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| Text & Technology: This course, first in the Communication Technology and Culture honors sequence, considers notions of "text" in our "era of technological reproducibility." We analyze texts in many media: printed, digitized, photographed, filmed, recorded, designed, performed, built, and online. Technology relates to texts in at least three ways. All texts are technological because all come to us through media. Most texts show the influence of technology in structure, format, or style. And some texts address technology directly as a topic. |
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| Books and readings: The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon. HarperPerennial. The Man with the Movie Camera by Graham Roberts. I.B. Tauris. M, by Anton Kaes. BFI Publishing. United 93: Screenplay and Commentary by Paul Greengrass. Newmarket Press. Additional course readings are provided on this website, and can be accessed by clicking the link to the Readings page. The readings page is password protected. PASSWORD: Because most of these readings are protected by copyright, access is limited. You have been given a password which will enable you to access the Readings page. Important: Some computers are set to block pop-ups or javascript boxes. If you click on the Readings page link and do not see the password box, then you will need to give permission to allow scripted boxes. (In current Internet Explorer, the "allow" link appears at the top of the browser window.) The readings are in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format. To read them, you need Adobe Reader (also known as Acrobat Reader). Most computers have Adobe Reader installed. If not, you can download it for free from the Adobe website: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/. Print each selection and bring the print-out to class. |
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| Schedule: This website is the course syllabus. The schedule develops through the semester and is updated regularly: check the website before every class. Listed reading assignments are to be completed before the scheduled class. Unit 1: Sample texts and issues Monday, August 27 Introduction to the course Wednesday, August 29 definitions: text, reading, textuality - class definitions - OED definition of text - a set of linguistic standards for textuality: cohesion & coherence, intentionality, acceptability, informativity, situationality, intertextuality - Sample texts: photos by Philip-Lorca diCorcia, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Jeff Wall altered Iraq war photo Friday, August 31 read: Jorge Luis Borges, "The Garden of Forking Paths" [Click to access reading, which can be printed.] - hypertext presentation of Borges' story by Vaios Papanagnou the text triangle Monday, September 3 Labor Day holiday Wednesday, September 5 read: Twelve Blue, hypertext by Michael Joyce - bring to class: a one-page summary of the plot (storyline) of Twelve Blue In-class: Another hypertext work, A Day in the Life Of by Jason Weidemann. Discuss assignment (due September 12) of precis of "Reading: An Intertextual Activity" by Robert Scholes, through page 28 of the essay. Click for part 1, part 2 - images discussed by Scholes in his essay Friday, September 7 text in class: "Different Trains" by Steve Reich - information about Different Trains Monday, September 10 Reich and other musical works: Philip Glass's score for Koyaanisqatsi by Godfrey Reggio topic: repetition as technique and post-modern concept Wednesday, September 12 Precis of Scholes essay due today read before class: Play by Samuel Beckett. Click for pdf version or html version in class: video performance of Play directed by Anthony Minghella in class: basics of performative theory and speech-act theory Friday, September 14 read before class: "What is New Media? 8 Propositions" by Lev Manovich: choose pdf file or HTML file. Here is a list of the propositions Monday, September 17 read before class: discussions of Dr. John Snow's cholera map by Edward Tufte and by Stephen Johnson. - click for a reproduction of Snow's map Edward Tufte's analysis of the 1986 Challenger explosion Wednesday, September 19 film viewing: The Man with the Movie Camera, directed by Dziga Vertov - read: Roberts book, Preface and Chapter 1 (Plot and Synopsis), Friday, September 21 discuss Man with the Movie Camera -Vertov's manifesto and notes on Man with the Movie Camera -various images from the film - read: Roberts book, Chapter 2 (Historical Context), pp. 5-41 Monday, September 24 discuss Man with the Movie Camera - read: Roberts book, Chapter 3 (Textual Analysis), pp. 42-90 Wednesday, September 26 read: Roberts book, Chapter 5 (Signification and Significance), pp. 91-106 in class: montage theory: Eisenstein & Vertov Friday, September 28 essay exam in class: text of the exam Monday, October 1 read before class: Pynchon, The Crying of Lot 49 (entire book) images of Thomas Pynchon - information about the Second Law of Thermodynamics - entropy in physics and communication - entropy in Pynchon, from "San Narciso College" website - the kinetic theory of gases - Claude Shannon's communication model Wednesday, October 3 assignment: bring to class no more than one page discussing how Pynchon uses the "Nafastis machine" to develop a technological metaphor relating to his novel's themes. (For the Nefastis machine, see especially pp. 68 & 84-87). Unit 2: Walter Benjamin and origins Friday, October 5 read before class: Walter Benjamin, "The Work of Art in the Age of Its Technological Reproducibility": click for pdf of part 1, part 2, part 3 (notes). (The notes, which combine Benjamin's own notes with those of the essay's editors, are optional.) assignment: Each class member will write a precis-summary, not to exceed 100 words, of one of the 15 numbered sections of Benjamin's essay. Email your precis to me (in the body of an email, not attached), by 8 am Friday, to johnsong@cua.edu. Monday, October 8: holiday; class meets Tuesday instead Tuesday, October 9 second reading of Benjamin's essay - class precis of Benjamin's essay - Dr. Johnson's notes and summary - illustrated commentary on Benjamin's essay Wednesday, October 10 read before class: essay on Dada by Leah Dickerman - images referred to in Dickerman's essay - additional Dada images - review notes on Dickerman's essay