Maryland Institute College of Art

Fall, 2009.
Wednesday, 12:00-3:00pm
Faculty: Elizabeth Evitts Dickinson

Google Group for this course: http://groups.google.com/group/designdialogue

(This Critical Studies elective is highly recommended for GD MFA students.) A designer’s job is to understand a problem, research potential resolutions, and shape a solution that can communicate effectively with a target audience. This course helps students apply that same design thinking to the craft of writing with the goal of developing salable articles and ideas for the real world. It teaches writing as an invaluable skill that optimizes a career in design. Participants get a broad foundation in writing about contemporary design across a spectrum of creative outlets, including print, Web, and Podcasts. There is an emphasis on how to generate, research, and articulate ideas in order to become a relevant part of the global discourse about design. The course guides participants through the essential strategies for understanding the market and placing their work with magazines, Web sites, blogs, and more. Students produce a variety of written pieces—from book reviews to essays—culminating in a longer-form project that can be produced in the marketplace. Students come away with one or more fully articulated ideas and a realistic, research-based plan to get these ideas published. Participants also have an opportunity to learn from other editors and writers.

About the Instructor
Elizabeth Evitts Dickinson is an award-winning writer and editor whose work has appeared in Slate, The New York Times Magazine, Metropolis, Architect, Urbanite, and The Next American City, among others. She is the author of Urban Palimpsest, a blog about cities, culture, and design.

Syllabus

CRT 5574
Design/ Writing/ Research Fall 2009 | Seminar

Requirements for Writing:

All writing assignments should be created in Microsoft Word and uploaded to our Google Groups Site. Use 12 point Times New Roman, regular margins, and double space. Use only one space after a period, the standard format for publishable manuscripts. When saving a document, use your last name, the assignment title, and draft 3:

Last Name_Assignment_Draft #
Dickinson_Q&A_Draft1

For workshops you should bring enough copies for each student, plus one printout for yourself and one for the instructor.

Your work will be graded not only on style, thought, and quality, but also on your ability to meet the assignment goals, because when an editor gives you a story, you will be expected to turn it in on time, within the word count, and in the appropriate style for the publication in question. You will also be responsible for turning in your fact checking and resources. This will be explained in further detail.

Readings:

Being a good writer means being a good reader. In addition to the assigned readings, you will be asked to share a piece of writing with the class via our online chatroom in Google Groups. Give a 150 to 300-word critique about why you selected this particular piece of writing. (Think critique not summary.) Offer a link to the writing or create a PDF and upload it to our class chatroom.

CLASS ONE
September 2

Class Discussion:

The Publishing Landscape and the Geography of Magazines, Newspapers, Websites, and Blogs
Understanding what goes into making a print and online publication is vital to your success as a writer. We will dissect the various components of print and online media—from the masthead to the layout to the departments—and will look at a handful of examples for more in-depth analysis.

The Fundamental Rules of Journalism
Everything that you write in this course will be with an eye towards publication and/or broadcast. This means you will follow the fundamental principles of journalism. What basic ethical and logistical guidelines must you consider?

READING ASSIGNMENT:
How (Not) To Write Like a Designer, William Bostwick (online)
Chapters I and II in Elements of Style
Chapters 1 and 10 in On Writing Well
Short profiles, handout
Brief Intro to Workshopping (online)

WRITING ASSIGNMENT:
Write a concise 250-word profile of an object of your choosing. Your target audience is other designers. Keep in mind the lessons of the readings for this week, such as how to avoid jargon and how to write a clear and concise sentence. Be sure to include your fact checking resources. Due by 5PM on Monday, September 7.

CLASS TWO
September 9

Discuss the Readings

Workshop:
Before we begin, we will review the basic rules of workshopping.

Class Discussion: Before You Pitch
Learn how to find and understand submissions guidelines using publication Web sites and other resources. We will examine demographics, readership, how editors prefer submissions, what they accept, lead times, editorial calendars, etc. We will also expand your definition of “design” writing and consider the multiple outlets for your work.

