Instructions for the assignment copied and pasted below:
What is the Feature Essay? Why are we writing it?
This will be our central project of the term and will go through several stages of development.
Although this may not be an academic essay in the traditional sense, it will incorporate many of the moves that define academic writing, such as strong causal logic, a focus on textual evidence in establishing arguments, tight organization, and penetrating analysis. It will also incorporate stylistic elements that help comprise the popular form of critical essays, blending together thorough research, cultural commentary, and a compelling authorial voice.
As you might recall, we’ve been thinking about the related genres of the academic and popular essay, in the hopes of understanding each with more rhetorical precision. In attempting to replicate the maneuvers that inform those genres, you’ll become a more resourceful and agile writer.
What am I asked to do?
You will craft a compelling question with cultural relevancy, and pursue its answer through research, analysis, and argument. How will we know if your driving question has cultural relevance? You’ll tell your reader why, articulating how the question—and its possible answers—impacts them.
To help set you up for success, we’ll put the analytical skills we’ve been building to work, looking at how example essays are structured and styled. We’ll ask the following of a variety of essays:
What question(s) is this essay attempting to answer?
Why does it matter and how is that importance articulated?
What constitutes evidence and how is it incorporated?
How does the author structure their inquiry and argument?
How do the author’s voice and style contribute to the essay?
Your ability to analyze other essays and learn from them will be crucial for developing and refining your essay.
(2000 word count)
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