Writing I

In everyday life, we write not only to communicate, but also to learn. These principles will be fundamental to everything we do in this class. Much of our time will be spent writing: either in “freewriting” or in responding to what we have read. We will also discuss your writing, so that you can learn to discern what your readers may expect from you. Through regular short assignments and a few longer essays, I hope that you will become more comfortable — and more fluent — writers and that you will be prepared to face the rigors of the university.

For additional expectations and class policies, consult the syllabus.

Required texts

• Oates, Joyce Carol, ed. The Best American Essays of the Century. New York: Houghton, 2001.
• Sophocles. Antigone. Ed. and trans. George Young. New York: Dover, 1993.
• Strunk, William Jr., and E. B. White. The Elements of Style. 4th ed. New York: Longman, 2000.
• Updike, John, ed. The Best American Short Stories of the Century. New York: Houghton, 2000.

You can purchase these books at Beck’s. Along with the required texts that I have listed above, Loyola University requires you to purchase The Writer’s Harbrace Handbook (brief edition) and Your Introduction to Writing at Loyola. These books can be found at Beck’s and at the university bookstore.

Many of our readings will come from Oates and Updike, but a few of them will be given as handouts. If you know of or stumble across a piece of writing that you think will add to our class’s discussion, please bring it to my attention after class or during my office hours, so that we can plan how to incorporate it into the schedule.