2020 - Summer

The Personal Essay (Session 2)

Course Number: SS2: JOUR-UA 202.060

Day & Time: Tue/Thu 10:00am - 1:00pm

Location: 20 Cooper Square

Albert Class Number: 4991

Do you have something to say? A story to tell? An application essay to write? An original voice? This course will nurture that voice, help shape the stories, sharpen your skills. The personal essay is a popular form of nonfiction writing, cherished by both writers and readers, but crafting a successful essay is a difficult skill.

How can we be self-revealing without being self-indulgent? How can we make our own experiences powerful for others? In this course, students will read some of the best essays around, from Langston Hughes and Joan Didion to Oliver Sacks to Marjorie Williams and other writers and write their own, taking each one through several drafts. The heart of the course will be close reading and editing of student work. For students with and without prior journalism studies or experience.