MLD-718M B: Intensive Writing for Policy and Politics
module 3, spring semester (January 25-March 11, 2011 )
TTh 11:40-1:00, Littauer 230
Greg Harris Office: Taubman 273 (Shorenstein Center)
Office Hours: after class and by appointment Email:
Office Phone: 617-495-0478
Welcome to Intensive Writing for Policy and Politics. This is the first part of a two module sequence designed to turn you into an expert writer of argument, narrative, and persuasion—someone who writes with ease, confidence, and a sure knowledge of how to move and inform readers. The course focuses on the particular problems you will face as a writer in the public, discursive world of policy: memos, articles, editorials, arguments, recommendations, refutations, and explanations. The class is grounded in:
1. Constant writing. At nearly every class meeting you will turn in a piece of writing— sometimes a short exercise, other times a longer essay, article, editorial, or memo. You will be constantly creating, revising, and improving your ideas in writing.
2. Constant reading. MLD-718M challenges you with some of the best writing about policy and politics from a variety of contexts and genres. You will be asked to contribute to the opus of readings with works you admire or find provocative. You will discuss, analyze, evaluate, and occasionally edit what you read.
3. Constant feedback. For some assignments you will receive written feedback. For others, you and I will have an “editorial meeting” during which we go over your writing sentence by sentence.
4. Group work and workshops. Throughout the term you will be working in groups of two to four. Several times during the module you will be reading, discussing, and editing the work of your colleagues. Often, you will schedule these required workshops outside of class.
5. Finally, lectures and class-wide discussions about the reading material, the writing assignments, and the craft of writing.
A note on experience: Intensive Writing for Policy and Politics is intended for both novice and experienced writers. It is not, however, designed to help with basic issues of grammar and usage, and is not recommended for students who are new to English. Instead, MLD-718M teaches you the strategies, techniques, and habits of skilled writers, and provides a rigorous, immersive environment in which to internalize them.
MLD-718M is organized around three major assignments. You’ll write (1) an op-ed, (2) a letter of advocacy, and (3) a critical review/analysis such as a short journal article, book review, or policy memo. Grading breaks down as class participation (including the first op-ed ‘exercise’ 10%), and assignments one, two and three at 30% each. You will have the option of revising one assignment at end of term for a better grade You will often be collaborating with your colleagues in and out of class, though your written work must be original.
Texts: Joseph M. Williams, Style: Basic Lessons in Clarity and Grace (3rd ed.)
Arthur Plotnik, Spunk & Bite
Course packet, available from the Course Materials Office.
SCHEDULE of CLASSES
Tuesday, January 25: Introduction
Writing for today: Compose in class one (1) sentence explaining as fully as possible what it is that you study or work on in the world of policy and politics—not in terms of the classes you want to take or the particular skills you want to learn, but in terms of the changes you want to effect.
Workshop: In groups, go over one another’s sentences and try out alternative terms and
formulations.
Topics: What are the possible ways in which a piece of writing can succeed? What are the possible ways in which it can fail? // General topic: developing a rich sense of the means and ends of writing.
Thursday, January 27: Arguing in Communities
Writing for today: Please write a 300 word self-evaluation. What are your strengths as a writer?
What are your weaknesses? How do you hope to improve? How do you expect your work at HKS to change your writing? Hint: look over your own recent writing in other courses before beginning.
Reading for today: Glance through the ‘Rating Teachers’ Casebook on the Course Blog
Conley and Stephens, “Build a Bigger House”
Nicholas Kristof, “Most Valuable Helper”
Rose George, “Yellow Is the New Green”
Topics: What makes a piece of writing persuasive? What does it mean to have a strong
argument? A sound analysis? How can you explain complicated problems simply and forcefully?// General topic: learning to relate rhetorical approach to purpose and audience.
Sunday, January 30, by 5 p.m.: Post your 700 word op-ed on Rating Public Schoolteachers on the course website, with appropriate blurb. By Monday at 5 p.m., rate other student op-eds on the course blog..
Tuesday, February 1 : Purpose, Politics, Prose
Reading for today: George Orwell, “Politics and the English Language”;
Joseph M. Williams: Style, chapters 3, 4.
[optional: Lunsford, Everything’s an Argument, ch. 7]
Topics: Design in writing; how purpose, audience, and prose relate. Editing for voice, clarity, and impact. The value of the writing group.
Workshop: You will meet in groups and discuss each other’s op-ed exercises. In class we will practice editing, sentence-by-sentence, paragraph-by-paragraph, with an overhead projector.
