The focus of English 100A is on developing college-level
writing skills that will benefit students majoring across the
disciplines, in the humanities, social sciences, and natural
sciences, among others. The learning objectives of English
100A are less on the proper use of grammar, syntax,
punctuation, etc, and more on advanced skills such as
developing a clear, concise arguments, and supporting writerly
thought through effective, evidence-based reasoning and
logical organization. This is not a literary studies course,
but it will be thematically organized around a mid-century
literary figure: Tennessee Williams. In reading and viewing
one of Williams’ plays, reading many of his short stories, and
familiarizing ourselves with various reviews of his work,
students will gain exposure to a number of different forms of
professional and creative writing. Using these forms as
models, students will have the opportunity to experiment with
a number of different types of writing, from personal essays
to argument essays, newspaper articles to book or theatre
reviews. Students should expect weekly, short (2-3pp) writing
assignments, and weekly short (10 page) readings. This course
will also help students develop a revision practice, through
both individual revision work as well as peer review; every
essay that students turn in will be workshopped with their
peers.