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EN­G1121 is an ad­vanced course in ex­pos­i­tory essay writ­ing that re­quires a li­brary re­search paper. Fur­ther de­vel­op­ment of re­search and doc­u­men­ta­tion skills (MLA style). As­signed lit­er­ary and ex­pos­i­tory read­ings.

ENG1121 is an advanced course in expository essay writing that requires a library research paper. Further development of research and documentation skills (MLA style). Assigned literary and expository readings.

“We tell our­selves sto­ries in order to live,” be­gins the open­ing para­graph of Joan Did­ion’s essay “The White Album.” This course will take Did­ion’s as­ser­tion as a point of entry for ex­am­in­ing a wide range of es­says from the per­sonal to the per­sua­sive as we in­ves­ti­gate the ways that all of our sto­ries are in­ter­con­nected. We begin from the premise that all writ­ing is con­ver­sa­tion and that no one writes in a vac­uum. When writ­ers write, they are join­ing a con­ver­sa­tion al­ready in progress. Through­out this course we will learn how to write about our own ex­pe­ri­ences and ideas and also how to re­spond to ideas oth­ers have voiced. As stu­dents re­flect on them­selves and the world around them, we will be es­pe­cially at­tuned to is­sues of gen­der, class, race, sex­u­al­ity, and ge­o­graph­i­cal lo­ca­tion. Read­ing and writ­ing are im­por­tant com­pan­ions. Our class dis­cus­sions and our writ­ing will be spurred by study­ing both short and long form es­says from some of the great­est con­tem­po­rary writ­ers of our time in­clud­ing Did­ion, James Bald­win, Ta-Na­h­esi Coates, and David Sedaris among oth­ers. Through close ex­am­i­na­tion and rhetor­i­cal analy­sis of lit­er­ary es­says, per­sonal nar­ra­tives, es­says of place, and per­sua­sive es­says, we will use var­i­ous texts to spur class dis­cus­sions and gen­er­ate ideas for stu­dents’ own writ­ing.

“We tell ourselves stories in order to live,” begins the opening paragraph of Joan Didion’s essay “The White Album.” This course will take Didion’s assertion as a point of entry for examining a wide range of essays from the personal to the persuasive as we investigate the ways that all of our stories are interconnected. We begin from the premise that all writing is conversation and that no one writes in a vacuum. When writers write, they are joining a conversation already in progress. Throughout this course we will learn how to write about our own experiences and ideas and also how to respond to ideas others have voiced. As students reflect on themselves and the world around them, we will be especially attuned to issues of gender, class, race, sexuality, and geographical location. Reading and writing are important companions. Our class discussions and our writing will be spurred by studying both short and long form essays from some of the greatest contemporary writers of our time including Didion, James Baldwin, Ta-Nahesi Coates, and David Sedaris among others. Through close examination and rhetorical analysis of literary essays, personal narratives, essays of place, and persuasive essays, we will use various texts to spur class discussions and generate ideas for students’ own writing.