Writers don’t exist in isolation. They don’t hole themselves up in garrets waiting for inspiration to strike. They read the work of other writers, they pay close attention to what’s going on in the world around them, and they develop habits that support the kind of writing they most want to do.
In this class, we’ll read essays by professional writers such as Gloria Anzaldúa, Bertolt Brecht, Anne Lamott, and Patricia J. Williams. We'll consider what these writers have to say about their work and why it matters. We'll also draw ideas from them about how we want to shape our own writing habits.
This class is for you if: a) you already have a critical writing practice and want to strengthen it; or b) if critical writing is challenging for you, but important to your academic goals. This is not a creative writing class, although we will test the boundaries between creative and critical writing while exploring the essay as a genre.
Because revision is the best way to develop new skills, students will revise a single essay multiple times. Writing feedback will be tailored to your skill set and academic goals.
Anticipated Credit Equivalencies:
4 - Critical Writing
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Academic Details
Humanities, communication, research