Friday, October 12 begin viewing of: M, directed by Fritz Lang Monday, October 15 continued viewing and discussion of M - read before class: Kaes book on M, pp. 7-38 - discussion topic: how does M reflect the world view described in Dickerman's essay on Dada? - some visual commentary on M Wednesday, October 17 continued viewing and discussing of M - read before class: Kaes book on M, pp. 38-64 - discussion topic: how does M fit, and/or not fit, into Walter Benjamin's theories about the film medium? Friday, October 19 in-class writing on M, the book by Kaes, and the essays by Benjamin and Dickerman. read before class: Kaes book on M, pp. 64-76 Monday, October 22 discussion of M and essay Wednesday, October 24 conferences Friday, October 26 essay due Unit 3: Textual responses to September 11, 2001 Monday, October 29 introduction to texts on September 11: video excerpts from CBS News live coverage; 9-11, documentary by Jules & Gedeon Naudet & James Hanlon Monday, October 29 or Tuesday, October 30 Film showing: United 93, directed by Paul Greengrass Wednesday, October 31 Discuss United 93 read: United 93 book, pp. 137-150 Friday, November 2 Final version of essay due class does not meet today Monday, November 5 September 11 texts: “The Dead of September 11” by Toni Morrison; and “When the Towers Fell” by Galway Kinnell. read: United 93 book, pp. 87-136 Wednesday, November 7 class canceled Friday, November 9 before class: listen to recording of Galway Kinnell reading "When the Towers Fell" (mp3) read before class: "Reporting the Disaster" by Nancy Miller "Portraits of Grief": New York Times series discussed by Miller in class: excerpts from World Trade Center, directed by Oliver Stone Monday, November 12 September 11 texts: "The Last Days of Muhammad Atta" by Martin Amis Joel Meyerowitz's Aftermath photos of the WTC site New Yorker cover graphics: Art Spiegelman's 2001 cover; and 2006 cover for 5th anniversary of 9/11 Flag raising photos: World Trade Center & Iwo Jima Wednesday, November 14 September 11 texts: read before class: chapter 1 of Up from Zero by Paul Goldberger - The Innovative Design Study proposals discussed by Goldberger: Libeskind; Foster; Meier & Associates; THINK; United Architects; Skidmore, Owings & Merrill Evolving design for Freedom Tower - "Sacred Ground": 2004 PSC Frontline site on the Innovative Design Study - recommended reading: "Fantasy Intersects with Reality at Ground Zero" by Suzanne Stephens (click here for illustrations with the Stephens text) Friday, November 16 September 11 conspiracy theories: Loose Change by Dylan Avery - Screw Loose Change website challenging Avery. - Website challenging the Naudet 9-11 documentary - Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 - Analysis of propaganda techniques in Fahrenheit 9/11 recommended reading: Richard Hofstadter's 1964 article, "The Paranoid Style in American Politics" Monday, November 19 Email or bring to class: a brief description (a paragraph to a page) including the main text or texts you are considering for your project report, plus your preliminary thoughts on the approach you will take to analyzing and present the text or texts. September 11 texts: "Between Memory and History" by Richard Stamelman; excerpt from Sixteen Acres by Philip Nobel - Design competition for the World Trade Center Memorial: text and images - Images of Washington, DC, memorials: Vietnam Veterans 1, 2, 3; Korean Veterans 1, 2; World War II 1, 2; FDR 1, 2; Lincoln 1, 2. Thanksgiving holiday Monday, November 26 Discuss project presentations for week of December 3, and project essays due week of December 10. Wednesday, November 28 Prepare for class-led discussion on Friday: Topic: Online social communities (Facebook, Myspace, Friendster, etc.); can include such sites as YouTube, Second Life, etc. Friday, November 30 Class led discussion of online social communities Monday, December 3 project presentations this week: individual presentations of 15-20 minutes, focused on a text or group of texts analyzed in relation to themes of the course. Audio-visual accompaniment is recommended, but remember that the report is not simply a presentation of the text, but your focused analysis of it. Projects presented today: Alys Cheatle Ryan Cooley Kristin DeiTos Rob Marshall Wednesday, December 5 Projects presented today: Stephanie Calhoun Kelly King Joe Miller Mary Lynn Seery Lydia Wypasek Friday, December 7 Projects presented today: Anna Eschuk Laura Keating Erin Murphy Therese Ngaya Jeff Outwater Samantha Ritts Monday, December 10 presentations continued, if needed: 10:30-12:30 Thursday, December 13 last day to submit project essay: approximately 5 pages (double-spaced) discussing how your project relates to one or more themes of the course. This is an informed personal essay; no additional research (beyond the project) is required. Essay may be delivered to 107 McMahon Hall by 4:30 pm, or emailed. Important: if you email your essay, paste the text of the essay into the body of the email, even if you also attach the file; that way I can read your essay even if I cannot open an attachment. There is no final exam in HSCT 101. |
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| Graded work: (subject to modification) -precis of Scholes essay -essay exam on Man with the Movie Camera (in context) -essay on Unit 2 (Benjamin, M, and Dada) -end of semester project on September 11 texts: includes presentation in class and short essay -short writing assignments, announced and unannounced -participation in class-led discussion -attendance and participation |
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Attendance: you are expected to be present and on time for every class. Participation: There are two kinds of participation, both important. First, coming to class prepared makes you an active listener. Second, this is a seminar-style course in which individual contributions are crucial and expected. Assignments: Readings are to be done before scheduled class discussions. Assignments are to be done on time; late assignments penalized. Excuses: must be verifiable. Plagiarism / academic dishonesty: the penalty is failure for the course See policies.cua.edu online. Problems: If anything is interfering with your work in the course, talk to me immediately. Problems can be addressed, but the end of the semester is probably too late. |
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