This writing seminar satisfies the first half of the Reading and Composition requirement. The course is designed to offer students structured, sustained, and highly articulated practice in the recursive processes entailed in reading, critical analysis, and composing. Students will read five thematically related book-length texts, or the equivalent, drawn from a range of genres, in addition to various non-print sources. In response to these materials, they will craft several short pieces leading up to three longer essays--works of exposition and argumentation.

This class concerns the origins and implications of authenticity, as both a concept and a practice. Over the course of the semester we will cover a range of topics: we’ll read Buddhist discourses, discuss art from the French Revolution, map local histories through San Francisco and Berkeley, and shape an understanding of AI's role in the future of writing. This course is predicated on the idea that, as scholars, we will work to investigate, understand, and form opinions on difficult problems. Working in and with a variety of genres, modes, and styles, students will practice reading and thinking deeply and carefully by asking questions and developing answers, while practicing both formal and informal writing through sustained engagement with the revision process. The class is divided into four sections: 1) Authenticity and the self (authenticity and writing) 2) Authenticity and objects 3) Authenticity and place 4) Authenticity and experience. Booklist: Hua Hsu, Stay True Rebecca Solnit, Infinite City Additional readings available on bCourses

Requisites

• Enrollment is limited to students who have satisfied the UC Entry Level Writing Requirement.

Repeat Rules

Course is not repeatable for credit.

Requirements class fulfills