Thursday, February 3: Style, Voice, Process
Reading for today: Joseph M. Williams: Style, chapters 5 and 6.
Ann Lamott, “Shitty First Drafts”
William Strunk and E.B. White, “Elements of Style” excerpt
Emily Hiestand, “On Style”
Susan Orlean, “On Voice”
Jan Winburn, “Finding Good Topics: An Editor’s Questions”
Writing for today: Please brainstorm 2-3 topics for Op-Eds and come prepared to discuss in terms of writing and research strategies, timeliness, and audience.
Topics: What is style? How can style be evaluated and improved? What are the consequences of bad style and the advantages of stylistic excellence? How can you realistically work towards stylistic excellence in your own everyday writing?
Tuesday, February 8: Words, Frames, World-Views –Meeting your Audience
Preparation for today’s class: Prepare to present in class a term from your field of interest which you
feel is inadequate. Be able to explain why it’s inadequate and to suggest an alternate term of your
own.
Topics: What makes a word useful? What makes a word useless, vague, cheap, or distracting? How
do you deal with difficult or controversial words or terms? How do you ‘coin’ a term? // What underlying metaphors, assumptions, and arguments ‘frame’ your choice of words? // General topic: the relationship between writing, assumptions, and persuasion
Reading for today: George Lakoff, “Framing 101,” from Don’t Think of an Elephant.
Frank Luntz, “The Ten Rules of Effective Language,” from Words that Work.
The Pew Research Center for People and the Press, “Red and Blue” typography; please browse Part II, the Political Typology, and pp. 52-75, Profiles of the Typology Groups. Take the Typology Questionnaire.
Raymond Williams, Key Words, excerpt
Thursday, February 10: Editing Workshop
Reading for today: Joseph M. Williams: Style, chapters 7, 8, 9.
Arthur Plotnik, Spunk and Bite, chapters 1, 2, 8
Writing for today: Bring in at least the first 250 words of your op-ed draft [printed, double-spaced]
Workshop today: Editing op-eds: spotting problems, addressing them.
Topics: Editing as a way of strengthening thought. How do you build in time for editing? How do you establish priorities when cutting text? How do you edit an argument to make it more convincing and comprehensive?
OP-ED due Sunday, February 13 by 5 p.m. in website drop box.
<CONFERENCES February 14-22>
Tuesday, February 15: Letters of Persuasion
Reading for today: M. L. King, Jr. Letter from Birmingham Jail
Other letters of advocacy (dist. in class)
Topics: What sorts of audience do you face? How do you learn who an audience is, and what an audience knows and needs to know? How much can you realistically expect from your audience in terms of knowledge, attention, and empathy? How does great writing adapt itself to its audience? // General topic: the way audience traits influence style, structure, subject, and ideas.
Thursday, February 17: Style 2: Message and Metaphor
Reading for today: Lakoff, Metaphors We Live By, excerpt [in coursepack]
Arthur Plotnik, Spunk & Bite, chs. 17, 18, 26, 27
Writing for today: Bring in a rough draft of your letter of advocacy for editing.
LETTER due Sunday, February 20 by 5 p.m. in website drop box.
<GROUP CONFERENCES February 21-24>
Tuesday, February 22: Introduction to Blogging (Michael Wolking, guest lecture)
Thursday, February 23: Critical Reviews, Book Reviews, Memos
Reading for today: George Orwell, “Shooting an Elephant”
Adam Haslett, “How to Write a (Good) Sentence”
Sayward Darby, “The Case Against…”
Policy Review Memo [dist. in class]
Topics: What does it mean to ‘review’? How can you turn your reading habits into research habits? How does critical analysis translate into persuasion? //
Tuesday, February 28: Style, Design and Leadership—Working with Difficult Material, Developing a Public Voice
Reading for today: Virginia Tufte, Artful Sentences, chs. 8, 14
[optional] Lunsford and Ruszkiewicz, ch. 10
Writing for today: Come in prepared to discuss your idea for a critical review in terms of writing and research strategies, timeliness, and audience. Counterargument as a way of strengthening thought. Context, suspense, character, and values.
Thursday, March 2: Getting Published, Staying Effective : A Closing Discussion
Reading for today: Stewart O’Nan, “Not Stopping”
Selected material on query letters, publication [dist. in class]
Topic: Making the connection between your material, your purpose, your intended audience, and what an editor needs. How do you anticipate the publishing world and interest an editor in your writing?
CRITICAL REVIEW due Sunday, March 6 by 5 p.m. in website drop box.
<WORKSHOPS March 7-11>
OPTIONAL REVISIONS DUE March 9