So, What Are You Going to Write?
Defining what kind of article you want to write and what you want to write about is paramount to knowing where and how to place your work. We will examine voice, topicality, department versus feature writing, and the ins and outs of defining yourself as a writer. Through the next couple of classes, you will begin to explore different types of writing and develop your own authorial voice.

HOMEWORK:
Post one reading of interest summary to the class chatroom.

READING ASSIGNMENT:
Excerpt from Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
“The Road To Clarity” by Joshua Yaffa
Chapters 3, 4, and 20 from On Writing Well
Theoretically Challenged, Ralph Caplan

WRITING ASSIGNMENT:
Rewrite your product article based on workshop notes and line edits from the instructor. At the end of your new draft, make notes about specific writing techniques that you employed based on what we’ve discussed from Strunk and White and Zinsser. (No jargon! Active Voice! No loose sentences!) Turn in your revised draft by 5 PM on Monday, September 14.

CLASS THREE
September 16

Review of Readings

Writing Workshop

Class Discussion: Making the Pitch: The Art of the Query Letter
So how do you approach an editor? We will look at the query letter and examine examples, both good and bad. We will discuss the ethics of what to pitch, including multiple pitches on the same topic, and define conflicts of interest.

Generating Ideas and Research
How do you start to hone in on what you want to write and how do you research your ideas?

HOMEWORK:
Post one reading of interest summary to the class chatroom.

Begin thinking about your final article.

READINGS:
Chapters 5—8 in On Writing Well
Read this week’s Talk of the Town in the New Yorker

WRITING ASSIGNMENT:
You’ll be given a piece of writing from another author and asked to rework it. How can you improve on their prose with the writing skills we’ve discussed?

CLASS FOUR
September 23

Review of Readings

Writing Workshop

Class Discussion: How to Conduct an Interview

HOMEWORK:
Post one reading of interest summary to the class chatroom.

Listen to selected Podcast Interviews and radio selections from Aaron Henkin of WYPR

READING ASSIGNMENT:
Chapter 12 from On Writing Well
Read Sunday’s “Question For” column by Deborah Solomon in The New York Times magazine.
Hunter S. Thompson, John Glassie
Q & A with Milton Glaser, Print magazine
Why Not? by Lauren Collins

WRITING ASSIGNMENT:
Prepare to interview someone not associated with design with an eye towards finding an interesting design story in it. Come up with a concept, set up a time for the interview so that it happens sometime after our class on the 30th, write your interview questions and turn them in by 5 PM on Monday, September 28.

CLASS FIVE
September 30

Review of the Readings

Class Discussion and Workshop: The Art of the Interview: For Print and for Radio
Aaron Henkin from WYPR joins us to discuss the ins and outs of interviewing. Aaron will participate in a workshop of your interview questions.

HOMEWORK:
Post one reading of interest summary to the class chatroom.

READING ASSIGNMENT:
The Paradoxical Pioneer, Paul Jodard
The Moral-Hazard Myth, Malcolm Gladwell
Chapter 9 in On Writing Well

WRITING ASSIGNMENT:
Conduct your interview and edit it into a 600-word Q&A plus a 100-word introduction. Post your draft by 5 PM on Monday, October 5.

CLASS SIX
October 7

Writing Workshop: Q&A

Review of the Readings

Class Discussion: The “Lede,” the “Nutgraph,” and the ending
You have a very brief opportunity draw the reader into your work. You will learn to recognize the lede and the nutgraph in other articles and you will work to develop your own. We will also examine how to tie it all together at the end.

HOMEWORK:
Post one reading of interest summary to the class chatroom.

