Nonfiction Reading and Writing

This course will cover a selection of readings from mostly American writers of the 20th century, including long–form journalism like that found in The New Yorker, relatively personal forms of journalism (Joan Didion, Norman Mailer, Tom Wolfe), critical writing (Arthur Danto, Pauline Kael, Camille Paglia, John Leonard, Susan Sontag), memoir (N. Sott Momaday, Jane Brox), and “popular” genres (sports, Red Smith; travel, Bruce Chatwin; food, M.F.K. Fisher). Writing exercises will include personal essays and emulations of the styles of some of the writers studied.