FEATURE ARTICLE WRITING/   ENG 3060 KM24   Spring ‘07
Prof. Roslyn Bernstein
Class: T/TH 11:10 AM-12:25 PM Classroom: VC 7-165
Office Hours:Â Â Â Thursdays, 2:30 PM to 4 PM and by appointment
Office: 7th floor-270 VC Phone: 646-312-3930
roz_bernstein@baruch.cuny.edu
JAN 30Â Â Â Â Â Â Introductory Class. What is a Feature?
Distinguishing hard news stories from features?
Discussion of: reading and writing assignments, your journal,
Blackboard participation and Neighborhood Blog Postings
Class Focus:Â Neighborhoods
About Places and About Faces
Reading Assignment for 2/1:
American’s Best Newspaper Writing (ABNW):
The Craft of Writing Great Stories: Chapter 10-pp. 287-320.
Bring Wednesday’s NYT to class every Thursday.
FEB 1Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Discussion of ABNW Chapter 10
Ingredients of a Feature Story
Reading Assignment for 2/6:
American’s Best Newspaper Writing:
Richard Wright, pp. 259-263; Marvel Cooke, pp. 270-277,
Meyer Berger, pp.280-284; Red Smith, pp. 276-280.
Writing Assignment for 2/6:
250 Words on Neighborhood of Your Choice
Feb. 6Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Discussion of ABNW Readings for 2/6
Discussion of Neighborhoods
Feb. 8Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Neighborhood Research Workshop
Professors Stephen Francoeur & Joseph Hartnett
VC: Room: VC-8-160
Writing Assignments:
1.   Neighborhood Faces Query (250 Words) E-mail by 2/16
(Describe the neighborhood person you wish to profile.
Possibilities include: cop on the beat, local teacher,
local activist, newspaper editor, long time resident, etc.)
2.   Backgrounder on Your Neighborhood-500-750 Words.
(A Resource/Not a Paper) Due February 20
Include information on: a) Demographics b) Schools
c) Local Businesses d) Real Estate e) *Conflicts/hot button issues
Please make sure that you include relevant web resource links
FEB 13Â Â Â Â Â Â Guest Speaker: Michel Marriott, New York Times reporter,*
Circuits Section. Class will meet in VC: 14-270
iChat, YouTube: A Conversation about Technology, Media and Your Future
Writing Assignment for 2/20: First Draft
Neighborhood Faces Story on Disk
FEB 15Â Â Â Â Â Â No Class. (Classes follow a Monday Schedule)
FEB 20Â Â Â Â Â Â In-class workshop Neighborhood Faces Story (disk)
Writing Assignment for 2/22: Final Neighborhood Faces Story
Reading Assignment for 2/22:
ASBN: Mirta Ojito, pp. 180-185; David Finkel, pp. 186-195.
FEB 22Â Â Â Â Â Â Reading Assignment: ASBN
Take detailed notes on Ben Katchor’s On the Human Lap
(Print is hanging on the wall by 7th floor elevators).
Writing Assignment for 2/27:
Neighborhood Places: Real Estate/Business Story
Proposal (250 words)
FEB 27Â Â Â Â Â Â Discussion of Real Estate/Business Features Queries
Discussion of Ben Katchor’s On The Human Lap
Writing Assignment for 3/1
Lead and Outline for Real Estate/Business Feature (plus notes).
MARCH 1Â Â Â Â Â Â Burrowing into the Boroughs
Real Estate/Business Stories: In-class writing/editing
(Bring in lead, outline and notes)
Writing Assignment for 3/6:
Neighborhood Places Story Due (750 words)
(With digital photo, photo-caption and headline)
MARCH 6Â Â Â Â Â Â Presentations on Real Estate/Business Stories
March 8Â Â Â Â Â Â Presentations on Real Estate/Business Stories
Writing Assignment for 3/22
.Proposal for Neighborhood Arts/Culture Feature (250-500 words)
Reading 3/13: Mark Kurlansky, Cod
March 13Â Â Â Â Â Â Mark Kurlansky, Cod
March 15Â Â Â Â Â Â Mark Kurlansky (Cod, plus excerpt from The Big Oyster)
*March 20Â Â Â Â Â Â Harman Reading by Mark Kurlansky
(Evening)Â Â Â Â Â Â Reception at 5 PM; Reading at 5:45 PM
Engelman Recital Hall, VC
Writing Assignment for April 12:
Literary Face Profile: Mark Kurlansky (750 words)
MARCH 22Â Â Â Â Â Â Reading: Best American Magazine Writing (BAMW)
Ian Parker, The Gift, pp. 344-370.1
Discussion of Neighborhood Arts/Culture Proposals and Sources.
MARCH 27Â Â Â Â Â Â Mark Kurlansky Class Visit:Â Library Building:
Library Building: 7-750
Writing Assignment 4/17: Mark Kurlansky Profile (750 words)
Writing Assignment 3/29:
Conflict Story Proposals (500 words/Cite specific sources)
March 29Â Â Â Â Â Â Reading: BAMW
Andrew Corsello, The Wronged Man, pp. 48-81.
