“Political manifestos,” Martin Puchner writes, “are texts singularly invested in doing things with words, in changing the world.” Though not all expository writing seeks to change the world, much of it, like the manifesto form, attempts to do things with words—to influence a political debate, to defend a social or cultural position, to memorialize an event or a person, and so forth. In this class, we’ll study strategies that nonfiction writers use to get their points across. Students will read a wide variety of prose forms, from personal narrative to cultural critique; they’ll complete weekly writing assignments; and they’ll have multiple opportunities to workshop their own writing. Beyond a few generic constraints, the subject matter of student writing will be wide open. Students are encouraged to develop their writing and thinking on topics of their own choosing.

Texts:

• The Norton Reader: An Anthology of Nonfiction, Shorter Eleventh Edition.