It’s pretty easy to pick up the misimpression that writing arts and book reviews is all about issuing facile judgments, and doing so in a snooty mood. This class will reveal criticism as the generous exercise that it really can be. We will also conduct a semester-long study of how criticism fits into newspapers and magazines. We’ll read the work of contemporary critics, as well as classic theoretical texts. We’ll also keep up a practice of writing our own reviews of literature and art. Our constant questions: how to figure out what you love, and how to turn that awareness into news.
