Styles of Professional Prose
Spring 2026 Sections
PREREQUISITE: ENGL 114/ENGL 1014, ENGL 115/ENGL 1015, ENGL 120/ENGL 1020, or another writing-intensive (WR) course at Yale.
ENGL 1021 (formerly ENGL 121 and ENGL 421) may be repeated for credit in a section that treats a different genre or style of writing; may not be repeated for credit toward the major. ENGL 1021 (formerly ENGL 121) and ENGL 3461 (formerly ENGL 421) may not be taken for credit on the same topic.
01. Writing about Music. Adam Sexton. MW 2.30-3.45
It has been said that writing about music is like dancing about architecture – and indeed, evoking melody, harmony, and rhythm with words can challenge even the most observant and eloquent among us. In this section of English 1021, students will read and discuss writing on music by not only scholars and critics (e.g., Margo Jefferson and Kalefa Sanneh) but also journalists (Joan Didion and Susan Orlean), novelists (Zadie Smith and Jesmyn Ward), and many others. The focus will be on popular music, very broadly defined, and among the concepts to be investigated are taste and “cool.” Written assignments will include a critical review of a performance or recording, a literary essay on a musical topic, a profile of a musician, and an academic paper. The goal of the course is for students to improve their skills at observation, description, and analysis of culture.
02. Thinking and Writing about the Law. Andrew Ehrgood. MW 11.35-12.50
Law has an intellectual structure of its own, and the lawyers and judges who make law and interpret it have peculiar ways of imagining and talking about the world, habits of thought and expression that can mystify the nonlawyer. In this course, you will learn something about the lawyer’s language: you will learn to reason and argue in distinctively lawyerly ways about the sorts of problems that lawyers are paid to attend to. You will also evaluate this odd language, assessing its appeal and usefulness to you as a thinker, writer, and citizen.
03. Writing about Medicine and Public Health. Randi Epstein. TTh 1.00-2.15
From my perspective, the most dramatic stories are about medicine and public health. They cover life, death, tragedy, survival against all odds. Plus, they are often investigative. How they are told matters. These stories influence the way we view health and disease. They also impact scientific research and policy. This course gives students the opportunity to join the conversation by writing about relevant topics for the public. To do this well, students must develop a keen sense of audience as they translate complicated science, explain its ramifications, and provide historical context. Guest speakers include noted authors and podcasters. Students will write a breaking news story, blog posts, a personal essay, and a researched feature article. You will have a chance to interview a patient for a profile that combines the physiology of their disease with the impact on their daily life. In class, we will analyze essays, book chapters, podcasts, film and news stories for craft. Readings include articles by Atul Gawande, Oliver Sacks, Linda Villarosa and other noted medical writers. By the conclusion of the course, you will have fine-tuned your ability to listen and observe, key for gleaning details that sharpen your prose. You will learn to turn turgid scientific material into a gripping narrative without sensationalizing the truth. And, you will also be a more confident storyteller.
04. Writing about Finance, Entrepreneurship and Responsibility. Heather Klemann. TTh 2.30-3.45
Questions? Before or during registration, contact the instructors or the course director, Adam Sexton.