Dear Writers of Rome,
Spring 2015 grades will be officially released after Tuesday, May 19. Dr. Spinner and I were able to submit many of the CC 265 grades around the time senior grades were due; if that was the case, you've probably already seen your grade for Reading Rome on your unofficial transcript.
If you would rather not wait until Wednesday or Thursday of our tour to get your grade, please send me an email and I'll reply with a breakdown of your scores this past term.
Note also that on your transcripts, your grades for Writing Rome will be recorded as an "I" (for Incomplete), which is simply a consequence of our having a travel seminar at this time of year. No need for alarm.
Once the seminar is over and all work turned in, Dr. Spinner and I will award your grades for TX 200, well in advance of the "I" deadline (June 19).
DC
Friday, May 15, 2015
Website Update: Resources
Dear Roman Writers,
I'm happy to announce that the final page of the Writing Rome website, Resources, is now live:
The page contains information on the following:
And with that, the website for Writing Rome 2015 is complete.
DC
I'm happy to announce that the final page of the Writing Rome website, Resources, is now live:
The page contains information on the following:
- Reading and Writing Rome, including travel information and our preparedness plan;
- The St. John's Rome Center;
- food and language; and
- transportation in Rome.
And with that, the website for Writing Rome 2015 is complete.
DC
Website Update: Writing
Dear Writers of Rome,
I'm thrilled to announce that the Writing page of the Writing Rome website is now live:
Here you'll find the following:
Our Itinerary has also been updated to include the writing assignments.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
DC
I'm thrilled to announce that the Writing page of the Writing Rome website is now live:
Here you'll find the following:
- objectives for the writing assignment;
- assignment descriptions, including guidelines for the solo excursions of your Giornali;
- a complete list of due dates; and
- the familiar writing tips.
Our Itinerary has also been updated to include the writing assignments.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
DC
Monday, May 11, 2015
Last Call: "At-A-Glance"
Dear Writers of Rome,
Just an urgent note about the At-A-Glance handouts for the site presentations in Rome, which were called for several days ago in this blog post.
I'm missing seven of them: if I've emailed you, you know who you are. But please read on.
I won't waste your time and mine by calling this situation unacceptable: it clearly is, as is the fact that I have to badger some of you to submit your work.
A larger, more concerning issue is that I've heard from several of you that you had no idea that we need handouts and are making a booklet.
This news is worrisome because, as both Dr. Spinner and I noted before the end of the semester, this transitional time between Reading and Writing Rome is critical to the success of the travel seminar. We have posted and will continue to post notices up until departure and in Rome, so you must read everything that comes across your screen fully and carefully.
In the meantime, if those of you with outstanding At-A-Glance sheets could please get them to me by noon tomorrow (Tuesday), I'll have time to include them in the booklet: Office Services tells me that they can work with a truncated production schedule.
Please review the original At-A-Glance post and follow the formatting specs to the letter. I've spent the better part of the day deformatting many an improper handout, and time is running out.
If I don't receive a handout from you, the book will have to go to press as is, and you'll start TX 200 with red in your ledger. That's regrettable, but there's nothing else for it.
Thanks for your attention in this matter.
DC
Just an urgent note about the At-A-Glance handouts for the site presentations in Rome, which were called for several days ago in this blog post.
I'm missing seven of them: if I've emailed you, you know who you are. But please read on.
I won't waste your time and mine by calling this situation unacceptable: it clearly is, as is the fact that I have to badger some of you to submit your work.
A larger, more concerning issue is that I've heard from several of you that you had no idea that we need handouts and are making a booklet.
This news is worrisome because, as both Dr. Spinner and I noted before the end of the semester, this transitional time between Reading and Writing Rome is critical to the success of the travel seminar. We have posted and will continue to post notices up until departure and in Rome, so you must read everything that comes across your screen fully and carefully.
In the meantime, if those of you with outstanding At-A-Glance sheets could please get them to me by noon tomorrow (Tuesday), I'll have time to include them in the booklet: Office Services tells me that they can work with a truncated production schedule.
Please review the original At-A-Glance post and follow the formatting specs to the letter. I've spent the better part of the day deformatting many an improper handout, and time is running out.
If I don't receive a handout from you, the book will have to go to press as is, and you'll start TX 200 with red in your ledger. That's regrettable, but there's nothing else for it.
Thanks for your attention in this matter.
DC
Saturday, May 9, 2015
At the Airport, 05-17-15
Dear Roman Writers,
This post is for the many of you who will be on the group flight from JFK to Rome on May 17, and who have been asking about the general order of business prior to takeoff.
If you are on that flight, please take the time to read this post in its entirety.
