English and Comparative Literature
Undergraduate Seminar
W 4:10-6PM
Writing about the natural world is one of the world’s oldest literary traditions and the location of some of today’s most daring literary experiments. Known loosely as “science writing” this tradition can be traced through texts in myriad and overlapping genres, including poetry, explorer’s notebooks, essays, memoirs, art books, and science journalism. Taken together, these diverse texts reveal a rich literary tradition in which the writer’s sensibility and worldview are paramount to an investigation of the known and unknown in our world. In this course, we will consider a wide range of texts in order to map this tradition while strengthening your skills reporting on and writing about science. We will question what it means to use science as metaphor, explore how to write about science with rigor and commitment to scientific truth, and interrogate the fiction of objectivity.
Link to Vergil
Note: only courses offered during the two previous semesters have active Vergil links.
Please note: The Center does not administer the courses listed and is not responsible for any changes in the content. For more information, please check the course directory or reach out directly to the instructor.
