You will build a casebook of 10 short essays (2-3 pages), each of which presents your attempt to apply the week's readings on your own, before class meets.

An optional 11th exercise is your opportunity to make substantial revisions to any previous exercise in order to get a higher grade. (Please note -- the 11th exercise will not replace a zero; it is only for improving the grade on an assignment that you have completed.)

For my late submission policy, see section 5.3 of the syllabus.

Update, 15 Feb:

Many of you are doing an excellent job, directly addressing the week's readings and applying them to a literary work of your choice. I do feel that I should clarify that "apply the week's readings" does mean quote directly from the assigned readings that we have not yet discussed in class, in oder to ensure that in the limited time we have for discussion we can move rapidly towards a deeper exploration of the issues raised by the readings.

Thus, for Ex 4, I would like to see your exercise refer to specific statements by McDonald, Kent, O'Connell, and / or Kolodny, and apply them to your own reading of one of the literary works on the syllabus. You are welcome to re-use a work we have discussed before, or one we have not discussed yet. You are welcome to do outside research, but if you do, please note that Wikipedia and About.com are not appropriate sources for an academic paper. (See this handout about the importance of finding peer-reviewed journals.)

Note that Keesey will always be simplifying and exaggerating because the function of his introduction is to prepare you to understand the readings in that section; he is not actually advancing an argument. I'm not forbidding you from quoting from or respond to what he says, but I am instead asking you to think of him as the overture rather than the main event, or the appetizer rather than the first course.