The syllabus for the journalism course I taught in the Spring 2004 semester at Columbia College.
Advanced Magazine Article Writing
Columbia College
600 S. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, Illinois 60605
53-3220 (3 credits)
Spring 2004
Tuesdays 3:00-5:50PM
Rm. 1305
624 S. Michigan
Instructor: Danny Postel
danny@postelservice.com
You can e-mail me anytime. I’m available to talk on the telephone Monday-Friday 12:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m. Saturday & Sundays are hit and miss, but you can try me after 10:00 a.m. and until 10:00 p.m. If you leave a message I’ll do my best to get back to you promptly.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course develops the skills acquired in Magazine Article Writing, concentrating on developing and marketing one long-form magazine piece. In addition to working on this piece, students read and discuss examples of long-form magazine writing, and investigate immersion reporting techniques and the borrowing of literary techniques for nonfiction use.
Students in this class will be paired with students in the Magazine Editing class. You will be responsible for meeting with your student-editor to discuss your story as it progresses.
Prerequisite: 53-2215 Magazine Article Writing
Texts
There will be no central text for this class. A course packet of selected articles will serve as the basis of the class readings. There are several optional texts and anthologies that will be made available to you upon request; they are listed below.
Course Goals
To learn the steps involved in writing in-depth magazine articles, including generating story ideas, writing a query letter, working with an editor, identifying and using multiple sources, researching, creating an outline, developing drafts, and polishing the final article. At the end of the class, students will have a final draft and query letter, which will be submitted on spec to a publication. Final stories must meet the following requirements:
• A minimum of 10 sources interviewed. One e-mail interview is acceptable. Quoting sources from Web sites, magazine articles, books, published interviews, or other third-party sources will not be accepted.
• A minimum of 7 sources quoted in story.
• Story length of 2,500 words minimum.
Attendance and standards
Attendance is essential. Two absences will result in failure for the course; two late arrivals (more than 15 minutes late) equal one absence.
You are responsible for whatever work you miss. If you are unable to attend a class, you are expected to get your assignments to your student-editor and to the instructor by the beginning of that class by some other method—fax, e-mail, or delivery to the instructor’s mail box in the journalism office—and to confirm they’ve received the materials.
Each student is required to meet with his/her student editor as outlined below. In addition, each student is required to turn in two copies of each assignment, to ensure distribution to student editors on a timely basis.
Academic dishonesty
Don’t do it. Any instance of academic dishonesty, such as plagiarism, cheating or submitting someone else’s work as your own, will not be tolerated. Violation of any of these policies will result in failure.
Grading
Reaction papers 20 percent
Query letters 20 percent
First draft 20 percent
Final draft 20 percent
Class participation 20 percent
Assignment overview
Your principal task in this course will be to produce an article for publication. There will be no quizzes or exams. Your only assignments other than your feature article will be:
(1) To write three short reaction papers to the course readings. With the exception of the first class, it’s up to you which articles you want to write reactions to—they can be whichever ones you feel inspired to say something about, as long as you do three of them by the end of the course. There’s no set length and no set format—just write. But you must do a reaction paper after our first meeting.
(2) To prepare 2-3 questions for our guest speakers (see class schedule below for the dates of their visits). You will read articles by our guests, as assigned, and formulate and write out questions for them based on their work. You will turn those questions in to the instructor after class.
Note: Class participation includes meeting regularly with your student editor and providing him/her with copies of your work. It includes taking an active part in class discussions and asking questions of guest lecturers (and turning in the questions).
Grading scale:
A 90-100
B 80-89
C 70-79
D 60-69
F 59- or below
CLASS SCHEDULE
WEEK 1
FEBRUARY 10
Introductions and discussion; my journalism background; your experience thus far in the journalism program; your goals and expectations; how the class will work; what to expect.
Readings for next class
Scott Sherman, “Atlantic Rising: What makes a serious magazine soar?” Columbia Journalism Review, November-December 2002
(www.cjr.org/issues/2002/6/mag-sherman.asp)
Richard Byrne, “Still Standing,” The Boston Phoenix, January 16-23, 2003
(www.bostonphoenix.com/boston/news_features/other_stories/multipage/documents/02653045.htm)
Assignments
* Write a reaction paper to either the Sherman or the Byrne article--or both.
