For this assignment, you will read examples of the weekly “Modern Love” essay from the New York Times (especially the ones written by college students) and from our Campus Confidential student anthology (available by Week 2 in the bookstore) and then write an essay of your own. You will bring a rough draft of this essay to our second class, on a hard-copy or your own laptop, and use this draft in a variety of editing exercises.
The goal of the Modern Love assignment is to write a short memoir about the topic of relationships, romantic or otherwise (you can feel free to interpret the theme of “love” widely), for a broad readership by connecting personal experience with larger cultural themes through reflection, retrospection, research, symbol, extended metaphor and other literary tools. The shorter word count of this assignment will require that you rely on summary and narration rather than just a series of descriptive scenes.
Word Count: 1,500 -1,700 words (MAX)
- For week #2: Read the guidelines for the New York Times “Modern Love” essay submissions, and then start reading sample essays of past “Modern Love” essays, including those written by college students. Read at least three essays in Campus Confidential (available in the bookstore).
- Choose your favourite essay from both the New York Times (lost a link below) and Modern Love. Be prepared to discuss the style, structure, use of literary techniques, etc. of both and what you learned from them.
- December 9: Final draft due with Portfolio
POST links to your favourite “Modern Love” essays below by logging in w/ your Netlink ID and password