The purpose of this assignment is two-fold: 1) As always, to work on our writing and critical reading skills; 2) To locate and critically evaluate appropriate source material to support an arguable thesis. By the end of this paper, you will have practiced all aspects of the writing process – including prewriting, research, drafting, revising, editing, and proofreading.
Assignment Overview:
Hanif Abdurraqib utilizes music as a gateway to write about the human experience and touch on timely, real-world topics regarding a number of social, cultural, and political issues. For this assignment, you will practice his approach in a research-based paper of your own. You will analyze 1-2 albums of your choice for their cultural, social, or political significance.
To prepare for writing this paper, we will examine the following essays assigned in Unit 3:
“Rumours And The Currency Of Heartbreak” (165-171), “February 26, 2012” (177-183), “On Kindness” (184-187), “In the Summer of 1997…” (188-193), “Nina Simone…”
(194-198) “Blood Summer, In Three Parts” (199-209), “Fear in Two Winters” (212-219), & “On Paris” (220-225), “My First Police Stop” (226-231)
“They Will Speak Loudest…” (238-243), “Johnny Cash…” (244-251) “The Obama Whitehouse…” (252-257), “The White Rapper Joke” (258-269)
As we examine these readings, we will look at how Abdurraqib explores his topics by finding what he says specifically about them—“race”, “class”, “love”, “grief” are all too broad. How does he narrow his approach, incorporate research, and explore why the topic matters?
Requirements
Format: Write a 4-5-page paper –4 full pages minimum—on the assignment described above. The rough and final drafts must be typed, double-spaced, have standard one-inch margins, and be in 12-point Times New Roman font. Paper format (including in-text citations) should follow MLA style. You are required to attach a “Works Cited” page at the end of your paper. Keep in mind your Works Cited page is not included as part of the page count. Include citations for all of your sources.
Research & Required Sources: Conduct research on the album, artist, and the topics in the music by using the following required sources in your paper:
Songs from the album(s): You will analyze lyrics from 2-4 of your chosen musician’s songs to show how they speak to your chosen topic
Music Review(s): You will incorporate 1-2 reviews of your chosen album(s) from a reputable source (such as Rolling Stone magazine) on the music and the artist’s performances, shows, and/or music videos, to support your analysis of the topic
Database Articles: You will incorporate 1-2 academic articles from the GCC Library Database
(Links to an external site.)
to support your analysis on your chosen topic. When you conduct research off campus, you’ll need to use your GCC ID credentials to access the databases. Your username is your email address; for example: jdoe@my.glendale.edu. Your password is your GCC ID password. If you need help with your credentials, go to the GCC Student Help Page: https://gcc.glendale.edu/gcclibrary/research/databases.html
(Links to an external site.)
. You can also ask a librarian
(Links to an external site.)
for help.
Abdurraqib: Optional, but encouraged: If you find that any of Abdurraqib’s essays we have read this semester speak to your topic, or if any of his essays are about a musician/album/song you feel strongly about, you are welcome to incorporate They Can’t Kill Us as a source as well.
Use your introduction to provide helpful background information on your chosen topic and album. Envision your reader as a fellow fan of the music you will be writing about; however, your reader has not read any of the articles or conducted any of the research on the cultural, social, or political significance of the music like you have; therefore, you must establish the context of your sources and how they help show the significance of your topic. End your intro with a thesis statement that responds directly to the assignment prompt by answering: What is the cultural, or social, or political significance of your chosen album? (*Use the Intro paragraph instructions from Papers 1 & 2—make sure to include a Hook, Background Info, and Thesis)
In your body paragraphs, use an effective structure that carefully guides the reader from one idea to the next; each idea should incorporate your research and support your thesis. (*Use the body paragraph instructions from Papers 1 &2; include the following structure—Topic Sentence, TS Development, Evidence, Commentary on the Evidence, Connect to Thesis). Avoid the five-paragraph essay format—it won’t work for a paper of this length. Plan on writing 1-3 paragraphs for each subtopic you’ll use to support your thesis, and on incorporating your sources into several paragraphs instead of just one.
For your conclusion, avoid summarizing what you have already said. Answer the “So what?” question by saving your most significant main point for last.
Be sure to proofread your work carefully. Using academically-appropriate grammar and spelling will increase your credibility. Use 3rd person (he, him, they). Avoid 2nd person (you, yours, we), and 1st person (I, me, my, us). Please note that several of the templates in They Say I Say are written in 1st person; make sure that you revise them accordingly.
Before the final draft of Essay 3 is due, you will workshop your rough draft on the Peer Review Discussion board, and have the option to complete a Learning Center Tutoring Session for extra credit.
As your last step in the writing process, you’ll revise your draft based on your peers’ and tutor’s feedback before you submit your final draft on Canvas.
