplace hook entnes, one for each day of reading. At the end of the semester you will compile these entries as a book and turn them in for a grade, as well as a reflection on the contents of your book.
Each entry should include two parts: (1) at least one quotation from the daily readings and (2) commentary about that quote. Quotes: A quotation may he as short as a phrase or sentence, or as long as a paragraph. What kind of quotation should you choose? A good reader notices a passage in the text that is puzzling, reveals a pattern. or is particularly powerful. ,-t-Mtsill As some of the most striking passages are difficult passages, you can help our class discussion by pointing to moments that you find confusing and/or troubling.
Commentary: Each entry should also include your comments on the quotations you selected. Do your best to analyze the passage, offering an interpretation of the quotation . But keep in mind that a really good commonplace book doesn't lust mention what is "boring" or "interesting" or "hard" or "cool" but instead comments on the possible meanings of texts. Instead of paraphrasing what the quotation says, a good commentary analyzes how particular words, phrases, or patterns in that quotation might lead us to a deeper sense of the text's underlying assumptions and arguments. Instead of saying "1 agree" or 'I disagree" \vial the text, a good commentary might offer a more thorough explanation of how the text uses language in a new or interesting way, or how it treats a subject differently than another text we've read this semester. Finally, do your best to keep in mind the context in which the text was originally written. Instead of concluding that a text is ineffective (or just plain bad) because of confusing language or racistsexist thinking, address how the text might have been received ii its own time, and What that might mean for readers today.
Format: You can write your entries in the form of an informal letter or essay, or you can write them as a list. Feel free to experiment with how you format your entries (they don't all have to be the same) as long as you stick to the basic requirements of the assignment. You may include graphics, links. sound bites, or other material in addition to (not in place of) the quotes and analysis. Consider including historical information or passages other texts that seem to relate to your quote.
Writing Style: A commonplace book is a form of a journal: a work in progress rather than a finished product. It does not have to conform to the standards of a formal essay. but you should write in a way that communicates your ideas effectively to your readers. Do your best to avoid spelling and grammatical errors, but focus on more communicating clearly and effectively instead of worrying about making mistakes
Reflection:
In addition to your CPB itself, on the last day of class you will hand in a 34 page typed ( 12 point Times New Roman font. one-inch margins) analysis of its contents. This document should thoughtfully reflect upon the quotes you included in your entries as well as the commentaries you composed. To prepare for this assignment. take somc time to look through all of your entries. What did you write about? Do you notice a pattern of the types of issues or themes you were drawn to? Did you have a lot to say about some quotes more so than others? Why might that be? Here are some other questions to consider in reflecting on your CPB (you do not have to answer all of these in your paper, they're just to get you thinking):
• What issues. ideas, or themes in American literature does your CPB represent? Were you drawn to some more than others?
• What questions does your CPB ask? Does it ever answer any of these?
• What story about later American literature does your CPB tell?
• Do you notice a difference between how you wrote about the texts at the beginning of the semester compared to how you write or think about than now late in the semester?
• What conversation(s) about American literature does your CPB engage in? What conversations between texts does your CPB record?
• What was this experience like for you?
• Who were your favorite authors or texts to write about? What IN ere your least favorite to write about? Why?
• Would you want to go back and change any of your entries? Why?