Introductions by Way of Word and Image

This assignment is a short intro assignment to get a quick sample of students writing, to get to know them better, and to immediately immerse them into the activity of working with images as text.

The Assignment

Welcome. This course, as you will come to see, is about representation. That is, it is about how texts—including words and images—have meaning; they stand for something; they represent something.

As a means of introducing yourself to me and to the class, I’d like you to cull one photograph from your family album—a photograph of particular and immediate meaning to you. Perhaps you are in the photo or perhaps not. Either way, the photograph should represent something to you. It should be significant.

Once you’ve selected the photo, write about a page or so in which you interpret the meaning of the photo. Explain why you selected it. What does it represent to you? Write closely about the details of the photograph—how they affect you and what they mean to you. Does the picture accurately represent a past moment of reality? Or does it somehow distort the truth? Does the photograph document the memory or create it? Reflect on the photograph and try to understand its meaning by writing about it. Also, consider what your choice of photograph reveals about you.

When you turn in this assignment, include a Xerox copy of the photograph you wrote about. Also, bring the original photo to each class meeting this week as we will be sharing and discussing them in conjunction with your essay.

This assignment is designed to facilitate introductions, to kick-off class discussion, and to provide me with an early sample of your writing. It will receive a formative grade only.