COUNTERCULTURE ON THE RIGHT? BIKERS, ESCAPISM, AND LIBERTARIANISM IN THE 1960S

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1 COUNTERCULTURE ON THE RIGHT? BIKERS, ESCAPISM, AND LIBERTARIANISM IN THE 1960S UWS 11A Clair Dahm Fall 2014 Mon/Th 1-1:50pm Office: Rabb (TBD) Classroom (TBD) Office Hours: Th 2-4:30 At first, the crowd cheered us. They thought we were there to support them. I felt a rage come over me. I was a vet and I loved my country. Sonny Barger In 1965, thousands of Berkeley students marched toward the Oakland border, protesting the war in Vietnam. What they met at the border, however, strays from our traditional conception of 1960s counterculture: the Hell s Angels Motorcycle Club, protesting their march as unpatriotic. How can we make sense of this standoff? Where do pro-country but anti-state cultural groups like the Hell s Angels fit within the rubric of political activism and counterculture in the 1960s? Was there a contemporaneous conservative counterculture, and what did it entail? In this writing seminar, we will look beyond the conventional narrative of liberalism, political activism, and youth counterculture in the 1960s, toward the less-reconciled, more conservative, libertarian groups that also captured the era, including biker gangs, commune participants, and religious hippies. In so doing, we will attempt to identify these groups social, ideological, and political views and motives, and discuss how incorporating these groups into our conception of 1960 s counterculture alters our understanding of the movement and its origins. 1

2 As a writing intensive seminar, this course will go beyond investigating the motives and impact of countercultural conservatives. The primary goal of this course is to help you craft writing that is at once scholarly and stimulating, effective and elegant, and to equip you with the writing tools necessary for successful university-level writing. Throughout the semester, you will become acquainted with the methods and elements of the academic essay, and develop strategies for research, analysis, and critical thinking. The class itself will be discussion oriented. Each session, students will participate in a conversation about writing and about our scheduled texts. Students will regularly participate in group work, including peer-review. Each student will also meet one-on-one with the instructor to discuss specific needs and interests REQUIRED READINGS Write Now, collection of Brandeis student essays Hunter S. Thompson, Hell s Angels Ralph Sonny Barger, Hell s Angel Theodore Roszak, The Making of a Counter Culture Richard Hofstadter, The Paranoid Style in American Politics I will post all other required readings on our LATTE course page. It is your responsibility to print out a copy of each reading, annotate it thoroughly, and bring it with you to class. For our discussions to function effectively it is important that each student comes to class prepared, and with a copy of the assigned material for reference. EVALUATION 12% Attendance, Conferences, Participation 75% Assignments Essay 1 19% Essay 2 24% Essay 3 32% 8% Peer Reviews, Workshops, Exercises 5% Portfolio Review 2

3 ASSIGNMENTS ESSAY 1: CLOSE READING For this assignment, you will create a close reading of Hunter S. Thompson s classic gonzo journalism account of his time with the Hell s Angels. The essay will be between 5 and 7 pages. ESSAY 2: LENS ANALYSIS Having developed the skills for constructing arguments based on close textual analysis, in the Lens Analysis essay you will develop an argument extending these skills by incorporating secondary materials. You will consider Theodore Roszak s definition of counterculture, Richard Hofstadter s account of conservatism, and Jock Young s construction of subculture, to produce an argument evaluating the political and cultural currents in Sonny Barger s autobiography. This essay will be between 7 and 9 pages. ESSAY 3: RESEARCHED ARGUMENT Now familiar with contemporary understandings of subculture, conservatism, and counterculture, you will have the opportunity to conduct your own research project surrounding a non-traditional countercultural movement/group in the 1960s. You will engage in independent research to locate and integrate critical, theoretical, and primary sources to produce an argumentative research essay applying/extending/interrogating the themes and content addressed throughout the semester. This essay will be 10 to 12 pages. PORTFOLIO REVIEW Finally, at the semester s end, you will collect the work you have completed during the course and consider your development as a writer. Creating a review of at least 4 pages, you will evaluate your own essays, and discuss your changing writing style, and understanding of course material. POLICIES ATTENDANCE Coming to class regularly is an essential element of this course. Your success as a writer at Brandeis will improve if you are present at every session, on time, and prepared to participate in discussions and activities. Our limited schedule necessitates that we move swiftly through the course material; we will not have much time to spend on review. The Brandeis Writing Program has a strict attendance policy by which this course must abide: after three absences for any reason, your dean will be notified. Any absence beyond this will result in a 1/3 reduction of your semester grade. Conferences are a required part of this course, and missing a conference meeting will count as an absence. More than six absences will result in a failing grade. 3