* Come up with 4-5 story ideas and obtain copies of 2-3 magazines you’re interested in querying, along with writer’s guidelines and contact information, and bring to class next week. Also, write a one-page summary of each magazine, touching on:
• Who is the audience?
• What is the tone of the magazine?
• What kinds of topics do they cover?
• Why is your proposed story appropriate for this publication?
• What do you like about the magazine?
=-=-=-=-=
WEEK 2
FEBRUARY 17
FIRST HALF—We’ll discuss Sherman’s “Atlantic Rising” & Byrne’s “Still Standing”
SECOND HALF—Developing a query letter; fleshing out story idea and possible sources; how to discuss these ideas with an editor. Your student editor will be assigned in class; you’ll meet with them to discuss and select final story idea.
Reading for next class
Dan Weissmann, “Just Don’t Do It: How much premarital sex is OK? Nun!” Chicago Reader, August 8, 2003. Prepare 2-3 questions for the author, who will visit class next week.
Assignment
During the week: Begin contacting sources/researching story. Write a query letter and prepare an initial, five-person source list for your story, including phone numbers (not e-mail addresses), and bring to class next week.
Due next week: Two copies of query letter and two copies of five-person source list, with phone numbers.
=-=-=-=-=
WEEK 3
FEBRUARY 24
FIRST HALF—Guest: Dan Weissmann—freelance journalist, former staff writer for Catalyst; we’ll discuss his Reader article and his approach to magazine writing.
SECOND HALF—Discuss sources and research needs for story. Discuss interviewing techniques, including e-mail interviews. Meet with student editor to discuss query letter and source list.
Readings for next class
Danny Postel, “The Awful Truth,” Chronicle of Higher Education, July 12, 2002 (http://chronicle.com/free/v48/i44/44a01401.htm); “From Tragedy and Bloodshed, Michael Ignatieff Draws Human-Rights Ideals,” Chronicle Of Higher Education, March 8, 2002 (http://chronicle.com/free/v48/i26/26a01401.htm)
Think up 2-3 questions to ask me during next week’s class.
Assignment
During the week: Contact sources, conduct interviews, do research. Conduct at least one interview, transcribe your notes, and bring two copies to class next week. Prepare a one-page summary of the interview, addressing the following points:
• How did the interview go?
• What worked, what didn’t? Why?
• What would you do differently?
• What questions, if any, do you need to follow up on with the source?
• How does the interview affect the focus of your story?
Due next week: Two copies of transcribed interview and two copies of your one-page interview summary.
=-=-=-=-=
WEEK 4
MARCH 2
FIRST HALF— I’ll answer your questions and we’ll discuss my articles.
SECOND HALF—Further discussion of interviewing + reporting techniques; we’ll have a three-way meeting (you, me, and your student editor) to discuss student editor’s and instructor’s feedback on query letter and source list.
Reading for next class
Peter Carlson, “A Regular Old Southern Maryland Boy,” Washington Post Magazine, August 4, 1991
Assignment
During the week: Continue to report story. Rewrite query letter. Conduct at least one interview, transcribe your notes, and bring two copies to class next week. Prepare a one-page summary of the interview, addressing the following points:
• How did the interview go?
• What worked, what didn’t? Why?
• What would you do differently?
• What questions, if any, do you need to follow up on with the source?
• How does the interview affect the focus of your story?
Due next week: Two copies of transcribed interview, two copies of your one-page interview summary and two copies of your revised query letter.
=-=-=-=-=
WEEK 5
MARCH 9
FIRST HALF—We’ll discuss Carlson’s story and what makes it such a great piece.
SECOND HALF—Assessing gaps in research, follow-up interviews, developing a thesis. Meet with student editor to discuss story progress.
Readings for next class
Benjamin Ortiz, “Cutting Crew,” New City, November 23-29, 1995; “Slam Nation or Damnation?” Britannica.com, October 31, 2000 (www.postelservice.com/archives/000012.html)
Prepare 2-3 questions for the author, who will visit class next week.
Assignment
During the week: Conduct at least one interview, transcribe your notes, and bring two copies to class next week. Prepare a one-page summary of the interview, addressing the following points:
• How did the interview go?
• What worked, what didn’t? Why?
• What would you do differently?
• What questions, if any, do you need to follow up on with the source?
• How does the interview affect the focus of your story?
