The “A Thousand Words” Assignment…

First off you do not need to write 1,000 words, but I would like your essay to work to approach the 650 mark. (Shoot for at least 1 ½ pages.)

So why is this thing called the “A Thousand Word” assignment then?

Stephen Marche, author of 4 books including How Shakespeare Changed Everything and a regular contributor to many publications including The Toronto Star, The National Post, and Esquirefor which he writes a monthly feature titled “A Thousand Words About Our Culture”.

Each month Marche tackles an observable and often questionable aspect of American culture.

Here are just a few:

The Postracial Elite / The most influential, wealthiest, American families are no longer white. They are "all of the above."
Who Is Really Commander in Chief? / As the reach of global money grows, we just may need a great negotiator.
The Contempt of Women / The rise of men. And the whining of girls.
All the Rebels Are Fey / In quirky America
We Are All Heroes / Stephen Marche on the meaning — and non-meaning — of "hero" in our culture now
Harry Potter and the Hatred of Teachers / His political fantasy and ours
Why Can't Kanye West Shut the Hell Up? / The rapper loves to mouth off, whether in his songs or on his Twitter. Now it's hard to tell the two apart.
What's with All the Secrets and Lies? / From Mad Men's antihero to the boys of Twilight, everyone seems to be hiding something
Why in Hell Are We Back in the '80s? / Because the president's hope-and-change gap has yet to be filled with anything better than Gaga and The Karate Kid.
Aren't We Enjoying All This Celebrity Death a Little Too Much? / Brittany Murphy's is just the latest public funeral from a year when we preferred to spend time forgetting famous lives than remembering them. What's next?

Your task is to find a cultural phenomenon or trend that interests you. It may bother you. It may frustrate you. You might find that you’ve even fallen into it.

Once you’ve found your topic, define it and try to explain both it and its possible repercussions / ramifications to your audience. How do you make sense of it? How does it affect the world around you? Do you see it as a positive or negative addition? Look at Marche’s articles for additional examples and further inspiration.

Consider doing some research and including the info for additional support.