C OSMIC S ECRETS :

Giving Voice to Curiosity

WRIT 1733: Honors Writing

SECTION 5 Meeting time: TF 12:00PM—1:50PM

Spring 2019 Room: Sturm Hall 492

“Research is formalized curiosity. It is poking and prying with a

purpose. It is a seeking that he who wishes may know the cosmic
secrets of the world and they that dwell therein.”
– Zora Neale Hurston (from Dust Tracks on a Road 1942)

I NSTRUCTOR I NFO :
LP Picard
Teaching Assistant Professor, University Writing Program

Office: AAC 380P

Office Hours: R 11:00a—1:00p; flex hours M/W/F; consult Office Hours Spreadsheet
Mailbox: AAC 282
E-mail: LdotPicard@gmail.com
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C OURSE D ESCRIPTION :
Cosmic Secrets: We often think of research as a strictly academic endeavor; we encounter
research through its formal contributions to general knowledge, its results and findings. We fail
to consider its creative potential. Zora Neale Hurston once defined research as “formalized
curiosity… poking and prying with a purpose… a seeking that [they] who wishes may know the
cosmic secrets of the world.” This section of Honors Writing will adopt Hurston’s view of research
to unpack its possibilities. Students will select a topic of personal interest and, using a variety of
research methods, explore creative ways to share their findings with the public. The goal of our
work is to essay (to attempt, to grapple) and render this exploration for your readers using an
unconventional genre—in a way, to create a unique map of your research topic. This will require
you to consider new forms of arrangement and develop your personal voice. We will turn to TED
Talks, memoirs, podcasts, essays, student work, and best-selling books for inspiration.

C OURSE O BJECTIVES (as defined by the University Writing Program):

Students will:
•   Analyze strategies used in a variety of rhetorical situations and employ those principles in
their own writings and communications;
•   Analyze research and writing strategies used in a range of academic traditions and use
those strategies in their writings; and
•   Adapt, to specific situations, a strong repertory of writing processes, including
generating, shaping, revising, editing, proofreading, and working with other writers.

LP’ S A DDITIONAL C OURSE O BJECTIVES :

What drives my teaching is the hope that:
•   Students will become confident “knowledge producers.”
•   Students will become more critical and socially aware readers of their world.
•   Through thorough inquiry, rhetorical analysis, and reflective writing, students will learn to
take ownership of their ideas.

R EQUIRED M ATERIALS :
Personal Computer (or any reasonable substitution)—for in-class activities
Writing Utensil(s)—for in-class activities
Canvas.du.edu—our course’s homepage contains the following modules:
•   Readings & Texts: find assigned readings (as hyperlinks & PDFs) on the “Homework
Calendar” page; find extra-credit opportunities on the “Of Interest” page; submit Reading
Responses
•   IC Project & Process: Interpretive Constellation prompt; find instructions for upcoming
drafts, feedback, and other process documents here

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•   Supplemental Projects: find prompts for and submit our four Mini Projects & IGNITE
•   Course Documents: contains our syllabus, homework calendar, and a link to my Office
Hours sign-up sheet
•   Handouts: displays recent handouts (the rest can be found in the “Handouts” folder on
the “Files” tab)
•   In-Class Activities
Additional course websites:
•   Library.du.edu
•   Online Writing Lab (OWL) – https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/

Technology Expectations: files should be submitted as .Doc or .Docx—the university provides all
students with free Office 365 (including Word). To preserve design & formatting, students can also
e-mail me a copy of their project as a PDF (in addition to the Word Document uploaded to Canvas).

C OURSE C OMPONENTS & G RADING :

•   Interpretive Constellation: 50%
o   Final Project – 100 possible points
o   Process – 100 possible points

•   Supplemental Projects: 25%

o   Mini Projects (4 x 15-20 points each) – 75 possible points
o   IGNITE Presentation – 25 possible points

•   Other Engagement: 25%

o   Reading Responses – 20 possible points
o   Group Conferences – 20 possible points
o   In-class Activities – 60 possible points

Notes on grading
If you wish to discuss your grade or ask me how you are doing in class, speak to me during office
hours, not during or after class.

