Writing About Cities

<p>Course closed to further enrollment. In-person Course. Big cities present a unique set of opportunities and challenges. They are hubs of art and culture, media and entertainment, business and finance, and food. They serve as canvases for architects and urban planners with visions for the future. They represent the greatest potential for diverse populations to intersect and thrive. At the same time, cities are often sites of injustice, economic inequality, violence, and social division. Cities constantly challenge us to forge communities on a large scale and to learn how to live harmoniously with each other.&#160;</p></p> <p><p>In this course, we will explore city life through reading and writing about cities in several non-fiction modes. Major assignments will include a literary personal essay, a reported journalistic feature (which can be a profile), a film review about a city film, and a policy memo/proposal about a change to city infrastructure. We will supplement our course readings in these four genres with short readings in other genres, as well as with other kinds of “texts” (images, films, recorded talks). We will also look for opportunities to use New Haven, the city around us, as a source and a test case for our ideas. Through our study and practice of non-fiction writing for a range of audiences, we will seek to join an ongoing (written) conversation about the past, present, and future of the modern city. Enrollment limited to 12 students. 1 Credit. Session B: July 1 – August 2. Tuition: $5070.</p>