The memos should be about 1000-1200 words and deal with all of the assigned readings (or other materials listed under “readings”) that week. The week 9 readings are:
David Schieber. “My Body of Work: Promotional Labor and the Bundling of Complementary Work Links to an external site..” Socius
Rachel Skaggs. “Trend accommodation in heteronomous fields: How established artists respond to changing conventions Links to an external site.” Poetics
Memos do not need to be a single essay with a thesis but may also be structured as a series of mini-memos that deal with each reading separately.
Memos should include a mix of summary and analysis or critical reaction. Examples of satisfactory analysis would be:
Contrast to readings from another class
Contrast to readings from a previous week of this class
Show how current events illustrate the theories in the reading
Show how current events demonstrate the theories in the reading to be dated and in need of revision
Memos will be graded using four points on a ten point scale:
10 = Summarized and gave analysis on all the readings. Did a reasonably good job but doesn’t need to be Pulitzer-worthy.
8 = Something is missing. Could be there is summary but no analysis. Could be writing quality is especially poor.
5 = Something major is missing. eg, left out one of the readings.
0 = Obviously didn’t do the reading and just faking it.
