English 219

William C. Dowling

Fall 2000

The Great Pequod Disaster

Our course reader, containing all the materials for the course, is produced by Pequod Copy.

Pequod recently closed its New Brunswick office, where my students have always picked up their course readers.

All is well, however. You can pick up your course readers at the RUTGERS STUDENT COOP BOOKSTORE on the Douglass Campus.

Below, I'll give you a map showing you where it is.

First, though, some of you may have problems getting the reader right away. (Pequod never prints up an entire consignment of readers until they know that the projected enrollment is going to be the actual enrollment.)

Most students will be able to get theirs right away. Some, though, will have to wait 1-2 days before the next batch comes in.

This is a disaster because you have graded work due starting with our second class. Since I don't permit makeup work -- I explain why in the course syllabus -- this means that you would start the course with a zero on the all-important sequence of pensa assignments. Also not having done the reading, which is also a minor disaster.

So here's what we do. I have posted right here on the web the section of the reader that tells you how to do your Pensum exercise. Also the first poem we'll be reading. Also the first Pensum assignment for the course.

Here's something about the pensum exercise you'll download. Notice that it says along the left-hand edge of the page that you are to CUT OFF THE MARGIN ALONG THE DOTTED LINE before handing it in. Also that you must STAPLE THE PAGES TOGETHER. These sound like little "picky" rules. They are not little picky rules. Do what you're asked.

You can print this first assignment down and you'll be right up with the rest of the class. By then, everyone should have a Pequod reader from the Coop, and we can continue as normal.

So. Click on this link and you'll find the "missing" materials in a form you can print down:

Now. About the readers. Since the Coop is way up on Douglass, and many of you are down here on College Ave, I suggest that you call them before making the trip and coming away empty handed. The phone number there is 732-932-9017. The nice person you want to ask for is Deb Nilson. She may be going a bit crazy with first week textbook sales, so be nice to her if she sounds harried.

Directions. The Coop is one block from the Douglass College Center, at the corner of Nichol Ave and Lipman Drive. The address is 57 Lipman Drive. Here's a map: