Composition I

“Write, Read,
Rewrite. Repeat Steps 2 and 3 as Needed.” Susan Sontag’s directions for writing
will be the motto for our class, in which we will approach reading and writing
as firmly related processes. Learning to write well begins with close reading.
We will read essays on relevant issues, not only for content but also for form,
as possible models for our writing. We will analyze how successful writers use
various rhetorical strategies to convey meaning. The essay assignments will
give you practice in using a range of strategies to achieve specific purposes –
to reflect, to inform, to analyze, and to persuade. You will learn how to draw
on your readings as relevant and reliable sources to be integrated into your
writing, following the MLA
style guide. We will work on planning, drafting,
and revising, with an emphasis on revision in
order to
produce clear and concise prose. We will also focus on issue
s of style, grammar, and mechanics
that are specific to your writing.
Central to this
course are our one-on-one conferences to discuss and guide your composition.

 

Required Texts

  • Course Reader: ENG 100 (30).
    (available at Campus Copy, Campus Center)
  • Hacker, Diana, and Nancy Sommers.
    A Pocket Style Manual. 6th
    ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2012. (available at UHM Bookstore,
    Campus Center)