ENG 274 - Topics: Podcasts Matter: Sound Writing as the Intersection of Literature and Social Justice (1)

This course focuses on the art of writing for podcasts and audio, playing particular attention to how the medium of sound writing can be used to explore the intersection between literature and social justice. In the class, we will examine podcasts that feature long-form interviews with authors, activists, and thinkers, such as On Being, Longform, and Origins: The International Writing Program Podcast; podcasts that present and/or conduct close-readings of texts, such as PoemTalk or The New Yorker’s Fiction, Poetry, or Author’s Voice podcasts; and we will look at podcasts that take mixed-genre approaches, such as The Organist, orThis American Life. Through these and other model podcasts, students will be exposed to the wide variety of possibilities available within the burgeoning podcast medium and find inspiration for writing their own. Students will learn to pitch story ideas, research topics, write and conduct interviews, develop narrative sequences, and other skills to bring their podcast ideas from ideation to publication. In addition to independent writing projects, students will also collaborate on group writing projects to further expand their podcast writing and production skills. No experience is necessary. Prerequisite: Writing (W) designated course, ENG 201, ENG 202, or ENG 215.
(Fine Arts)