top of page

ENG 391 Writing in Times of Crisis

This class explores various writing practices, strategies, and methods through the context of “crisis.” In doing so, we will examine how writers compose different social and cultural meanings before, during, and after crisis events.

Click here for full syllabus

Major Assignments

Pecha Kucha

Analyze the rhetorical situation of a specific crisis event, taking into account how various genres and media of communication affect this crisis.

Online Article

Write a 1200-1500 word post on medium.com that explores the rhetorical dimensions of a specific crisis.

Changing the Narrative

Create a public-facing text that seeks to intervene into a specific crisis narrative.

Key Texts

  • Patricia Roberts-Miller. Demagoguery and Democracy. The Experiment, 2020.
  • Seeger and Sellnow. Narratives of Crisis: Telling Stories of Ruin and Renewal. Stanford University Press, 2016.
  • Sarah Broom. The Yellow House: A Memoir. Grove Press. 2019.
bottom of page