Class Discussion of Conflict Story Proposals
Writing Assignment 4/12: Conflict Story Outline
SPRING RECESS:Â Â Â 4/2-4/10
April 12Â Â Â Â Â Â Discussion of Conflict Story Outlines
April 17Â Â Â Â Â Â Discussion of Kurlansky Profiles
Writing Assignment 4/19: Arts Story Proposals (250 words)*
April 19Â Â Â Â Â Â Discussion of Arts/Culture Stories
Writing Assignment 4/24: Neighborhood Arts/Culture Features
500-750 Words.
*http://mta.info/mta/aft/about/publications.html (For Free Subway Art Booklet)
April 24Â Â Â Â Â Â Presentations:Â Arts/Culture Features
Writing Assignment 4/26: Lead/Page One Conflict Stories
APRIL 26Â Â Â Â Â Â Lead and Page One Workshop Conflict Stories
Writing Assignment 5/1: Page One/Page Two Conflict Stories
MAY 1Â Â Â Â Â Â Page One and Page Two Workshop Conflict Stories
Reading: Best American Magazine Writing 2005*
Chris Jones, Home, pp. 2-23.
Writing Assignment 5/3: First Draft Conflict Story
MAY 3Â Â Â Â Â Â First Draft Conflict Story on Disk (1,000 to 1,200 words)
In-class rewrites
Writing Assignment 5/8: Second Draft Conflict Story
MAY 8Â Â Â Â Â Â Second Draft Conflict Story on Disk (1,000 to 1,200 words)
MAY 10Â Â Â Â Â Â Final Conflict Story Due (1,200 words)
MAY 15Â Â Â Â Â Â PREDICTING THE FUTURE-
ORAL PRESENTATION ON IDEA FOR A FUTURE STORY.
MAY 17Â Â Â Â Â Â PREDICTING THE FUTURE
ORAL PRESENTATION ON IDEA FOR A FUTURE STORY.
* Extra-credit for Michel Marriott profile
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Required Reading/Books:
New York Times Metro Section (daily). (Bring Wednesday’s Metro to class on Thursday)
New York Times City Section, Sundays (Bring City Section to class on Tuesday)
America’s Best Newspaper Writing, Clark and Scanlan, Bedford St. Martin’s. 2006
Best American Magazine Writing 2005, intro. Nicholas Lemann, Columbia University Press.
Mark Kurlansky, Cod
OUR NEIGHBORHOOD FOCUS:
This workshop course in FEATURE ARTICLE WRITING will focus on neighborhoods. During the semester, each of you will become an expert on your neighborhood by researching its demographics, attending local community board meetings, and, through interviewing, building a source list of contact people who may be community leaders, politicians, teachers, newspaper reporters, business owners, and/or residents-single or married, native-born or immigrant, young or old-all of whom contribute to the vibrancy of the community. What makes the neighborhood tick? What are its chief assets? What are its biggest problems? Who is in power? Who is left out?
Good feature writing is based on a solid command of structure, insightful reporting, research, observation, a feel for style and narrative, an appreciation (and grounding) in the writing of other fine writers, and significant re-writing. We will hone our feature writing skills through a number of in-class writing and editing assignments as well as several short feature-writing assignments (500 to 800 words maximum), one longer assignment (1000 to 1,200 words) and a thorough rewrite. Your skilled reporting, original research, and lively writing will yield feature stories that no one else has written before-little known stories about people, places and issues in neighborhoods that deserve to be told.
In addition to formal written assignments, the class will publish a neighborhood BLOG, which you will post to weekly as part of a community or borough team. The goal here is to share community coverage and, at the same time, give you practice writing for social media.
Classroom Guidelines:
1.   ALL assignments are due on time; no late papers or assignments will be accepted unless agreed upon with me before the due date. You must meet all deadlines.
2.   All rewrites are due one week from the date you receive them.
3.   Keep a DAILY JOURNAL of neighborhood observations. Journals will be checked randomly. (Handwritten and in a stenographer’s notebook)
4.   All papers must be double-spaced with name and e-mail address at the top.
5.   Read NYT daily and City Section on Saturday.
6.   Class session: Class begins at 11:10 AM, unless otherwise discussed. Much of our class activity will involve class discussion and in-class writing; therefore, timely attendance and participation are important. Two late arrivals equal one absence. Baruch attendance guidelines will be followed
7.   Know the college’s policy on plagiarism. Go to the website: www.baruch.cuny.edu/academic_honesty.html. Evidence of plagiarism of any kind will result in sanctions that range from an F on the assignment to a failing grade in the course. A report of suspected academic dishonesty will be sent to the office of the Dean of Students. Any sources consulted MUST be attributed to those sources - websites, articles, books, etc., Ignorance of the policy is no excuse.
8.   Grading and other class policies:
Breakdown of your final grade: Research assignments and journal entries (15 %);
class participation and blog posts (15 %); writing assignments (50%); and final
feature/conflict story (20 %).
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