As you should know by now, Dr. Spinner will have traveled ahead to Rome and gotten things ready for our arrival at St. John's. That means you should look only for me at the airport, where I'll be happy to greet you and your families and to hand off the audio equipment before we go through security.
I plan to take a series of trains to the airport starting mid-morning Sunday, departing from the Albany Rensselaer Amtrak station. If anyone wants to train it with me, they're welcome to join; just let me know in advance. Otherwise, I'll assume you're getting to JFK under your own steam, whether on the Albany airport shuttle or by other means.
I'm planning to arrive at the airport around 2:00 p.m. and to check in as early as possible. I'll linger in the check-in area, and that's where you'll be able to find me for a meet and greet with anyone of your family and/or friends. Hopefully you'll arrive around 2:00, too — within the three hours the airline recommends.
Meet and greet or no, please don't go through security without getting your audio device from me. As you know, it's probably not the best idea for one person to carry a slew of uncommon electronic equipment through the screening lines. Ideally, I'd like to have each one of us on the flight carrying on one device each, two at the maximum.
I'll probably go through security myself around 3:30 or so. Once I hand off the device to you, you're free to go through and proceed to our departure gate as you see fit. But, if you want to go through with me, that's fine.
If you arrive at the airport after 3:30, you should check in and proceed through security on your own. If you do plan to arrive that late, I'd appreciate a call or a text: I'll provide you with my number if you don't already have it.
If the catastrophic happens and you miss the flight, you should call our travel agent, Steve, who will work with you to find an alternate flight; his information should already have been provided to you. But the bottom line is, we cannot hold the flight if you are late.
I hope this all makes sense. In a future post I'll detail what to expect in the time after takeoff and on the ground in Rome when we land. In the meantime, please let me know if you have questions.
DC
This post is for the many of you who will be on the group flight from JFK to Rome on May 17, and who have been asking about the general order of business prior to takeoff.
If you are on that flight, please take the time to read this post in its entirety.
As you should know by now, Dr. Spinner will have traveled ahead to Rome and gotten things ready for our arrival at St. John's. That means you should look only for me at the airport, where I'll be happy to greet you and your families and to hand off the audio equipment before we go through security.
I plan to take a series of trains to the airport starting mid-morning Sunday, departing from the Albany Rensselaer Amtrak station. If anyone wants to train it with me, they're welcome to join; just let me know in advance. Otherwise, I'll assume you're getting to JFK under your own steam, whether on the Albany airport shuttle or by other means.
I'm planning to arrive at the airport around 2:00 p.m. and to check in as early as possible. I'll linger in the check-in area, and that's where you'll be able to find me for a meet and greet with anyone of your family and/or friends. Hopefully you'll arrive around 2:00, too — within the three hours the airline recommends.
Meet and greet or no, please don't go through security without getting your audio device from me. As you know, it's probably not the best idea for one person to carry a slew of uncommon electronic equipment through the screening lines. Ideally, I'd like to have each one of us on the flight carrying on one device each, two at the maximum.
I'll probably go through security myself around 3:30 or so. Once I hand off the device to you, you're free to go through and proceed to our departure gate as you see fit. But, if you want to go through with me, that's fine.
If you arrive at the airport after 3:30, you should check in and proceed through security on your own. If you do plan to arrive that late, I'd appreciate a call or a text: I'll provide you with my number if you don't already have it.
If the catastrophic happens and you miss the flight, you should call our travel agent, Steve, who will work with you to find an alternate flight; his information should already have been provided to you. But the bottom line is, we cannot hold the flight if you are late.
I hope this all makes sense. In a future post I'll detail what to expect in the time after takeoff and on the ground in Rome when we land. In the meantime, please let me know if you have questions.
DC
Website Update: Site Reports
Dear Roman Writers,
Our Site reports page is now available on the official Writing Rome website. Please navigate on over and have a look.
The page offers, in addition to a rudimentary schedule of presentations, guidelines for successful reports as well as the evaluation form that the instructional team will use for grading purposes.
We suggest that you spend some time now looking over both the page and the form so you can begin, if only subconsciously, to plan ahead.
Please let us know if you have any questions.
DC/gs
Our Site reports page is now available on the official Writing Rome website. Please navigate on over and have a look.
The page offers, in addition to a rudimentary schedule of presentations, guidelines for successful reports as well as the evaluation form that the instructional team will use for grading purposes.
We suggest that you spend some time now looking over both the page and the form so you can begin, if only subconsciously, to plan ahead.
Please let us know if you have any questions.
DC/gs
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
"At-A-Glance"
Dear Readers and (soon-to-be) Writers of Rome,
Allow us to clarify what we are looking for in a site presentation handout, or what we are now calling "At-A-Glance."
