#ENG818

Over the last several months, I’ve regularly bugged folks on the Twitters for suggestions for a new class I’ve been putting together for this semester, called “Peculiar Genres of Academic Writing.”

This aside, the course is going to focus on note taking as an act of writing, on blogging/op-eds/other forms of public writing, on reviews and evaluations, and on grant proposals. I’d love suggestions for really great examples of these and other peculiar genres.

— Kathleen Fitzpatrick (@kfitz) September 19, 2021

The initial ask.

This is a course I’ve wanted to teach for eons, both because it fills a gaping need that I felt in my own graduate education, and because I’ve longed to get back to teaching writing.

I mentioned a while back that I’m putting together a class called Peculiar Genres of Academic Writing. I’m still looking for some excellent example texts — today, manifestos and screeds! Send me your favorites!

— Kathleen Fitzpatrick (@kfitz) October 20, 2021

More begging.

Putting this course together has been a joy, not least in getting to read through so many great examples of those peculiar genres as folks shared them with me.

I’m continuing to work on the Peculiar Genres of Academic Writing syllabus, which I promise to share once it’s in shape. Today’s ask? Scholarly blogs! They need not be regularly updated, or super polished — what I’m mostly interested in is seeing a scholar work out ideas online.

— Kathleen Fitzpatrick (@kfitz) November 1, 2021

Begging for blogs.

I’m enormously grateful for all the suggestions everyone made, as well as for the excitement that I heard out there every time I mentioned the class. I promised repeatedly that I’d share the syllabus once it was done (or at least “done”).

Planning my spring class on Peculiar Genres of Academic Writing has me reading through a lot of advice on academic writing, some obvious, some ridiculous, but some so mind-blowingly helpful that I wish I’d come across it COUGHCOUGH years ago when I was in grad school.

— Kathleen Fitzpatrick (@kfitz) November 7, 2021

I’m a huge advice writing nerd.

Today I finally got the course site published, so the syllabus is now available to all. (Some of the readings are not, alas. But I’ll be happy to share what I can.)

Thanks to everyone who contributed their thoughts to my planning. Problems in the syllabus are all my responsibility, of course. I’ll look forward to updating as things evolve.