Developing Your Unique Critical Voice

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We all experience works of art, whether they be films, television shows, books, etc., through the prism of our own personal experiences. In fact, we can often chart our life courses by the songs, movies, or stories that inspired, moved, or even saved us. Increasingly, cultural critics have begun incorporating elements of the personal essay into their work. A review of a new TV show or film now might include stories about the reviewer’s childhood obsessions or adolescent yearnings. Through in-class prompts and writing exercises, students will become practiced in the art of incorporating self-reflection into cultural criticism.

About the instructor: Jennifer Wilson is a Philadelphia-based writer and cultural critic. Her reviews and essays have appeared in The New Republic, The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Paris Review, The Nation, The Atlantic, Longreads, and elsewhere. She holds a PhD in Russian Literature from Princeton University. She has taught courses on literature and culture at Princeton University, the University of Pennsylvania, Barnard College, and the Ohio State University.