English R1B

Other Readings and Media

Description

As social media has offered ordinary users a platform for their voice, the concept of the “hot take” in journalism has been increasingly applied to provocative perspectives on current affairs shared by members of the public. This course will consider the popular appropriation of the “hot take” as part of a longer tradition of cultural criticism, especially as a form of resistance. As students examine cultural and, especially, literary criticism by Theodor Adorno, Toni Morrison, Viet Thanh Nguyen, and others, they will engage with these critical perspectives, develop their own responses, and apply the principles of critique to their thinking, argumentation, and writing.