SEMESTER AT SEA COURSE SYLLABUS

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1 SEMESTER AT SEA COURSE SYLLABUS 1 Voyage: Fall 2014 Discipline: English ENWR : Travel Writing (Section 1) Division: Lower Faculty Name: Ruth K. Setton Pre-requisites: none COURSE DESCRIPTION This course provides an introduction to the craft and art of travel writing. Travel is a force of spiritual and cultural transformation, and writing about it calls on powers of observation, awareness and focus. Students will consider the skills required to write compelling, engaging nonfiction about the people and places they have encountered: character sketches, concrete and vivid detail, point of view, narrative drama, and scene construction. We will read and discuss essays about countries on our voyage written by the world s greatest travel writers, including Paul Theroux, Pico Iyer, Lawrence Durrell, D.H. Lawrence, Bill Bryson, and others. Writing assignments will include short essays written about our ports of call, which will be read and discussed in a supportive, respectful, yet challenging workshop. Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness. --Mark Twain The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page. --St. Augustine COURSE OBJECTIVES In this course students will learn to observe their surroundings and note their observations in a travel journal. Students will read travel narratives about ports of call; participate in a handson field lab; experience different cultures, languages and societies; and write in and out of class. The more sensitive, discerning and aware students are as readers, the more powerful they will be as writers. During this course we will explore options and alternative writing styles, techniques and experiments to help open the world of travel writing and discuss writing for publication. We will also examine ethics and issues that arise from writing about foreign cultures. I view this course as part of the great voyage the students have already begun, simply by signing on for this journey and by wanting to take this workshop. We ll voyage together, in a group, and alone; and in the process of searching, exploring, digging, discussing, reading and writing, each student will arrive at his or her own destination from which I hope that they will continue the journey. 1

2 2 REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS AUTHOR: Don George TITLE: Lonely Planet s Guide to Travel Writing (General Reference) PUBLISHER: Lonely Planet Publications ISBN #: DATE/EDITION: Sept. 2013, 3 rd edition AUTHOR: Lavinia Spalding TITLE: Writing Away: A Creative Guide to Awakening the Journal-Writing Traveler PUBLISHER: Travelers Takes ISBN #: DATE/EDITION: August 2009 AUTHOR: William T. Vollman, ed. TITLE: The Best American Travel Writing 2012 PUBLISHER: Houghton Mifflin ISBN #: // DATE/EDITION: 2012 TOPICAL OUTLINE OF COURSE Depart Southampton- August 23: A1- August 25: Introduction, Journal. Go over syllabus, assignments, requirements. A2-August 27: Travel: The Art of Transformation. Discuss Why We Travel, Pico Iyer; To Russia For Love, Gary Shteyngart (res., Best 2008). How to Drink Vodka, Bourdain (res., Cook). Discuss St. Petersburg writing assignment. St. Petersburg: August A3- September 1: Share & discuss St. Petersburg travel assignments. Conflict between the writer & the place. Discuss The Art of Good Travel Writing: pp (G). The Journal: Ch. 1 (S); pp (G). Hamburg: September 2-5 A4- September 7: Share & review Hamburg journals. Discuss Structure: Beginning, Middle & End. Discuss pp (G); Ch. 3 (S). Antwerp: September 8-10 Le Havre: September

3 3 A5-September 15: Share & review Antwerp/La Havre journals. Prepare for Ireland assignement: Discuss Now Ye Know Who the Bosses Are, J. Malcolm Garcia (Best) Galway: September 16 In transit: September 17 Dublin: September A6- September 21: Share & review Dublin assignments. Discuss Food & Music: The Great Connectors. Discuss: Bourdain, Where Food Comes From (res., Cook); Paul Theroux, Everything is Edible Somewhere (res., Ch. 17, Tao); Calvin Trillin, Three Chopsticks (res., Best 2008). Lisbon: September Cadiz: September A7-September 29: Share & review Lisbon & Cadiz journals. Continue Food & Music discussion. Discuss Guitar Central (G); Bourdain, Something Very Special (res., Cook). Casablanca assignment. Casablanca: October 1-4 A8- October 5: Share & review Moroccan journals. Part I: Voice: Who is Our Guide in this Place? Discuss essays in Best 2012: How to Explore Like a Real Victorian Adventurer by Monte Reel, & The Telltale Scribes of Timbuktu by Peter Gwin. A9- October 7: No class: conferences. Study Day: October 8 A10- October 10: Essay #1 due. Watch Bourdain video. Discuss food assignment in Ghana. Tema: October A11- October 16: Workshop/Presentations Study Day: October 18 A12- October 19: Workshop/Presentations. Discuss Lynn Freed s Keeping Watch (Best). Cape Town: October

