Tuesday's guest lecturer, Keith Baldwin, is a freelance writer and
graduate of The New School's M.F.A. Creative Writing (fiction) program.
He's looking forward to having an informal chat about the composition
process, your questions about writing and any other questions you may
have for him about writing fiction or academic work, pursuing Creative
Writing as a degree, advice, etc.
In preparation for his visit, please post 2 questions by Monday 5 P.M:
First, read Chapter 1 of Richard Dawkin's The Selfish Gene and post 1 discussion question you have about the material (whether it's confused, rebutting, or just curious).
Second,
please post 1 question you have about the composition process as a
whole (about beginning, about being blocked, advice for clearing one's
head, etc.).
This first chapter was very dense to read. My first question is what his book is actually about? The first chapter jumped from topic to topic and was a little confusing.
ReplyDeletesecond question: What is the best way to keep your citations organized so it is easier to create your bibliography at the end of your composition?
1. At some point, Dawkin connects natural selection to racialism and patriotism, but how do these two concept overlap?
ReplyDelete2. In an academic paper, what are some ways to further expand your thoughts (argument). For instance, if I were to write what my favorite ice cream is, it would only take a paragraph to do so. How can I turn that paragraph into an essay?
1. I would really be interested in hearing what Richard Dawkings would have to comment about the shooting of Harambe the gorilla, since it seems like the majority of people, at least on the internet, were not in favor of the zoo not allowing the gorilla to live even though he was doing harm to a child. That controversy is directly relating (by opposing) to the ideal that a species usually wants to protect its own for the good of the species, which was a topic he wrote about.
ReplyDelete2. What is the best way to write a paper, all at once or during many sittings?
Sitting and doing it all at once will immerse you more into the paper, on the other hand doing it over many sittings will help you get a fresh look at the paper.
1. In the reading, the author called out other authors about how they wrongly interpreted how evolution works. Well, evolution is a whole idea; no one can really rightly interpret it. Does having a different perspective mean you are wrong?
ReplyDelete2. Is there a more popular or preferred way to start the beginning of a paper and does this really affect how the reader feels about the paper?
Although "a population within a species, whose individual members are prepared to sacrifice themselves for the welfare of the group, maybe less likely to go extinct than a rival group whose individual members place their own selfish interests first" wouldn't the vast history of mankind prove the "gene of selfishness" is one of the main reasons we still exist?
ReplyDeleteHow do you effectively introduce and conclude a topic?
1. I would like to know more about the selfish gene in terms of being born with it to learning generosity and altruism. Can the selfish gene ever truly be untaught?
ReplyDelete2. How can I discuss a topic for multiple pages without getting repetitive and boring?
1. Why does the author use the term of "selfish gene" as a way to express his view of evolution?
ReplyDelete2. How to create a good clearly structure for a research paper?
1. How can you not talk about conscious motives, if they seem to go hand in hand with the actions of the animals that show the "altruistic behavioural act" that you are focusing on?
ReplyDelete2.What is the best way to show/prove all part of an essay without making the reader confused/ misunderstand the point that I am trying to convey?
1. I would like to know more about his topic about when he refers to selfish gene. I think this captured my attention making me want to know more.
ReplyDelete2. How can you put all your ideas in one piece of paper without it making it look like a mess?.
1.He keeps stating what the book is not about, so what is it about?
ReplyDelete2. What is the best way to come up with a topic for a research paper; something that interests you as well as helps you fulfill the criteria of the assignment?
1. He states that for natural selection to occur, we must be selfish. Is this neccessarily true?
ReplyDelete2.How to create a flow in the paper where the reader will feel at ease and not confused when reading?
1.what exactly is his argument?
ReplyDelete2.how to begin a research paper without using the phrases "this research paper is about?"
1)Wouldn't a culture supporting good behavior be just as beneficial as true altruism considering the results are the same?( I don't know where this book is heading.)
ReplyDelete2)Advice for formulating a good introduction?
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete1. Does he have two sets of views?
ReplyDelete2. What to use instead of writing in the "I" point of view? And also how to limit using the word because so much.
1. What exactly was the main point of the arguement?
ReplyDelete2. What is the best way to outline and to narrow down my type of topic which is obesity and mental health.
1. How are species that have evolved by natural selection selfish?
ReplyDelete2.How do you make a paper lengthy? I tend to run out of ideas quick and my paper becomes repetitive.
1. Do you think that being "selfish" is sometimes a good thing in all species?
ReplyDelete2. At the end of a paper, how can I conclude everything without losing the audience and/or without sounding like a broken record?
1) In an academic paper, we are told not to use the word I or you instead what can we replace it with?
ReplyDelete2) For a paper, what or how should the paper be started?