Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Class Notes: 4/5

I hope you've all had a good week. Here's a refresher about what you need for class this week:

1. E-mail your "miscellaneous" review to me by noon tomorrow. If you haven't used an extension, you may. That would move your deadline to THURSDAY at noon, but you have to request the extension prior to noon on Wednesday (via e-mail is fine).

2. A blog post should be up by class time on Thursday. No assignment, just a post of your choice.

3. Bring a printed copy of your review for peer editing.

My guess is that I will turn you free to go work on your rough drafts as a group a little bit early; it's my little girl's first birthday and I'd like to spend some time with her at home while she's awake.

Also of interest: On April 12 we will have a guest speaker, 417 Magazine editor Katie Pollock. We'll talk a little bit more about her visit Thursday night.

E-mail me if you have any questions. You can also try my gmail account if it's urgent (I tend to check that one more often at work; matthew.lemmon@gmail.com).

ML

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Class Notes: 3/29

Just a few quick things about tomorrow night:

You should have sent me your links to three "miscellaneous" reviews by noon today. If you haven't done this yet, please do.

You should also have received my edits to your dining reviews, which I very much enjoyed reading. Please post your final draft to your blog by class time tomorrow (you need not bring a new printed copy to class, only the edited one from last week.)

Finally, your blog post should go up by classtime, as well. No specific theme, just something that tickles your fancy.

If the weather holds, we may head outside for the first part of class. My graduating class of aught-two paid for that outdoor classroom; it would be kind of nice to actually use it. But come to the classroom first.

The later part of class will be for you to work on your final project outline. I'll need a "thesis" of some sort and an outline of the stories that will be included, so be prepared to meet in groups, too.

Finally, at the risk of sounding snippy, PLEASE try to be on time. We only have a handful of class periods remaining together. This class starts 20 minutes later than it should, yet we pretty consistently have multiple people walk in 5 minutes (or more) late. That is all.

ML

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Class Notes: 3/15

Long time no see! I hope you enjoyed dining with a critical eye. I look forward to reading your stuff.

Here's what to expect for class tomorrow:

1. Bring a PRINTED copy of your dining review. You'll be reading your classmates' work again. PLEASE try to leave some larger margins on your printed copies so that people have room to write. You will receive your edited versions back from me sometime during the weekend, possibly as early as Friday.

2. You get points for editing others' work (and doing it well and constructively). You can't make up those points, so please try to be there. We have another week off next week, remember. As if you (or I) would forget.

3. We will be discussing two important things that you probably won't want to miss:

1. Course content for the rest of the semester. If you have strong opinions on what we've done so far and what you might LIKE to do the rest of the semester (I'm not a fiction guy, so unfortunately that's out), please drop me a line.

2. Your final project.

4. Finally, if you decided you would like to re-take the copy-editing and 7C's quiz, we'll do that at the end of class. Can't promise whether it'll be easier or harder, but it will be similar to the previous quiz. If you are one of the couple of students who never took the first one, please plan on doing so at the same time.

Final note: I did NOT mention anything about a blog post due for this week, so if you do one I'll give you some extra points, but it's not an assignment. You should have posted a "comparison" review on the blog by last Thursday. You do not need to post your food review yet, not until it's edited.

Any other questions? Shoot me an e-mail.

Best,

ML

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Class Notes: 3/1

Here are your assignments for this week. Look for the class to be structured fairly similarly to the one three weeks ago where we read the various movie reviews. Restaurant critique has some unique wrinkles, so we'll be going through some of those, too.

1. Using peer edits and my edits (to be e-mailed to you on Friday), please revise your Tinker Tailor review and POST TO YOUR BLOG by class time next Thursday
--Be sure to use links where necessary and try to include a trailer or movie poster.
--You’ll have a lot of suggestions; use your best judgment on how to improve the piece; you don’t necessarily have to follow my advice (though I have written a lot of these).
--PLEASE bring your peer-revised copy BACK to class with you next week; I will be assessing your editing, as well.

