Travel Writing

REVISED

Spring 2012 quarter

Faculty

Greg Mullins comparative literature, American studies

Fields of Study

literature and writing

Preparatory for studies or careers in

literature and writing.

Description

The best way to advance one's ability to write is to read insatiably and write indefatigably. In this program we will do both. We will read extensively in the area of travel writing broadly construed, including fiction, journalism, and poetry. Assignments will include writing from personal experience and writing reviews (of restaurants, hotels, etc.). Students will learn a variety of research methods, including academic research on travel destinations and how to interview people as part of a travel writing project.

All kinds of writing involve ethics, but travel writing offers specific ethical complexities. Even if we draw a sharp distinction between tourism (as superficial experience) and travel (as deep and thoughtful experience), there is a long tradition of travel writing embedded in structures of power. Reading, research, and writing assignments will focus centrally on the choices travel writers make regarding fairness and accuracy. For example, we will read deeply in literary and cultural theory in order better to understand the political dimensions of representation in and through language. We will practice writing strategies that construct fair and complex representations of the people and places writers visit.

During the spring quarter, the emphasis will be on classroom learning, although some writing assignments will take students off campus to practice how to conduct research and how to negotiate unfamiliar surroundings. This work will provide a foundation for students to design a project that requires extensive travel and writing.

Location

Olympia

Online Learning

Hybrid Online Learning < 25% Delivered Online

Books

Greener Store

Special Expenses

Local travel and meals.

Offered During

Day

Program Revisions