COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Food Writing is an excellent way to explore identity—whether personal, cultural, or national. This creative writing workshop will examine Food Writing in its various professional forms including personal narratives, culinary memoir pieces, researched historical food articles, restaurant reviews, as well as cookbooks and recipes themselves. The Rome setting will also play a gastronomic role as both classroom and collateral textbook. Students should be prepared to visit local markets, restaurants, and locales around the city and come armed with a willingness to explore not only new foods and ingredients, but various subgenres of writing. In addition to eating and writing, reading will also be emphasized. Not only will students examine what is on “on the menu” or being written about today, but they will also gain a clearer understanding of the role of gastronomy in historical literary precedents. Classes will take the form of workshops offering instruction in the mechanics, research, drafting, and editing of professional food writing pieces with the goal of helping writers generate works of publishable quality while developing their particular style and voice.
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COURSE CODE: CW/DJRN 326
COURSE NAME: Creative Writing Workshop: Food Writing
SEMESTER & YEAR: Summer II 2020
INSTRUCTOR: Allison Grimaldi Donahue
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: MTWTh 13:30-15:20
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: Prerequisite: EN 110 with a grade of C or above
OFFICE HOURS: by appointment
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COURSE DESCRIPTION: Food Writing is an excellent way to explore identity—whether personal, cultural, or national. This creative writing workshop will examine Food Writing in its various professional forms including personal narratives, culinary memoir pieces, researched historical food articles, restaurant reviews, as well as cookbooks and recipes themselves. The Rome setting will also play a gastronomic role as both classroom and collateral textbook. Students should be prepared to visit local markets, restaurants, and locales around the city and come armed with a willingness to explore not only new foods and ingredients, but various subgenres of writing. In addition to eating and writing, reading will also be emphasized. Not only will students examine what is on “on the menu” or being written about today, but they will also gain a clearer understanding of the role of gastronomy in historical literary precedents. Classes will take the form of workshops offering instruction in the mechanics, research, drafting, and editing of professional food writing pieces with the goal of helping writers generate works of publishable quality while developing their particular style and voice.
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SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
This class will include lectures, discussions, and seminars of assigned readings as well as writing workshops of varying formats. We will have in-class writing exercises, and occasional field-trips and class outings. Students should be prepared to research, experiment, try new foods as well as new forms of writing, and be ready to talk to local chefs, farmers, and artisans in any combination of languages they can muster.
Readings will range from the beginnings of Food Writing as a genre to contemporary pieces founds in anthologies and periodicals. We will cover food memoir, single dish or recipe pieces, travel essays, politics and food, and much more.
Students should be prepared to share their work and to engage in the work of others. This means treating each other with respect, consideration, and seriousness. This class aims to help you develop your own aesthetic while pushing you beyond your comfort zone as a writer.
My teaching philosophy is one that attempts to help you develop your personal voice(s). My background as a writer is very cross genre and I cut my teeth, so to speak, writing about cheese and beer in New York City. My first published pieces were in The Diner Journal, Edible Brooklyn, Spooning, and other food writing publications. I also wrote and served as an editor for the Oxford Companion to Cheese. I deeply believe that food writing is a place to enter into our most intimate thoughts and experiences about family, culture, and the future of our planet and I look forward to writing (and chowing down) with you!
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
At the conclusion of this course, students should be able to demonstrate an understanding of the genre of food writing—both as a reader and writer. They should demonstrate the ability to effectively research and write a variety of pieces within the food writing genre as well as outline, draft, revise, and polish food writing features for newspaper, internet, and editorial queries.
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TEXTBOOK:
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Book Title
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Author
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Publisher
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ISBN number
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Library Call Number
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Comments
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The Best American Food Writing 2019
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Nostrat, Samin, ed.
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Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
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ISBN 9781328662255
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Available at the Almost Corner Bookshop
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The Art of Eating
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Fisher, MFK.
