This won't be a traditional English course where you compose a few essays I've assigned just because I say so. In this English course, I want you to take agency of your own compositions. I want them to matter to you. I want them to have real-world value to you. And I want you to write with eye to who you're writing to and to what purpose.

I will assign a few writing experiments to challenge our comfort zones and practice some new writing skills, but for your major compositions, you'll tell me what you're writing.

Why are we doing it this way? Writing an essay just because I told you to write it may abstractly develop some writing skills, but at the end of the day, I ask myself, "Have I really taught you how to write? Or have I just taught you how to write this assignment?" Instead of teaching the craft of language and writing, I end up spending half our time just explaining and re-explaining essay instructions. The bottom line is: I want the significance of your compositions and the language-craft we develop together to carry on after this semester is over. So let's not just write in the vacuum of this course; let's compose things that directly apply to your personal goals, and instead of focusing on essay instructions, we can put our focus where it matters: practicing the subtleties of language.

Attendance and Workshops - 25%

• Includes daily writing and participation

• Also includes Sculpture Garden field trip

Required Conferences - 25%

• First checkpoint: due January 25, 2024

• Second checkpoint: due February 8, 2024

• Third checkpoint: due March 14, 2024

• Fourth checkpoint: due April 9, 2024

• Final conference: during Final Exams week

Your Portfolio - 50%

• First project

• Imitation experiments

• Final project

• Self-Evaluation