4 PARTICIPATION Writers produce in community. Our class discussions constitute that supportive but challenging community, where we can test new ideas and writing techniques. To facilitate this environment, you must come to class prepared to participate fully in class discussions and activities. Write in the margins of your assigned texts or take notes, and be prepared to offer your thoughts and/or questions about those texts. You may want to locate one or two sentences that you think constitute the crux of the piece, outline the author s argument, note areas where you think the argument is faulty, and chose an interesting passage and explain what makes that passage interesting. Strong participation is not merely attending: you must be an active, engaged, and informed member of discussion. CONFERENCES Three times during the semester, we will meet in my office for 15 minute conferences. These are one-on-one discussions about your work and give you the chance to get detailed and personalized feedback from me on your writing and the direction of your projects. Sign-up sheets will be posted in advance on LATTE. Conference attendance is mandatory because they replace the third weekly hour of class. Any missed conference will count as an absence. Please bring all relevant materials to your conference, and come prepared with any questions, concerns, or ideas you wish to discuss. PEER REVIEW WORKSHOPS Peer review is a key part of this course. When you hand in your rough drafts, you will one copy each to two classmates and receive two classmate s drafts in return. You will be responsible for printing the drafts you receive, and reading and marking them carefully. You will also compose a peer-review letter for each received essay and share this with your peerreview group in class. ELECTRONICS As this is a discussion intensive course, laptops and tablets are not allowed in this class without an approved accommodation. You are required to bring a hard copy of readings to class. Cell phones must be turned off and put away. ESSAY FORMAT Each of your three essays will require several pre-drafts and one revision. All assignments must be typed in 12-point font (standard fonts), double spaced, with 1 inch margins. Your last name and page number should occupy the header or footer of each page. All citations must be in Chicago Style format (google this if you are unsure, there is a useful reference online). Each final draft must be accompanied by a cover letter, in which you explain the goals of your paper and reflect on your writing and revision process. You will submit essays electronically: send a copy via to myself and your two peerreviewers. 4

5 LATE WORK Extensions will not be granted unless there are extreme, extenuating circumstances. Requests for extensions will not be granted unless they come at least 48 hours before the assigned due date. Papers will lose 1/3 of a grade for every day they are late. If you take advantage of the Writing Center, you may hand in a completed Consultation Overview Form in place of your final draft (and only the final draft) for a 24- hour extension. All other assignments, including pre-drafts and rough drafts must be submitted on the scheduled due date. Failure to complete the Pre-Draft, Rough Drafts, and Peer Review assignments will affect your final grade. WRITING CENTER Here at Brandeis, you have an excellent (and totally free) resource available to help you. The Writing Center offers one-on-one writing tutorials with trained and experienced consultants. Visit to get a better idea of what the writing center offers or to sign up for an appointment. When you visit the writing center, you may have your consultant fill out a Consultation Overview Form, which will earn you a 24-hour extension on the final draft of any paper (only one extension per paper; the consultation must be about the paper for which you are seeking an extension). ACADEMIC INTEGRITY In the academic setting it is critical that the work you present is original, and that when you use outside sources you cite them appropriately. The University policy on academic honesty is distributed annually in the Rights and Responsibilities Handbook (available at I take this policy very seriously. Instances of alleged dishonesty will be forwarded to the Department of Student Development and Conduct for possible referral to the Student Judicial System, and may carry severe consequences. If you have any questions or concerns about citation, plagiarism, or academic standards of originality, please ask; I m happy to discuss these standards. ACCOMMODATIONS If you are a student with special needs (for example, a documented disability), you can request a reasonable accommodation for this class. Please contact me as soon as possible so that we can make suitable arrangements. Information is available at the Disabilities Resources website ( OFFICE HOURS I am happy to meet with you to discuss any questions or concerns about the class during my office hours (Tuesday and Thursday 3-4:15pm) or by appointment. It is your responsibility to check your Brandeis regularly for updates regarding assignments, discussion questions, and course meetings. I am also happy to answer questions you have concerning the course material over , but I will only discuss grades in person. 5

6 PROVISIONAL COURSE SCHEDULE Day 1 8/28 Introduction Unit 1 CLOSE READING Day 2 9/04 Day 3 9/08 Day 4 9/11 Day 5 9/15 Gonzo Journalism Reading: Hunter S. Thompson, Hell s Angels ch. 1 Douglas Brinkley interview with Thompson Elements of the Academic Essay Writing: Discussion: Short definition of gonzo journalism Close reading assignment Essay writing Product of the Times? Hell s Angels in Context Reading: Thompson, Hell s Angels ch. 2, 3, 4, 11 Writing in Response ch. 1 Discussion: Locating tensions and complexities The 1960s in history and memory Music and Counterculture Reading: Thompson, Hell s Angels ch. 19, 20, 21, 22 Sonny Barger, Hell s Angel ch. 9 John Sinclair, Rock and Roll is a Weapon of Cultural Revolution Michael Lydon, The Rolling Stones-At Play in the Apocalypse Writing: Pre-Draft 1.1 Mini close-reading exercise Discussion: Introductions, Music and Drugs in the 1960s Introductions and Outsiders Reading: Writing in Response Drafting an Introduction, Thesis Statement Howard Becker, Outsiders Writing: Pre-Draft Introductions Discussion: Theses and Introductions Peer workshop of Pre-Draft 1.2 9/17 - First Draft of Close Reading Essay Due by 5pm ( 3 copies) Day 6 9/18 Reviewing and Commenting on Essays Reading: Write Now, Essay to be announced Howard Becker, Kinds of Deviance Discussion: Workshop Write Now essay 6

