Due Dates
Exhibition Handout: 9/4
Exhibition Report: 9/9
For our first assignment, you will choose an anthology to present as part of a classroom Anthologic Exhibition. The anthology you choose can be in any form (it does not have to be a book, though it can be). The exhibition will be similar to the setup of a museum or a convention. Each student will set up at a table and will be ready to answer questions about the anthology they have chosen. In addition to presenting your own anthology, you will also act as an attendee to our exhibition. You will visit other students to learn about the anthologies they have chosen and write a 250-word synopsis of the exhibition.
Presenter responsibilities
Each presenter will create a one-page handout for the anthology they have chosen that addresses some of the following questions and issues:
* Do you have to argue that what you've chosen is an anthology, or is this readily apparent? What makes your choice an anthology?
* Who is the editor/compiler? What is his or her background? What qualifies them to compile this anthology?
* Who are the authors? What is their background? What qualifies them to contribute to this anthology?
* Who is the publisher? What kinds of other works does this company publish? How does the work you've chosen compare to these other works?
* Who is the audience for the work you've chosen?
* What is its purpose?
* Are there other anthologies that are similar to this one? If so, how does the text you've chosen differentiate itself?
* How is the work organized? Does it have different sections? Why is it organized this way?
* What can you say about the design of the work (the packaging, the cover, etc.)? How does it fit with the goals and arguments of the text?
Remember that your handout is an argument, and that design of the document is part of the assignment. Be sure to make your document readable and useful to the other attendees. Decide whether it needs bullet points, whether it should include images, or any other design decision that seem pertinent. There are 22 students in the class. Be sure to bring enough copies of your handout for everyone.
Attendee responsibilities
As an attendee, you are responsible for visiting as many other students as possible and collecting information about the various anthologies being presented. The information you collect will be used to write a 250-word synopsis of the exhibition. Boiling your findings down to 250 words will not be easy, so you'll have to be concise and choose your words carefully. That report should consider the following questions and issues:
* What traits did all of the anthologies share?
* How were some of the anthologies different from the others?
* What is the role of the compiler/editor of an anthology?
* What kind of explicit and implicit arguments did the anthologies make?
Grading Criteria
This assignment accounts for 5% of your final grade. When grading this assignment, I will be evaluating the following:
* Is the handout you've designed easy to read and understand? Does it give exhibition attendees a good sense of what the text is about and how the text works?
* Does your synopsis synthesize the different anthologies in a useful way, and have you carefully considered a number of the possible similarities and differences amongst the various texts?
* How thoroughly have you addressed the questions and issues suggested for each of the two parts of the assignment? (You do not have to address every question listed here, but you do need to be thorough.)
* Are your documents written effectively and coherently, with very few grammatical errors?
* Were both parts of the assignment turned in on time? (Reminder: I do not accept late work.)