This course entails an intensive study of writing techniques. The approach involves discussion, dissection and imitation. Each lecture will begin with the discussion of submitted texts by class members. The second part will involve the close scrutiny of a published text, paying special attention to matters of style and structure, word choice, mannerism, dialogue, social context, theory, autobiography, intertextuality; hence, dissection. Each week's assignment will be to produce an "imitation" of the text studied. These texts will be chosen to illustrate a variety of approaches to writing, and to raise some of the basic questions of writing.