For such a bleak subject, impoverishment is a surprisingly common theme for singers and songwriters. Perhaps the topic is so broadly relatable because most of us, at one time or another, have experienced financial stress. For their part, artists have harvested all aspects of monetary destitution for their songs, from desperation to denial to hope. For this reflection, you will examine, in depth, the lyrics of three iconic songs about being poor.
Choose three of the songs from the set of your birthday month to write about:
Notes:
Required:
Due: Thu 9.9-Tue 9.14 (via Canvas)
Requirements:
Choose partners and topics via Google Docs here:
Due: Thu 9.9 (by midnight) |
| According to surveys, markups on food from delivery apps, such as GrubHub and Doordash, range from 7-91% more than what you would pay if you bought the meal directly from the restaurant. |
Upcoming:
Week 4: Tue 9.7/Thu 9.9
Read: GD—Lit Pack 2 (“Job History" by Annie Proulx, “The Stolen Party” by Liliana
Heker, “Iceman" by Emma Cline, “Why Chicken Means So Much to Me”
by Sherman Alexie)
Class: Reading discussion; Lecture—“Citing Sources in MLA: The Basics,” “You’re in College Now: The New Rules of University Writing,” "Anatomy of a Short Answer Response"
Due: REFLECTION 2
In its annual report on homelessness, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) found that "580,466 people experienced homelessness in the United States on a single night in 2020, an increase of 12,751 people, or 2.2 percent, from 2019." It's a tenuous situation now further compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic. The crisis is perhaps most evident in our nation's biggest (and wealthiest)
cities, where homelessness has become pervasive. And while many
Americans consider homelessness to be a national shame, an increasing
number of us are becoming indifferent, even hostile, toward the
homeless. In surveys, Americans routinely say they are concerned about
people living on the streets, but in practice, suggestions of a homeless
shelter in our neighborhoods are often met with NIMBYism. Meanwhile, many cities, at a loss to deal with the epidemic, have fashioned anti-homeless laws,
designed to curb the presence or behavior of homeless people. What are
your own views of the homeless? Do you engage with the homeless? Do they scare
you? Finally, how empathetic or indifferent do you find yourself being toward
them?
 |
| On average, a one-carat engagement ring costs $5,500 in the United States. |
Week 2: Tue 8.24/Thu 8.26
Read: eR—“Gen Z is Rewriting the Rules for Personal Finance in Real Time. That's Good, Right?” (Money), “Gen Z Teens Talk $” (New York Times)
Class: Introductions; Lecture—“Crafting the Essay: Writing as a Process”
Due: DIAGNOSTIC
Upcoming:
Week 3: Tue 8.31/Thu 9.2
Read: GD—Lit Pack 1 (“Cheap at Half the Price” by Jeffrey Archer, “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker, “Dip in the Pool” by Roald Dahl, “The Luncheon” by W. Somerset Maugham)
Class: Presentation topic assignments; Lecture—“Building a Better Multimedia Presentation: An Annotated Look” and “MLA Style 101”
Due: REFLECTION 1