2. One other blog post, 500 words or so, BY NOON ON WEDNESDAY. Most of you are doing a good job developing a theme/personality on your blogs. Just keep it up.

SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, YES: YOU WILL BE POSTING TWO BLOGS THIS WEEK: The finished review and another, shorter post of your choosing.

3. Please e-mail me links to THREE food reviews by noon on Wednesday. I will post some good sources on the class blog, but if you feel like looking tonight there is always the New York Times (obviously you’d be looking for style, not accessibility), 417mag.com and News-Leader.com locally, as well as any number of foodie magazines and blogs. TRY TO MIX IT UP. I’d love it if your reviews were from three different sources.

With these links we’ll be reading and sharing in class as we did with the film reviews.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Class Notes: 2/23

Hello everyone.

Just a reminder that your film reviews (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy if you made it last Thursday, The Iron Lady if you had to go on your own) are due in my e-mail inbox by noon on Wednesday. If you need to request a 24 hour extension (check your syllabus), you must request it by tonight.

Remember to bring a PRINTED copy of your review with you to class. We will be doing peer editing... so bring a pen as well.

You will also need to have a new blog post (your choice of TV/movie/book/music/live show critique) posted by tomorrow noon as well. Be sure you're reading one another's posts and commenting at least a little bit.

Finally, those of you who did NOT take the 7C's/copy editing quiz two weeks ago will need to make that up after class tomorrow night. I'll dismiss the rest of the class just a little early so that you have time to ask any questions and do a bit of review, as well as take the quiz, before 8 p.m.

Be sure to e-mail me with any questions or to request an extension.

Best,

ML

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Class Note: 2/16

Hello all,

If you e-mailed me, my apologies for taking so long to get back to you. My grandfather sadly (but mercifully) passed on Monday night, and things have been hectic since. But I am still planning on going to the movie on Thursday night, as most of the arrangements have been made.

Just to reiterate: Your current event-opinion blog posts ideally are already up, but if you either didn't know about the assignment because you were absent, or if you had a question, I'll give you a 24 hour extension (which means it's should be posted by tomorrow morning). Quick recap: Just pick a current event--does NOT have to be political, just something that sparks an opinion--and write a post on it; long enough to get your point across, no minimum requirement.

Second, everyone in class should have a copy of the reviews of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close reviews, as well as a list of questions. If you did NOT get the list of questions, let me know and I will e-mail them to you. Please have these e-mailed to me by class time on Thursday.

Finally, we will all meet at Moxie Cinema at 5:40 tomorrow evening to see Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. Bring $6; I will have discount coupons for you. Feel free to bring extra cash to purchase drinks or popcorn or candy.

You are responsible for getting yourself to the Moxie, which is in the Wilhoit Plaza (431 S. Jefferson Ave., if you want to GPS or Google Maps it). I will be bringing at least two students, and we will meet at 5:30 in front of Pearsons Hall on the circle drive. If anyone else would like to ride/caravan, we can figure it out then.

If you drive yourself, here are directions from Drury:

--Go SOUTH on Benton Avenue; cross Chestnut Expressway. You will go through a handful of lights to Elm Street.
--Take a right on Elm.
--You will come to a stop sign at Jefferson Avenue, which is a one-way street (traffic will be going left to right). Cross Jefferson.
--The Moxie parking lot is the first turn-in on your right after you cross Jefferson. After you park, you'll need to either walk around Wilhoit Plaza or use the hallway that crosses through, as Moxie's entrance will be on the OPPOSITE (NORTH) side of the building.
--Additional parking is possibly available on Pershing Street, is between the Moxie/Wilhoit Plaza and the Downtown YMCA, but this is the easiest way to get there and the surest way to get a parking spot at 5:30 on a Thursday.

Please e-mail me if you have any questions or problems. We will have a brief class huddle before the film, which starts at 6 p.m. I will hand out a guidesheet for your review of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy which will be due to me by Wednesday morning, February 22.

Best,

ML

Thursday, February 9, 2012