Please keep in mind: a B is a strong grade. A B means “above average,” “good,” and “meeting
the rigorous expectations and standards of college work.”

For final assessment:

A 376–400 points B 334–346 points C 294–306 points D 254–266 points

A- 360–375 points B- 320–333 points C- 280–293 points D- 240–253 points
B+ 347–359 points C+ 307–319 points D+ 267–279 points F <240 points

Rough Percentage Breakdown: A 100%–94%, A- 93%–90%, B+ 89%–87%, B 86%–84%, B- 83%–80%, C+

79%–77%, C 76%–74%, C- 73%–70%, D+ 69%–67%, D 66%–64%, D- 63%–60%, F <60%

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E L A B O R A T IO N OF THE COURSE COMPONENTS:

Engagement: [ 100 points ]

•   Reading Responses (RR)
o   On four occasions, students will be given several options of essays or studies to
read for homework and asked to select one. You will submit a Reading Response
that reflects upon and evaluates the text you chose.
§   These are marked on the Homework Calendar as “[RR]” and posted as
assignments on Canvas with specific due dates.
o   Here’s what is expected of each Reading Response:
§   Reading Responses [RR] are entries of exploratory writing where you can
follow ideas without worrying about academic conventions. This differs
from a personal journal in that it focuses on the intellectual work of the
class, but it also has some limited similarity to a personal journal in that it
focuses on your reactions to assigned texts and is a space to privately
engage with the material.
§   Reading Response should consider, evaluate, and/or respond to the
assigned reading. You could reflect upon the reading on its own; you
might also draw connections between this & our in-class work.
§   Each RR should be at least 250 words.
o   Evaluation:
§   Reading Responses can certainly address the content of the assigned text,
but they should also reflect upon the rhetorical strategies and research
methods used by the author(s). ** In other words, be sure to connect the
assigned reading to our projects or course concepts. **
§   If it’s clear that you read the assigned text and are critically engaging with
it, you’ll get 4 points. If RR set is short of 250 words = 3 points. If it
doesn’t demonstrate engagement with the article = 1 or 2 points. RRs
that demonstrate additional effort will receive 5 points.
§   RRs will be accepted late with a small penalty.
§   3 opportunities to earn 5 points = 15 points
For samples of exemplary Reading Responses [RR], see pages 12-13.

•   Group Conferences
o   On two occasions, students will meet with me in small groups outside of our class
meeting time to provide peer feedback on each other’s Interpretive
Constellations. Each conference is worth 10 points.

•   In-Class Activities
o   At various times throughout the quarter, students will be asked to complete 15
in-class activities. These include: annotating shared texts, coding data, rhetorical

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analysis, generating research questions, graphic design, etc. Some of these

activities are group work; others are individual exercises.
o   Students who complete the exercises with good-faith effort will receive 3 points.
Students (and groups) who get off-track or do not complete the exercises will
receive 2 or fewer points. Students (and groups) who go above and beyond
expectations will receive 4 points.
o   15 opportunities x 4 possible points = 60 points.
o   These activities will be marked on the Homework Calendar. If you are absent from
class, it is your responsibility to reach out to me to complete the activity before
our next class meeting. Otherwise, you will not receive credit.

Our class meetings require…

•   Active Participation
o   Class discussions will be an integral part of your learning and participation is vital
to success in this course. We will be reading a number of challenging texts and
frequently it will be up to you to discover your own answers to the questions
raised. I encourage you to share your thoughts and ideas, because this course
also emphasizes developing your voice and creativity.
o   As some of these texts deal with sensitive issues, an atmosphere of tolerance and
tact is crucial for classroom discussions. This does not mean that you are
discouraged from disagreeing with a classmate’s stance on a particular subject.
However, this disagreement should be approached with consideration, not
disrespect. It is the students’ responsibility to remain self-aware, regardless of the
positions they take.

•   Being Present
o   Our class meetings last just 1 hour and 50 minutes, usually with a break at the
half-way point. We have much to cover each day. Being present—being engaged
and giving your classmates your full attention—is a requirement of the course.
o   Personal Computers… are to be used strictly for class work. If we are not using
them for an exercise, they should not be open.
o   Cellular Phones… are to be turned off during class.
o   Being distracted—by your computer and/or phone—will bring down your In-
Class Activities grade.