4 A13- October 26: Share & review Capetown assignments. Workshop/Presentations. 4 Study Day: October 28: A14- October 29: The Magic of Place: Making Your Setting Sing. Discuss Ch. 7 (S); Las Vegas by Simon Calder (G); Maximum India by Pico Iyer (Best 2012). Discuss Umberto Eco on The Madonna Inn (res., Tao, p. 208). A15- October 31: In-class writing exercises Study Day: November 2 A16-November 3: Part II: Voice. The importance of POV. Discuss Ch. 8 (S); David Sedaris, Journey into Night (res., Best 2008). Buenos Aires: November 5-7 Montevideo: November 8-10 A17-November 11: Discuss Argentina journals. A18- November 13: Black Orpheus. Prepare for Field Lab experience: Samba Day. Rio de Janeiro: November A19- November 18: Essay #2 due. Discuss Rio assignment. A20- November 20: Discuss Paul Theroux, Travel Epiphanies & final words, ch (res., Tao). Workshop/Presentations Study Day- November 21 A21- November 23: (Enter Amazon) Workshop/Presentations Manaus- November Study Day- November 28 A22- November 29: (Exit Amazon) Workshop/Presentations A23- December 1: Final Portfolios due. Discuss the future of travel writing & travel markets. Roseau- December 4-6 December 7: study day 4

5 A24-December 8 (A Day Finals): Readings: Highlights of Student Essays 5 FIELD WORK Field lab attendance is mandatory for all students enrolled in this course. Please do not book individual travel plans or a Semester at Sea sponsored trip on the day of our field lab. FIELD LAB: 1. The Samba of Brazil (the last day in Rio) For this field lab we will spend the day exploring the samba, a rhythmic dance imported from Africa during the slave-trading days of the 19th century that is now recognized as the national dance of Brazil, and is closely associated with the annual Carnival celebration in Rio de Janeiro. Students will learn about the history and development of the samba and other Brazilian-based dances from an authority in Brazilian history. Students will also visit a samba school, where they will observe the many phases of carnival, from costume making and float building to instrument selection and rehearsals. From the samba school the students will travel to Casa Rosa, a local restaurant located in the backstreets of Favela Maloca and housed in one of Rio s most famous historic brothels. Students will enjoy a meal of Feijoada (a Brazilian national dish) and have a chance to practice your new samba skills on the dance floor. Academic Objectives: 1. Students will observe and participate in a samba school in Rio, where students will see first-hand the importance of Carnival to Brazilians and the level of engagement in Carnaval preparations by the community. 2. Learning about the history of Carnival, imported from Europe, as well as samba, a dance with African roots, and how these different streams of cultural influence have intertwined in the creation of a uniquely Brazilian Carnaval culture and set of traditions. 3. Applied instruction in samba dancing and other Carnaval activities to be able to experience the beloved tradition of samba, a key element of Brazilian cultural identity. 4. Students will learn to take notes and photographs for their travel essays, while observing and participating in cultural activities. 5

6 2. Cooking Class + Market Visit in Ghana. 6 Meet and cook with Ghanaian chefs. Visit traditional African market. Eat lunch. Goals: To absorb and participate in a hands-on cultural experience through food. To use this experience as the inspiration for an essay which will be shared and discussed in class. FIELD ASSIGNMENTS Students will take notes while participating in the field lab experience. They will then review and edit their notes and write travel essays based on observation, participation and interpretation. Students will be given a field assignment in every port around which to focus their journal entries, which will be reviewed and shared in class. During class workshop/presentations, students will share and discuss each other s essays. METHODS OF EVALUATION / GRADING RUBRIC 60 %: Writing Assignments Two essays: 1) Food and/or Music is the focus; and 2) an open-theme essay drawn from ports of call assignments and experiences. Both essays will be 6-8 pages long, and can include photographs. Journals and short writing assignments. 20%: Field Lab and Field Assignments 20%: Attendance and Participation: This class is a hands-on craft writing workshop, which means everyone s voice is a vital part of the whole. Students are graded on their attendance and preparation for class assigned readings completed, journal entries written, and port assignments completed. RESERVE LIBRARY LIST AUTHOR: Paul Fussell, ed. TITLE: The Norton Book of Travel PUBLISHER: W.W. Norton & Co. ISBN #:

7 DATE/EDITION: First Edition, AUTHOR: Anthony Bourdain, ed. TITLE: The Best American Travel Writing 2008 PUBLISHER: Houghton Mifflin ISBN #: DATE/EDITION: 2008 AUTHOR: Paul Theroux TITLE: The Tao of Travel PUBLISHER: Penguin ISBN #: DATE/EDITION: 2012 AUTHOR: Anthony Bourdain TITLE: A Cook s Tour: In Search of the Perfect Meal PUBLISHER: Bloomsbury ISBN #: DATE/EDITION: 2001 ELECTRONIC COURSE MATERIALS AUTHOR: Pico Iyer ARTICLE/CHAPTER TITLE: Why We Write JOURNAL/BOOK TITLE: Salon WEB ADDRESS: DATE: 2000 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES 1) DVD: Anthony Bourdain, No Reservations. Travel Channel. Collection 3: 3 discs. Released ASIN: B001HB1K1E 2) DVD: Black Orpheus (The Criterion Collection). Director: Marcel Camus. DVD release: discs. Studio: The Criterion Collection. ASIN: B003N2CVOU HONOR CODE Semester at Sea students enroll in an academic program administered by the University of Virginia, and thus bind themselves to the University s honor code. The code prohibits all acts of lying, cheating, and stealing. Please consult the Voyager s Handbook for further explanation of what constitutes an honor offense. 7

8 Each written assignment for this course must be pledged by the student as follows: On my honor as a student, I pledge that I have neither given nor received aid on this assignment. The pledge must be signed, or, in the case of an electronic file, signed [signed]. 8 8