Mackenzie Langley ~ a writer constantly in progress
Course Descriptions
Writing Capstone
WRIT 3500
Spring 2019
Topics in Writing Theory
WRIT 2500
Winter 2019
Memoir and Personal Writing
WRIT 2040
Spring 2018
Topics in Applied Writing
WRIT 2701
Winter 2018
Fall 2017
WRIT 2000
Theories of Writing
In this course, we explored applied writing in the context of community-engaged literacy, through the specific lens of the nonprofit sector. By examining the relationship between literacy and social justice, we grappled with questions of writing in contexts of genre, access, media, and ethics. More specifically we wrote in genres related to nonprofit work, such as grant proposals, letters of inquiry, internal program memos, press releases, fundraising letters, and mission statements. We evolved our writing beyond the classroom and used our works to apply for grants on behalf of the Indian Hills Fire Station.
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In this course, we focused on reflection as away to guide our final portfolio composition. We reflected on the work we compiled throughout our time at the University of Denver. This was done in a macro level, as we analyzed the complete body of all the work we have compiled in our time as undergraduates. This was also done in the micro level as we took a deeper look at the choices we made as writers on individual writing assignments. In reflecting on our work we also spent time on various activities to understand how to be compile four years of writing, across different genres, into one cohesive portfolio.
Dr. Richard Colby
In this course, we discussed the relationship between rhetoric and ethics, from the Sophists of ancient Athens to recent concerns about political persuasion on Facebook. We discussed several touchstones in rhetorical theory and considered if and how their philosophies and frameworks apply to contemporary argument and persuasion in fields like education, law, journalism, and politics. During class we had intense discussion about the implications of rhetorical practices. We were also challenged to pick a current controversial issue and create a composition to persuade a popular audience to change their view on our chosen topic.
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Dr. Jennifer Campbell
In this course, we focused on writing about our own experiences and ideas, in ways that engage serious readers. We learned how to write memoirs and personal essays, while analyzing memory, selecting experiences, inventing narratives – all while still being “truthful.” We learned how to distinguish memoir from other forms of writing about the self, including autobiography, diaries and journals, blogs, and letters. This class allowed us to experiment with new writing formats and take risks in the ways we told our stories.
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Dr. Douglas Hesse
Dr. Angela Sowa
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Sarah Hart Micke
In this course, we discussed a number of theories of writing and were provided with an overview of complex issues and research into the state and status of writing and writers. In this course we examined questions from the most basic (What is writing), to the complex (How do such theories change our notions of what texts are and what texts do?). This course focused on the strength in learning through practice, instead of merely through reading and regurgitation. In this way our assignments asked us to challenge the way we framed and presented our writing. We were challenged to produce a creative-nonfiction piece, as well as curate a podcast from written script to final delivery. These activities allowed us to redefine our own limits on writing genres and expand our literacy on the practice of writing as a whole.
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Term
Course #
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Description
Professor
Dr. Richard Colby