Zine Project Assignment

Overview

The final project for this class is the production of an online zine that explores the content, form, history and legacy of Fire!! through a collection of analytical, expository, and creative works. Each group will be responsible for producing a section of the zine. The hope is that with a strong design and introduction, the sections will work together as a single online zine. That being said for a large part of the semester it will make sense for the group to think about their section as its own mini-zine. Doing so will help the group think about the section not just a collection of loosely tied individual pieces but as a heterogenous whole. Though eclectic in its parts, your section should work together as a unit to explore one or two particular thematic question(s).

While there are research and analytical components built into some of the individual pieces, the real intellectual work of this project lies in the work of thinking through your broad subject area in order to

• – Refining your focus to a more specific subarea of the larger topic. Topics may be narrowed along the lines of geography, specific historical figures, contained historical events, specific sphere of influence like the law or documentary cinema. These are a few examples, but there are countless ways to hone in your area of focus.

• – formulating one or two clear and specific critical questions

• – identifying two to three objectives (things you want your section to do to/for/with your readers)

• – Making form and content choices based on your group’s narrowed focus, central question, and key objectives.

The conversation and feedback your group receives from me throughout the semester is meant to help you with the above works.

On Required Content

While you have a lot of leeway in terms of the content and design of your section, each group is required to produce seven different pieces plus a works cited and a list of further readings. Here is a breakdown of the (seven plus two equals) nine items each section must contain:

1. An introductory that provides an overview about your group’s broader theme in relation to the Harlem Renaissance as a whole and a more pointed reflection on the specific avenues of that theme that your group chose to focus on, why, and how you understand the legacy/importance of that theme playing out today.
   • 3 – 4 pages
2. A formal analysis of one of the pieces in Fire!!
   • 5 – 6 pages
3. A piece that provides relevant background about the author(s) of the pieces you discuss.
   • 3 – 4 pages (if prose only)
   • 2 – 3 pages (if mix of prose, visuals, icons, etc.)
4. A piece that provides relevant historical context for some aspect of the piece you analyze in your formal analysis.
   • 3 – 4 pages (if prose only)
   • 2 – 3 pages (if mix of prose, visuals, icons, etc.)
5. An original creative piece that takes up one or more of the thematic questions and employs formal innovations from a piece in Fire!!
   • minimum and maximum size tbd based on the piece and what you want the piece to do
6. A piece that compellingly connects your examination of Fire!! to at least two contemporary (1980s+) texts.
   • This piece does not have to be a prose piece (let alone an analytic or expository essay). However if you do go the prose route, I imagine you might need around 5 – 10 pages to accomplish this task successfully. Still, actual page length will vary based on your group.
7. A piece that thinks about some significant formal and/or content aspect of your piece in relationship to another Harlem Renaissance piece.
   • Again, this piece does not have to be a prose piece (let alone an analytic or expository essay). However if you do go the prose route, I imagine you might need around 5 – 7 pages to accomplish this task successfully. Still, actual page length will vary based on your group.
8. A Works Cited Page
9. A Further Reading List
   • List should contain at least six recommendations.
   • Each recommendation should have full bibliographic information.
   • Recommendations ultimately should work together to articulate your overarching objectives for your section of the zine. In this way, the suggestions might include a mix of an academic article on black visual artists’ use of collage; a young adult novel based on the life and work of Augusta Savage and Aaron Douglass, a museum exhibit catalog or online resource exploring role of social-media, montage, and intersectional identity.

On Items 3 and 4

You may choose to use traditional expository or analytic prose to complete these sections, but you are not required to do so. Instead of prose, you might choose:

• – a visual resource that mixes of images and text – think a compelling reference poster, you might see in a secondary education class.
• – a brief film or video clip
• – a catchy but informative PowerPoint, Prezi, or similar multimedia presentation
• – an audio clip of an interview, news report, human interest story, or a rap if you’re feeling very Lin Manuel
• – or another form/media altogether

On Item 5

The sky is the limit for what you might do for your original creative piece. Since our zine will ultimately be published online, you have a lot of flexibility about the medium and genre you can use. To help get the creative juices going, here are some possible forms/media you might consider:

• – writing: creative fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, epistolary address, newspaper article
• – visual: painting, drawing, collage, printmaking, fabric arts, photography, graphic design, advert, sculpture, visual essays,
• – film: drama, comedy, variety show, news show, documentary, mockumentary, commercial
• – performance: dance, theater, oratory, debate, mock trials, performance installation
• – music: sheet music for original song, instrumental performance, original beat, audio mashup
• – other: recipe or culinary arts; industrial arts including wood, iron, glass work etc.