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Mini Projects: [ 75 points (4 x 15 or 20 points each) ]

•   MP #1: Source Constellation. Using a handout that will be made available on Canvas,
students will find 8 sources to use in their Interpretive Constellation Essay project—
including, but not limited to, a scholarly article, a book, a newspaper article, a multimodal
source, etc. Students will be asked to summarize and evaluate at least three of these. It is
recommended that students use Friday April 19th for library research.
o   Due: Tuesday April 23rd [15 points]

•   MP #2: Staging a Conversation. Students will put at least two of their Interpretive
Constellation Essay sources into conversation with one another—utilizing the strategies
of synthesis, forwarding, and/or countering. MP #2 should be 2 double-spaced pages.
o   Due: Friday May 3rd [20 points]

•   MP #3: Content Analysis. Students will conduct an informal content analysis project
using new (i.e., self-determined and self-generated) or existing (e.g., Rate My Professor
gendered language) data. Students will write informal Methods (if the data is self-
generated), Results, and Discussion sections. MP #3 should be 2 double-spaced pages.
o   Due: Tuesday May 14th [20 points]

•   MP #4: Qualitative Data. Using available qualitative information (e.g., Modern Romance
subreddit responses or posts on a message board), students will use the Pattern-
Example-Interpretation model to make a qualitative argument. (please note: if students do
want to conduct interviews or observations for their project, they must meet individually
with me by Tuesday May 14th). MP #4 should be 2 double-spaced pages.
o   Due: Tuesday May 21st [20 points]

•   Extra Credit MP: Arrangement Activity. Rather than pigeonhole your project, please
re-imagine your Interpretive Constellation in three unique genres. This means that you
will use the same general content to imagine what this project would look like in three
different styles of arrangement. Our genre options are: features, memoir, notes,
footnotes, popular research essay, or hybrid. In one Word Document, render two pages
(500-600 words) of your project in three varying options. Label each variation.
o   Due: Friday May 17th
o   Worth up to 10 points

•   Detailed instruction for each MP will be distributed throughout the term.

•   MPs will be submitted to Canvas.

IGNITE Presentation: [ 25 points ]

•   Students will create a 5-minute preview of their broader Interpretive Constellation
project. This could materialize as either an IGNITE Presentation or a pre-recorded
Podcast. The goal here isn’t to condense or distill your project into a 5-minute version

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(that would be impossible); rather, the goal is to share some bit of insight with your
classmates. As IGNITE’s slogan goes: “Enlighten us… but make it quick.”
o   Due: Tuesday June 4th
o   Detailed instructions will be distributed later in the term.

Interpretive Constellation Essay (Project): 25%—[ 100 points ]

You will write a 3,600+ word interpretive constellation essay in which you consider
(investigate, explore) an issue of your choice. We will turn to memoirs (Molly Birnbaum’s Season
to Taste), TED Talks (Joshua Foer’s), podcasts (“Falling” from RadioLab), essays (David Foster
Wallace’s “Consider the Lobster”), student projects, and research-based nonfiction (Alter’s Drunk
Tank Pink) for inspiration.

Effectively utilize the research methods we will discuss this term (expert interviews, interpretive
research, content analysis, and/or qualitative methods) to navigate an issue of personal
significance. While many academic research essays investigate a narrow topic using a specific
framework, you will explore your broad topic through multiple lenses… stitching together myriad
voices and perspectives (at least 12 sources), drawing connections between ideas to illuminate
a constellation of your issue.

Imagine that this essay would appear in a magazine like The New Yorker or could appear in the
2019 issue of WRIT Large—that is, imagine your audience to be popular but comprised of
intellectual readers.

Your goal is not to make a singular argument about this topic. Rather, your goal is to provoke
critical engagement from your readers as they follow your process of discovery. We will work on
this project throughout the term. A final revised draft will be due Tuesday June 11th.