Find 4 ledes (2 that you like, 2 that you dislike) from feature-length magazine articles and prepare to discuss them in class: what works, what doesn’t, what you like/dislike about the ledes, and how you might rewrite them.
Due next week: Two copies of transcribed interview, two copies of your one-page interview summary, and 4 examples of ledes to discuss.
=-=-=-=-=
WEEK 6
MARCH 16
FIRST HALF—Guest: Benjamin Ortiz—freelance writer; professor, Truman College; we’ll discuss his articles and how he approached them, and he’ll answer your questions.
SECOND HALF—Ledes. Meet with student editor to discuss story progress.
Reading for next class
Rick Perlstein, “Attention, Wal-Mart Voters,” Village Voice, December 3-9, 2003
(www.villagevoice.com/issues/0349/perlstein.php); “Who Owns the Sixties?” Lingua Franca, May 1996—reprinted in Quick Studies: The Best of Lingua Franca (2002)
Prepare 2-3 questions for the author, who will visit class next week.
Assignment
During the week: Conduct at least one interview, transcribe your notes, and bring two copies to class next week. Prepare a one-page summary of the interview, addressing the following points:
• How did the interview go?
• What worked, what didn’t? Why?
• What would you do differently?
• What questions, if any, do you need to follow up on with the source?
• How does the interview affect the focus of your story?
Prepare a two-page summary of story progress, addressing the following points:
• How has the focus changed since you began working on the piece?
• What gaps remain?
• What problems have you encountered—and how did you address them?
• What are your biggest concerns about the story as you continue to work on it?
Revise lede of feature story from in-class reading.
Due next week: Two copies of transcribed interview, two copies of your one-page interview summary, two copies of two-page summary of story progress, one copy of revised lede from in-class reading assignment.
=-=-=-=-=
WEEK 7
MARCH 23
FIRST HALF—Guest: Rick Perlstein—Contributing writer, Village Voice; author, Before the Storm: Barry Goldwater and the Unmaking of the American Consensus (2001);
we’ll discuss Perlstein’s articles, his approach to writing; he’ll answer your questions.
SECOND HALF—Interviewing. In-class discussion/exercises. Diverse voices. Sign up for one-on-one meeting with instructor.
Readings for next class
Tom Wolfe, “Mau-Mauing the Flak Catchers,” from Radical Chic and Mau-Mauing the Flak Catchers (1970)
Cary Tennis, “Tom Wolfe” (Brilliant Careers series), Salon, February 1, 2000 (http://archive.salon.com/people/bc/2000/02/01/wolfe/index.html)
Dwight MacDonald, “Parajournalism, or Tom Wolfe & His Magic Writing Machine,” The New York Review of Books, August 26, 1965—reprinted in The Reporter as Artist: A Look at the New Journalism Controversy (1974)
Assignment
During the week: Conduct at least one interview, transcribe your notes, and bring two copies to class next week. Prepare a one-page summary of the interview, addressing the following points:
• How did the interview go?
• What worked, what didn’t? Why?
• What would you do differently?
• What questions, if any, do you need to follow up on with the source?
• How does the interview affect the focus of your story?
Due next class: Bring to class two copies of interview and two copies of one-page interview summary.
=-=-=-=-=
MARCH 30—NO CLASS
=-=-=-=-=
WEEK 8
APRIL 6
FIRST HALF—Tom Wolfe and “The New Journalism”; we’ll discuss the three pieces (one by Wolfe, one an overview of Wolfe’s career, and one a critical appraisal of Wolfe and the New Journalism); also, we’ll watch part of a documentary film about Martin Luther King, Jr.—as background for next week’s article
SECOND HALF—One-on-one meeting with instructor. No in-class meeting with student editor.
Reading for next class
Garry Wills, “Martin Luther King is Still on the Case,” Esquire, August 1968—reprinted in The New Journalism, edited by Tom Wolfe (1973), and also in Wills’ own collection Lead Time: A Journalist’s Education (1983)
Assignment
During the week: Prepare a two-page summary of story progress, addressing the following points:
• How has the focus changed since you began working on the piece?
• What gaps remain?
• What problems have you encountered—and how did you address them?
• What are your biggest concerns about the story as you continue to work on it?
Due next class: Bring to class two copies of two-page summary of story progress. Also bring to class your story file: notes, background material, interview notes/transcriptions, source list, and other relevant material.
