Mark gave me feedback on my notes from the book on Amedeo Modigliani and coaxed more out of me on what is relevant to my work and what I mean by my words. Quite helpful.
He also gave me my first assignment:

Spend at leas two full drawing sessions somewhere public with good seating. Go to the Mall, a cafe, a sporting event, a hospital, the airport, the DMV, a mechanics garage, a bus or train station. Some where like that. Open your sketchbook up to a clean full page spread and start drawing. Draw on each side of the spine. Observe and draw things near and far. When you move to a new subject stay on the same spread. Don't turn the page. If you move position, stay on the same spread. Let the drawings overlap and merge with each other. Work to achieve interest through overlap and variation. Use a variety of line weights and approaches. If you tend to work more curvy and loose then be sure to counter that with some straight lines. For instance, instead of describing an apple with a swift irregular circle, use straight lines to follow the contour and show each plane break. Leave some shapes open and void of texture or value, then contrast with shapes that are filled in with texture and value. Loose to tight and back again. I would like to see a mixture of your observational rendering and your more free flowing impressionistic approach. Layer up lines working from light to dark or introduce colored pencils for hits of color.
In your review of your Modigliani readings you mentioned the importance of going back and forth in your drawings. I'd like to see you do it in one drawing. 

Due: Post at least two drawings per week, for the next 3 weeks, that relate to this assignment. Label each page with the drawing locations in any manner you find suitable. This can be general, place by place, "Mall", "Senior center", "Tom's Softball game. Taylor's Field". Not subject by subject, unless you so desire.