Grading:
An informal conversion: A = 100-95 points; A- = 94-90 points; B+ = 89-87 points; B = 86-84
points; B- = 83-80; C+ = 79-77 points; C = 76-74 points; C- = 73-70; D = 69-60 points; F = <60

A note on grading for this project

I want you to feel encouraged to take risks in your writing, to think outside the box. I want you to value
the process of meaning-making (and of intellectual inquiry) as much as you value the artifact created
1
through this process. Our Interpretive Constellation will be evaluated using six flexible criteria :
•   How well it fits a given readership or audience;
•   How well it achieves a given purpose;
•   How well it conforms to matters of fact and reasoning;
•   How well it matches formal conventions expected by its audience (adherence to genre);
•   How well it fulfills the requirements of the assignment; and
•   How much ambition it displays.
These criteria will be explained in further detail on our Interpretive Constellation Essay (Project) prompt.

                                                                                                               
1
Adapted from Doug Hesse: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/05/02/grading-writing-the-art-and-
science-and-why-computers-cant-do-it/

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A note on invention
Our Interpretive Constellation is an open-ended project. You will be asked to research in a specified
tradition and convey your findings using a specified genre, but you will determine the subject and scope
of your inquiry.

In the past, students have identified the open nature of our projects as one of the biggest challenges of
the course—this is worth noting as many of you may face writer’s block or doubt the validity of your
inquiry. I encourage you to embrace this challenge. Taking agency of your projects will lead to greater
investment in your work (something students have identified as a benefit of the open nature of these
assignments) and greater confidence in your own abilities as a knowledge-producer.

I am available to meet throughout the quarter and do reserve much time for our required conferences.
Please use these conferences to your advantage at any stage of the research process.

A student’s reflection on her process of invention:

I believe that research should act as a tool for growth. The best research is conducted when the
researcher is educating him or herself on a topic that he or she is interested in. Growing up,
students are often asked to conduct research for a grade. That does not sound so bad, I know.
However, the topics are often quite drab, never actually allowing that spark of interest to form in the
student’s mind. Excitement is rarely expressed. This specific task, the interpretive constellation, has
done the exact opposite of the standard academic research prompt.
I have always loved the ocean. The vastness, the mystery, the inhabitants, all of it is so majestic
to me. The ocean is constant, the way waves are constantly forming, breaking, and crashing. It is a
never ending cycle, one that can be seen as both beautiful and haunting. It is the culture, though,
that the ocean has created that pulled me in hardest. The free flowing, easy going attitude that is
always apparent, no matter the time of day or month of year. Surrounding the constant that is the
ocean stands another constant, a universal constant loved and shared by so many: surf culture.
They make life look so easy. This laid back rebellion doing what brings them the most joy, what
makes their hearts the happiest, and their skin the tannest. I have always looked up to surfers,
admired their fearless antics, the way they can leave it all in the ocean. At first it just started as
innocent crushes. I used to love the Disney Channel Original Movie Johnny Kapahala, a story of a
native Hawaiian teenager who is forced to move to a cold, surf free climate. From there it became
less of an innocent elementary crush and more of a deep interest, one that seemed to alter as I grew
older. Slowly, my interest was going from me loving the rush and excitement of a surfer barreling
through a tube to a more genuine respect for surf culture as a whole.
When I knew that I would be able to choose my own topic of research, instantly my mind went
to surfing. While the freedom to write about whatever one wants may be seen as overwhelming
and stress inducing, I suffered very little from these side effects. I did, however, find myself
struggling in a few other aspects of this project. With any writing piece, no matter if it be 10 pages
or 10 words, the hardest part is starting. There were so many ideas in my head and options in which
I might have been able to carry them out. Once I realized that I wanted to use notes, I was
constantly struggling between the feeling of using too much personality, or not enough. Finding
that perfect balance is hard to do, and I am not saying that my writing is perfect, but I am proud of
and happy with what I have created.—M.H.

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Interpretive Constellation Essay (Process): 25%—[ 100 points ]

While we will devote our entire term to this project, ten weeks is still a limited window for
substantial research writing. Again, I want you to value the process of meaning-making (and of
intellectual inquiry) as much as the final artifact.

