---
title: '#ENG818'
date: '2022-01-05T14:41:44-05:00'
permalink: /eng818/
tags:
    - reflecting
---

Over the last several months, I’ve regularly bugged folks on the Twitters for suggestions for a new class I’ve been putting together for this semester, called “Peculiar Genres of Academic Writing.”

<figure>
    <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This aside, the course is going to focus on note taking as an act of writing, on blogging/op-eds/other forms of public writing, on reviews and evaluations, and on grant proposals. I’d love suggestions for really great examples of these and other peculiar genres.</p>&mdash; Kathleen Fitzpatrick (@kfitz) <a href="https://twitter.com/kfitz/status/1439648453123055620">September 19, 2021</a></blockquote>
    <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<figcaption>The initial ask.</figcaption></figure>

This is a course I’ve wanted to teach for eons, both because it fills a gaping need that I felt in my own graduate education, and because I’ve longed to get back to teaching writing.

<figure>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I mentioned a while back that I’m putting together a class called Peculiar Genres of Academic Writing. I’m still looking for some excellent example texts — today, manifestos and screeds! Send me your favorites!</p>&mdash; Kathleen Fitzpatrick (@kfitz) <a href="https://twitter.com/kfitz/status/1450823756214149122">October 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<figcaption>More begging.</figcaption></figure>

Putting this course together has been a joy, not least in getting to read through so many great examples of those peculiar genres as folks shared them with me.

<figure>
    <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I’m continuing to work on the Peculiar Genres of Academic Writing syllabus, which I promise to share once it’s in shape. Today’s ask? Scholarly blogs! They need not be regularly updated, or super polished — what I’m mostly interested in is seeing a scholar work out ideas online.</p>&mdash; Kathleen Fitzpatrick (@kfitz) <a href="https://twitter.com/kfitz/status/1455162586555617288">November 1, 2021</a></blockquote>
        <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<figcaption>Begging for blogs.</figcaption></figure>

I’m enormously grateful for all the suggestions everyone made, as well as for the excitement that I heard out there every time I mentioned the class. I promised repeatedly that I’d share the syllabus once it was done (or at least “done”).

<figure>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Planning my spring class on Peculiar Genres of Academic Writing has me reading through a lot of advice on academic writing, some obvious, some ridiculous, but some so mind-blowingly helpful that I wish I’d come across it COUGHCOUGH years ago when I was in grad school.</p>&mdash; Kathleen Fitzpatrick (@kfitz) <a href="https://twitter.com/kfitz/status/1457347003143401479">November 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<figcaption>I’m a huge advice writing nerd.</figcaption></figure>

Today I finally got the [course site](https://machines.kfitz.info/ss22/) published, so the syllabus is now available to all. (Some of the readings are not, alas. But I’ll be happy to share what I can.)

Thanks to everyone who contributed their thoughts to my planning. Problems in the syllabus are all my responsibility, of course. I’ll look forward to updating as things evolve.