English 1000C Marshall Speculative Essay on Birth To get an idea of what the possibilities for this essay are, re-read the description of speculative essays on Types of Essays Handout. You should also read the short essay, “Meander” by Mary Paumier Jones under Readings on Blackboard. • Begin with a question that came up for you while reading, viewing or responding to "The Case Against Babies," the excerpt from “The Politics of Location” by Adrienne Rich, World Birth Day, The Business of Being Born and “In Utero Inc.” and "Her body, My baby." • You might want to use some of the actual writing and/or ideas from your responses to these texts, for example, the summary. So look back over what you’ve written, including the freewriting on birth. • You should refer to at least two of these sources (articles or films) and you should find one outside source using the library databases. Review the last page of the summary a rticle about how to use signal phrases for quotations. • You can use more sources than this, but don’t let information from the sources take over the paper. This is not a research paper, but an essay that uses research to help support or further your thinking. Comment on what the information from your sources means or how it helps you figure out an answer to your question or your growing (through writing the essay) understanding of the topic or issue. If relevant, quote the student who responded to the question you came up with in class. • You should write in the first person. Remember, an essay like this is a person, an I, thinking. Speculative birth essay guidelines: Your essay should be double-spaced with one inch margins all around. In the left corner place: Your name My name The course name The date • You should give the essay an original title. It should be centered with the major words in it capitalized. • The essay should be at least 5 pages long. • The pages should be numbered. In addition, you will need to write a process letter that20thoroughly addresses the following: • How did you decide on your question? Why did you want to approach writing the essay from that angle? • What writing or ideas did you use from previous assignments? • How did you actually compose, or sit down and write the essay? • Describe the way the essay is organized. What drove your decision behind laying out your thoughts in this way? • What was particularly satisfying about writing this? • What was difficult or frustrating? • How did you use the sources? Do they seem like the right ones for what you are writing? • What’s the best sentence in the essay? The best paragraph? Why? • What would you work on if you had more time? • What did this assignment teach you about writing or yourself as a writer? Please post the draft here and the process letter here. You don’t have to hand in a hard copy. Please keep in mind that you need to complete all parts of the assignment to fulfill the requirements of the grading contract.