ENGL 1551A - Writing 2
Fall 2026 Syllabus, Section 01, CRN 43952,
Credit hours: 3
Course Meeting Times
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Instructor
Course Description
Writing 2 for Art Majors
This section of Writing 2 is designed especially for art majors. We will discuss, read, and write about questions and themes related to the visual arts. You will have the opportunity to bring your interest in art into all of your major projects in the course. The idea of "art" covers a lot, however—you will also be able write about issues in which art plays a role but is not the exclusive focus.
Course Readings
| Group | Title | Author | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Required | Writing About Art | Karen Gocsik and Elizabeth Adan | 9780500841815 |
Citing Sources
Throughout the course, you will be expected to use APA formatting for all of your citations. Remember, citing sources is your responsibility whenever you use an outside source. That said, I will provide instruction and guidance for getting accustomed to APA style.
Keep in mind, though, that using APA style is not about my personal preference. Citing your sources is the ethical thing to do; the style you are using in this class is used widely by professional researchers in the humanities and social sciences.
The best resource I’ve found for help with APA style is the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL). Their explanation of APA style is very helpful.
The course readings are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, research developments, current events, and/or to ensure better learning.
Assignments/Assessments
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Weekly Schedule
| Week of | Reading(s) | Proposed Topic | Due/To Prepare for Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/24 | Gocsik & Adan - ch. 1 "The Challenges of Writing about Art" Look over the glossary of art terms in Gocsik & Adan (pp. 226-244). |
Why write about art? | Why Write About Art? (5) |
| 8/31 | Gocsik & Adan - ch. 2 "Looking at Art" | Museum blog entry | Museum Blog Entry (10) |
| 9/7 | Gocsik & Adan - ch. 3 "Analyzing Art" | Analyzing images: doing a formal descriptive analysis | Formal Descriptive Analysis - Draft 1 (30) |
| 9/14 | Gocsik & Adan - ch. 9 "Revising Your Work" | Revision strategies: weeding out interpretive language | |
| 9/21 | Gocsik & Adan - ch. 8 "Attending to Style" | Revision strategies: crafting the final draft | Formal Descriptive Analysis - Draft 2 (10) Formal Descriptive Analysis - Reflection (5) |
| 9/28 | Review Gocsik & Adan ch.3, especially "Cultural Analysis" | What is context? | |
| 10/5 | Review Gocsik & Adan ch.3, especially "Historical Analysis" | Contextualizing art works | |
| 10/12 | Types of context: historical, cultural, interpersonal, etc. Rabbit Hole game |
Contextual Analysis - Draft 1 (35) | |
| 10/19 | Gocsik & Adan, ch. 5 "Researching Art" | APA overview for citing primary sources | |
| 10/26 | APA overview for citing secondary sources | ||
| 11/2 | Review ch. 8 in Gocsik & Adan "Attending to Style" Review ch. 9 in Gocsik & Adan "Revising Your Work" |
Strategies for revision: refining structure and organization | Contextual Analysis - Draft 2 (10) Contextual Analysis - Reflection (5) |
| 11/9 | Review chs. 2 and 3 in Gocsik and Adan Gocsik & Adan ch. 6 "Developing Your Thesis" |
Famous art controversies Rhetoric in and about art, pt. 1 |
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| 11/16 | Review ch. 4 in Gocsik & Adan | ||
| 11/23 | Thanksgiving Weekend Rhetoric in and about art, pt. 2 |
Arguing about Art - Draft 1 (40) | |
| 12/7 | FINALS WEEK: all revisions due | Arguing about Art - Draft 2 (10) Arguing about Art - Reflection (5) |
The course schedule, policies, procedures, and assignments in this course are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, by mutual agreement, and/or to ensure better learning.