Writing the Review

About this course:

Everybody’s a critic, or so they say. When you can share any and every opinion on social media, what makes professionally published reviews special? Why should one person’s take on a movie, TV show, book, or other piece of art matter more than yours or mine? But the truth lies in the opposite: When everyone has a platform to offer their opinion, learning the true art of criticism is all the more important for standing out. In this course, we learn how to effectively and compellingly craft cultural critiques in the 2020s, with units on film, TV, books, literature, and more. We read such critics as Emily Nussbaum, Wesley Morris, and Doreen St. Felix, while exploring the different multimedia platforms criticism can live on today. The focus of this class is be on sharpening your critical faculties and developing your voice as a writer, with the ultimate goal of finding your space as a respected critic.