Rants and Raves I - 10% - Thursday, January 24
Write a short (350 word minimum) rant or rave about a DVD or CD only. Avoid plot synopsis of film or extensive background about band. Write for clarity and economy. Let the verb do the heavy lifting; avoid excessive adjectives or adverbs. Identify clearly in which publication you would like this piece to appear. This assignment tests your understanding of content in the publication you have chosen, and asks you to address that publication's readers as peers.

Rants and Raves III - 15%- Thursday, February 9
Write yet another rant or rave, this time about a place that is suitable as or has an interesting destination (e.g. The Bronx Bar in the Cass Corridor of Detroit). Is it paradise or a dump? Why? As always, make the thing sing by writing to your audience. This work should be suitable for the Escapes section of The New York Times.

Rants and Raves II - 10%- Tuesday, February 19
Write another rant or rave about a live music, theatre, or dance performance. Choose a performance that you feel like you might not enjoy before you attend. This tests your ability to view cultural events from another perspective, and may force you to put yourself into a persona that is much unlike yourself.

The Profile- 40%- Thursday, April 3 (Final Draft) - 2500 words minimum
Each students should choose a local celebrity or personalitywho you will contact, schedule an appointment with, and visit in order to conduct a personal interview. For this assignment, it is essential that you conduct background research on the person and compose a list of questions to ask him or her.

While you are conducting the interview, pay close attention to details, especially the physical appearance of the person and his/her surroundings (try to meet the person in his/her office space). You should also consider how you are going to record the interview: in writing only? on audio tape? on video? You will be permitted to sign out a digital camera or camcorder for the interview, and it is strongly urged that you photograph your subject.

N.B: Sometimes, though, the best profiles arise from not having access to your subject or that the subject is unco-operative. In fact, New Journalism thrives on the presentation of the actual process of writing the story as much as the story itself. Think about all the bland profiles of celebrities you read that mention how the publicist always tries to interfere or control the writer. Hunt down Hunter S. Thompson's profiles of Nixon and Jean-Claude Killy for good examples.

Once the interview has been completed, you will craft it into a narrative suitable for an audience of your choosing, although I strongly suggest that you consult The New Yorker for solid examples of this kind of writing at its best. You must post the entire article on the Web and post the website address to the class website so your classmates can read your work.

The Review - 25%- Tuesday, March 18 (Final Draft) - 1500 words minimum
Write an in-depth analysis of one book length work of The New Journalism, using plenty of supporting evidence from other scholars and writers. You should provide proper citations (MLA) where necessary. See David Shield's book, Black Planet as a good example (you may not use it for your paper, however).