Department of English

Stories about global warming, genetically altered foods, endangered species and urban sprawl routinely appear on the front pages of daily newspapers. Books about killer viruses, the Lewis and Clark expedition and a deadly ocean storm as well as the backgrounds of the authors. With a heavy emphasis on writing, this course will explore information-gathering and narrative styles, including explanatory articles, personal essays and storytelling. The reading list will incorporate works of well-known environmental writers, new stories, government reports and scientific journal articles. We will discuss what goes into creating a magazine article, an opinion column, a news release and a diary. And we will try our hand at writing all of them.occupy the best-seller lists. Writing about nature and the environment has become an increasingly popular and important staple of everyday life. Just as the topics vary, so do styles and forums