project introduction

Journalistic Profile

Implementing the techniques and devices we’ll study in the various modes of literary journalism (as well as the personal essay), you will compose a profile of a person or organization related to your major and/or the professional field you wish to enter. This is NOT to resemble a biography or SWOT analysis; it is to be a work of literary nonfiction—more specifically, a work of reportage (or literary journalism) that, as Lincoln Steffens once wrote of journalism, endeavors to represent its subject “so humanely that the reader will see himself in the other fellow’s place.” Please refer to the Rubrics section of this syllabus for information on how this assignment will be evaluated.

you'll be sharing your ideas for the final project with your classmates. This will first occur as part of group discussion--and then we'll transition to a class discussion in which we can address questions, concerns, and strategies. To prepare for this activity, all I ask is that you come to class with written responses to the following questions/prompts:

1. Who/What will be the subject of your profile?

If it's a person, identify him/her by name, what s/he does for a living (I want a specific position/job title), and your relationship to him/her.

If it's an organization, provide a little background--and then discuss the person associated with it who will serve as your interview subject (in terms of the prompts above).

2. Why have you chosen this subject?

What do you find interesting about him/her/it--and why do you believe a reader will find the subject worth reading about.