06 May 11 - 03:55 PM (#3149385) Subject: Utah Phillips College Credit course From: Mark Ross Westminster College in Salt Lake City is giving a month long course on the life & work of U.Utah Phillips, The Golden Voice of the Great SouthWest. I will be speaking to the class and giving a concert with Larry Hanks & Deborah Robins on Thursday May 12. Here's the syllabus for the class; "The Long Memory: The Songs and Stories of Utah Phillips" History 300 AA01 May 2011 Syllabus and Class Schedule "Yes, the long memory is the most radical idea in this country. It is the loss of that long memory which deprives our people of that connective flow of thoughts and events that clarifies our vision, not of where we're going, but where we want to go." - Bruce "U. Utah" Phillips, from http://www.thelongmemory.com/ Class hours: T/Th 12:00-3:00 p.m. Classroom: HWAC 353 Instructor: Dr. Bob Seltzer Office: Gore 104 Email: bseltzer@westminstercollege.edu Phone: 832-2552 Office hours: Instructor: Dr. Jeff Nichols Office: Foster 417 Phone: 832-2392 Email: jnichols@westminstercollege.edu Office Hours: by appointment ADA COMPLIANCE POLICY Note: Westminster College seeks to provide equal access to the college's programs, services, and activities to people with disabilities as defined by the ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. If you have a disability for which you will need accommodations in this class, please let me know as soon as possible. You will also be required to provide documentation of your disability to the Services for Students with Disabilities program in the START Center in Carleson Hall at 832-2280. COURSE DESCRIPTION This class explores the music, legacy, and long memory of the late, great Bruce "U. Utah" Phillips (1935-2008). Utah was a singer, songwriter, storyteller, and activist for labor and homeless causes. He rightly believed that our remembered history should include ordinary people that too often get ignored or forgotten. In that spirit, we will use Utah's music and spoken words in class to explore a variety of topics, including: Labor history Anarchism Poverty and homelessness Joe Hill Hobo/railroad culture The Industrial Workers of the World The Catholic Worker's movement Enola Gay/Hiroshima Political/social activism, from the 1960s to today The relationship of folk music to "history" LEARNING GOALS Students will learn: 1. about the life and influence of Bruce Phillips 2. about the nature of the industrial workforce in the late 19th and early 20th centuries 3. about the conditions which brought about the Industrial Workers of the World 4. about anarchism 5. about the folk music tradition and community 6. how to communicate in a variety of formats: informal discussion, written journals, blog GRADING CRITERIA 1. Journals (due NLT 4:00 pm Friday, returned following Tuesday) - 30 points 2. Finding/bringing in present-day folk song (due 19 May) - 10 points 3. Blogging (at least weekly, NLT 4:00 pm Friday) - 30 points 4. Attendance/in-class participation (includes attendance at concerts) - 30 points Total /100 points REFLECTIVE JOURNAL You will keep a journal emailed (Word format) to the instructors no later than 4:00 p.m. each Friday; we will return them the following Tuesday. Included in this journal will be comments, evaluations, and reflections on assigned readings, in-class discussions, music, lectures, guests, and/or films, as well as in- and out-of-class activities of everything we've done since the previous journal. You should record your course-related thoughts, observations, personal insights, and other relevant comments. The goal of the journal is to encourage you to think in ways that facilitate analysis, synthesis, reflection, and evaluation. You will be evaluated on the quality, not just the quantity of your journal entries, although we expect that you will make entries based on each and every one of the class materials. You will, of course, not be punished for disagreement or comments that indicate opinions that differ from those of the authors, your classmates, a guest, or the instructors. Format for Your Journal: Journal entry date __________________ Reading notes: Reading title: Reactions/reflections/analysis/comments: Did the author present information new to you? Did you agree or disagree with it (that is, do you think the author supported his/her points adequately)? If you disagree, why? Film notes: Film title/production information: What was the film's subject? How did it make its points? Personal reactions/analysis/comments: Did the author present information new to you? Did you agree or disagree with it? If so, how? Class lecture/discussion: Did the lecture/discussion raise any questions in your mind? Were there any points of agreement? Disagreement? Were there any unanswered questions? Additional reflections/reactions/analysis/comments? Class guests: Did the guests raise any unanswered questions? Were there points of agreement? Disagreement? Additional reflections/reactions/analysis/comments? Synthesis and evaluation: How do readings/lectures/films/discussions/guests relate to: Information you have previously learned? Your other courses? Your experience? What other information would you like to study about this topic? FOLK OR PROTEST SONG There are thousands of contemporary artists making folk music today. There are thousands more (and some are the same people) who make "protest" songs. Find one – or better yet, write one yourself – and bring it to class. You can bring it as a CD, MP-3, YouTube video, or perform it yourself. Due NLT class, 19 May (but if you do it earlier, we can listen to it earlier and you can be done with this assignment). BLOGGING Folklorists and historians are always interested in the preservation of material. We will preserve this class by creating a blog where we can post links to our