ENGLISH 3680: ADVANCED ESSAY WRITING: STYLE & STYLES IN PROSE
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:30-3:45 in VC 11-135
Professor Cheryl Smith
Office: VC 6-249
Office Phone: 646-312-3973 (I do not check messages every day)
Email (the best way to reach me): cheryl.smith@baruch.cuny.edu
Office Hours: Thursdays 3:45-4:45 and by appointment
Required Texts
 William Zinsser. On Writing Well. Harper Collins, 2006
 Stephen King. On Writing. Simon and Schuster, 2010
 Assorted readings; links will be posted
 Your writing (our most important class text)
Since our class discussion will revolve around close reading, you must bring to class any readings scheduled for the day.
Course Description
This course focuses on the craft of meaningfully articulating ideas in prose writing. Through assigned
readings and class discussions; lessons on style; workshopping of student writing; individual and small group
conferences with the professor; and intensive drafting, revision, and re-revision of different types of writing,
you’ll experiment with an array of stylistic options. In the process, you’ll discover methods for using
language more consciously for different purposes and audiences. You’ll learn how to avoid wordiness and
write with greater impact; develop a sense of your writer’s voice and the many registers in which it operates;
employ a variety of sentence types and patterns to achieve specific ends; use grammatical and mechanical
devices (like semicolons and m-dashes, sentence fragments and one-sentence paragraphs) to evolve and
control a sense of rhythm; and study how the sounds of words and their associations can enhance vividness.
As you become skilled at using the writing methods we discuss, you’ll develop both a sense of your own
style and a repertoire of writer’s tools to draw from in a variety of writing occasions.
Course Requirements
Writing is the central requirement for this course. Your writing will take two main forms:
1. Short Assignments (SAs): Your ongoing assignments over the first ten weeks of the semester will
be four short works in which you experiment with language, themes, and ideas in different forms of
writing including 1) creative non-fiction, 2) writing for radio (with the goal of actually broadcasting
your work on a web radio station), 3) blogging, and 4) a “hybrid essay” (combing poetry and prose,
for example, or prose and image). The short assignments are designed to give you different
platforms for practicing the style techniques we’ll be discussing in class; they’ll also help you
generate writing and ideas for your final project (the form and topic of which will depend on your
interests). Although you’ll be required to dabble in all the different forms of the short assignments,
you won’t be given specific topics to write about; instead, you’ll come up with topics and write for
audiences of particular interest to you. Along the way, you’ll collaborate with classmates and the
professor to create great writing. By the end of the course, you’ll prepare a portfolio of four short,
distinct pieces that have been revised and one piece that has been developed into a longer, more
detailed final project (the specific length and form of this piece is flexible and, I expect, will vary
considerably from individual to individual).
2. Final Project: Your final project will be a longer, more developed work in any of the four forms
we’ve practiced this semester. We’ll discuss the final project more over the course of the semester.
Workshops and Conferences: You’ll exchange your work and meet with a writing group or with the
professor (individually or in your groups) a few times during the semester to discuss ongoing revisions of
your work. Please note that up to two meetings will take place outside of class time; students are asked to
be flexible and make themselves available for these meetings. In addition, you will be responsible for precirculating your work online (via Blackboard or our blog) at least once for discussion in a class workshop.
Attendance and Participation: In this kind of a writing seminar, attendance and active, informed
participation is critical to your success. I want to hear from you in class; in order for that to happen, you
(obviously) have to be in class. Each absence beyond three, either from class or scheduled meetings outside
of class, for any reason, will drop your final grade one step (i.e. a B- will become a C+ or lower, depending
on the number of absences). I do not “excuse” absences, since in most cases three absences are more than
enough to cover students’ personal and/or sick needs; however, if you have an emergency or circumstance
that you want me to give special consideration, please speak to me personally about your situation so I can
work with you to help you succeed in the class. You are responsible for handing in, on time, any work
assigned or due during your absence.
I do not allow the use of laptops, cell/smart phones, pagers, and other electronic devices during class; if you
use one, you will be marked absent and asked to leave.
Class will begin and end at the scheduled time. Since late arrivals and early departures are very disruptive,
every two late arrivals or early departures will count as one absence. If you arrive late to class, it is your
responsibility to speak with me at the end of the session to make sure you are recorded present and to find
out any information you may have missed. Any time you are late or depart early by more than thirty
minutes, you will be counted absent. If you have a conflict that will regularly make you late for class or
require you to leave early, you should drop the course.
Grading: Your course grade will be calculated according to the following breakdown:
20%: Lively and proactive participation in 1) class discussions and workshops, 2) peer review sessions, 3)
individual and small group conferences, and 4) the class blog (including a couple of required and one
optional blog posts, which are described on the syllabus);
40% Short Assignments (must be turned in on time to count);
40% Final Project, including presentation and in-class discussion of your draft.
Plagiarism: I expect you to be familiar with and follow the academic principles regarding plagiarism.
Academic dishonesty includes but is not limited to:
1. Submitting essays or portions of essays written by other people, including well-intentioned friends
and family.
2. Failing to document paraphrases, ideas, or verbatim phrases taken from outside sources.
3. Collaborating on an assignment without the explicit permission of the professor.
4. Submitting an essay written for one course to another course without the explicit permission of both
professors.
5. Submitting work as one’s own that has been purchased or copied from a paper preparation service
or web site.
Any work submitted to me that has been plagiarized will receive a failing grade and be reported to the dean. As this is a
writing class and author integrity is crucial to the mission of the course, any event of plagiarism will most likely result in a
failing course grade.
