Peter Hessler River Town Research Assignment

Peter Hessler River Town Research Assignment

Instructions/Descriptions

Peter Hessler River Town Research Assignment

Read and write a short three-page essay about it. You will see the rationale on the next page regarding requirements for the Mundt Trust and the video statement you will make for the trustees.

Your brief statement should incorporate reflections about the book. See the canvas site for instructions for this assignment. Guidance for how to write a reflective essay can be found here.

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The purposes of the book analysis are : (1) to gauge your familiarity with the book’s content; (2) to systematically analyze the author’s story; and (3) relevant to the Mundt scholarships, encourage thoughtful reflection about service for others in a cross-cultural setting. Most students have already cleared your title with the professor. If you have not, or it has changed, contact him immediately.

These guidelines describe a standardized the format that helps me be efficient in grading them. For the document, use margins of one inch on both L and R. Be careful to have everything in your own words, except for direct quotes where you cite the author or reviews.

The sections of the report are as follows:

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TITILE PAGE. (p. 1): Put the complete title, the author’s full names (as printed in the book) , and complete information on publisher, date (and edition and volume if appropriate), properly centered. This is page one of your report

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION OF AUTHOR (P. 2): This involves information on the author. You will have to search for biographical facts regarding date and place of birth, education and training, Peace Corps service. Try to find information about what the author is doing now, taking the initiative to locate pertinent information here. Up to one page for this information. This is page two.

SUMMARY OF BOOK (starting p. 3): The meat of your report is systematic and straightforward presentation of the essentials in book’s narrative story. This section is to summarize what the author is saying, not your reactions—that’s to come. Organize this section by chapter titles and major chapter headings if appropriate—it will help summarize the themes in each.

CRITICAL REVIEW: In this section, discuss you own reactions and commentary, positive and negative, to the book. No more than three pages please. Importantly, creatively relate aspects of the author’s narrative to your own cross-cultural experiences at your agency. Project your own feelings about possible Peace Corps experiences even if, right now, you are not certain about applying.

REVIEW OF REVIEWS: Search for available reviews of your book. Do your best here. You may have to be creative to locate sources. What were the positives and negatives mentioned in the review? Don’t go over the book’s narrative again, but discuss the reviewers’ reactions. One page here

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF REVIEW CITED: This final section will be a list of all sources you have used, listed alphabetically and numbered. Obviously, your book should be listed here, especially if you cite quotations from it. Also, the citations for book reviews (include web addresses) and any author-information sources from section II are included here.

Sections II -V will be where your citations will occur, indicated by the appropriate numerical listing as they appear in this section. For example, (1 p. 271) might be a citation placed after a quotation appearing in the REVIEW OF REVIEWS. All sources are listed alphabetically and numbered, as in the example below.

Amazon Book Reviews, RiverTown, Accessed 4-02-2020. www.amazon.com/reviews/485985w0e9t7_A

Bain, James A. 2001. “Book Review of River Town,” American Sociological Review 16(4): 270-271.

Linkedin. Listing for Peter Hessler. Accessed 4-02-2020 www.https://linkedin.com/PeterHessler.2ifo02

CHARACTERISTICS OF REFLECTIVE WRITING[1]

“We do not learn from experience…we learn from reflecting on experience.” –John Dewey

The following list offers a detailed list of the characteristics of reflective writing – a paper, essay, or journal entry:

Contains concrete and interesting reflections. This characteristic means that the subject that is chosen had a real and significant impact on the writer’s life.

States or clearly implies the relevance of the occasion to the reflections. The subject and the significant reflection should be clear to the reader. There should be no guessing as to the insights that the reader has about the subject being addressed.

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Contains a subject that will sustain extended reflections. The writer may choose to write about literature, about a life experience, about a person that had an impact in their life, or even an inanimate object—as long as that subject had a significant impact (the writer can reflect about the subject), it is valid.

The reflections are approached through a variety of strategies. The writer should approach the reflection using various literary strategies. Literary techniques such as flashback, for example, may be effective. A variety of literary devices may be used to accomplish this as well.

Contains one or two unexpected insights into the subject. The writer, through reflection, will come to realize at least one insight that the subject brought into their life.

Tentatively moves from personal experience to “big picture” implications. Moving from personal experience to “big picture” implications means that the writer is taking their personal reflections one step further, and responding to how that reflection relates to life and society.

Contains theme coherence throughout the essay, paper, or journal entry. The theme of a piece should always be clear and coherent from beginning to end.

The reflective essay is considered to be literary non-fiction. The subject and the significance of the subject is one that actually pertains to the writer’s life.

TWO THINGS TO AVOID IN REFLECTIVE ESSAYS: OVER-GENERALIZING AND NARRATING [2]

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Over generalizing: A common mistake some writers make is to over-generalize about their writing. They make sweeping generalizations about how their writing meets certain course goals, but they do not substantiate their claims with specific details and examples from their work, or relevant research or data on the topic.

Narrating: Another example of a weak reflective essay is the one in which the writer narrates their experience in the course in a blow-by-blow procedure. (“First we had to do an ad analysis essay, then we had to write a rhetorical analysis, and after that….”). Instead of focusing on the curriculum, focus on your learning.

WHAT ARE ADDITIONAL COMPONENTS OF REFLECTION THAT ATTEND TO INTERSECTIONALITY, DIVERSITY, AND EQUITY? A thread in this section of our course is the relation of our activities to Peace Corps service. To spin this thread, you are required to read a book from a list of the best PC volunteer-experience books.

Choose one of those listed below or explore the Amazon link at the bottom for others. Advise Dr. Johnston of your final selection in week two. Order it immediately. Past Mundt scholars have liked these a lot:

Kris Holloway, Monique and the Mango Rains: Two Years with a Midwife in Mali
Sarah Erdman, Nine Hills to Nambonkaha: Two Years in the Heart of an African Village
Peter Hessler, River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze

Peter Hessler River Town Research Assignment

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