Special Topics (480-0-21)

Topic

Eating the World: Food Reporting and Writing

Instructors

Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan

Meeting Info

303 E. Wacker Dr. 1624-B: Fri 9:00AM - 11:50AM

Overview of class

Everybody eats. And this is what makes food narratives both universal and universally compelling. But how do you craft a good food story? Combining reading, reporting and writing about food, this course will explore an array of stories in this world that touch on both intimate and personal eating experiences but also broader issues such as culture, the global migration of ideas and trends, politics, social class, the environment and perhaps the most important of all, the basic pure enjoyment of eating and cooking. This course will also involve two field trips to explore food phenomena or neighborhoods that are unique to the Chicago area. The goal is to immerse students in the mindframe of writing about large and small issues of the world through the lens of food, while also teaching them to seek out kernels of ideas in everyday situations that they can then cultivate and pitch as stories to journalistic organizations. Course requirement: A hearty appetite for life and big sprinkles of curiosity.

Class Materials (Required)

None

Class Attributes

Attendance at 1st class mandatory

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Only students in the MSJ program may enroll in these classes