An intensive, accelerated course satisfying concurrently the requirements of the UC Entry Level Writing Requirement and the first half of Reading and Composition. Readings will include imaginative, expository and argumentative texts representative of the range of those encountered in the undergraduate curriculum and will feature authors from diverse social and cultural backgrounds and perspectives. Instruction in writing a range of discourse forms and in the revision of papers.

Wendell Berry, farmer, poet, and activist articulates a simple yet apparently difficult truth about the relationship between our everyday act of eating and the character and quality of our lives: “There is, then, a politics of food that, like any politics, involves our freedom. We still (sometimes) remember that we cannot be free if our minds and voices are controlled by someone else. But we have neglected to understand that we cannot be free if our food and its sources are controlled by someone else. The condition of the passive consumer of food is not a democratic condition. One reason to eat responsibly is to live free.” As the world around us seems to spin faster and faster out of our control, one ever-present and unavoidable activity in our daily lives offers us a chance to regain some of that control – the act of eating. In this course, we will practice the art and science of reading and writing by examining the many ways food intersects with our personal lives, our communities, and the planet. We will be reading at least two books, articles about reading, writing, and food, and maybe even a cereal box or two, watching videos, doing some research in the field and in our minds as we learn how to observe and become more aware of our behavior around food, both conscious and unconscious, in order to save the world. Well, maybe not save the world, but at least make a difference in our own lives and the lives of those around us. Though the theme of this class is the many facets of food, the main aim of CWR1A is to help you develop your critical reading and writing skills. Over the course of the semester, you will be expected to produce at least forty pages of writing including summaries, reflections, personal narratives, and analyses. A central requirement in this class is that you demonstrate engagement in the writing process, and so you will be writing multiple drafts for each essay. Required texts: Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser My Year of Meats by Ruth Ozeki Also, a course reader at Copy Central

Open to students who have not fulfilled the Entry Level Writing Requirement.

Repeat Rules

Course is not repeatable for credit.

Requirements class fulfills