•   Proposal 10 points
•   IC Draft 1.0 5 points
•   Peer Feedback for IC 1.0 5 points
•   IC Draft 2.0 10 points
•   IC Draft 3.0 10 points
•   Peer Feedback for IC 3.0 10 points
•   Artist Statement Draft 5 points
•   Peer Feedback for Artist Statement 5 points

•   Artist Statement 20 points

•   Individual Conference (one by Tuesday 5.7) 10 points
•   Individual Conference (one by end of quarter) 10 points
•   Total: 100 points

Grading:
The proposal, drafts, and letters of peer feedback will be evaluated for process (thought, effort, etc.)
rather than product (grammar, polish, consistency, style, etc.). For the individual meeting, please show
up (on time) ready to discuss your work. Grading criteria for the Artist Statement will be shared on
the prompt.

An informal conversion for components worth 20 points:

A (Above and Beyond Expectations) = 20 points; B (Satisfactory) = 17.5 points; C (Needs
Improvement) = 15 points; D (Unsatisfactory) = 12 points; F = <12

An informal conversion for components worth 15 points:

A (Above and Beyond Expectations) = 15 points; B (Satisfactory) = 13 points; C (Needs
Improvement) = 11 points; D (Unsatisfactory) = 9 points; F = <9

An informal conversion for components worth 10 points:

A (Above and Beyond Expectations) = 10 points; B (Satisfactory) = 8.5 points; C (Needs
Improvement) = 7.5 points; D (Unsatisfactory) = 6 points; F = <6

An informal conversion for components worth 5 points:

A (Above and Beyond Expectations) = 5 points; B (Satisfactory) = 4 points; C (Needs
Improvement) = 3 points; D (Unsatisfactory) = 2 points; F = <2

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E XTRA -C REDIT O PPORTUNITIES

•   Images for the Many Voices, One DU book project = 5 points
o   Students can e-mail me (LdotPicard@gmail.com) 3 images of DU’s campus or
surrounding area by Friday April 5 @ 6pm. These images will be considered for
use on the cover the second volume of an anthology connected to the One Book,
One DU summer prompt.
•   Event Attendance + Reading Response [RR] = 10 points
o   Writers @ Work Series (details TBD)
o   Conversations in the Disciplines (Monday April 22nd from 6-7:30pm)
•   Additional Reading Responses [RR] = 3-15 points
o   Throughout the quarter, I’ll be adding texts “Of Interest” [compelling examples of
methodology or genre] to a repository on Canvas. You can write RRs for these
“Of Interest” texts for 3 points each. This opportunity will be capped at 15 points.
§   E-mail these extra-credit RRs to me (LdotPicard@gmail.com)
•   COMPosium – details TBA

Important Dates:
F 4.19 No class—use this for MP #1 research
F 6.7 Last Day of Class.
Su 6.9 All late + extra-credit work due
T 6.11 Interpretive Constellation + Artist Statement due

A DDITIONAL C OURSE P OLICIES :

Attendance
•   Regular attendance and participation are crucial to success in this course. It is very hard
to do well unless you are present and ready to participate in discussions, exercises, and
workshops. Given the short length of the quarter, missing two class sessions means
missing 10% of our time together.
•   Students with more than two unexcused absences should expect to see a significant
reduction in their overall grade (20-point reduction per additional unexcused absence).
In the event of excessive absences (more than 20% of class meetings), students should
talk to me about options moving forward. Missing more than 50 minutes of class will
count as an absence.
•   Students who miss six or more classes will not pass the course.
•   Class begins at 12:00PM. Students with more than three unexcused tardy arrivals should
expect to see a reduction in their overall grade (-2 points per additional late arrival).
•   If you know you will miss an upcoming meeting, it is your responsibility to notify me in
advance (though notification does not necessarily mean excusal).
•   Religious holidays, ongoing medical situations, and other extenuating circumstances will
be considered as excused with proper documentation.

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Conferences & Office Hours

•   Students are REQUIRED to meet with me at least four times during the term, though are
encouraged to take full advantage of my office hours.
o   Students will meet with me twice in small groups for peer feedback sessions.
o   Students will meet with me at least twice individually to discuss our ongoing
project (the Interpretive Constellation).
o   Each conference is worth 10 points.
•   Please do not think that office hours are reserved for our major writing project. We can
discuss any of your work for this course.
•   Stop by during my office hours or schedule an appointment (on the “Spring 2019 Office
Hours” Google Drive document—link available on Canvas).

