| |
Reading and writing about representations of the self, the way text expresses an author's identity through its style as well as through its substance. How reliably does a text communicate its author's intentions, and how is the act of writing like a search for the self? How does the production of text resemble the construction of identity? Readings include autobiography and biography, interviews, standup comedy performances, manifestoes, cultural criticism, and one play. Writing will include expository and argumentative essays, synthesis of scholarly criticism, and a biographical research paper.
Instructor: Sarah Gilleman
Reading, thinking, and writing about the forces that govern and shape language. A series of analytical essays will focus on issues such as political correctness, obscenity, gender bias in language, and censorship. WI Nonnative speakers are strongly encouraged to enroll in sections 1 & 2 which are specifically designed to meet their needs.
Instructor: Holly Davis
In this course, we will explore the ways in which hoaxes, impersonations and forgeries illuminate the cultural imaginations that enable their success. What does it say about us when we are "taken in" by a hoax? How do entrenched societal ideas about art, history, and literature allow fakers to fool the public? Assignments will include analytical essays, research papers, and oral presentations.
Instructor: Christopher Deweese
Language can enslave us or it can set us free, so it is vital that we learn to be its masters. Because reading and writing go hand in hand, students will sharpen their skills as powerful writers through analysis of the works of some of the world's most provocative writers and thinkers. As students practice their own skills, they will consider how education, class, race, and gender can affect the struggle to make our voices heard.
Instructor: Caryl Casson
Nietzsche called maturity the rediscovered seriousness of a child at play. What is the meaning of comedy, in light of this “seriousness of the child at play”? Why do we laugh, at what, and in what way? How do we distinguish silly comedy from serious comedy? This course will examine such questions on comic platforms including film, music, videos, short stories, cartoons, and more. We will explore the “structure” of the comic moment as viewer or listener encounters surprise, transgression, or enchantment, especially in twentieth-century comedy, and the affectivity of the comic encounter from pure “clowning” to savage social commentary.
Instructor: Peter Sapira
Reading and writing about current scientific topics. Readings will include examples of excellent science writing in the popular press and professional journals. Writings will include scholarly essays, Op/Ed pieces, and data analysis. Oral presentation and library research.
Instructor: Meg Thacher
It's easy to be overwhelmed by the volume of our culture's incessant chatter: 24-hour cable news, talk radio, political blogs. How do we begin to process any of it, let alone the fine points, in this time of Total Noise? Readings will cover a range of topics (torture, gun control, stage fright, dog training, the ethics of charitable giving). The point is to study and emulate how successful writers write, think, clarify, and engage readers on a level above the overwhelming din.
Instructor: Joel Anderson
What defines poverty in the U.S. and abroad? Who defines it? How do we best improve the lives of the poor? What's the relationship between poverty and gender? Which anti-poverty programs work and which don't? These are a few of the questions students write about in this course as they hone their writing skills. The readings include academic essays, organizational documents, newspaper articles, narrative journalism, and personal experience narratives. The course makes use of resources in the Smith libraries, the Sophia Smith Collection, and the Smith College Museum of Art. Prerequisite: One WI course or permission of the instructor.
Instructor: Julio Alves
Michael Pollan writes in Omnivore's Dilemma that the U.S. suffers from a "national eating disorder"--that essentially, we don't know what to eat. This course examines that confusion, considering which of the many diets available to us--vegan, slow food, locavore--is truly healthy; what roles ethnicity, gender, and class play in our choices; and how pervasive hunger is in the US. Students read from the spectrum of food writing, and hone their own writing in a variety of genres ranging from academic essays to restaurant reviews. Prerequisite: One WI course or permission of the instructor.
Instructor: Sara Eddy
| |
Writing
Teaching
Learning
News and Updates
Mission Statement
Staff
Links
Contact Us |