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Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
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ISBN-10
0764542613
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Available at Almost Corner Bookshop in Trastevere
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REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
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GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
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Assignment
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Guidelines
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Weight
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Participation & Preparation
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Participation requires active engagement in the class -- e.g. having prepared for the lesson and contributing to discussions.
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15%
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Assigned Readings & Homework
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Students will be assigned readings throughout the term and will be required to present their ideas in class about the works covered. Students will be expected to occasionally present their own “close readings of the text” or to lead a discussion of the text in question.
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10%
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Peer Review & Conscientiousness of Offering Critique
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A large portion of the class will include "workshop" wherein you are responsible for written and oral critique of the work being generated by your colleagues. This is a crucial element of the class and will require as much organization, preparation, and participation as the writing of your own pieces.
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25%
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Self-Editing & Process Analysis
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One of the most crucial elements of writing prose is learning how and when to approach the editing process. You will be taking your work through various drafts and this should be evident when you submit revised work, in particular the final portfolios. Some revised assignments may require you to write a "process analysis" noting the stages you worked through, the elements (strategies) you employed, and a statement about the "readiness" or level of polish you feel the particular draft embodies.
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10%
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Writing Assignments & Revisions for Final Portfolio
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Four Professional Essays: Essay #1 will be a personal food memory (1200 words) Essay #2 will be a restaurant review, (1000 words) Essay #3 will be a single ingredient history and recipe (1200 words, two scholarly sources) Essay #4 will explore a journey or culture through the lens of food and eating (1500 words) Four Micro-Essays: These shorter assignments will be 50, 100, 300, and 500 words, such as those in guidebooks, newspapers, and text-boxes alongside feature articles. Essays will not receive a final letter grade until they are submitted as polished revisions in the final portfolios; NB that unless the original draft was submitted for workshop the revision will not be permitted in the final portfolio.
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40%
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-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
A:Work of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.
B:This is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
C:This is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
D:This level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
F:This work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.
-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS AND EXAMINATION POLICY
You cannot make-up a major exam (midterm or final) without the permission of the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office will grant such permission only when the absence was caused by a serious impediment, such as a documented illness, hospitalization or death in the immediate family (in which you must attend the funeral) or other situations of similar gravity. Absences due to other meaningful conflicts, such as job interviews, family celebrations, travel difficulties, student misunderstandings or personal convenience, will not be excused. Students who will be absent from a major exam must notify the Dean’s Office prior to that exam. Absences from class due to the observance of a religious holiday will be excused. Individual students who will have to miss class to observe a religious holiday should notify the instructor by the end of the Add/Drop period to make prior arrangements for making up any work that will be missed.
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ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.
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STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.
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SCHEDULE
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Week 1: Food as Identity
1. Introduction to Course
Review Syllabus, Schedule & Course Materials
In-Class Writing: Food Memory Essay
Readings assigned
2. Discussion
In-Class Writing: Close Reading
3. Second Draft of Food Memory Essay Due
Workshop
Readings assigned
4. Class Trip/Workshop
Readings assigned
Week 2: Dining as Experience
1. Final Draft of Food Memory Essay Due
Discussion
In-Class Writing on Dining
Readings Assigned
2. In-Class Writing: Close Reading
Discussion
3. First Draft of Restaurant Review Due
Workshop
4. Class Trip/ Workshop
Readings Assigned
Week 3: Ingredients & Recipes
1. Final Draft of Restaurant Review Due
Discussion
Readings Assigned
In-Class Writing: Close Reading
2. Discussion
In Class writing on Single Ingredient & Recipe
3. Workshop
4. Class Trip/ Workshop
Readings assigned
Week 4: Cuisine as Cultural Text
1. Final of Single Ingredient History & Recipe
Discussion
Readings
In-Class Writing: Close Reading
2. Class Trip/Discussion
In-class writing Exploring a Journey or Culture Through the Lens of Food
3. First Draft of Exploring a Journey or Culture Through the Lens of Food Due
4. Workshop
Class Trip/Final Exam
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