We would like your (unannotated) bibliography, selected images, and major bullet points (not all your own talking points, but the most important names, dates, and themes you want to register with your audience). This information should occupy no more than 2 single-spaced pages. (See the additional technical requirements, below).
Some of you will have to edit down the handouts you've already shown us. You might be able to pare them down by using single-spacing, but avoid having huge blocks of text. Do use spacing to differentiate major blocks of information, and make the reading easier.
The technical:
Please submit your "At-A-Glance" document no later than Sunday, May 10 (although earlier would be appreciated).
We are excited with how the site presentations are shaping up, and looking forward to hearing them in their full glory while in Rome.
DC/gs
Allow us to clarify what we are looking for in a site presentation handout, or what we are now calling "At-A-Glance."
We would like your (unannotated) bibliography, selected images, and major bullet points (not all your own talking points, but the most important names, dates, and themes you want to register with your audience). This information should occupy no more than 2 single-spaced pages. (See the additional technical requirements, below).
Some of you will have to edit down the handouts you've already shown us. You might be able to pare them down by using single-spacing, but avoid having huge blocks of text. Do use spacing to differentiate major blocks of information, and make the reading easier.
The technical:
- MS Word document (no PDFs);
- 2 single-spaced pages;
- 12-point Times New Roman font;
- one-inch margins;
- no page numbers, headers, or footers.
Please submit your "At-A-Glance" document no later than Sunday, May 10 (although earlier would be appreciated).
We are excited with how the site presentations are shaping up, and looking forward to hearing them in their full glory while in Rome.
DC/gs
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Share Your Voice in Rome!
Dear Roman Writers,
You should hopefully know that on two occasions we'll be meeting up with Alessandra Bava — poet, translator, and Rome enthusiast — whose poem on Giordano Bruno we discussed on the last day of Reading Rome.
Alessandra has written to me with yet another opportunity for us while we're in the Eternal City. She has recently completed translating and editing an anthology of American poetry, Nuova antologia di poesia americana (Ensemble, 2015). On Friday evening, May 29, she hopes to organize a reading of selections from the volume in the historic center.
She has issued a warm invitation to any and all of us to read from the volume (in English) for the audience of invitees — in other words, to inject some American voices into the proceedings. I hope to participate in this extraordinary opportunity, and I hope that some of you will join me.
If you're not sure at the moment, perhaps you'll change your mind after meeting Alessandra the week before. In any event, I wanted to put this chance to experience Rome's literary and artistic culture on your radar as soon as possible.
Please let me know if you're interested in participating, or if you have any questions.
DC
PS: I realize that not all of us are Americans, strictly speaking; and that America is (or the Americas are) much more than the United States. But, for the purposes of this event, we can be considered de facto Americans due to Skidmore’s location.
You should hopefully know that on two occasions we'll be meeting up with Alessandra Bava — poet, translator, and Rome enthusiast — whose poem on Giordano Bruno we discussed on the last day of Reading Rome.
Alessandra has written to me with yet another opportunity for us while we're in the Eternal City. She has recently completed translating and editing an anthology of American poetry, Nuova antologia di poesia americana (Ensemble, 2015). On Friday evening, May 29, she hopes to organize a reading of selections from the volume in the historic center.
She has issued a warm invitation to any and all of us to read from the volume (in English) for the audience of invitees — in other words, to inject some American voices into the proceedings. I hope to participate in this extraordinary opportunity, and I hope that some of you will join me.
If you're not sure at the moment, perhaps you'll change your mind after meeting Alessandra the week before. In any event, I wanted to put this chance to experience Rome's literary and artistic culture on your radar as soon as possible.
Please let me know if you're interested in participating, or if you have any questions.
DC
PS: I realize that not all of us are Americans, strictly speaking; and that America is (or the Americas are) much more than the United States. But, for the purposes of this event, we can be considered de facto Americans due to Skidmore’s location.
Monday, May 4, 2015
Website Update: Syllabus
Dear Writers of Rome,
This post is to alert you that the Syllabus page of the Writing Rome website is now complete.
Please browse on over and read the page carefully and in its entirety. Not only does it discuss the breakdown of your Writing Rome grade, it offers lists of essential gear — both the things you should not leave home without and the things you must bring on our daily excursions in the city.
Let us know if you have questions.
DC/gs
This post is to alert you that the Syllabus page of the Writing Rome website is now complete.
Please browse on over and read the page carefully and in its entirety. Not only does it discuss the breakdown of your Writing Rome grade, it offers lists of essential gear — both the things you should not leave home without and the things you must bring on our daily excursions in the city.
Let us know if you have questions.
DC/gs
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