Unit One Essay Prompt and Schedule

190 Essay One: An Artist’s Statement

Your first paper is a personal narrative, meaning you will be your own subject. However, I’m asking you to narrow your focus to discuss, specifically, how your career goals and artistic identity stem from events in your personal history. You will pose the reason or reasons why you’re an artist, graphic designer, etc., using your personal experiences to support your argument. When did you discover your talent? How did you know you wanted to pursue art as a career? Where are you from, and how has this place informed your creativity? Who (what?) are your influences?

            For this paper, I’ll be looking for a focused main idea, delivered in evocative prose that employs various storytelling techniques.  I also expect clean, well-constructed sentences that add up to paragraphs with ample transitions between ideas. We will look at examples of biography and autobiography that use imagery, metaphor, and other literary techniques in order to inform and guide the reader.

            One requirement is that you illustrate your statement by focusing on a scene. It might be tough, but try to find a moment from your past that has helped to determine, right now, who you are. Try to channel your story through this moment. This means: show, don’t tell. Once you’ve done this, think of a second moment. Then, maybe another. 

            Take this assignment seriously. Get started early. Your “First Draft” should actually be something like a third or fourth draft for you. Write with a sense purpose, a purpose you will likely find and refine along the way. I suggest looking over pages 2-31 in Rules for Writers for more on the writing process. 

Protocol:

3-4 Pages

1-inch margins

Double-spaced

12-pt. Times New Roman

Must have an evocative title (not placed in quotation marks)

Hard copies only (No e-mail attachments)

 

Unit One Reading Schedule

(This schedule will be adjusted as needed, including smaller assignments presented TBA on the class blog.) 

P on P=Poets on Painters              PT=Blog

 

9.1            Bishop, “Gregorio Valdes” 152-162 in P on P; “In the Waiting Room” posted on PT; Write Sensory Paragraph as described on PT           

9.3            Stein, “Pictures” 80-106 in P on P; O’Hara’s “Why I’m not a Painter” on PT

 

9.8            Screen American Splendor

9.10            Screen American Splendor

 

9.15            Read Student Essay (Handout) and Artist Statements on PT

9.17            Peer Review 

 

9.22            First Draft Due; Begin Unit Two