The American Author Project

Overview:

In any survey of American literature, breadth comes with the territory: lots of authors, too little time for each. Depth must also be a feature of the course, not only to prepare for rigorous college work, but also to better understand what it means to be a writer. One novel or one short story is a quick snapshot of a writer. A writer changes over time, as does the world in which he writes. To truly understand a writer, you must immerse yourself in a range of works, and you must study a life and a time.

Your major independent reading and writing project of the year is the American Author Project. You will choose an American author, spend months selecting and reading works by that author, and finish the year by writing a 10–15 page paper that combines biographical research with literary analysis.

Choosing an Author:

In choosing an author, you must observe these guidelines:

• The writer must be an American. (Which is, of course, open to interpretation. What does it mean to be an American?—this is an essential question of the whole course. You may discover your answer in this project.)
• The writer must be a prose writer or dramatist. Writers who are primarily poets do not qualify (we’ll look at poets more closely next year). Fiction and non-fiction are equally acceptable.
• The writer must have a substantial body of work, one that allows you to meet the reading requirements listed below. “One-hit wonders” will not qualify.
• The writer must be widely regarded as important to the development of American literature (also open to interpretation).

Click here for author ideas

Reading Requirements:

The independent reading requirements are the following:

• At least three average-length novels or plays, or the equivalent in shorter works, short stories, or essays. (Books we have read together in class do not count.)
• At least one substantial outside source that informs your thesis. This could come in the form of a biography on the author, book reviews, a non-fiction essay by your author, or literary criticism articles about your author. The focus of your argument should determine what kind of outside source is appropriate.

Writing Requirements:

The final paper must include the following elements:

• At least 10 pages, double-spaced
• Identification and analysis of themes that flow through multiple works
• Analysis of the author’s use of language over multiple works
• Analysis of the author’s place in and importance to American literature

Steps and Deadlines:

Of course, this project must be accomplished in steps.

1. American Author Proposal (WA#6) – due Jan. 24–25
   • make an argument to your class on how your chosen author meets the requirements listed above
   • present a preliminary plan of what works you will read and your reading schedule
2. Reading Blog – ongoing
   • Once a week, you will post on your reading and thinking progress
3. Finish reading – April 1
4. Thesis Proposal (WA#8) – April 15–16
5. First complete draft – May 5
6. Final draft – Submission Instructions, Paper Checklist – May 30

---

Posted by Justin Wells : 01/02/2008