FYWS 151-09, The New Yorker, Fall 2014

Abstract

Harold Ross, the first publisher of The New Yorker, once projected that his magazine would “hate bunk,” and sure enough, nearly 90 years later, The New Yorker still publishes writing unparalleled in its sophistication, currency, and craft. In this section of the First Year Writing Seminar, students will learn the craft of writing critically and creatively from some of the best prose stylists in the country. Each week we will read the latest copy of The New Yorker and decide, as a class, which articles we want to analyze. Favorite readings in the past include “You Belong to Me: How Taylor Swift made teen angst into a business industry”; “House Perfect: Is the IKEA ethos comfy or creepy?”; “The Face of Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg opens up”; and “The Story of a Suicide: Two college roommates, a webcam, and a tragedy.” We will read and write about such topics as shopping, art, crime, medicine, social networking, political campaigns, pop stars, and subjects heretofore unimaginable.