America Is A Mixtape - Assignments & Schedule

 Assignments and Schedule (Detailed assignments will be provided for each) 

Major and Daily Assignments with corresponding points; 

5 - opening survey: Due no later than 1/21/22 

5 - participation points - points for class participation or from attending out-of-class campus events 

40 - Final Annotated Mixtape + Fanzine - due Wednesday, April 27 

20 - Album Deep Dive Commentary + Analysis - 1100-2200 words - due Wednesday, April 13 

20- Poetry About Music - aim for 2-3 poems total, of 2-3 pages - due Wednesday, March 30 

10 -Informal Reader Response Essay (To one of our Books/readings) - 500-800 words - due Friday, March 25 

Optional extra credit assignments will be announced and provided 

Required books in order of appearance in the class; other texts will be recommended or provided in excerpt

Love is a Mixtape by Rob Sheffield

White Tears by Hari Kunzru

Summer On Fire: a Detroit Novel by Peter Werbe

Song for a New Day by Sarah Pinsker

RESPECT: the poetry of Detroit music ed. by Liebler and Daniels

M 1/10 From the Delta to Detroit: America Is/As A Mixtape

W 1/12 Love is a Mixtape; your reader-response assignment explained 

F 1/14 Blues, Gospel, Hip-Hop, & the African-American Literary Experience

M 1/17 (no class)

W 1/19 From the Delta to Detroit: maps as mixtapes; final mixtape assignment explained

F 1/21 MLK Week - Music, Art, & the Civil Rights Movement 

M 1/24 Song hunters: Alan Lomax & the American Literary Experience

W 1/26 Harry Smith & The Anthology of American Folk Music 

F 1/28 Woody Guthrie: the roots of American music & American roots music 

M 1/31 Do Not Sell At Any Price - Working as Fans, Collectors, Critics

W 2/2  White Tears  

F 2/4  White Tears 

M 2/7  Being from around here: “Dixie Lullaby” with guest Mark Kemp 

W 2/9   Please Be With Me - Allman Brothers & the mixtape as auto-biography 

F 2/11 [No class -- assignment: listen to one album you have never heard from our class canon list]

M 2/14 The Beats, counterculture, Bob Dylan + Grateful Dead 

W 2/16 Marvin Gaye 

F 2/18 Your album deep-dive assignment discussed with guest Sean Maloney

M 2/21 Detroit Rock City 

W 2/23 Summer On Fire 

F 2/25 Summer On Fire

M 2/28 RESPECT

W 3/2   Your poetry-about music assignment

F 3/4   Detroit Blues with guest Danny Kroha

M 3/7   Music Festivals as Utopias + Dystopias

W 3/9   Song For A New Day

F 3/11  No class - Check-ins available; Last day to sign up for your deep-dive album 

M 3/14 (no class)

W 3/16 (no class)

F 3/18 (no class)

M 3/21 - Addiction + Recovery + the Literary Music Scene

W 3/23 - Poetry about music -workshop day

F 3/25 - No class - Check-ins available; your reader-response essay is due

M 3/28  Religion, mixtapes, & the hippy Christians of old Cookeville 

W 3/30  Poetry-about music due - class sharing

F 4/1    Album deep-dives discussed!!

M 4/4 Mixtapes discussed!!

W 4/6  Deep-dive albums - workshop day

F 4/8 No class - Check-ins available; 

M 4/11 Final mixtape themes due; Check-ins available; 

W 4/13 Album deep dives due - class sharing

F 4/15 (no class)

M 4/18 - No class - one-on-one mixtape check-ins;

W 4/20 -  No class - one-on-one mixtape check-ins;

F 4/22 - No class - one-on-one mixtape check-ins;

M 4/25 - No class - one-on-one mixtape check-ins;

W 4/27 - Mixtapes due - class sharing 

F          4/29 (last day grades available)