=-=-=-=-=
WEEK 9
APRIL 13
FIRST HALF—We’ll discuss the Wills article and the genre of New Journalism; we’ll watch a segment of the film The Unbearable Lightness of Being, as background for next week’s article
SECOND HALF—Outlines. Work on outlines in class, using material from your story file. Meet with student editor to discuss story progress.
Readings for next class
Janet Malcolm, “The Window Washer,” The New Yorker, 1990—reprinted in her collection The Purloined Clinic: Selected Writings (1992)
Craig Seligman, “Janet Malcolm” (Brilliant Careers), Salon, February 29, 2000 (http://archive.salon.com/people/bc/2000/02/29/malcolm/index.html)
Assignment
During the week: Complete story outline.
Due next week: Bring to class two copies of outline.
=-=-=-=-=
WEEK 10
APRIL 20
FIRST HALF—We’ll discuss the piece by Malcolm and the one about her.
SECOND HALF—The writing process: methods, hints and tricks. How much coffee should you drink? Meet with student editor to discuss outline and story progress.
Reading for next class
Paul Berman, “The Passion of Joschka Fischer,” The New Republic, August 27, 2001
Assignment
During the week: Prepare first draft of story—8 pages minimum (double-spaced).
Due next week: Bring to class two copies of first draft.
=-=-=-=-=
WEEK 11
APRIL 27
FIRST HALF—We’ll discuss Berman’s epic and the art of the long-form narrative profile.
SECOND HALF—Meet with student editor to discuss story progress. Revising a story. How to do it, why do it, how to end it.
Reading for next class
Ken Silverstein, “Licensed to Kill,” Harper’s, May 2000—reprinted in Silverstein’s Private Warriors (2000)
Assignment
During the week: Revise ending of feature story from in-class reading assignment.
Due next week: Revised ending from in-class reading assignment.
=-=-=-=-=
WEEK 12
MAY 4
FIRST HALF—We’ll discuss Silverstein’s article and investigative journalism; then, we’ll watch part of the film Joe Gould’s Secret, as background on Joseph Mitchell
SECOND HALF—Instructor’s and student editor’s comments/edits of first draft distributed in class. Meet with student editor to discuss edits/comments re: first draft. Polishing a story: How to do it, why do it.
Reading for next class
Joseph Mitchell, “The Rivermen,” The New Yorker (1959)—reprinted in his Up in the Old Hotel (1992) & in Sims and Kramer, eds., Literary Journalism (1995)
Assignment
During the week: Review instructor’s and student editor’s edits/suggestions. Revise/polish story, incorporating instructor’s and student editor’s feedback. Revise query letter to reflect story’s progress and that you are pitching the story on spec.
Due next week: Two copies of final draft of story, two copies of final source list (with phone numbers) and two copies of revised query letter.
=-=-=-=-=
WEEK 13
MAY 11
FIRST HALF—We’ll discuss Mitchell’s story, his style, and his legacy.
SECOND HALF— Bring to class two copies of final draft of story, two copies of final source list (with phone numbers) and two copies of revised query.
Reading for next class
JoAnn Wypijewski, “The Secret Sharer: Sex, Race, and Denial in an American Small Town,” Harper’s, July 1998
Assignment
Write, write, write!
=-=-=-=-=
WEEK 14
MAY 18
FIRST HALF—We’ll discuss Wypijewski’s article and ethnographic/sociological journalism.
SECOND HALF— Instructor’s and student editor’s comments/edits of final draft distributed in class.
Reading for next class
Alma Guillermoprieto, “Love and Misery in Cuba,” New York Review of Books, June 11, 1998—reprinted in her Looking for History: Dispatches from Latin America (2002)
Assignment
Revise final draft of story and query letter for instructor and prepare final source list with phone numbers.
Due next week: Bring to class two copies of final draft of story, two copies of final source list (with phone numbers) and two copies of revised query letter for instructor.
Also bring to class stamped envelope for these materials, addressed to the magazine you are querying, and an SASE (self-addressed, stamped envelope).
=-=-=-=-=
WEEK 15
MAY 25
FIRST HALF—We’ll discuss Guillermoprieto’s story, and the editor-writer relationship.
SECOND HALF—Parting thoughts: we’ll discuss the course—what you liked, didn’t like, what you got out of it, what might have worked better, and your journalistic journey.
