Corsi di Studio del Dipartimento di Lingue e Letterature straniere e Culture moderne

The lab focuses on developing and honing the students' written and oral presentation skills through the method of "reverse-engineering." This particular method, as described by Steven Pinker in The Sense of Style (2014), involves exposing students to nonfictional texts written by contemporary and established American authors to determine their inner mechanisms and as such to help students develop their style of writing and, ultimately, their way of thinking. Additionally, the class seeks to strengthen the students' critical reading skills as well as their capacity to formulate and present (following the TED talks format) complex arguments related to specific texts or ideas. The ultimate purpose of this lab is to introduce students to the kinds of writing assignments they will encounter as college students so that they will be able to write academic essays and articles with confidence and skill.

At the end of the lab work, students should have ample knowledge of different writing styles as well as of the current international standards of writing. Specifically, students should be able to identify the structure of a text and its point(s) of view, as well as build complex arguments based on one or more texts and present those arguments adequately following international academic standards (such as MLA and Chicago). The students will do short writing assignments that will help them learn to work with the fundamental concepts of academic writing: reading closely to analyze texts and question sources; reasoning with evidence; organizing persuasive and well-structured arguments, and communicating their ideas in clear and compelling prose. Critical concepts of academic argument - such as thesis, motive, evidence, and structure - will be introduced and reviewed; they will also learn strategies for reading and analyzing complex texts.

This lab is a seminar class in which everyone's active participation is not only encouraged, but expected. Sharing ideas is a mark of intellectual generosity and curiosity. Students will be asked to complete tasks in class, work individually or in groups, and make presentations. All activities will be in English. 

In order to complete this lab, all students will be required to write 3 (three) essays: two shorter ones, on a loosely-termed argument, and a "final project" to be discussed with the instructor. Occasional short quizzes will test students' reading of the required texts. Students are expected to be fully prepared to participate when class begins - that is, to have read and thought about whatever readings were assigned and to have the required writing with them. Lateness of any sort - in joining class or turning in work - will be penalized. Such lateness is hugely disruptive to our schedule and discussions and is unfair to the other students who do participate and hand in work on time.

The lab explores specific issues related to nonfiction writing and seeks to define writing as a process. Starting from texts written by American intellectuals such as Malcolm Gladwell, Marilynne Robinson, John D'agata, and David Shields among others, the lab work strives to offer a practical approach to nonfiction writing and communication. To this purpose, it defines writing not only as a form of expression but also as a mode of cognitive emancipation, as a way of refining ideas and points of view. Additionally, the class seeks to shift the focus from the final product (the text in its final, publishable, form) to the process that lies behind that final product, to develop skills applicable to academic contexts and beyond.

All required texts for this class will be made available to students through a reading pack downloadable from the lab blog. Make sure to check the lab blog on a regular basis for updates, schedule variations, and other administrative issues BEFORE classes start.

Students MUST own a copy of Phillip Lopate's To Show and to Tell: The Craft of Literary Nonfiction (2013), ISBN: 978-1451696325.

Please notice: given that online booksellers often take weeks or even months to deliver books, please make sure you order the book well in advance before classes start. Kindle and other e-book versions of the text are not suitable for academic study.

The blog can be reached at this web address: https://www.serviziweb.unito.it/blog/?id=60306