Communication and Netiquette

•   You are welcome to e-mail me with questions throughout the quarter and I will return
them at my earliest convenience. In general, expect e-mails sent to me before 5pm on
weekdays and Sundays to receive a same-day response, and expect e-mails sent to me
after 6pm on weekdays to receive a response the following day.
•   I would be happy to provide feedback on your work, but not via e-mail. Questions about
your work-in-progress should be reserved for in-person meetings. Questions about
formal features of the project (e.g., how it should be turned in) or desire for assignment
clarification are fine for e-mail.

Homework
•   Throughout your academic career, expect to devote at least 2-3 hours per week to at-
home prep (reading, studying, writing, etc.) for each credit hour you take. For our class (4
credit hours), expect to devote 8-12 hours a week to out-of-class work.
•   Even if you are absent from class, homework is still due by 12:00pm.

Making Up In-Class Work

•   In the event of an absence, students who reach out to me can still:
•   Participate in Peer Feedback Activities, as long as you e-mail me in advance
with a copy of your draft.
•   Complete our In-Class Activities, as long as you e-mail me before class or
within 24 hours of class. You will then be able to submit the work without late
penalty by the start of our next class period.
•   Stay informed. I’m happy to e-mail students a brief run-down of that day’s class
and attach any handouts or prompts that I distributed.
But! This is just for students who are proactive. I will not chase down students who miss class.

Late Assignments
•   On the day an assignment is due, it should be uploaded to Canvas (or e-mailed to LP, or
printed for class, as made clear by the homework calendar) at the beginning of class. Late

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work will still be accepted with a grade penalty. If you anticipate a problem with getting
your work in on time, please talk to me beforehand.

Academic Misconduct
•   The Writing Program (where I am housed) follows the Council of Writing Program
Administrators policy “Defining and Avoiding Plagiarism,” which states, “In an
instructional setting, plagiarism occurs when a writer deliberately uses someone else’s
language, ideas, or other original (not common-knowledge) material without
acknowledging its source” (http://wpacouncil.org/node/9). DU’s Honor Code also
maintains that all members of the University must responsibly use the work of others.
Self-plagiarism (submitting a project created for one class in another without explicit
approval) is another serious example of academic misconduct. Students who have
plagiarized a project will receive an F on that project, and the instructor will inform the
Office of Community and Citizenship Standards, which may take further action. Any
documented acts of plagiarism after the first may be subject to more severe actions.

S AMPLE R EADING R ESPONSES

A. L.
Reading Response #1—first half of Bluets

After reading the first 120 notes in the book Bluets, I found myself a little bit confused to say the
least. Nelson jumps around with her thoughts quite a bit. Other than the overarching topic,
which is the color blue, there are a few themes I found to be consistent. The first one is the
theme of loss. Nelson obviously has lost her lover, who she refers to as “The prince in blue.” She
is quite explicit in her recollection of their love life. When she talks about her love for this man,
she ties in the color blue in two ways. She either talks about blue as a feeling of sadness, as in
feeling blue that he is gone, or she talks about some inanimate object that reminded her of him,
like a tarp in note 18. The next theme is her friend who has suffered a traumatic accident and is
left a paraplegic. I also noticed that in a few notes when talking about her injured friend she
leaves out the word blue entirely (Notes 102, 103, and 104 for example). This seemed odd to me
because it almost felt like she took a break from the overarching topic of the color blue to talk
about her friend because she felt she needed to. The third theme I noticed was her search for
truth and knowledge by quoting well known thinkers such as Emerson and Thoreau. During
these notes, the color blue is almost always present in some way. Nelson seems to have a
tortured mind. Sometimes blue seems to soothe her, and other times it seems to aggravate her.
Although the majority of notes seemed random and strange to me, I managed to find deeper
meaning in a select few of them. My favorite note was number 72, “It is easier, of course, to find
dignity in one’s solitude. Loneliness is solitude with a problem…” [word count: 318]

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B. P.
Bluets—First Half Reading Response

