Writing 2 continues the work begun in Writing 1 on strengthening students' ability to write, read and discuss at the college level, with emphasis on literary and visual analysis, and research and argumentation skills. The course will revolve around a specific theme selected by the instructor.COURSE DESCRIPTIONGuided by writers who know these islands well, we’ll draft essays and discuss the poetry, stories, and histories of the Central and South Pacific Ocean regions, and of the North Atlantic. We’ll begin by listening to new Pacific Islander poets and a memoirist; then, we'll paddle into time immemorial with epic tales of Kamapua’a—a being who could appear as a hog or as a human—from the Hawaiian creation story, The Kumulipo. We’ll observe a soul searching for life near an abandoned nuclear waste site in the Marshall Islands. Next, we'll hear from Bermuda-born writers; take a deep dive off Nonsuch Island inside a Bathysphere; and explore the Atlantic sea floor, thanks to mapmaker Marie Tharp. We will pursue the pleasures, ideas, and formal strategies of literature; attention, too, will be given to orature, the oral art that has carried myths and legends for thousands of years, at once preserving cultures, and entertaining and educating listeners, ourselves among them. We'll create three essays: two analytical essays and a five-element hybrid essay.On most Mondays we will read aloud and discuss what we read; this session will be device-free. On most Wednesdays, we will engage in extended critical and creative thinking and writing exercises, and on-the-spot research. Every class session will include a short writing exercise. As part of a pair or trio, each student will help facilitate discussion about a poem, story, or excerpt from a biography or memoir, as well as present contextual information (geographical, historical, cultural, for example) to help us better understand the literary work. Readings are chosen to stimulate discussion and to present both models and inspiration for us to develop our own writing. Although reading and writing are the main emphases, attention will also be given to the research skills necessary for successful academic writing.

Visit Workday to view this information.