READING ASSIGNMENT:
Chapter 18 and 21-23 from On Writing Well
Rekindling the Book, Karrie Jacobs
Green Like Me, Elizabeth Kolbert
Handout of reviews, Susan McCallum-Smith
Exhibition Review: In Situ: Architecture and Landscape, Julia Galef

WRITING ASSIGNMENT:
Interview Take Two. Prepare a Q&A that you would like to pitch to a publication. You have until October 21 to complete this. In the meantime, decide where you are going to pitch your Q&A and draft a query letter to the appropriate editor. The query letter is due by 5 PM on Monday, October 12.

CLASS SEVEN
October 14

Workshop: Query Letters

Review of Readings

Class Discussion: Developing Your Critical Voice
Writer and book reviewer Susan McCallum-Smith joins us for a discussion on how to develop your critical thinking and writing skills when drafting reviews of books, exhibitions, products, etc.

HOMEWORK:
Post one reading of interest summary to the class chatroom.

READING ASSIGNMENT:
No More Posters! Let’s See Action! by Eric Heiman
Assigned readings from various blogs and Web sites.

WRITING ASSIGNMENT:
Prepare a 400-word review of a book, an exhibition, or a product. Due by 5 PM on Monday, October 26.

CLASS EIGHT
October 21

Writing Workshop: Q&A

Review of Readings

Class Discussion: Writing for the Web
We’ll examine the particular challenges of writing online and we’ll critique design blogs and Web sites. Mason Currey, Web editor at Metropolis magazine, will join us via Skype.

HOMEWORK:
Post one reading of interest summary to the class chatroom.

READING ASSIGNMENT:
Chapter 13 from On Writing Well
All About Yves, Linda Tischler
Some Dreamers of the Golden Dream, Joan Didion

WRITING ASSIGNMENT:
Edit your Q&A and turn in a revised draft by 5 PM on Monday, October 26. This will not be workshopped again, but will be reviewed by the instructor for feedback.

CLASS NINE
October 28

Writing Workshop: Your Review

Review of Readings

Class Discussion: Writing a Profile
We’ll discuss how to take interviews and research and transform them into fully realized profiles. John Glassie, editor with The New York Times magazine, will join us via Skype for a conversation about turning research into articles.

HOMEWORK:
Post one reading of interest summary to the class chatroom.

READING ASSIGNMENT:
Chapter 11 from On Writing Well
Excerpt, From Bauhaus to Our House, Tom Wolfe
The Aesthetic Imperative, Virginia Postrel

WRITING ASSIGNMENT:
Edit your review and turn in a new draft by 5 PM on Monday, November 2

CLASS TEN
November 4

Workshop: Your edited review.

Review of Readings

Class Discussion: Essay and Feature Writing.
Getting comfortable with longer form articles.

HOMEWORK:
Post one reading of interest summary to the class chatroom

WRITING ASSIGNMENT:
Draft a 500-word profile on a person, a place, or an object. Consider whether this profile will relate in some way to your final project, but remember that this article must stand on its own. This profile is due by 5 PM on Monday, 16.

Prepare a query letter for your final article. This is due by Monday, November 9.

CLASS ELEVEN
November 11

Class Discussion: Editor’s Panel
A group of editors will join the class today to discuss process and give you feedback on your article ideas.

HOMEWORK:
Post one reading of interest summary to the class chatroom

READING ASSIGNMENT:
Chapter One, The Writing Life, Annie Dillard
Chapter 11 from On Writing Well
Undecided, David Sedaris

WRITING ASSIGNMENT:
Adjust your query based on feedback from the clinic. Draft your lede and your nutgraph for your essay. Both are due by 5 PM on Monday, November 16.

CLASS TWELVE
November 18

Writing Workshop: Your Lede.

Review of Readings and Class Discussion: Using Humor

HOMEWORK:
Post one reading of interest summary to the class chatroom

READING ASSIGNMENT:
TBA

WRITING ASSIGNMENT:
Prepare the first draft of your feature essay. 1500-2000 words. This is due by 5 PM on Monday, November 30.

