What is Rankine’s main point in “The Condition of Black Life is One of Mourning? What types of evidence does she use? Why do you think she chose these types of evidence?
In this class, the first of a two-course sequence in the Pathways Required Core, you will develop your ability to read and think critically and to write well about issues you care about. One of the most important abilities you’ll develop over the course of your studies (and hopefully throughout your life) is the ability to discern how the way we think is shaped by language. This course will ask that you think critically about the arguments of others and in turn to develop and communicate your own ideas and arguments.
The subject of the course, simply put, is writing. We will read and discuss a wide variety of texts—for example, creative non-fiction pieces, news articles, academic articles, and films—with careful attention to the role of rhetorical conventions such as style, tropes, genre, audience and purpose. Studying the writing styles and rhetorical moves of professional, published writers will inform your approaches to your own development as a writer within academic contexts and beyond.
This course is designed to be a gateway of exploration for further writing and research you will do in your courses at Baruch. I invite you to open your mind, be ready to engage with me and your classmates, and expand your thinking about what it means to be a good writer this semester.