anybody have experience with any of these writing seminars/profs?

<p>here are the ones I'm most interested in:</p>

<p>AMERICAN STUDIES 141.1
On the Bus or Off the Bus: An American Question
The close of World War II marks the beginning of America’s ascendancy to unrivaled prosperity and political power. But it also marks the
beginning of an American self-examination whose fiercest discontent found expression in the ‘60s, in part through the youth movement. We’ll
look at novels by Kerouac, Kesey, and Coover as well as films like Easy Rider and Fight Club to see how a certain kind of revolution continues
to rewrite American ideas and ideals. We’ll also look at the writing itself to learn how and why it’s effective so that we can become effective
writers too.
TR 11:40–12:55 p.m. Jonathan Pickett 124698</p>

<p>COMPARATIVE LITERATURE 109.1
Writing Across Cultures: Revealing the End
In this class, we will reflect on the structure and function of apocalyptic narratives, defined as texts that declare the end of a specific state of
things (of the world, of life, of history). However, to define the apocalypse as exclusively concerned with the End would be inaccurate; in these
texts, as important as the end, is the establishment of a new order after the collapse of the status quo. Do all apocalyptic narratives share a
common structure? What is the role that such texts play culturally, socially, politically? These are the central questions that will guide our
readings of The Book of Revelation by John, Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, and Whatever happened to Dulce Vega? by Caio Fernando
Abreu.
TR 10:10–11:25 a.m. Marcela Romero Rivera 346301</p>

<p>ENGLISH 127.1
Shakespeare
This seminar provides a unique opportunity for students to work very closely with just a few of Shakespeare's plays: a total of four or five
over the course of the semester. We will use these texts as a source and motivation for our own reading, writing, and critical analysis, but we will
be attentive also to the plays as performances. Film screenings, performances, and historical materials related to the plays in production will be
included in each seminar, though the particulars will vary according to the instructor. Course work will involve extensive writing—both formal
and informal—and drafting.
MWF 09:05–09:55 a.m. William Cordeiro 373957</p>

<p>ENGLISH 185.2
Writing About Literature: No Future—The Decline of the British Empire
This class will chart the long decline of the British Empire in the twentieth century as it is imagined in novels, plays, films, and music. We
will examine the valence of empire in these texts—how it is celebrated, condemned, or just reluctantly accepted, and what it means for the
relationship between Britons and colonized peoples. Over the course of the semester, we will see how national identities and the meaning of
empire change as Britain’s imperial subjects demand independence, and then as many former subjects return to Britain as immigrants. Course
texts might include novels by E. M. Forster, Graham Greene, and Pankaj Mishra, the play A Taste of Honey, the film My Beautiful Laundrette,
and music by the Sex Pistols and the Kinks.
MWF 12:20–01:10 p.m. David Coombs 377304</p>

<p>ENGLISH 190.1
English Literary Traditions: The Art of Reading and Writing
What do good expository essays by college students have to do with imaginative writing by poets, playwrights, and storytellers? By reading a
range of the most daring and durable works in the English literary tradition, we will learn what great imaginative writing can teach us about the
arts of argument, the force of style, and the challenge of creativity. Readings may include Old English riddles and heroic poems; medieval
romance; one of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales; a play by Shakespeare; a novel by Jane Austen; and selections from Milton, Pope, Johnson, Blake,
Keats, Browning, Tennyson, and Hardy. A series of short exercises that introduce skills in close reading and interpretation will prepare students
to write (and revise) critical essays in literary analysis.
MW 08:40–09:55 a.m. Matthew Spears 379707</p>

<p>ENGLISH 270.1
The Reading of Fiction
This course examines modern fiction, with an emphasis on the short story and novella. Students will write critical essays on authors who
flourished between 1870 and the present, such as James, Joyce, Woolf, Hurston, Lawrence, Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Faulkner, Rhys, Welty,
Salinger, and Morrison. Reading lists vary from section to section, and some may include a novel, but close, attentive, imaginative reading and
writing are central to all.
MWF 11:15–12:05 p.m. Reeve Parker 381077
First-year students may enroll only if they have taken one First-Year Writing Seminar, scored a "4" or "5" on the Princeton AP examination, or
received a "700" or better on the English Composition or CEEB tests.</p>

<p>GOVERNMENT 100.3
Power and Politics: Evil in International Politics
What does “evil” mean in the context of international politics? Does the word’s association with absolute depravity undermine our
objectivity? Or, does it allow us to grasp the profound horror that acts like genocide and terrorism elicit from us? In considering these questions,
we will read a variety of philosophical treatments of the problem of evil, including works by Kant, Walzer, and Arendt. We will examine cases
ranging from war crimes to President George W. Bush’s references to an “axis of evil.” The course will conclude with an analysis of responses
to evil in international politics. Students will build a writing portfolio consisting of assignments of varying length, most of which will be subject
to multiple revisions.
TR 10:10–11:25 a.m. Alison McQueen 409883</p>

