This course approaches writing theory as a series of jiu jitsu-style “moves” that students can learn to improve their own writing and grapple with challenging texts.

Instructor Bio

Andy Ridgeway is an assistant professor of composition and rhetoric at Methodist University and the author of Hello Gorgias!, a Substack for theorists, philosophers, and rhetoricians who are looking to hone their writing skills. He has a PhD in composition and cultural rhetoric from Syracuse University. His work has appeared in Kairos, Technical Communication, and Rhetoric Review. He is the writing coach of the century and will inspire you to hone your writing craft in new ways that are essential to raising the bar for theory writing in the underground.

Format

Mini-Lecture (30 minutes)

(Tier 1 and above)

Each seminar will begin with a 20–30-minute mini-lecture that explores writing and the writing process, specifically as it relates to theory and continental philosophy. 

At the end of the mini-lecture, I’ll spend between 5-10 minutes answering any questions from the live audience. Then we’ll turn off the recording and move into the workshop and peer review section of the class. 

Workshop (30-45 minutes) 

(Tier 2 and above)

In the workshop section, I’ll introduce an activity that builds on the lecture and suggested readings to help you hone specific skills associated with writing and rhetoric. 

If you’ve watched the video for my TU workshop on writing a proposal, you’ve already seen what this part of the course looks like. We’ll be working collaboratively in a shared Google document while I offer constructive feedback in real time. 

Most of these workshops will ask you to start with the piece you’re already working on and improve it in some way. I’m not here to assign homework or tell you what to write about. 

Peer Review (30-45 minutes) 

(Tier 3 and above)

At the end of the workshop period, we’ll collectively review one or two pieces of writing from someone enrolled at the workshop tier. 

You don’t have to read everyone’s piece in advance (we’re all busy and working this summer) but, if you want line edits on your own piece, you will need to submit line edits for at least one other person in the workshop.