Syllabus for ENG 239
Subject to Adjustments
Required Course Books (available at UNL Bookstore)
Additional readings online (either follow hyperlinks in syllabus or notice "BB" for Blackboard).
A note on the readings: I do not expect that you do all the readings. Rather, consider the reading syllabus as the research component of the course--research I've done for you well knowing that a 3-week session doesn't allow you to do proper research. I would like you to read as much from Bauman's book as possible and make sure you read at least one essay or interview assigned for each class meeting. Note, too, that your blog entries should, on occasion, reflect knowledge of some of the readings (to be demonstrated by quotations and paraphrases--by, that is, engaging some of the arguments already made on the assigned films).
A note on the films: Please beware that some of the assigned films include graphic violence and/or sex & nudity. These films are contemporary films engaging contemporary culture. If you--for whatever reasons--object to such images you should not take this course. That said, the vast majority of these films actually won't have such images/scenes/moments.
Week 1: Christian Petzold
- Bauman, Zygmund. Liquid Times: Living in the Age of Uncertainty (Polity, 2006).
- Fisher, Jaimey. Christian Petzold (U Illinois P, 2013).
- Jones, Kent, ed. Olivier Assayas (Synema, 2012).
Additional readings online (either follow hyperlinks in syllabus or notice "BB" for Blackboard).
A note on the readings: I do not expect that you do all the readings. Rather, consider the reading syllabus as the research component of the course--research I've done for you well knowing that a 3-week session doesn't allow you to do proper research. I would like you to read as much from Bauman's book as possible and make sure you read at least one essay or interview assigned for each class meeting. Note, too, that your blog entries should, on occasion, reflect knowledge of some of the readings (to be demonstrated by quotations and paraphrases--by, that is, engaging some of the arguments already made on the assigned films).
A note on the films: Please beware that some of the assigned films include graphic violence and/or sex & nudity. These films are contemporary films engaging contemporary culture. If you--for whatever reasons--object to such images you should not take this course. That said, the vast majority of these films actually won't have such images/scenes/moments.
Week 1: Christian Petzold
Monday, May 18
Course Introduction
Film: Jerichow (2008; 92 min.)
Tuesday , May 19
Film: Ghosts (2005; 85 min.)
Readings for Wednesday: Fisher, 78-97
Wednesday, May 20
Film: Yella (2007; 88 min.)
Readings for Thursday: Fisher, 97-118; Abel
Thursday, May 21
Film: Beats Being Dead (2011; 88 min.)
Readings for Friday: Fisher, 131-138 & 147-167; Bauman, 27-54
Friday, May 22
Cumulative discussion of films screened during week 1
No film screening
Readings for Tuesday: Bauman, 55-70; Jones, 9-60 & 140-153; "Symposium"
Week 2: Olivier Assayas
Monday, May 25
NO Class due to Memorial Day Holidays
Tuesday, May 26
Film: Demonlover (2002; 129 min.)
Readings for Wednesday: Jones, 154-161
Wednesday, May 27
Film: Clean (2004; 90 min.)
Readings for Thursday: Jones, 170-179; Shaviro (BB)
Thursday, May 28
Film: Boarding Gate (2007; 106 min.)
Readings for Friday: Bauman, 71-93
Friday, May 29
Cumulative discussion of films screened during week 2
No film screening
Readings for Monday: Kelly Reichardt in Focus 19-33 & 58-83 (BB); "Kelly Reichardt"; Review of Old Joy; Interview on Old Joy; "New Voice"; Review
Week 3: Kelly Reichardt
Monday, June 1
Film: Old Joy (2006; 76 min.)
Readings for Tuesday: Kelly Reichardt in Focus 84-113 (BB); "The Silent Majority"; Interview on Wendy and Lucy; "A Completely False Sense of Security"; Review
Tuesday, June 2
Film: Wendy and Lucy (2008; 80 min.)
Readings for Wednesday: Kelly Reichardt in Focus 114-146 (BB); "The Way West" (BB); Review; "Lost in America" Review; Review; "In Transit" (BB)
Wednesday, June 3
Film: Meek's Cutoff (2010; 104 min.)
Thursday, June 4
Film: Night Moves (2013; 112 min.)
Readings for Friday: Bauman, 94-110
Readings for Friday: Bauman, 94-110
Friday, June 5
Cumulative discussion of films screened during week 3
Conclusions and course evaluations
No film screening
Course Policies
I have not been known to spell out the course policies in
great detail and then not hold you accountable to them. In general, I intend to treat you as adults: you make your own
decisions, and I do not judge you for the decisions you make; I will, however,
hold you accountable for your decisions and their consequences according to the
policies below. My assumption is that you have read and understood the
policies and, by remaining in class, agree to be held accountable to them as
they are stated. Thus, please read them and, if you have questions, ask me
about them at the beginning of the session.
Academic Honesty
The university’s policy on academic honesty is stated in the “Student Code of Conduct.” For more information, go to http://stuafs.unl.edu/ja/code. The policy prohibits plagiarism, cheating on examinations, unauthorized collaboration, falsification, and multiple submissions. Violation of the policy will result in automatically failing the course, and I reserve the right to pursue disciplinary sanctions with the university.
