Assessing an Author’s Online Presence
The second assignment is a bit more complex than the first. You will spend some time following an author who is presently living and working with their craft. You will begin by compiling a file of links to various sites, Twitter, Instagram, etc. Your job will be to present information in which you evaluate the author’s online persona and discuss the aesthetic dimensions of the persona. As part of the assignment, you will use evaluation skills that you practiced in the first module.
For example, I have recently discovered a new voice in American literature, Rion Amilcar Scott, whose literature resonates with life in America right now. I learned about Scott through a Facebook message that one of my colleagues posted. After reading a collection of short stories, I wanted to learn more about the man and his other work. I went to the page linked above and then to Twitter and Facebook for a larger view of Scott. That’s where I am at this point. As I read more of his literature and learn more about him, I will be able to write with more confidence about Rion Amilcar Scott. That’s what I want you to do. I want you to find an author and spend some time with that person’s online/media presence. If possible, communicate with the author. That’s always a plus.
You do not have to choose a literary author. You may choose a non-fiction author.
In the end, I would like to see a presentation from you that allows me to learn something substantive about the author you choose. What can you determine about the person’s life and literature based upon online media. For this assignment, I ask that you write a “traditional” essay; however, please feel free to add media that you think defines the author in some way. Be sure to add working hyperlinks as I have done in the paragraph above.
Approximately 1000 words