reading, links to the music of Utah Phillips and others, and related historical material. Each student is required to post to the blog at least twice weekly (roughly corresponding with our two classes); each week's blog postings are due NLT 4:00 pm each Friday. Your reflective journal can inform your blog post; remember that while the journal is class material-specific, the blog can be seen by the world. http://maylongmemory.blogspot.com/ ATTENDANCE/PARTICIPATION We expect every student to attend each of 8 classes and to be prepared to discuss the readings and converse with and ask questions of the instructors and our guests. You are also expected to attend both concerts, on May 12 and May 17. TENTATIVE SCHEDULE OF SUBJECTS, READINGS, AND GUESTS Like life itself, this schedule is provisional and subject to change in the event of illness, opportunity, and acts of God. Except for first day, you are expected to come to class having already read the assigned reading for the day. Tuesday Thursday May 3 Readings: Richard White, "The Economic Structure of the West," pp. 280-84, 288-96, 346-51 Subjects: Class introduction Class themes/subjects Graded assignments Guests/subjects: May 5 Readings: FBI file, Bruce Phillips "John Holway, Pinkerton, views Battle of Homestead" "Eugene V. Debs on Pullman" Subjects: The early years of Utah's folk music career Utah's influence, legacy Folk music community Guests: Utah's general biography Duncan Phillips David Phillips Caffé Lena, Saratoga Springs, New York, via Skype Assignment: turn in reflective journal (based on first two classes; due NLT 4:00 pm Friday) At least two postings to class blog, same deadline May 10 Readings: Polly Stewart, "Urban Pioneers: The Folk Music Revival in Utah, 1959-1966" London, "Something Rotten in Idaho" Western Federation of Miners Mother Jones Guests/subjects: Mike Iverson – Utah and folk music as social activism. Polly Stewart on folklore and folk "process." May 12 Readings: Leon Livingstone, "America's Most Celebrated Tramp" Ed Paulsen in Studs Terkel Guests/subjects: Folk music Railroad/hobo culture Larry Hanks Deborah Robbins Mark Ross Evening: atrium concert with above Assignment: turn in reflective journal (due NLT 4:00 pm Friday) At least two postings to class blog, same deadline May 17 Readings: Luigi Galleani John Mitchell, United Mine Workers Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, IWW Guests/subjects: Rosalie Sorrels Phillips' early performing career Phillips in SLC folk music generally May 19 Readings: Catholic Worker documents Ammon Hennacy documents Guests/subjects: Kate Macleod - Catholic Workers Folk music, folk process Folk and protest music today Evening: concert with: Rosalie Sorrels and friends Assignment: last day to bring present-day folk or protest song to class; recording or performance - turn in reflective journal (due NLT 4:00 pm Friday) At least two postings to class blog, same deadline May 24 Readings: Solidarity Forever documents Wobblies!, The IWW Lives http://www.iww.org/en Read at least three postings on present-day labor issues Guests/subjects: Tony Roehrig, IWW and labor Mike Garcia, IWW and labor May 26 Readings: The Mexico Reader documents http://www.kued.org/productions/joehill/ read all of "Joe Hill's story" and "Legal Battle" http://wisaflcio.typepad.com/ Read at least three postings on present-day labor issues Guests/subjects: Ken Sanders, Joe Hill and 1960s to 2010s protest Will Bagley, folk music and history Dave Stanley, folk music and history Assignment: turn in reflective journal (due NLT 4:00 pm Friday) At least two postings to class blog, same And here's a link to blog that the students must contribute towards; http://maylongmemory.blogspot.com/ |
06 May 11 - 07:50 PM (#3149515) Subject: RE: Utah Phillips College Credit course From: GUEST,Dani Outstanding! |
06 May 11 - 08:34 PM (#3149525) Subject: RE: Utah Phillips College Credit course From: katlaughing Phew! That's a lot for one month. How fantastic, though, they are offering this. Would love to hear your concert. Any chance it will be available on the web, later? Thanks, kat |
06 May 11 - 11:26 PM (#3149581) Subject: RE: Utah Phillips College Credit course From: ChanteyLass Sounds like a great course. I envy the students! |
07 May 11 - 11:29 AM (#3149812) Subject: RE: Utah Phillips College Credit course From: GUEST,999 Ditto all of the above. |
07 May 11 - 12:40 PM (#3149859) Subject: RE: Utah Phillips College Credit course From: Amos What a great opportunity!! The Grass Valley show with Kendall should be included. A |
07 May 11 - 01:04 PM (#3149873) Subject: RE: Utah Phillips College Credit course From: GUEST,babypix Larry Hanks & I will be talking about ironic themes of love and tenderness in harsh situations, as expressed through Utah Phillips' songs. "Nevada Jane", "Touch Me", and "All Used Up", are just a few. So lucky to be in the company of the estimable Mark Ross, who, day after day, gets himself out there in front of VERY young audiences whose lives will be deeply enriched by his music and great good (well, okay, often/mostly BAD!) humor. Deborah Robins www.larryhanks.com |
07 May 11 - 01:26 PM (#3149888) Subject: RE: Utah Phillips College Credit course From: GUEST,999 ``So lucky to be in the company of the estimable Mark Ross, who, day after day, gets himself out there in front of VERY young audiences whose lives will be deeply enriched by his music and great good (well, okay, often/mostly BAD!) humor.`` Some things don`t change. |
07 May 11 - 11:55 PM (#3150177) Subject: RE: Utah Phillips College Credit course From: Art Thieme A great tribute. Would that I could be there. Art |
08 May 11 - 10:18 AM (#3150335) Subject: RE: Utah Phillips College Credit course From: GUEST Russ Looks good. Is the course irony free? Russ (Permanent GUEST) Closed due to Spam. -Joe Offer- |