English 129 - Introduction to Academic Writing: Writing (About) the Body

Audre Lorde writes that all knowledge is mediated through the body. We all have bodies, but what does it actually mean to exist in a body? Is the body a vessel, a discursive construction, our most essential self? How can we capture the body’s complexity through language? This Intensive Writing course uses writing about the body as a means of critical reflection on the self and/in the world and a fulcrum through which to learn and practice different types of academic writing. Over the course of the semester, we will read a mix of critical and creative essays and research in order to help us develop a deeper understanding of bodies as political sites—how they enable and limit our ability to navigate public and private spaces; how they function as sources of pain as well as pleasure; and how they can serve as contradictory sites of oppression and liberation. With an emphasis on language, curiosity, and the writing process (including drafting, revising, proofreading, and peer review), we will move through a series of writing assignments challenging and constructing narratives of the body. Individual writing consultations with the instructor will be required. This course functions as an introduction to academic writing at Amherst College. As an Intensive Writing course, the main topic of the course is writing itself.

Limited to 15 students. Preference given to first-year and second-year Amherst College students who have been
recommended for Intensive Writing through the placement process. Students admitted in consultation with the Director of Intensive Writing. Fall semester. Visiting lecturer Albert.

How to handle overenrollment: Preference given to first-year Amherst College students recommended for Intensive Writing

Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: emphasis on written work, readings, individual meetings with the professor, and group work in the form of peer review