WRITING MINOR CLASSES

This course introduced a number of theories of writing, providing an overview of complex issues and research into the state and status of writing and writers. It took up such questions as these: What is writing? Where did it come from? How did it develop – and did it do so the same or differently in other cultures? How do writers develop – and what accounts for differences? What are different types of writing, different situations for writing, different tools and practices – and how do these interconnect? What does it mean to study writing? How have major figures theorized writing, and what tensions emerge among their theories? What are relationships among thought, speech, and writing – and among imagine, film/video, and sound? How do such theories change our notions of what texts are and what texts do? I learned how various theorists, historians, and researchers answer these questions, and applied that knowledge to my own projects. Several assignments were completed in a journal format that were shared and discussed with peers weekly. Most of the coursework surrounded analysis of readings, development of personal theories of writing, and reflection. The final project (to demonstrate individual theory of writing) was a multi-genre task designed by the class.

Lyn Hejinian writes that language is “one of the principal forms our curiosity takes.” How do we channel that curiosity on the page? This course took up that question through experimentation with craft and form, and examined how constraint becomes a tool for creativity. While we read a variety of fiction and poetry, we also read nonfiction, drama, and hybrid works in an effort to expand our sense of possibility and play in our own writing. In addition to submitting and responding to each other’s work for workshop, we were also be required to complete weekly readings and writing assignments. We considered readings from the perspective of both readers and writers, and responded to them through discussion and through writing. We spent time completing writing assignments and sharing our work in class each week, and had designated time to circulate and respond to each other’s drafts as a group on workshop days. We were also frequently asked to complete writing assignments outside of class. Written works spanned a wide variety of genres including narrative fiction, several types of poetry, creative non-fiction, and vignettes.

In this class, we talked about what we write, why we write it, and who we are writing it for.  We did this through reading and discussion of books that are doing  the work of making art while also trying to speak to/affect the public sphere. These discussions informed the art we made in class and the feedback we gave in workshops. Enrollment in this class meant readiness to be receptive and to speak with empathy toward all people, perspectives, and texts introduced and discussed. The readings and weekly prompts inspired the poetry composed in this class, which was at least two poems per week in addition to class discussions and workshops. The final project was a poetry chapbook with an introductory poetic statement essay.

In this class, we explored rhetorical theories from the sophists in ancient Greece to the Romans and Medieval Christians and finally to contemporary postmodern and posthuman theories partially shaped by online culture. We also examined some aspects of non-Western rhetorics such as Chinese, African American, and Latinx rhetoric. In studying each theory, we explored what is still up for debate and examined how these theories still impact rhetorical culture today both online and in the media. For instance, the sophists taught that rhetoric was a tool to win arguments at any cost, often without ethical regard. This led to Plato’s distrust of rhetoric and Aristotle’s fuller theorization of rhetoric. However, rhetoric is still used as a tool to win debates – sometimes at any cost. What can be an effective response to such unethical use of rhetoric in order to counteract it? What do we need to know about rhetoric in order to effectively negotiate our often rhetorically bombastic culture, especially as we move more to a more fully digital culture? The class involved weekly written and verbal discussions to thoughtfully analyze and engage with dense rhetorical theory texts. The course also involved maintaining a blog and responding to posts by peers, in addition to papers about rhetoric in practice.

The primary goal of this capstone course for the Minor in Writing Practices is to create and present a professional electronic/web-based portfolio synthesizing university writing experiences. The portfolio showcases and offers reflective insight into a student’s writings, demonstrating the writer’s ability to navigate diverse rhetorical situations. Students learn theories and practices for selecting, arranging, and circulating/publishing written work, culminating in a required portfolio that synthesizes their university writing experiences. In addition to practicing principles of editing and design, students produce a substantive revision of a previous piece of their own writing and compose a theory of writing that synthesizes analyses of their practices with published scholarship and research. The course covers design considerations and strategies and offers studio time for peer and instructor feedback. It culminates with a public showcase. This portfolio is the culminating project to be showcased.