<p>PHILOSOPHY 100.1
Founders, Framers, and Philosophers
The authors of the Declaration and the Constitution were politicians, soldiers, and scientists. They were also philosophers and students of
philosophy, whose writings were shaped and influenced by philosophical theories. This course will study the philosophical origins of our
nation’s foundational documents. In addition to the writings of Jefferson, Hamilton, and Madison, we will read excerpts from Locke, Hume, and
Montesquieu, and trace the debates about constitutional structure back to their sources in Ancient Greece. The Framers were not only great
thinkers, they were also great writers. The different genres at work, whether the detached observation of philosophical treatises, the passionate
polemic of political pamphleteering, or the dry precision of the Constitution’s own drafting, all provide models for study and emulation.
MWF 09:05–09:55 a.m. Tad Brennan 503708</p>

<p>PHILOSOPHY 100.4
Does God Exist?
In this course, we will be concerned with philosophical arguments for and against the existence of God. We will examine a number
arguments, both traditional and contemporary. Among the authors we will read are Augustine, Anselm, Aquinas, and Darwin. We will
discuss rational choice theory, and in particular, the rationality of religious belief in the face of the aforementioned arguments. Writing
assignments will focus on developing students' ability to clearly and cogently analyze arguments found in the readings.
TR 11:40–12:55 p.m. Peter Sutton 503755</p>

<p>I'm not sure if writing seminars repeat from year to year, but if they do, I'd appreciate your input. Also, can I request "The Reading of Fiction" if I scored a 5 on the AP English & Literature exam? I'm not sure if that's the same as the "Princeton AP Exam."</p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

<p>I took reading of fiction and I really liked it. I think it really depends on the professor though, as they vary from section to section. In mine, we read just short stories and one short novel, while others might read all novels. With my professor, we never had assignments or due dates...we had to come up w/ topics on our own and turn them in whenever we finished and just had to turn in like 20 pages by the end. It required a lot of self discipline, but was much less stressful than having due dates.</p>

<p>AMERICAN STUDIES 141.1
On the Bus or Off the Bus:An American Question
The close of World War II marks the beginning of America ’s ascendancy to unrivaled prosperity and political power. But it also marks the
beginning of an American self-examination whose fiercest discontent found expression in the ‘60s, in part through the youth movement. We ’ll
look at novels by Kerouac, Kesey, and Coover as well as films like Easy Rider and Fight Club to see how a certain kind of revolution continues
to rewrite American ideas and ideals. We ’ll also look at the writing itself to learn how and why it ’s effective so that we can become effective
writers too.
TR 11:40 –12:55 p.m. Jonathan Pickett 124698</p>

<p>CITY AND REGIONAL PLANNING 109.2
Social Movements and Collective Action in the Age of Globalization
Globalization processes have had profound economic, social, and cultural consequences on the peoples of both developed and developing
countries. The last decade has been marked by what the media has referred to as a rising tide of “anti-globalization protests ”. Who are these
protestors and what are they protesting against? In this course, we will examine responses by social movements to globalization processes and
explore how movements channel grievances into collective action by examining the protests of neighborhood, women ’s, indigenous, and
environmental movements, among others. We will also investigate how social movements have scaled up mobilization to the global level, and
assess whether movements have taken advantage of the opportunities created by globalization. Students will reflect on these issues in short
response papers and critical essays.
TR 10:10 –11:25 a.m. David Driskell 077376</p>

<p>DEVELOPMENT SOCIOLOGY 111.1
World,Inc:How Global Corporations Market Our Lives
Coca-Cola. Wal-Mart. Yahoo. These are some of the most widely recognized corporations in the world. But how many people have heard of
Bunge, Unilever, or Tesco? Whether we realize it or not, multinational corporations have tremendous influence over what we eat, what we listen
to, how we work, and how we govern ourselves. This class will explore the obvious (media, internet, music, food) as well as the hidden (trade,
copyrights, labor standards, investment) ways in which today's global companies shape our world. We will explore the worldwide journey a
single T-shirt makes from cotton field to retail store, and the relationships behind the banana in our breakfast cereal. Writing assignments will
include a research project exploring the global origins of ordinary consumer products.
TR 10:10 –11:25 a.m. Emelie Peine 131808</p>

