15 May You will write a bio-critical essay on Claude McKay.

• You will write a bio-critical essay on Claude McKay. It should be a professional essay for a savvy, academic audience, not an encyclopedia or wiki entry for generic consumption.  So, you should write using your unique, well-informed voice as an authority on this author.
• The essay must be a minimum of 1000 words (3-4 pages) and organized and prepared as follows: 
  • Introduction, stating your topic and reason for writing on this chosen author
  • Body paragraphs (3-4)
    • a summary of the author’s personal life and literary life (who they are as a writer)
    • a discussion of the author’s style, which may include how they use genre, language, symbolic meaning, and how they draw from their particular social/historical context, and what their impact was on the literary period
    • a discussion of three of the author’s major works and themes
  • Conclusion, stating your ultimate, informed and supported review of the author’s work.
  • Citation and MLA format:  Secondary sources are integrated through paraphrase or quotation.  Sources are correctly cited both in-text and on the separate Works Cited page.  Sources are appropriately used to support your statements and ideas.  Do not let them speak for you; do not rely too heavily on other people’s words.
  • Writing and Style: Sentence structure is syntactically correct.  Standard conventions of spelling, punctuation, grammar, and mechanics are followed.
• A slide presentation will accompany your bio-critical essay.  The presentation should be prepared as if it were to be used as a visual guide for a live oral presentation, delivered to an academic audience.
• The presentation should include 5-7 slides and provide the highlights or overview of your essay
  • Two-three appropriately selected and complementary images are required  
  • Each slide should highlight a major component of your essay.  You may wish to return to your outline’s main headings, which could translate well into slide headings.
  • Example components for slides:
    • Slide 1 – title slide with name and purpose of presentation
    • Slide 2 – topic (author and works) to be reviewed 
    • Slide 3 – main idea of body paragraph with one supporting textual quotation
    • Slide 4 – main ideas of additional body paragraphs 
    • Slide 5 – conclusion with a clear indication of why your review is valid
    • Slide 6 – works cited (including images).
  • Slides should be prepared with bullet points and succinct phrases (not full-length, wordy sentences).