EN123 WRITs for JDD

EN123 is a WRIT course, and as such each student must write 2 essays of about 600 words each (2 double-spaced pages), have the essays critiqued, and then revise the essays. If both of your essays aren't finished being revised by the time the course is over, you will get and Incomplete grade until they are.

I may be (or be requested to be) a Critic for your essay(s), and thus you will see my magic red pen markings on your WRIT essay(s). Remember to put your name and the title of your essay at the top of the first page...

2017: Topics of interest to JDD:
Instrumentation design for diagnosis or treatment of medical problems;
health care economics; particular interest in end stage renal failure, dialysis, and kidney transplants.
heart ailments such as atrial fibrillation or flutter.
Science fiction;
TV doctor shows.
Weight reduction; dieting;
Use of robotics or AI in medical treatment.
Visual illusions, particularly of binocular vision: Random Dot Stereograms, Pulfrich Illusion, Chromostereopsis, Pyrotechnic Illusion.
The craze for electronic medical records, particularly the role of the Wisconsin company Epic.
At this point I'm tired of reading essays about Theranos.

JDD prose guidance:

Type your name and a title at the beginning...perhaps at the end of your essay the last sentence will echo something about the first sentence, or the title...

I agree with Strunk & White, that the words "very" and "interesting" should (almost) never be used in prose.

Regarding adjectives like "interesting," instead of telling the reader, "It was a horrible experiment." delete "horrible" and show the reader some horror then let her judge for herself: "The experiment left some wolves in pain enough so they spent the night howling."

Be aware of the topic sentences for each of your paragraphs... Each sentence you write should have something to do with the previous sentence, or begin a new paragraph.

I am interested to see metaphor/simile/analogy: In particular, use the words "like" or "as" as they would appear in a simile. "It's like shaving with an axe," for example, or "dense as a neutron star."

The verbs you use, and how precisely they convey the action you're describing, can improve your writing... remember the active voice.

To just mindlessly split an infinitive is not as good as To split mindlessly a cord of wood.

Vague reference irritates me.
it
that
which
they
that
this
without reference, those and other pronouns are often vague or confusing. "this treatment is", not just "this is..."
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/595/01/

Writing on writing: See what's on Prof. Daniels' bookshelf...

Books Read (mostly all the way through...) JDD

2019

You Fit the Pattern    Jane Hasseldine    The bad guy appears right away in all but name

As Long as We Both Shall Live    JoAnn Chaney   Sets record for most plot twists at end

2018

Y    B. Vaughn, P. Guerra, J. Marzan. Graphic novel. Men have the Y chromosome. All men except one on earth and two in a space station die at once, leaving for example, planes falling out of the sky because most pilots are men... A fast read, all dialog. good artwork on facial expressions.

The Middleman    Olen Steinhauer    Too many characters. Too many flashbacks. Plot blows up after 50 pages. sped read the other 300
Steinhauer is the creater of TV series Berlin Station

I'll Keep You Safe    Peter May   Wool fabric from the Hebrdies makes its way to Paris, explosively

Girl Unknown   Karen Perry (nom de plume of 2 people)   "I think you are my father" starts the path to deception and tragedy

The Banker's Wife   Cristina Alger:  Swiss banks numbered accounts financial thriller

Inappropriation    Lexi Freiman, comedy of political correctness and sexual mores at Australian private girls school

The Shakespeare Requirement     Julie Schumacher--send-up of English vs Econ Dept & mindless world of college deans

19 Souls,    J.D. Allen--she the author writes about she the serial murderer of 19...

Parting Shot,   Linwood Barclay -- hit and run...and the real criminals...

Anatomy of a Miracle   Johathan Miles: paraplegic gets out of wheel chair and starts walking FICTION

Bruno Schulz Collected Stories   trans. from Polish by Madeline G. Levine

Flight Attendant   Chris Bohjalian (another "waking up in bed with a dead guy in an airport hotel" story)

Brass   Xhenet Aliu (first novel. metaphoric writing. coming of age?)

Ill Will   Dan Chaon --> teaches creative writing at Oberlin

Dead Certain   Adam Mitzner (kid sister gone missing)

2017

The Descent of Man   Garyson Perry. non-fiction, patriarchal privilege

Number 11   Jonathan Coe (big spider)

How I Became a North Korean   (a novel) Krys Lee

The Wanderers by Meg Howrey going to Mars

Going Public (Adventures Inside the SEC) by Norm Champ

The Trapped Girl by Robert Dugoni

The Wonder   Emma Donoghue

Baseball Dads   Matthew S. Hiley

The Truth About Tesla   Christopher Cooper

After the Storm   Linda Castillo    Amish Crime Fiction

O. Henry Prize Short Stories, 2016  Laura Furman, Ed.

2016... most recent first...

Ready Player One  Ernest Cline (now a major motion picture!)

Imagine Me Gone  Adam Haslett

Wilde Lake Laura Lippman

The Quality of Silence  Rosamund Lupton

The Ninja's Daughter  Susan Spann

Sting   Sandra Brown   characters Jordie Bennet and Shaw Kinnard

Good as Gone Amy Gentry

The Risen Ron Rash

Dark Matter  Blake Crouch

The Fountainhead Ayn Rand   re-read...

Martian Time-Slip Philip K Dick

The Arab of the Future Riad Sattouf

Who Do You Love? Lisa Gardner    Detective D. D. Warren series

Tipping Point David Poyer    Naval Novel...

The Illegal  Lawrence Hill

Program or Be Programmed    Douglas Rushkoff