Leaders of social justice movements work towards visions of a better world—one that dismantles systemic barriers and injustices. This course will turn to intersectional fiction writing to examine how literature can contribute to social justice movements. In other words, we will ask how reading literatures of intersectionality may foster social justice movements. In doing so, we will situate contemporary intersectional literature in their historical contexts—looking to the theory and writing of feminist women-of-color, queer studies, disability studies, Indigenous studies, and Deaf studies. We will read some of these theories as literature and literature as theory—with attention to interlocking forms of oppression and privilege.

Writing Seminar is a three-credit course limited to 19 students per section. The course is designed to develop first-year students’ proficiency in analytical and rhetorical reading and writing, and critical thinking. Students will read, understand, and interpret a variety of non-fiction texts representing different cultural perspectives and/or academic disciplines. These texts are designed to challenge students intellectually and to stimulate their writing for a variety of contexts and purposes. Through inquiry-based assignment sequences, students will develop academic research and literacy practices that will be further strengthened throughout their academic careers. Particular attention will be given to the writing process, including an emphasis on teacher-student conferencing, critical self-assessment, class discussion, peer review, formal and informal writing, research, and revision. Small class size promotes frequent student-instructor and student-student interaction. The course also emphasizes the principles of intellectual property and academic integrity for both current academic and future professional writing.