Thursday, January 15:

Choose two different things that Augustine talks about in these first two "books"--things that you find stimulate your thought or raise questions for you. You can focus on clear events incidents that he talks about, or perhaps even pick up a a particular phrase or sentence that may not seem to be the main point, but is interesting nonetheless. For each thing that you choose, write out (in a short paragraph) why you chose it--what thoughts or questions it raises for you. Make sure you have two separate paragraphs written out (if not typed, that's fine--they can be in your notebook).

Monday, January 19:

Choose a topic from the first two books of Augustine's Confessions and develop it into a focused essay. You are free to choose whatever topic you like, and may develop the essay either keeping the focus on Augustine and what he's saying, or using observations of Augustine to focus your essay on the issue he raises, discussing it yourself, based on your own experience and reflection. The essay should be clearly focused, and need not be terribly long--500-600 words may be enough, and I would like you to try to limit the essay to less than 750 words. In such an essay, it is important to focus quickly without a lot of beating around the bush in an introduction or repetition in a conclusion. Rather, get right to the issue: "In Book II of his Confessions, Augustine discusses...." The essay should be complete and proof-read, not just a partial draft or a very rough draft. We will end up having conferences on it during the week and then revising it for a grade. Incomplete or rudimentary drafts will be part of the "class preparation" portion of your grade. Save the file for the essay to your network drive so that you can access it during class. (If you don't know how to access your network drive, bring the file on a disk). We will meet in Simmons G60, a computer lab in Simmons Hall and work on several aspects of writing, as well as do some preliminary searching on our biographical research project.

Friday, January 23

Write a one paragraph reflection on what Augustine finally understands about what evil is or where evil come from. (These are really variations on the same question, in my mind. Use whichever is most helpful.) If you quote, quote sparingly, and focus your efforts on explaining Augustine's ideas in your own words.

Monday, February 2 (Day 4)

	Read chapters 1-15 of 1 Samuel. Take notes as you read, noting down things you think are important, or that raise questions or curiosity for you. Focus especially on chapters 8-15, which is where the Saul story begins.
	Don't have a Bill Murray kind of Groundhog Day!

Wednesday, February 4

	Paper topics: This is really a summary of what I’ve said in class.
	No matter which topic you choose, you have the option of having the paper being 1) an essay aimed primarily at interpreting what Augustine is saying, perhaps of relating different parts of the text to one another, such as finding in later chapters a resolution to problems he experienced in earlier ones; or 2) Using what Augustine says and using this as a springboard for an essay about some truth or insight into spiritual life, religion, human psychology and motivation, conceptions of good and evil, etc.
	You might think of this kind of essay as one that would appear in a diocesan newspaper or religious magazine for general readers—the kind of essay where the writer says she’s been reading Augustine and found this insight that helped her understand X (and go on to say in some detail what X is, why it’s important, etc.) Of course one could also find an issue in Augustine that seems unhelpful and the wrong way of understanding a problem, in which case you would need to say why it’s wrong and explain what a better understanding would be.

Topic Options

1. Revise the starter you had a conference on two weeks ago, which revision may include re-thinking the ideas based on our fuller reading of Augustine.
2. Choose another topic that emerged from your reading or from our discussion. This could include things we specifically did mini-starters on for class, such as the question of good and evil, the events preceding Augustine’s conversion, or the conversion itself, or the death of his mother.  We talked as well briefly about his reaction to his friend’s death, etc.
3. You are not limited to these topics but can write about some specific topic that you can connect well to Augustine’s thoughts in Books I-IX of the Confessions.

As a writing starter, write one page (can be hand-written in a notebook or typed on the computer (double-spaced) explaining what you like and what you dislike about David, both as a person and as king.

Writing starter topic: What do you think of Yosl Rakover's attitude toward God as compared with Eliezar's in Night? Are there elements of his "belief" you find admirable and good? Are there elements you find troubling? In either case, explain.

Writing starter topics: (These are different--more options-- from what I announced in class). Emmanuel Levinas writes that "A grown man's God shows Himself in the very emptiness of a childish heaven" (82). What does he mean by this? Relate this to the story of Yosl Rakover and/or Night. Levinas says that the culmination of Yosl Rakover's soliloquy is the statement "I love Him. But I love His Torah more. Even if I were disappointed in him, I would still cherish His Torah" (84, quoting the original story at p. 18). Then Levinas asks whether this is blasphemy. What is so admirable about loving the Torah more than God, according to Levinas? Levinas's little essay is at times puzzling, but is intended to provoke thought. Choose some part of it that provokes thought in you--especially further thought about Night or "Yosl Rakover Talks to God" and write an essay starter that explores these thoughts it provokes.

Paper due: (800-1500 words). Choose one of the starters you have written and develop it into an essay that springs from one or both of the stories we have read--by Elie Wiesel and /or Zvi Kolitz. Your essay need not be primarily an interpretation of the story as a whole, but can be a reflection on it, as Levinas' essay is a reflection on what he thinks is most important in the Yosl Rakover story.

Here are a couple of other topic suggestions: Does Eliezar survive because God protects him or as a result of luck or chance? What are the implications of the answer you choose, especially the implications for our conception of God? Several people felt that Eliezar still "believes in God" by the end of Night, yet he himself claims God died for him in Auschwitz, and he does not say, at the end, anything about God. Write an essay that discusses what you mean by the "belief in God" that Eliezar would have at the end. Yosl Rakover says his relation with God has changed so that God is now in his debt (9). Eliezar says (63? or thereabouts) that he feels stronger than God. (I'll check the exact page and statement when I get to my office). Are these irreverent statements, or can you find in them evidence of something positive and good? Explain.

Annie Dillard's book, For the Time Being is a reflective book and not a continuous narrative. Don't worry if you don't understand he "point" in everything she mentions. Much of what she says is fairly easy to follow and understand on one level--but sometimes hard to figure out what it adds up to. Let it grow on you a bit. Try to pick out 2-3 passages that interest you and be ready to say why. Jot down enough notes and page numbers to be able to share something of your impressions and questions in class.

	http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,1058966,00.html
	http://www.uscatholic.org/2003/12/sb0312.htm ( ignore the part about the survey)
	http://www.zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=7403

Affirmative action readings

Environmental justice reading

Peace and Disarmament reading