On Item 6 – 7

You may choose to use traditional expository or analytic prose to complete these sections, but you are not required to do so. For items 6 and 7, you have the option of doing a more traditional expository prose piece or adopting any of the alternative forms suggested for items 3-5.

On Length or Page Count for Each Group’s Section:

Range for pieces with page requirements: 12-18 (This is the range for items 1-4. It does not include items 5-9.)

To be clear: I can’t predict exactly how many “pages” each group will need to produce. Indeed, page count is not necessarily the best measurement for every piece you might include in your section. That being said, I know that page numbers is a standard measure for assessing workload in academic classrooms. So . . .

To give us some sense of scale, I will say that in as much as this project replaces a final critical analysis paper (which would be roughly 7-10 pages), it seems reasonable to think that each group would produce roughly 7-10 pages per group member excluding your Works Cited (8) and Further Reading List (9). So . . .

If each group produces approximately 7 – 10 pages per group member, each group’s section would be between 21 – 30 pages long not including the Works Cited (8) and the Further Reading List (9).

Suggested Benchmarks (align with dates on course schedule)

Benchmark 1

• – Brainstorm ways in which your group might narrow your topic area. (You might come up with two or three. If you only have one, make sure you really narrow in.)
• – Formulate a tentative critical thematic question that your group might explore through the pieces in your section.
• – Identify at least two pieces in Fire!! your group might choose as your primary literary text.
• – Identify ideas, interests, concerns, and/or disinterests your group members have about what kinds of form, media, and/or genres you might engage for items 5 – 7.

Benchmark 2

• – Decide on your primary literary text.
• – Decide on at least one way you will narrow your topic down (you might narrow it down further later if needed)
• – Begin researching biographical information about the author and any general history about the piece.
• – Identify the group’s top two content interests (what you want to think about in your writing, drawing, etc.)
• – Identify the group’s top two formal interests (how you want that thinking to take shape in terms of design, forms, sequence, layout, etc.)
• – Identify 2 – 4 potential contemporary texts for item 7
• – Identify 1-3 potential other Harlem Renaissance texts for item 8

Benchmark 3

• – Decide on your specific focus.
• – Decide on a fairly clear critical question.
• – Draft two to three objectives for your section.
• – Discuss what you want to do for the creative piece and how it works with the specific focus, critical question, and tentative objectives.
• – Decide on an initial plan for distributing labor. (You may need to adjust later)

Benchmark 4

• – Decide on your two contemporary texts for item 7
• – Decide on your other Harlem Renaissance text for item 8
• – Begin compiling or drafting the historical research and the author biography research
• – Produce a storyboard visual that visualizes for your group, the professor, and the rest of the class the vision you have for your section.

Benchmark 5

• – Produce a draft of the literary analysis
• – Produce a draft of the original creative piece
• – Produce a draft of either item 7 or item 8 or both.
• – Identify difficulties in research, supplies, and/or distribution of labor.

Benchmark 6

• – Workshop your literary analysis
• – Workshop your original creative piece
• – Begin drafting the historical context
• – Begin drafting the author biography
• – Keep running list of potential readings for the further list
• – Brainstorm points, details, and information you want to include in your introduction.

Benchmark 7

• – Be prepared for in class layout production day. Being prepared means coming to class with
• – all research completed
• – drafts of all 9 section items
• – full drafts of items 2 and 5
• – if a draft is significantly shorter or longer than you anticipate the completed version to be, you should be able to give a projected length at this class.
• – laptop or equivalent internet ready mobile device which you can use to upload your items and work on layout .