“Write, Read, Rewrite.
Repeat Steps 2 and 3 as Needed.” Susan Sontag’s directions for writing will be
a motto for our class, in which we will approach reading and writing as firmly
interrelated. 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 issues 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 (01). (available at
Marketing and Publication Services, on the campus of the University
Laboratory School/UHM College of Education, 956-4969) - Hacker, Diana, and Nancy Sommers. A Pocket Style Manual. 6th
ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2012. (available at UHM Bookstore,
Campus Center)