“I think one of the most important things I got from the class was the idea that writing is always re-writing and that clear, strong prose mirrors clear thought.”
Art of Writing at UC Berkeley celebrates writing as a teachable art that requires critical thinking and reading and that demands patience and careful revision. Intimate undergraduate seminars of 15 students, led by Berkeley faculty member and graduate student teams, are at the heart of the program. These seminars prepare students to communicate lucidly in a variety of styles in collaborative communities across the humanities, social sciences, sciences, and professional schools. Topics include food writing, popular cultural criticism, and the built environment.
Art of Writing is also dedicated to the professional development of graduate students instructors on campus through fellowships and seminar development grants. With the generous support of the Daniel E. Koshland, Jr. Distinguished Chair in Writing, the program hosts an intensive Summer Writing Institute for doctoral students interested in developing their pedagogical skills with leading experts in the field. The Art of Writing program sponsors lectures on the writing process by internationally acclaimed authors for undergraduates and the larger Berkeley community.