Additional Readings
I’m not big on how-to manuals about writing. My focus is on just reading great writing, then reading more of it, and then more—and on thinking through and discussing what makes it great and what can be learned from it. So this list of books reflects my bias toward teaching by example:
Tom Wolfe and E.W. Johnson, eds., The New Journalism (Harper & Row, 1973)
Ronald Weber, ed., The Reporter as Artist: A Look at the New Journalism Controversy (Hastings House, 1974)
Norman Sims and Mark Kramer, eds., Literary Journalism: A New Collection of the Best American Nonfiction (Ballantine, 1995)
Lewis H. Lapham & Ellen Rosenbush, eds., An American Album: One Hundred and Fifty Years of Harper's Magazine (Franklin Square Press, 2000)
David Remnick, ed., Life Stories: Profiles from The New Yorker (Random House, 2000)
Anthony Collins, Words of Fire: Independent Journalists Who Challenge Dictators, Druglords, and Other Enemies of a Free Press (New York University Press, 2001)
Christopher Hitchens and Christopher Caldwell, eds., Left Hooks, Right Crosses: A Decade of Political Writing (Thunder’s Mouth Press/Nation Books, 2002)
Alexander Star, ed., Quick Studies: The Best of Lingua Franca (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2002)
Adrienne Miller, Esquire’s Big Book of Great Writing: More than 70 Years of Celebrated Journalism (Hearst Books, 2003)
Bruce Shapiro, ed., Shaking the Foundations: 200 Years of Investigative Journalism in America (Thunder’s Mouth Press/Nation Books, 2003)
A thumbnail.
Danny Postel is a journalist and activist living in Chicago.
He is Communications Coordinator for the organization Interfaith Worker Justice and the editor of its newsletter. He is co-coordinator of the Committee for Academic and Intellectual Freedom of the International Society for Iranian Studies and an active member of Chicago's No War on Iran Coalition and the Chicago Committee in Solidarity with the People of Iran.
He is the author of Reading Legitimation Crisis in Tehran: Iran and the Future of Liberalism, published in December 2006 by Prickly Paradigm Press. He is a Contributing Editor to Dædalus, the journal of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences; a member of the editorial board of The Common Review, the magazine of the Great Books Foundation, and a member of the editorial advisory board of Logos: A Journal of Modern Society & Culture.
His work has appeared in Alexandria Biblioteka (Serbia), Alternative Press Review, AlterNet, The American Prospect, Blätter für deutsche und internationale Politik (Germany), Britannica.com, the Chicago Tribune, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Corriere della Serra (Italy), Critical Inquiry, Exquisite Corpse, Fellowship, The Guardian, In These Times, Left History, Lip, Logos, Lumpen, The Nation, New City, the New Humanist, New Politics, openDemocracy, Philosophy & Social Criticism, The Progressive, Race Traitor, Radical Society, La Raza, Reset (Italy), Salmagundi, the San Antonio Current, Shargh (Tehran), Stop Smiling, TomPaine.com, Truthdig , the Washington Post Book World, Die Welt (Germany), and Z Magazine, among other publications.
His work has also been published in three recent books: Take Care of Freedom and Truth Will Take Care of Itself: Interviews with Richard Rorty, edited and with an Introduction by Eduardo Mendieta (2006); Liberalism for a New Century, edited by Neil Jumonville and Kevin Mattson (2007); and Tipping the Sacred Cow: The Best of LiP: Informed Revolt, 1996–2007, edited by Brian Awehali (2007).
In 1991 he was on the editorial collective of Left Green Notes, the magazine of the Left Green Network. From 1996-1999 he hosted Free Associations, a weekly radio show in Chicago about politics, culture, and books. In 2000-2001 he was editor of philosophy and then history & humanities at Britannica.com, the late online magazine of Encyclopædia Britannica. From the fall of 2001 until the spring of 2003 he was a staff writer for The Chronicle of Higher Education, where he covered philosophy, history, political theory, Middle Eastern studies, and African studies. And in 2004-2006 he was Contributing Editor and then Senior Editor of openDemocracy, an online global magazine of politics & culture based in London.
He has taught journalism at Columbia College in Chicago; English as a Second Language at St. Augustine College and at the Howard Area Community Center in Chicago; and taught Spanish in a Chicago elementary school. He has been interviewed on Australian, British and American radio and has lectured at universities in Norway, the UK, Canada and the U.S.
He can be reached at dannypostel at gmail dot com.