<p>ENGLISH 168.2
Cultural Studies
From TV news to rock lyrics, from ads to political speeches to productions of Shakespeare, the forms of culture surround us at every moment.
In addition to entertaining us or enticing us, they carry implied messages about who we are, what world we live in, and what we should value.
This course is built on the assumption that learning to decode these messages is a survival skill in today's media-saturated world and also
excellent training for reading literature. We will analyze and write about cultural forms as texts to be read for what they tell us about men and
women, wealth and power, race, nation, and technology. Readings may include fiction, films, advertisements, television shows, and essays on the
theory of cultural studies.
MWF 10:10 –11:00 a.m. Megan Graham 376239</p>

<p>FRENCH 109.1
Techniques of Interpretation:An Introduction to Semiotics
In its broadest meaning semiotics is the study of signs that carry information: roadside signs, fashions, advertisements, publicity posters,
literary modes. This course, which does not presuppose prior technical knowledge, will introduce the students to a critical reading of signs: the
signifier (the concrete expression of the sign) and the signified (the message) and their various interactions. Exercises will be essays on how to
analyze various signs taken from practical experience, such as advertisements from magazines or TV or from cultural phenomena (fashion
codes, artistic modes).
TR 10:10 –11:25 a.m. Rhoda Possen 397320
(p.s. why is this one from french???)</p>

<p>PLANT PATHOLOGY 110.1
Liaisons with Friends and Foes:Symbiotic Associations in Nature
Observations of one group of organisms living on or in another organism were once considered nothing more than a biological oddity.
However, we now recognize these symbioses to be an essential part of all life on Earth and a driving force in evolution. In this class, we will
explore the types, coevolution, and mechanisms underlying a broad range of symbiotic relationships in Nature. Students will learn to write using
some of the different writing styles common in science, and will enhance each other's writing through cooperative peer review. Classes will
consist of writing exercises, conceptual discussions, writing discussions and critique, and in-class demonstrations of interesting symbiotic
interactions. We will utilize a broad range of reading materials reflecting the many writing styles in scientific communication.
MW 08:40 –09:55 a.m. Eric Nelson 203528</p>

<p>Technology and Society:Art,Science,and Between —Exploring the Intersections of Two Cultures
What is science? What is art? Are they two separate worlds? Or two cultures in the same world? Do they divide up this world? Is there
anything outside of these two comprehensive realms? To get a grasp on these big issues, we will read art and science theory. Then we will take
on specific case studies, including NASA images, Harvard's glass flowers, design noir, and tactical media. By focusing on liminal objects, things
that appear to occupy spaces in both art and science or which seem to move between these two worlds over time, we will look for answers to our
larger questions. We will explore these issues through a series of papers which will culminate in a portfolio at the end of the term.
MW 02:55 –04:10 p.m. Hannah Rogers 552736</p>

<p>SOCIETY FOR THE HUMANITIES 113.1
Propaganda
How does propaganda work? Does it necessarily involve lies? Why is so much of it kitsch? What is its curious relationship to religion? We
will explore these questions in the context of propaganda in Soviet Russia, the United States, and Nazi Germany, especially World War II
propaganda for domestic consumption. Our wide-ranging materials will include scholarly writing on propaganda; propaganda posters; speeches
by Stalin; Life magazine advertisements; films from Frank Capra's famous series Why We Fight ; propaganda advice from Hitler and his
Minister for Propaganda; and Leni Riefenstahl's Triumph of the Will —sometimes called the greatest propaganda film ever made. If time permits,
we will look at some American propaganda and anti-propaganda legislation submitted to Congress. Our essays will be analytic.
TR 11:40 –12:55 p.m. Sidney Orlov 551546</p>

<p>THEATRE,FILM &DANCE 118.1
Body Beautiful/Body Dangerous:Women on the Musical Stage and Screen
What is the relationship between the performer, performed idea, and audience? This course examines women in musical theatre, opera,
cabaret, and film in light of this question. The body of the singer is a living and permeable border between an audience and an artistic idea. To
encounter a border embodied can be to make contact with the divine; access political power; or exorcise specters of death. We will examine the
religious body, the political/politically oppressed body, the diseased body, and the abject body. Works considered will include Violet , La
boh</p>

<p>wow you have to read for writing seminars?!</p>

<p>CULTURAL STUDIES = AMAZING. if you love pop culture, youll LOVE it.</p>

<p>If I plan to transfer from CALS to CAS, ultimately majoring in English, will taking one of the ENG seminars satisfy any of my future requirements?</p>

<p>writing seminars dont cover requirements. they only satisfy the FWS requirement in general.</p>

<p>I took a govt international relations writing seminar with JJ Suh (who is supposed to be bad for other classes, but was great for this one). We read 2 8-30 page journal articles for each class and had 4 papers ranging 1-2 pages increasing up to 6-8. We pretty much just debated these articles and the future of world politics (globalization, etc). It was very cool and easy. I don't know if it is still offered, and I would not take it if you are taking the GOVT international relations class because you will read a lot of the same material.</p>