This course introduces students to the power of writing as a means of communication and a process of thinking and understanding. As students complete a series of writing assignments, they will engage in a process of reading, drafting, revising, and working in peer groups and individually with their instructors.
Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat have filtered the way that we understand and engage with the world. We are all public speakers now, advocating for ideas and standing in solidarity with others in short bursts of text and image. How do these various forms of social media both restrict and expand our connection to an audience, both intended and unintended? How do they compare to other forms of public speech and writing? Where do fan-fiction blogs and other online writing communities fit within this emergent digital culture? Those are just a few of the questions that we will examine in this course as we explore what it means to write your way into a public (or private) conversation. Beyond analyzing current examples of social media posts from prominent public figures, other possible types of text up for discussion include interactive electronic literature, political speeches, magazine editorials, and even videos of public performances like flash mobs.
Jacob Burg