Looking Back

Throughout this course, we have been engaged in discussions related the theme of haunted spaces in literature and popular media. Beginning with Edgar Allan Poe and Shirley Jackson, and ending with contemporary trends in urban exploring and dark tourism, our class has aimed to deconstruct varied notions of “haunted” and/or marked spaces through the lenses of critical theory and myth. In doing so, we have attempted to answer or elucidate the following questions: what do myths about haunted spaces tell us about localized historical/cultural anxieties? Are there reliable tropes that artists, writers, and filmmakers depend upon to create optimally “haunted” spaces in their work? How might our increased awareness about the counter-intuitive draw of contaminated, creepy, haunted, or otherwise “marked” spaces shape practical decisions on the level of urban planning or community development?

During the semester, we have also looked at different types of investigative/informative writing this semester in an attempt to identify effective tenets of draftsmanship and effective strategies for persuading, intriguing, and/or prompting action on behalf of readers. These “case-study” texts have ranged from long-form journalism samples to narrative-based non-fiction. Lastly, we’ve looked at scholarly/peer-reviewed journal articles as a means of highlighting habits of academic writing and thought.

Guidelines

Although this paper must incorporate scholarly sources into its final version, it will be up to you, the writer, to decide whether to strike a tone that is:

·scholarly, objective, and academic, or

·casual, narrative-based, and informative

In order to decide which format and tone is right for you, it will be worth considering the audience you have in mind. Will you be writing this paper for other scholars in the field? Is your intention to use it as a writing sample for a graduate program or job? Do you plan on submitting it to a newspaper or magazine? Will be you be posting it on a blog? Ultimately, these factors should inform your decisions on how to regulate your style and stance.

Your paper must make a clear thesis statement or advance an original hypothesis regarding at least one site, location, trope, or motif in line with the themes discussed this semester. Your first aim should be to choose a “text” or set of texts for analysis. You may choose to center your paper on a single work of literature, or on multiple works produced by a single author or artist. You might also choose to look at a broader phenomenon or trend (such as urban exploring in America). After choosing your text(s) or case study, you should consider what major claim or hypothesis you wish to advance. You might argue, for example, that prolonged fascination with San Jose’s Winchester Mansion underscores America’s troubled history with gun culture. You might also make an argument as to why seasonal haunted houses have increased in popularity in the past decade, and what this potentially says about our desire for thrill-seeking behavior.

Regardless of what form you decide to adopt, your paper must adhere to the following guidelines:

·Length: 12-15 pages

·Style: MLA or APA (please see owl.english.purdue.edu, A Pocket Style Manual, or The Bedford Handbook for additional guidance on formatting). Note: if you have chosen to adopt a more interesting “look” for your final paper, you should include a note to your instructor explaining your formatting choices. However, the basic guidelines will still stand in terms of margin size, font size, and the formatting of the Works Cited/Bibliography

oNote: the Works Cited page/Bibliography must be included in the final version of your paper— do not attach it separately

·Number of scholarly sources: a minimum of six

·Number of popular sources: unlimited!

oNote: you may also choose to engage in a form of primary research, such as archival research, conducting a survey, or designing an interview. If you decide to design and conduct an interview, it would be highly advisable for you to use the “Interview Consent Form” posted on Mole.