WR 353 - The Contemporary Essay

(3.00 cr.)

The essay is explored as a medium for contemporary thought. Students read and analyze the writing and reflections on writing of such essayists as Ellen Goodman, Tom Wolfe, Alice Walker, Barbara Tuchman, and Calvin Trillin, as well as other work that appears in current magazines, newspapers, and essay collections. Students keep journals, do research, and conduct interviews to produce a portfolio of their own potentially publishable formal and informal essays on issues of their choice.

Prerequisite: WR 100 .