Distinguished Visiting Writers Courses

2012 - 2013 Courses

Jennifer Hemmingsen, Journalism

Watchdog Journalism. Because it can play a critical role in the proper functioning of democratic government, the press is sometimes called the “fourth estate” or fourth branch of government. In this course, students will explore that “watchdog” role, identifying and exploring current, local issues of public interest using a variety of sources, including live reporting, documents, data sets, interviews and Freedom of Information Act requests. They will learn to organize and conduct investigations that are impartial and accurate in detail and in broader context, and learn to present their findings in a way that clearly shows a lay audience how public officials are addressing -- or are failing to address – important community issues.  

About the program

Each year we bring in distinguished writers to teach topic-based, upper-level creative writing courses. We alternate between fiction, poetry, journalism, creative non-fiction, and children's literature. While on campus, the writers also give public readings and/or lectures. Recent course examples include:

• Ross Gay, "Writing about the Body" 
• Pulitzer-Prize nominee Angie Estes, "Ekphrastic Writing" 
• Michael Martone, "Writing the Rural" 
• Children's writer Sarah Prineas, "The Protaganist Must Protag: a Development of Character and Action"