7 Day 7 9/22 Essay One Draft Workshop Reading: Your peer-group essays (2) Writing: Response letter to peers (2 copies of each) Discussion: Workshop student essays Unit 2 LENS ANALYSIS Day 8 9/23 Day 9 9/29 Technocracy and Liberal Counterculture Reading: Theodore Roszak, The Making of a Counter Culture ch. 1, 2 Discussion: Lens Assignment: claim, evidence, analysis Technocracy and causation Drugs and Counterculture Reading: Roszak, The Making of a Counter Culture ch. 5 Sonny Barger, Hell s Angel ch. 7 Jock Young, The Subterranean World of Play Discussion: Summarizing a lens text and paraphrasing its claims The (conservative) Psychedelic Sixties 10/1 - Final Draft of Close Reading Essay with Cover Letter Due by 5pm ( ) Day 10 10/02 Day 11 10/06 Day 12 10/13 Classed Counterculture? Reading: Barger, Hell s Angel, Introduction and ch 1, 2, 3, 4 C. Wright Mills, Letter to the New Left Richard Hofstadter, The Pseudo-Conservative Revolt Writing: Pre-Draft 2.1 (lens text summary) Discussion: Peer Workshop of Pre-Draft 2.1 Class and Conservatism Classed Counterculture ctd. Reading: Barger, Hell s Angel, ch. 5, 8, 10, 11 Hofstadter, The Pseudo-Conservative Revolt, Revisited Barry Goldwater s 1964 Candidacy Acceptance Speech Jon Stratton, On the Importance of Subcultural Origins Discussion: Thesis and motive in the lens essay American Conservatism Structuring a Claim Reading: Writing in Response, Conclusions Writing: Pre-Draft 2.2 (mini-lens) Discussion: Structure, Analysis, and Topic Sentences 7

8 10/17 - First Draft of Lens Analysis Essay Due by 5pm ( 3 copies) Day 13 10/20 Lens Essay Evaluations Reading: Write Now, Essay to be announced Discussion: Discussion of Write Now essay Day 14 10/23 Day 15 10/27 Refresh: Good Writing? Reading: Stephen King, What Writing Is Select your favorite writing passage (fiction or nonfiction) (no more than a page) Discussion: Writing at the level of the sentence Verbs and verbiage Essay Two Draft Workshop Reading: Your peer-group essays (2) Writing: Response letter to peers (2 copies of each) Discussion: Workshop student essays Unit 3 ARGUMENTATIVE RESEARCH ESSAYS Day 16 10/30 Persuasion: Evidence and Scaling Claims Reading: Hofstadter, Goldwater Discussion: What makes an article convincing? (Workshop Du Bois vs. Foner) Introduction to Essay 3 10/31 - Final Draft of Lens Analysis Essay with Cover Letter Due by 5pm ( ) Day 17 11/03 Historiography: Entering a Conversation Reading: Meg Jacobs, The Uncertain Future of American Politics Lawrence B. Glickman, The Cultural Turn Discussion: Interacting with other academic voices Points of entry for research (researching an argument) Day 18 11/06 Evaluating a Research Essay Reading: Write Now Essay to be announced Writing: Pre-Draft 3.1 (Research Proposal) Discussion: Discussion of Write Now essay 8

9 Day 19 11/10 Library Session (Meet in Goldfarb) Reading: A primary source of your choosing Writing: Complete online tutorial before library session Discussion: Available sources and researching in the library Day 20 11/13 Day 21 11/17 Topic Workshop Writing: Pre-Draft 3.2 (Annotated Bibliography) Discussion: Oral Report on Research Topic Paragraphing Citation and Footnoting Reading: Writing in Response, The Function of Citations in a Scholarly Conversation Discussion: Essay Structure 11/19 - First Draft of Argumentative Research Essay Due by 5pm ( 3 copies) Day 22 11/20 Day 23 11/24 Day 24 12/01 Day 25 12/04 How to Build for 12 pages Reading: Write Now Essay, to be announced Discussion: Keeping momentum in a longer paper: Signposting and topic sentences Reiterating vs. linking Tying Up and Stitching Writing: Pre-Draft 3.3 (Reverse Outline) Discussion: Conclusions Discussion of the Portfolio Assignment Essay Three Draft Workshop Reading: Your peer-group essays (2) Writing: Response letter to peers (2 copies of each) Discussion: Workshop student essays Writing Reflectively Discussion: Brief reports on research essays How to assess your own work 12/05 - Final Draft of Research Essay with Cover Letter Due by 5pm ( ) Day 26 12/08 Portfolios Writing: Discussion: Portfolio Review Due Portfolio Presentations Writing at Brandeis 9