Attendance
English Department policy states that if students miss more
than 20% of scheduled class time for any reason, the student fails the course,
no matter what other work s/he completed and regardless of the quality of that
work. We have 14 scheduled classes. 20% of this amounts to 2.8 class periods. So if you miss three (3) or more scheduled
class meetings you will automatically
fail the course.
Other than the 20% rule and the policy regarding the
mandatory attendance at the two lectures, the following consequences will ensue
from your lack of attendance:
- One absence: no immediate consequence.
- Two absences: your final grade will automatically be lowered by 4 points.
Attendance will be taken by a sign-in sheet, which
you must sign. It is your
responsibility to make sure you sign in. If you fail to sign in I will
automatically record you as having been absent—even if you were in class but
forgot to sign in.
Please note that should you have been absent once earlier
in the session and then catch a cold later on and as a result
will have to miss class, you still will have exceeded the allowed number of
absences and will lose points accordingly (or fail the course, as the case may be). The same holds true for “family
emergency” excuses and the like: if you think it’s more important to drive your
sister to the airport or attend a distant family member’s funeral then so be
it. Just be aware that you will lose points once you exceed one (1) absence, regardless of what the reasons for those
absences are. Those of you who have to miss class due to university-sanctioned
activities or military engagements should indicate this to me in person at the beginning of the semester.
Late Arrivals
I expect you to be in class on time. Period. Latecomers
distract me and other students. If I notice that you come late on a regular
basis I will tell you to be on time or not come at all.
Note: If there is a class meeting in our classroom before
our scheduled meeting time, please avoid attempting to enter the classroom
before the previous class’s professor and students have left. It’s only a
matter of courtesy to let the preceding class’s professor finish his or her
business as well as to allow students to leave the classroom without having to
fight their way through you.
Your are
responsible for all material covered in class
Because you are responsible for all material covered in this
class, I strongly encourage you to exchange email addresses and phone numbers
with fellow students so that you can find out what we’ve done in class (and get
notes from someone who attended class). Please do not contact me to find out
what you’ve missed.
Classroom behavior
It should go without saying that I expect you to treat the
classroom space appropriately. By this I mean:
- Do not
sleep in class. I find this seriously offensive and will not hesitate to
wake you up and ask you to leave. My general advice is this: if you are so tired that you fall asleep you should go home, since your bed is undoubtedly more comfortable than our
classroom’s chairs. (If you've been diagnosed with
- Phones:
I don’t want to see any cell phones. There's no reason for them to be on
your desk or in your hand. It’s ok if you are not available for 3 hours.
Really. It’s ok. So turn them off before class starts and put them away
until class is officially over.
- Computers:
I do think it is acceptable and often helpful for you to have a website
open that relates to the film(maker) we discuss; however, I don't think it's acceptable or helpful for you to check sports scores, news stories, chat
rooms, Facebook, or whatever else is better left for time after class--so: don't do it.
- Do not
read newspapers or any other unrelated texts.
- You
may eat and drink, as long as you are mindful of everyone else in class.
Chips make a lot of noise; a burger or a sandwich with onions smells in a
rather unappealing manner; etc.
- I will do my best to finish on time. To this end I will start screening the film on the film screening days so that the film ends at 400p; please do not begin packing your stuff before the end of the film. On the days (Fridays) when we don't watch a film in class, I will have my phone alarm set to ring two minutes prior to the official end of our class meeting time. If I forget and end up going over time, please call my attention to it, as you have the right to leave according to schedule so that you make it to your next class in a timely fashion. Having said this, I do not appreciate you starting to pack your bags before I signal that we’re done. Packing your bags makes a lot of noise and distracts: it’s flat-out rude, so please refrain from doing so.
Withdrawals &
Incompletes
As a general rule I do not grant incompletes. University
policy states that incompletes may be given only in special hardship cases and
that they will not be used merely for extending the time for completion of
course requirements. Consult university policy on this matter as well as
matters pertaining to withdrawing: http://www.unl.edu/regrec/registration/fall_info.shtml.
Check your email
I expect you to check your email account that you have
registered with Blackboard regularly. I do tend to send announcements to class via email
of which I want you to be aware before any given class meeting; and I might want to contact you individually as well. You should
therefore consider it part of your daily routine for this course to monitor your email
account.
Emailing me
When contacting me via email (which is the easiest and
fastest way to contact me), please write our course number (ENG 239) in the
subject line so I recognize you as one of my current students, which will
facilitate the speed at which I respond. If you email me with a question,
please make sure first to check our various course documents: chances are that
the answer to your question (especially if it is not a question about the
content of a text) can be found in these documents. Don’t be surprised if I merely
reply by writing, “Please check course documents.”
Office Hours:
I'm not going to set up regular office hours since we'll see each other every day. Just let me know--either verbally or via email--that you want to talk with me, and we'll set up a meeting, possibly even right after class.
Last but not least:
Your decision to stay in this course indicates to me that
you understand and agree to the above course contract. This means that I will
hold you accountable for abiding by its rules throughout the course of the
semester.
With all of this said, I hope you will have a great
semester. Welcome!
