It's hard to write a good paper about a bad topic. That's why ... - English

Annotated Bibliography Script Rhetoric 105
Rationale:
You should think of using sources by putting them into conversation with each other and
finding your own role in that conversation. This assignment asks you to take that
“conversation” metaphor seriously.
Assignment:
Using at least 5 of your 8 sources, create a 2-3 page script of a conversation among the
sources and yourself. That is, write a script of the conversation that might take place if
you and all the authors of your sources could be together in the same room at the same
time. You can write whatever you want for your own contributions, but the contributions
from your sources should consist of either direct quotations or paraphrases, which should
be cited parenthetically.
Notes on the Script:
- Be creative. While the default format is a dramatic script (that is, written like
a play), you may choose to represent this conversation in any way you like.
- Start by providing a “cast of characters,” a list of participants in this
conversation.
- Briefly describe the imaginary setting for this conversation.
- The majority of the script should be direct quotations from your sources.
- Put quotation marks around everything you are taking directly from a source,
and put the author’s last name and the page number for that quote in
parentheses. If you need to add anything to the quotes to make them “flow”
better, put that stuff in brackets [like this].
- Don’t just make a list of random quotes from sources. Rather, make the
sources “speak or respond to each other, or make them respond to questions
you might pose to them.
- Also, don’t limit yourself to presenting quotes from sources that agree with
you. Try to represent the range of possible positions concerning your topic.
- Make yourself a character or participant in this conversation. You might
choose to mostly ask questions of your sources, or you might take a position
of your own.
- In addition to your sources and yourself, you may include “fictional”
composite characters that represent a particular position or way of looking at
your issue. Don’t overuse this function.
Criteria of Evaluation:
- The degree to which this collage puts your sources into a genuine
conversation with each other, rather than simply listing quotations from these
sources.
- The degree to which you fairly represent a range of possible positions or
points of view on your topic.
- The correctness of the in-text citations (see the Wadsworth Handbook)
Due Date: Monday 4/3