Assignments

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SES # TOPICS ASSIGNMENTS STUDENT WORK
1 Introductions

Course Overview
Homework 1 (PDF)

Letter to me

Didion, Updike, Menand (handouts)
 
2

Creativity: Motivation and Inspiration

Writing: Voice and Sensibility

Homework 2 (PDF)

Fraser, Walker, Pollack

Begin Journals (PDF)
 
3

Creativity: Circumstances in which Creativity Flourishes (or doesn't)

Writing: Elements of the Essay-theme vs. Idea; Introductions and Conclusions; Description and Imagery; Characters

Background on Psychoanalysis

Introduce Dancemaker

Homework 3 (PDF)

Hawthorne and Jung
 
4

Video Dancemaker (Paul Taylor)

Creating as a Social Act; Creating as a Physical Act; Fear, Joy, and Suffering as part of Creative Process

Homework 4

Gather ideas for Essay I (PDF)
 
5

Discuss Dancemaker

Discuss Hawthorne and Jung: the Romantic Vision of the Artist

Play with ideas for Essay I

Homework 5

Draft of Essay I
 
6 Workshop Essay I in Pairs Homework 6 (PDF)

Sacks, McAuliffe, Gladwell
 
7

Creativity: The Creative Temperament - Does it Exist?; Imagination and Knowledge

Writing Clinic: Introductions

Introduce Essay II

Homework 7 (PDF)

Read Murray

Revise Essay I
 
8

Video Maya Lin

Vision; Conflict; Persistence; Courage

Homework 8 (PDF)

Begin Courage to Create

Journal entry on Maya Lin

Proposal for Essay II due to next class

Film List (PDF)
 
9 Library Visit: Focusing Research; Using Electronic Resources; Using the Libraries at MIT Homework 9 (PDF)

Finish Courage to Create

(Polish Essay I)

Essay II Revision (PDF)
 
10

Creativity: The Psychoanalytic Approach; Existentialism

Discuss Rollo May and Maya Lin

Writing: Theories and Definitions

Homework 10 (PDF)

Hirschberg
Essay 1: A Transient Citizen (PDF) (Courtesy of Rene De Santiago. Used with permission.)

Essay 2: Nocturne Op. 9 No. 1 in B-flat Minor (PDF) (Courtesy of an Anonymous Student. Used with permission.)

Essay 3: The Child Playing Alone (PDF) (Courtesy of Eleojo Ocholi. Used with permission.)

Essay 4: Anthropomorphized Creativity (PDF) (Courtesy of Omri Schwartz. Used with permission.)

Essay 5: Influence and Creativity (PDF) (Courtesy of Rene De Santiago. Used with permission.)

Essay 6: Ithaca (PDF) (Courtesy of Constantinos Melachrinos. Used with permission.)
11

Creativity: Discuss Hirschberg: Creativity in Organizations
Close Reading: Texts and Movies

Share Journals

Homework 11 (PDF)

Research Project: Précis of your movie

Annotated Bibliography

 
12

Share Précis and Refine them

Free-write on Movie

Homework 12 (PDF)

Research Project: Bring notes on at least 2 sources to class
 
13

Small Group Work on Research

Whole Class: Research Problems and Questions

Using Sources Responsibly

Homework 13 (PDF)

Draft of Essay II: post to group before Session 14
 
14

Workshop Essay II in Small Groups

Set up Conferences on Essay II

Homework 14 (PDF)

Koestler
 
15 Workshop Essay II as a Class (3 Essays) Homework 15 (PDF)

Boden
 
16

Writing Clinic: Thesis; Integrating Quotations

Introduce Essay III

Share Journals

Homework 16 (PDF)

Revise Essay II

Due before Session 18
Essay 1: To Whom Much Is Given, Much Is Expected (PDF) (Courtesy of Michelle Aquing. Used with permission.)

Essay 2: The Beautiful Mind of Ron Howard (PDF) (Courtesy of Paul Estrada. Used with permission.)

Essay 3: Schizophrenic Creativity (PDF) (Courtesy of Paul Estrada. Used with permission.)

Essay 4: Through the Ruins of What Once Was (PDF) (Courtesy of Sergio Haro. Used with permission.)

Essay 5: Glenn Gould, the Eccentric Artist (PDF) (Courtesy of Matthew Harrington. Used with permission.)
17

Creativity: How it Happens

Discuss Koestler and Boden

Homework 17 (PDF)

Proposal for Essay III (PDF)
 
18

Work with Proposals and Refine Them

Writing Clinic: Transitions; Sentences

Homework 18 (PDF)

Draft of Essay III: post before Session 19
 
19 Workshop Essay III in Small Groups Homework 19 (PDF 1) (PDF 2)

Complete Journals

Proposal for Oral Presentation: e-mail to me before Session 20
 
20 Workshop Essay III Whole Class (3 Essays) Homework 20 (PDF)

Revise Essay III due before Session 21
Essay 1: The Artist (PDF) (Courtesy of Michelle Aquing. Used with permission.)

Essay 2: Powerful Depths of the Unknown (PDF) (Courtesy of Brittany A. Jones. Used with permission.)

Essay 3: Capturing Beauty (PDF) (Courtesy of Anonymous Student. Used with permission.)

Essay 4: Ideas From the Underground (PDF) (Courtesy of Eleojo Ocholi. Used with permission.)

Essay 5: The Solution (PDF) (Courtesy of Stephen Oglesby. Used with permission.)

Essay 6: It's the Cake (PDF) (Courtesy of Sebastián Castro. Used with permission.)

Essay 7: Essay on Koestler and Boden (PDF) (Courtesy of Rafael Maldonado. Used with permission.)

Essay 8: Rock Music and Creativity (PDF) (Courtesy of Constantinos Melachrinos. Used with permission.)
21 Conferences as Needed Homework 21

Work on Oral Presentation
 
22 Video: Rediscovering Dave Brubeck Homework 22

Work on final revision for Portfolios
 
23 Oral Presentations Homework 23

Work on final revision for Portfolios (cont.)
 
24 Oral Presentations (cont.) Homework 24

Work on final revision for Portfolios (cont.)
 
25

Oral Presentations (cont.)

Evaluations

Homework 25

Portfolios (PDF)