When I heard that this book was going to be a series of notes about the color blue, I
assumed that each note would be a different fact about the color blue. I figured there would still
be a central theme and sense of depth to it, but still focusing on the color itself. I was surprised
when I began reading and realized that Maggie Nelson tells us far more than just about the
color blue. She uses various details about the color blue to explore how people manifest their
sadness. She subtly tells her own story, her own connection with blue, to show how loneliness
eventually becomes sadness or even depression, and that sadness ultimately turns into blue, the
feeling of raw emotion.
It took me a while to understand what the real significance of the color blue means to
Nelson; In fact, I am still definitely unsure of what she meant. Before reading, I initially assumed
blue would represent sadness, however, Nelson describes important, meaningful things as blue.
There is more sentimentality to the color than just drab sadness. I have come to understand that
blue simply means flooded with emotion.
It is clear that Nelson suffered a rough breakup (or divorce, I cannot remember which) very
shortly before writing this book. Her loneliness is manifested in the color blue, but she
recognizes that other emotions accompany blue as well. She discusses sex, in that it has the
capacity to express blue, but it can also be gray and empty. During these notes, I could tell that
there was some sort of sexual tension involved in the termination of her previous relationship.
She was extremely invested in the idea of sex and how much blue it really carried in her eyes.
I learned a lot about the color blue from this book so far. I’ve learned a lot about the author,
Maggie Nelson, thus far. I have probably learned the most, from this book, about the complexity
of emotion. I am anxious to continue reading. [word count: 337]

R ESOURCES

University Writing Center

•   The Writing Center supports and promotes effective student writing across the University of
Denver campus. In a non-evaluative collaborative setting, we help DU students with all kinds
of writing projects: class assignments, personal writing, professional writing, and multimedia
projects. We serve any student affiliated with the University and invite students in all classes,
at all levels of writing ability, and at any stage of the writing process to visit us.
•   Any DU student, faculty, or staff may make an appointment for a consultation by calling us at
303.871.7456. Students may also make appointments by going to myWeb, clicking on
“Student and Financial Aid,” and then selecting “Writing Center.” We will see writers on a
walk-in basis if a consultant is available.
•   The Writing Center is located in the Anderson Academic Commons.

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Spring 2019

Research Center
•   The Research Center offers students guidance through the research process: from refining a
topic, to finding and evaluating relevant sources, to creating a bibliography. One-on-one
research consultations are available to students at any stage of the research
process. Consultations are by appointment and on a drop-in basis as available.
•   For an appointment, call 303-871-2905, complete the request form on the library’s website,
or stop by the Research Center in the Anderson Academic Commons (Main Level, room 240).
•   To schedule a consultation, visit: http://library.du.edu/research/consultation.html

Research Guides and Tutorials

•   There is a general guide to library resources available for Writing classes
at http://libguides.du.edu/writclasses. Under the Book Catalogs and Article Databases tabs
you will find some short video tutorials on how to find books and articles. There are also
guides available for a variety of subject areas- http://libguides.du.edu.

Special Collections and Archives

•   Special Collections & Archives houses rare books and manuscript collections, including the
University Archives, the Ira M. Beck and Peryle Hayutin Beck Memorial Archives of Rocky
Mountain Jewish History, the Carson Brierly Giffin Dance Library, the Husted Cookery
Collection, and significant collections of fine press and artists' books and skiing books and
ephemera. Please contact Kate Crowe at Katherine.Crowe@du.edu for more information.
•   http://library.du.edu/collections-archives/specialcollections/universityarchives.html

ADA Statement
•   Any student who feels s/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability
protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act should contact me privately to discuss your specific needs. Please contact
the Disability Services Program located on the 4th floor of Ruffatto Hall; 1999 E. Evans Ave.,
to coordinate reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities.
303.871.2278 / 303.871.7432 / 303.871.2455. Information is also available on line at
http://www.du.edu/disability/dsp; see the Handbook for Students with Disabilities.

Religious Accommodations
•   DU students are granted excused absences from class if needed for observance of religious
holy days but should contact instructors to make alternate arrangements during the first
week of class. Visit DU's religious accommodations policy for information and a list of
religious holidays.
•   http://www.du.edu/studentlife/religiouslife/about-us/policy.html

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