Document Type

Syllabus

Publication Date

Spring 2024

Course Description

I take my inspiration for this course description from my esteemed colleague Andrea Sununu, who has been gracefully, effectively, and diligently teaching students to write for more than 50 years. Her syllabus for ENG 130 begins with photos and quotes from the literary world as she introduces students to some of the best descriptions of the act of writing that have yet been produced. Among them: Writing is to “do language,” in the words of Nobel and Pulitzer prize-winning novelist Toni Morrison. “Clear thinking becomes clear writing; the one cannot exist without the other,” writes journalist, literary critic, and professor William Zinsser in On Writing Well. “I don't know what I think until I write it down,” quips New Journalist and memoirist Joan Didion. But thoughtful clear writing is not just for professional writers. It is something that everyone can and should do well, and it is an integral part of a liberal arts education. In this class, we’ll be practicing the art of reading and writing well through a series of fiction and non-fiction readings including work from Edgar Allan Poe, Toni Morrison, Louise Erdrich, Joan Didion, James Baldwin, and Ernest Hemingway. We will also improve our analytical writing skills and foster the ability to construct convincing academic arguments using evidence. We will develop these skills both in and outside the classroom through written assignments, group work, one-on-one writing tutorials, and peer- conducted writing workshops.

Student Outcomes

This course is designed to improve analytical writing skills and foster the ability to construct convincing arguments using evidence. We will develop these skills both in and outside the classroom through a series of readings, written assignments, group work, one-on-one writing tutorials, and peer-conducted writing workshops. The course shares many learning goals with other writing-intensive English courses. By the end of the semester, students will be able to: 1. Understand and use writing as a means of critical thinking, argument, and interpretation. 2. Understand and use writing as a process, including invention, outlining, drafting, peer review, revision, and use and documentation of sources. 3. Demonstrate better command of and sensitivity to language in the categories of usage, grammar, and style. 4. Recognize the practical applications of writing skills in disciplines outside the humanities.

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