Guidelines Handout
The handout from class is the primary information source for this assignment. Download it here.
Spring 2011 Book
For the Spring 2011 semester, we will be reading the following book:
- Dancing With Cancer, by Loui Tucker. Publish America, 2004. ISBN 1-4137-1587-7.
Book Summary
As found on the book's back cover: It all started as an easier way to answer all the e-mails expressing concern and asking questions about her breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. When Loui Tucker tired of typing the same responses or copying the same paragraphs, she started writing and sending one e-mail update per week, every Sunday night for almost ten months. Those weekly essays became a real-time journey shared by hundreds of readers. While writing about the physical problems associated with cancer treatment, she educated them about drug therapies and their side effects, mammograms, and alternative medicine. More importantly, she opened a window into her heart and soul, and let others learn the lessons, find the humor, and savor the victories along the way. This isn't a book about surviving cancer. It's about thriving. It's a book written with candor, forthrightness, and conviction. It's a book about cancer that's inspirational, compelling, joyful, and intensely honest.
Essay
Write an essay answering the following prompt: For Loui, Israeli Dance was a transformative experience, affecting how she approached her cancer. Which dance element (e.g., the movement, the community, the event, the culture) was the most influential for Loui?
Your paper should meet the following guidelines:
- Have a strong overall thesis [1 sentence]
- Identify at least two main ideas in the book (not necessarily dance-related) and support with two examples each [≤ 6 sentences]
- Which dance element was the most influential for Loui? Support with at least 2 examples from the book [≤ 6 sentences]
- Pick one dance we learned in class and analyze how you think the author would respond to that dance. Would she like it? Hate it? Feel inspired by it? You must have at least one strong support for your argument. [≤ 2 sentences]
- What is your personal reaction to the book? [1 sentence]
- Have good writing mechanics (spelling, grammar, organization)
The exact guidelines for submission will be handed out in class, and can be found in the link at the top of this page (under "Guidelines Handout").
Past Books
- Goodman, Allegra. Paradise Park. ISBN 978-0385334181. http://www.allegragoodman.com/goodman-paradise.htm
- Almog, Oz. The Sabra: The Creation of the New Jew. ISBN 9780520216426. http://www.ucpress.edu/book.php?isbn=9780520216426
- Jackson, Naomi. Converging Movements: Modern Dance and Jewish Culture at the 92nd Street Y. ISBN 978-0-8195-6420-7. http://www.upne.com/0-8195-6419-2.html