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CLASS SCHEDULE
 Read selections for the day they appear on the syllabus; always bring the day’s reading to class (bring
print-outs of any online readings that can be printed out; most are very short and printable).
 Except for the Zinsser and King selections, readings will be made available electronically (through
Blackboard or on the course blog).
 As the semester progresses, I may add readings and determine class topics based on student interest
and need. Stay tuned for announcements, revisions, additional readings, etc.
 Due dates for all writing assignments throughout the semester are fixed and indicated on the
syllabus. You must keep up with the writing and reading, turn assignments in on time, and
participate actively in peer review and class discussions in order to get a B- or higher in this class.
Week 1
Tue Jan 31
 Introduction to the course
Wed Jan 28
 Required blog post due by 8 pm today. Choose one: 1) post a short sample (no more than 4-5
sentences) of great writing by any author; include the title and author of the work or 2) take and post
an original photograph that represents what you want to say today. Give the photo a title, but don’t
write anything else.
Thu Feb 2
 Read Hughes, “Salvation;” Gibbs, “The Train;” and Zinsser, chapter 11
Week 2
Tue Feb 7
 Read Zinsser, introduction and chapters 1-7 and Gessner, “Don’t Write Scenes”
 Discuss cover letters
Thu Feb 9
 Draft of Short Assignment (SA) 1 due; bring 4 copies; attach a cover letter to each copy
 Read Zinsser, chapters 8-10 and 14
Week 3
complete
Check out the 3 optional blog post assignments in weeks 3-5 and choose one to
Tue Feb 14
 Draft workshop of SA1
 Draft response letters due to your writing group members, with a copy to me
 Read Lamott, “Shitty First Drafts”
Thu Feb 16
 Draft workshop, continued
 Read Zinsser, chapters 20-21
 Optional blog post #1, due by class time today: Pick one piece of advice from Zinsser, copy and
paste it to our blog, and discuss why you think it’s good (or bad) advice.
Week 4
Tue Feb 21
 No Class: College follows a Monday Schedule
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
Optional Blog Post #2, due by midnight on Feb 21: Post a link to a video, song, etc. that reflects
some important aspect of your generation; explain.
Thu Feb 23
 Revision of SA1 due; don’t forget your cover letter
 Introduction to This American Life: In class, listen to selections from “Letters” (1996) and prologue
of “Stories Pitched by our Parents” (2010) and watch “Fifty People, One Question”
Week 5
Tue Feb 28
 Before class, listen to the entire “Stories Pitched by our Parents” from This American Life (it’s about
one hour long).
 Take notes on these questions while you listen: Are any of these stories interesting to you? Which
one(s)? What makes a story interesting? Come to class prepared to discuss.
 SA2 Proposal due; bring 3 copies
Thu Mar 1
 Development of SA2
 Optional Blog Post #3, due by class time today: Write a review of any episode of This American Life
NOT discussed in class; try to convince your readers to listen to the episode. Be sure to include a
link to the episode.
Week 6
Tue Mar 6
 SA2 due: post your audio clip to our blog by the start of class today. Bring your cover letter to class.
Thu Mar 8
 Review of blogs
Week 7
You will not get a separate assignment sheet for SA3; see the instructions below
Tue Mar 13
 SA3 Part 1 due: On our course blog: pitch an idea for a blog you could imagine yourself starting up.
Consider the potential audience; make it sound interesting and necessary; make your classmates want
to subscribe. Include links to blogs that inspire you or cover similar ground to your proposed blog,
and write a comment to at least one of those inspiring blogs, and then post a link to your comment.
Thu Mar 15
 SA3 Part 2 due (will be written in class)
 Introduction to the “Hybrid Essay” assignment (SA4)
 Read “Poetic Form: Prose Poem,” “The lyric Essay,” Braner, “Soundtrack,” and Lundstrom, “The
Drowning”
 In class, read/watch Biss and Bresland, ‘Ode to Every Thing”
Week 8
Tue Mar 20
 Read Carson, “The Glass Essay”
Thu Mar 22
 Development of SA4
Week 9
Tue Mar 27
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


Draft of SA4 due; don’t forget your cover letter; number of copies you will need TBA
Draft Workshop of SA4
Read Davis, “The Bait”
Thu Mar 29
 Draft Workshop, continued
 Draft response letters due to your writing group members, with a copy to me
 Read McGrath, “The Prose Poem” and Watt, “Borne Along”
Week 10
Tue Apr 3
 Draft Workshop, continued
 Read King, First, Second, and Third Forwards and pages 17-61
 Final Project Proposal discussion
Thu Apr 5
 Final Project Proposal due; bring three copies
 Read King, pages 61-107
April 6-15: Spring Recess
Week 11
Tue Apr 17
 Revision of SA4 due, with cover letter
 Read King, pages 111-249
Thu Apr 19
 Read King, pages 253-291
Week 12
Tue Apr 24
 Development of Final Projects
Thu Apr 26
 Final Project Draft due, with cover letter; number of copies TBA
 Presentation and workshop of Final Project drafts begin today
Week 13
Tue May 1
 Presentations and workshop continue
 Draft response letters due to your writing group members
Thu May 3
 Presentations and workshop continue
Week 14
Tue May 8
 Presentations and workshop continue
Thu May 10
 Presentations and workshop continue
Week 15
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Tue May 16
 Final version of Final Project and Portfolio due
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