Essay writing is more than crafting the five-paragraph academic paper. Essays are public texts that fulfill a variety of rhetorical objectives and appear in a variety of media. Writers of all backgrounds and interests write essays to reflect on private experience and engage in public conversations about what's happening in the world. Today writers are also challenging the definition of what counts as an essay by using different media and technology to convey messages to their readers.
In thise course, then, we'll be focused on answering a few key questions about essay writing while you also develop your skills as essay writers yourselves: What is an essay? Why do we write essays? How is essay writing affected by technology and new global audiences? Where is essay writing going in the future? To answer these questions, we will study existing essays and you will write your own, across media and on topics of your choice.
Student will be expected to craft four original essays, post weekly responses to the readings, and actively participate in class discussion and peer workshops.
Required Textbook: Huffington Post Complete Guide to Blogging. Simon & Schuster, 2008.
Created July 2008