The course provides practical experience in writing critically about the arts--music, dance, theater, painting, sculpture, literature, photography, and film. During the semester, in response to arts events on campus or in the local area, students will write several reviews, plus an extended feature article on a particular artist, group of artworks, or theme of contemporary artistic interest. For the most part, you will choose the events that you write about and thus determine the deadlines for submitting your work. My function will be to serve as your "editor," offering suggestions for improvement in your work as your create a professional portfolio, to be turned in at the end of the semester.
In addition to our textbook, we will read a range of styles and types of reviews from different media. We will also work steadily on writing through simple but important exercises. In keeping with the professional emphasis of the course, we will hold several workshops and hands-on editorial sessions.
Overall, this course will be excellent for students who are able to work independently and who have an interest in building up a portfolio of quality work for newspapers or magazines.
Sporre, Dennis. Perceiving the Arts. 11th ed. Pearson, 2014.
Titchener, Campbell. Reviewing the Arts. 3rd ed. Routledge, 2009.
Readings on d2l and handouts; reviews from New Yorker Magazine (NYM), EW, Rolling Stone, NYT
Five reviews of varying length (30%) (but around 2 pages), each on a different artistic medium. Drawing primarily from events on campus and in the local community, you must write five reviews from the following categories:
One feature article, around 10 pages long, on an artist or group of artworks (subject to my approval) as part of the portfolio
Quizzes (15%) on material from Perceiving the Arts, usually on Mondays, when chapter reading is due.
Participation (10%) in class discussion, writing workshops, and writing exercises
A presentation (5%) on a site for possible publication of a review
A portfolio (40%) of revised reviews and your feature article to be handed in at the end of the semester
Some Very Important Items Worth Repeating
Our general schedule will be: quiz on Monday, based on the weekend’s reading from Sporre and a fuller discussion of that medium. On Wednesday we’ll look at a reviews and do some writing exercises; on Fridays we’ll work on our own writing and do peer workshops, especially later in the semester.
Week 1 (Jan 21, 23)
21 Introduction to course; introduce review schedule, d2l dropbox
Read Titchener ch.1; locate a short review to put into d2l dropbox
23 Discuss Titchener ch. 1“The Critic, the Criticism, The Reviewer, The Review” (to page 13)
Finish Titchener ch.1; read “It’s Pretty, But is it Art?” (Titchener 10); outside reading? (handout)
Week 2
26 Discuss Titchener 1 and 10 and possible outside reading
Read handout from Short Guide to Writing About Art (ch.1) on d2l
28 discuss Short Guide to Writing About Art (ch.1)
Read “The Seven Lively Arts” (Titchener Ch. 2); review a review! (from d2l)
30 Discuss workshop etiquette; workshop chosen review
DUE: Review Schedule! Email and hard copy to be submitted
Read “A Method for Reviewing the Arts” (Titchener ch 3)
Week 3
2 discuss “A Method for Reviewing the Arts” (Titchener ch 3)
Read “Introduction” (Sporre Ch. 1)
4 discuss reading, art, criticism
Read “Pictures” (Chapter 2 Sporre) to page 45
Go to Huber/Kaufmann Gallery and examine one piece; begin writing a paragraph
6 D2L class: go to our page for your assignment, due sometime today
skim through ch. 2 of Short Guide 41-66 (on d2l)
Week 4
9 Discuss Sporre ch 2 “Pictures” (quiz today); and our attempts at reviews
read assigned reviews
11 Discussion of reviews ( from d2l or NYT)
read Short Guide Ch. 7 “Writing Unified Paragraphs—Intros/Conclusions”(184-end) on d2l
13 writing exercises
read about sculpture: ch 3 of Sporre and 11 in Titchener;
review “Sculpture” ch. 2 of Short Guide 66-74 (on d2l)
Find a sculpture on campus to examine; write a paragraph
Week 5
16 “ Sculpture” Sporre Chapter 3 Sporre (quiz today). Discuss terms, chapter.
read assigned reviews
18 Discussion of reviews
read Short Guide Ch 7 168-177 “Get the Right Word” (on d2l)
20 writing exercises on word choice; online venues for publication
read about music: ch 5 of Sporre and 6 in Titchener
Week 6
23 “Music” quiz today. Discuss terms, chapter
25 Writing Workshop: come with 3 copies of a review to work on! go over feature
read assigned reviews
27 online discussion of reviews (d2l assignment)
Week 7
Mar 2 look at online venues; discuss feature; computer lab assignment
4 Writing Workshop: come with 3 copies of a review to work on!
6 DUE: first two reviews
Again, you must have two reviews in to me NO LATER than this date (but get them in earlier!)
DUE: Feature Prospectus
Week 8: NO CLASS: SPRING BREAK
Read about Theater Chapter 7 (Sporre) and ch 7 (Titchener)
Week 9
16 Theater Chapter 7 (Sporre); discuss terms (quiz today)
read assigned reviews/features
18 Discussion of reviews and features
read Short Guide Ch 7 “Write Effective Sentences” 177-184 (on d2l)
20 online venue presentation (?); writing exercises on sentences
read about film: “Film” Chapter 8 (Sporre) and 4 (Titchener)
Week 10
23 “Film” quiz today; discuss chapter, terms
read assigned reviews/features
25 Discussion of reviews
27 online venue presentations; writing exercises (based on class needs)
read about “Dance” Chapter 9 (Sporre) and 8 in Titchener
Week 11
30 “Dance” Chapter 9 (Sporre) quiz today; discuss chapter, terms
Apr 1 Discussion and writing a review (in Computer Lab)
3 Writing Workshop: come with a review to work on!
Read Literature Chapter 6 (Sporre) and 12 (Titchener)
Week 12
6 ONLINE QUIZ for Literature Chapter 6 (Sporre)
8 discuss literature; discuss sources and plagiarizing
10 Writing Workshop: come with 3 copies of one review to work on!
DUE: 2-3 more reviews
Week 13
13 WORKSHOP: Bring a draft of your feature article for peer editing. We’ll look especially at pumping up the material, cutting out first-draft dead-weight sluggishness, and focusing the thesis.
15 presentations (3-4)
17 Computer lab: Bring in one or both of your two reviews to finalize any lingering editorial matters: adding more precise diction, improving coherence in paragraphs and throughout the review, trimming wordiness.
Week 14
20 Computer lab: WORKSHOP: Bring in copies of your reviews and your feature; Review SG (intro/conc); my faves
22 presentations (3-4)
24 Continue Monday’s work, on both the feature and your reviews, especially introductions and conclusions
Week 15
27 Computer lab: bring a close to final draft of your feature to work on improving the style and tightening the organization.
29 IN CLASS WORKSHOP: final drafts of feature or reviews to work on in a proofreading session.
1 Portfolios due
Final exam: We have no final exam. I will hand back portfolios during exam week.