Welcome to ENG344, COMEDY & SATIRE, online at Southern New Hampshire University. I'll be your pilot for your flight into Comedy and Satire. [More about me further down the page]

There's a lot to read and do in a short period of time, so if you read and remember the information contained in the Course Guide you'll stand a good chance of passing with flying colors. Everything you need to know to succeed in this course is in there. I expect you to read them and take them to heart. (Too many students take them to their liver and their insurance won't cover the transplants.)

This course introduces an important aspect of American literature that has been influenced by almost every genre from drama (Aristophanes, Moliere, Wilde, and Shaw) to poetry (Horace, Juvenal, Pope, Byron, and Frost) to the stories and novels of many writers (Aesop, Chaucer, Voltaire, Gogol, Benson, Waugh, and Roth). These and many of the major writers of today used comedy and satire as an effective tool for studying and critiquing their society.

In this class, we'll focus on defining the distinctive American ‘brand’ of humor and satire with a particular emphasis on the subjects of ethnicity, war, religion, and politics. Further emphasis is on the genres of humor, their methods, and their purposes. The goal of the course is to identify what is unique about the American style of humor. By the end of the course, I hope you will be able to:
  • Identify the difference between satire and parody
  • Identify the major archetypes of American humor and satire
  • Explain the comedic and satirical legacy of Mark Twain
  • Trace the origins of the various styles of American humor and satire
  • Define the contributions made to American satire and humor by women and various ethnic groups
  • Name the outstanding contributors to the development of American humor and satire
  • Identfy the role of accents and dialects in American humor and satire
  • Identify current examples of satire in literature, film, television, and theatre
  • Explain the importance of the First Amendment as it affects American humor and satire
Now, before the course begins, I'd like you to consider these objectives and make sure they are in line with your expectations for the class. And if you have any questions about them, contact me before continuing.

THE CRITICAL REQUIREMENTS
There are five major requirements that are often misunderstood. Please take note of these now. Missing them can cause serious problems later on.

  1. Discussion Requirements
    You must participate in the discussions. Failure to do so will result in an automatic withdrawal. If you anticipate an extended absence, you must coordinate it with me. Participation is defined as posting to each discussion item at least twice ON TWO DIFFERENT DAYS. The only exception to this is the first discussion item [INTRODUCTIONS] where only ONE post is required. So, for example, if you have ten posts on Monday, you won't get credit for the discussion, but if you have one post on Monday and another on Tuesday, you will.

  2. Naming Assignment Files
    The name given to a file (in most cases that's the WORD file you create for your assignment) must be unique. I have an electronic filter on my system that will not accept a file that does not conform to the guidelines I've set up, so make sure you read those carefully and follow them to the letter.

  3. Using the Drop Box
    Make sure you know how to use the drop box to turn in assignments. Make sure you use "Send File," NOT "Add File" when sending the file. Furthermore, note that Blackboard may indicate that the file was "received," but that does not mean I received it. It only means that the file was successfully uploaded to the SNHU server.

  4. Submitting the Orientation Form
    It's at the end of this page. It must be completed and submitted before you can begin the course. The first thing you will be asked to do for the class is take a quiz on the information found in this form.

THE TEXTBOOK
The textbook for this course is American Humor: A Study of the National Character [ISBN-10: 1597401153 or ISBN-13: 978-1597401159] by Constance Rourke. The publisher is Harcourt. Buying the book is optional, but I believe you will find it is a useful reference. It's considered the definitive work on American humor.

QUESTIONS?
CLICK HERE

FOR THE ANSWER

THESE ARE THE COURSE DOCUMENTS
No one wants you to do well in this class more than me. Not even your Mother. So I've spent a lot of time and effort in building resources into the course that should make it as easy (and painless) as possible. All you have to do is READ and FOLLOW DIRECTIONS. There are a number of documents I've prepared and if you read them carefully and follow the directions you'll sail through the course and, I hope, even have a a few laughs while doing it.

There are three documents that you must read and follow thoroughly if you want to succeed. They are:

If you don't understand anything in any of these documents, by all means ASK QUESTIONS! I don't mind that. That's what they pay me for.

Now...here's a little bit about me and how you can contact me if you have any questions.

THIS IS ABOUT ME
I'm a professional writer and educator and I've got a pretty varied background doing all kinds of writing. I was one of the head writers for Esther's Follies, in Austin, Texas. (Critics have called it “part vaudeville review, part improv tour-de-force" and said "Esther's Follies takes no prisoners, offering biting, hilarious satire on all the newsmakers and events fit to parody.”) I also worked as a stand-up comedian and joke writer for other comics for a while; just long enough to make me realize I had to be crazier than I am if I wanted to succeed. On the other hand, I also realized that it when it comes to taking a course online it helps if you're just a little bit crazy...as in O.C.D.*

In addition to my forays into comedy, I've worked as a writer and teacher in business, industry, and education. In 1998, I left Austin, Texas, where I had worked as a Technical Writer for Dell Computers and moved to upstate New York.

Because I have worked as an editor, I tend to do a lot of editing on assignments; you will often find that I've marked your grammatical errors and revised your sentneces. Your ideas may be excellent, but they don't count for much if you can't communicate them effectively. One of my goals is to help you do that. When I edit your paper, I do it so that you can see what sort of problems you have and learn how to improve on them. And I'm extremely lenient about allowing revisions. So, again, I encourage you to contact me at any time you don't understand why I made a change. I'm more than happy to explain.

After moving back to New York, I worked for General Electric's Corporate Research and Development Center as a Technical Editor and then for Lockheed Martin at the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory, editing the Operations Manuals for the nuclear plants on our submarines. [Dive! Dive!] Now I teach online for various colleges; in addition to Southern New Hampshire University, I have taught for Florida Keys Community College and Austin Community College. I also maintain the Dr. Write web site where I write about some of the problems and issues in the world of writing and provide editing help.

I have published a book of short stories and I am the co-author of the Composition II textbook, Analyzing Short Stories. If you'd like to know more, you can see all the gory details of my career at my resume.

I'm teaching this course from my home in Schenectady, New York, so I don't have an office on-campus. Nonetheless, I'm pretty easy to reach if you need help. Since the phone numbers are long distance, you can call and I will call you back. You have my committment to being as responsive as possible to you throughout the semester. In most cases, you can expect me to respond within 24 hours. Both phones have voice mail, so if you get a message, leave a number and specify a time when I can call you.

  • Online Office Hours: Via AOL's Instant Messaging at "drallwrite"
  • Home Telephone Number: 518.346.6414
  • Cell Telephone Number: 518.491.8041
  • SNHU email Address: g.wilkerson@snhu.edu
  • Business email Address: drwrite@drwrite.com

*O.C.D. = Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

NOW...PLEASE COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING FORM
CLICK ON THE "SUBMIT" BUTTON WHEN FINISHED.

Your Name:
Email address:
In the space below, type this sentence: "I have read and understand the information in this document and I am ready to take the Orientation Quiz." followed by your name, the course number [344], and the words "Summer 2010." You may add any additional questions or comments you like.