Calling for Proposals...

pro·pos·al

prəˈpōzəl/

noun

plural noun: proposals

1. 1.

   a plan or suggestion, especially a formal or written one, put forward for consideration or discussion by others.

   "a set of proposals for a major new high-speed rail link"

   synonyms:

   plan, idea, scheme, project, program, manifesto, motion, proposition, suggestion, action point, submission, trial balloon "the proposal was rejected"
2. 2.

   an offer of marriage.

Students, so sorry for the late post. I hope you all have at least been giving some thought to possible topics for your Memphis, City as Text, semester-long project. Bear in mind that you do not have to have it set in stone this instant, but by February 6th when the proposal is due, you should have formulated a general sense of what you would like to do.

The proposal (for which specifications will come to you via email), should be about a page to a page and a half long, discussing a topic of interest to you that relates to Memphis. Some sort of research question should be taking shape, together with one or two possible answers to that question. As in, how did Memphis become a key site for distribution? It's geographic location says a lot about how the city evolved as a central distribution locale. Or, in what ways did the Memphis music scene bring together white and black musicians during the Civil Rights struggle? One answer might be the Stax Records Company opened its doors to artists of all backgrounds, and created a haven for musical expression. Just some thoughts.

For now, tell me what interests you. Are you drawn to Memphis's cultural history in any way? Memphis business? The geographical diversity of Memphis? Map out some ideas. This is an opportunity for me to hear your thoughts and help you along as you formulate your project goals.

Welcome!

Hello, students, and welcome to your blog! I created this online companion to our class two years ago when I taught HONR 1110 for the first time, and discovered that it was a useful and fun way of communicating with students. Here I will make a post each week that covers our tours and activities, and you will comment below. This is a public blog, so if you have difficulty posting responses, or some other issue, do let me know and I will try my best to fix it.

In the meantime, I hope you will take a minute to nose around and see some of the past posts I've made to get a sense of what to expect. While in the past I have depended on students' written responses alone, this year I also encourage you to post photos that you have taken while on one of our tours. As photography is one of my passions, I enjoy taking pictures around town, and sharing them online. Below are some of the photos I've taken of Memphis most recently.

Again, welcome to our blog, welcome to the course, and here's looking to a wonderful semester! We will be going on several tours this semester of Elmwood Cemetery--the oldest active cemetery in Memphis, founded in the 1850s; we will visit Victorian Village, and learn about how life was for some of Memphis's earliest (and wealthiest) citizens; we will visit Sun Studios, Beale Street, the National Civil Rights Museum, the South Main Arts District--as well as participate in some goings-on in the Honors Program. Once again, here's to a great semester, and I welcome you to Honors Inquiry!