CLASS THIRTEEN
December 2

Writing Workshop: Feature Draft

Class Discussion: Congratulations! Your Article Has Been Accepted. Now What?
Here’s where we get into the nitty-gritty of negotiating fees, selling rights, and understanding how to work with editors.

HOMEWORK:
Post one reading of interest summary to the class chatroom

READING ASSIGNMENT:
TBA

WRITING ASSIGNMENT:
Edit your feature. The new draft is due by Monday, December 7

CLASS FOURTEEN
December 9

Writing Workshop: Draft 2 of Feature

Class Discussion: The Life of an Article
You’ve negotiated your fees, you’ve signed the contract, and the article is done. Where does it go once you turn it in? We’ll discuss what you should expect in the way of edits and rewrites. Karen Houppert, contributing writer for The Washington Post magazine and seasoned freelance writer, will join our conversation.

HOMEWORK:
Post one reading of interest summary to the class chatroom

READING ASSIGNMENT:
TBA

WRITING ASSIGNMENT:
Edit your feature. The final draft is due by Monday, December 14

CLASS FIFTEEN
December 16

Class Discussion: Putting it all together.

ADA Compliance Statement
The LRC recommends the following statement for use on course syllabi:
Any student who feels s/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact [insert instructor’s name/title] privately to discuss specific needs. Please contact the Learning Resource Center at 410-225-2416, in Bunting 458, to establish eligibility and coordinate reasonable accommodations. For additional information please refer to: http://www.mica.edu/learningresourcecenter/.

Health and Safety Compliance

From the Office of Environmental Health and Safety (EHS)
The Office works to provide EHS support for all members of the MICA community. The primary goal of the Office is to be proactive in establishing a culture of safety in which each member of the community shares ownership responsibility that allows each person to be involved in maintaining a healthy work and studying environment. EHS uses several methods to achieve this objective. First, the EHS office looks at the totality of the EHS requirements by combining campus needs with state and federal requirements and clearly communicating the shared policies and procedures. Second, EHS identifies training needs and develops guidelines for the use of equipment, material and procedures. Third, we ensure compliance with policies through evaluations, inspections, and committees. It is the responsibility of faculty and students to understand health and safety policies relevant to their individual activities and to review MICA’s Emergency Action Plan, as well as to participate in training, drills, etc. It is also each faculty member’s responsibility to coordinate with the EHS Office to ensure that all risks associated with their class activities are identified and to assure that their respective classroom procedures mirror the EHS and Academic Department guidelines. Each of the Academic Department’s also publish EHS procedures and policies such as a dress code, the use of personal protective equipment, fire safety, training, and how to properly dispose of chemical waste. Each of these policies and procedures must be followed by all students and faculty. Most importantly, it is the responsibility of the faculty to review, test, and assess each student’s awareness of basic safety procedures, such as evacuation routes, use of chemicals, fire prevention, and all other guidelines posted by the Environmental Health and Safety Office, (e.g., smoking policy, independent studio policies, pet policy, disposing of hazardous and chemical waste, etc).

H1N1 Pandemic Information

What to do if I get sick?

If you are sick consider the following:
· Limit contact with other people as much as possible. DO NOT GO TO CLASS! Seek medical attention at Mount Royal Medial Assoc. (410) 225-8855 but please call ahead
· Students who are sick should self-isolate for at least 24 hours after any fever is gone.
· Make sure to get plenty of rest and drink clear fluids to keep from being dehydrated
· Avoid normal activities including work, school, travel, shopping, social events, and public gatherings

Reporting Procedures
· Contact the Office of Student Affairs at 410-225-2422 who will assist with plans for self-isolation, arranging for meals, and any other necessary support
· Contact any faculty whose class you anticipate missing and inform them of your illness. Work with them to make arrangements for catching up on any missed work. If you have difficulty reaching your faculty or if your illness lingers to the point where you will miss two or more of any one class contact the Office of Student Affairs