EWP Spring 2023 Workshops with the Expository Writing Program
Want to make your sentences clearer and more concise? Need strategies for close reading a complex text? Unsure of where to start with articulating a research problem? Wondering how to organize your essays? Or what to include in your statement of purpose for graduate school?
This semester, the Expository Writing Program at NYU is offering a set of remote and in person workshops for all undergraduates and MAs. See below for details!
Full workshop descriptions (with links and locations) after the calendar!
(You need to be logged into your NYU account to access the registration forms and zoom links.)
| Undergraduate / MA Writing Workshops
FALL 2023 @ a glance |
September | October | November |
| Close Reading: Making Sense of Complex Texts | Tues, Sept. 19
2 – 3:15 PM in person |
Wed, Oct. 25
4 – 5:15 PM on Zoom |
|
| Writing as Exploration: Approaches to the Multi-Step Draft | Fri, Sept. 22
3:30 – 4:45 PM in person |
Fri, Oct. 20
2:00 – 3:15 PM on Zoom |
|
| Grammar and Flow: Improving Sentence Clarity | Thur, Oct. 5
3 – 4:15 PM in person Mon, Oct. 23 6 – 7:15 PM on Zoom |
Thurs, Nov. 2,
10 – 11:15 AM in person |
|
| Putting Sources in Conversation: Writing the Literature Review | Wed, Sept. 20
4 – 5:15PM on Zoom |
Wed, Oct. 4
4 – 5:15 PM on Zoom |
|
| Avoiding Plagiarism: Easy and Effective Citation | Tues, Sept. 19
4 – 5:15 PM in person |
||
| Understanding College Expectations: Reading, Writing, and Learning at NYU | Tues, Sept. 26 12:30 -1:45 PM
in person |
||
| Mapping Meaning: Essay Structure and Organization | Fri, Sept. 29
3:00 – 4:15 PM, in person |
||
| Refining Your Academic Writing: From Voice to Sentence Construction | Thurs, Oct. 12th
12:30 – 1:45 PM on Zoom |
||
| Help! I’m Applying to Grad School! Writing a Statement of Academic Purpose for Doctoral Programs | Tues, Oct. 17
5:00 – 6:15 PM in person |
Wed, Nov 8
2:00 – 3:15 PM on Zoom |
|
| Information Overload: How to Research Strategically | Mon, Oct. 9
4:00 – 5:15 PM on Zoom |
||
| Public Speaking for Undergraduates | Tues, Oct 17
2:00 – 3:15 PM in person |
||
| Thinking Through the Clutter: Writing a Grant Proposal for DURF | Wed, Oct. 25
7:00 – 830 PM in person |
||
| Thinking Through the Clutter: Writing a Grant Proposal (open to all grants) | Thurs, Nov, 2
5:30 – 7:00 PM on Zoom |
Please note that it is our policy as a program to not distribute recordings or slides after the event; our workshops are designed to be interactive and tailored for students in the moment, not for asynchronous learning.
Close Reading: Making Sense of Complex Texts
Have you ever been assigned a reading that’s rich with ideas and information, but it’s hard to get a handle on it? Ever had a hard time untangling or pinning down certain sections of a dense essay or article? This workshop will introduce reading strategies that help you break down and master the main ideas and claims in complicated texts so that they are easier to grasp, and you can use them confidently in your own writing!
With Professor Natalia Andrievskikh
Tues, Sept. 19, 2 – 3:15 PM, in person
411 Lafayette, 3rd floor, room 331
Wed, Oct. 25, 4 – 5:15 PM, on Zoom
Zoom Link: https://nyu.zoom.us/j/96321172923
Writing as Exploration: Approaches to the Multi-Step Draft
Rather than relying on an innate talent, academics approach writing as a practice that can be developed and honed with attention and time. In this workshop, we will discuss writing as a way of thinking. We will discuss habits of mind and practical tools that help academics both generate new ideas and complicate or extend their initial ideas in a continuous way. To do so, we will turn to Writing Studies research that illuminates how experienced writers (academics, journalists, and editors) differ from inexperienced writers in their daily practice. In light of this research, we will discuss writing as a multi-step process: one that allows writers to explore, push, and complicate their thinking about a problem while taking intellectual risks and often surprising themselves. The tools and metacognitive practices we will discuss in this workshop are designed to serve writers in academic projects as well as beyond academia, in the world today.
With Professor Tania Friedel
Fri, Sept. 22, 3:30 – 4:45 PM, in person
411 Lafayette, 3rd floor, 331
Grammar & Flow: Improving Sentence Clarity
Curious about improving the flow of your writing? Want to revise awkward, passive sentences into clear, active ones? Join one of our small group Sentence Clarity Workshops, led by an EWP professor, where you will learn key strategies for improving the style of your writing, and apply what you’ve learned to your own draft.
With Professor Joshua Weber
Thur, Oct. 5, 3 – 4:15 PM, in person
411 Lafayette, 3rd floor, 331
Mon, Oct. 23, 6 – 7:15 PM, on Zoom
Zoom Link: https://nyu.zoom.us/j/94940346778
With Professor Sahar Romani
Thurs, Nov. 2, 10 – 11:15 AM, in person
411 Lafayette, 3rd floor, room 331
Putting Sources in Conversation: Writing the Literature Review
An in-depth look at arguably the most important (and daunting!) section of an academic paper: the literature review. In this workshop, we will look at model literature reviews from a variety of disciplines to better understand the structure, goals, and purpose. We will then consider different rhetorical strategies for putting texts in conversation as well as explore how you can create a space within this conversation to assert your own argument or position. Finally, we will introduce a schema for categorizing sources by their rhetorical function to gain more insight into the kinds of sources we need to orchestrate a substantive conversation and compose a thoughtful literature review.
With Professor Zach Udko
Wed, Sept. 20
4 – 5:15PM
on Zoom
Zoom Link: https://nyu.zoom.us/j/97067382880
Wed, Oct. 4
4 – 5:15 PM
on Zoom
Zoom Link: https://nyu.zoom.us/j/96297365919
Avoiding Plagiarism: Easy and Effective Citation
Avoiding plagiarism is a crucial responsibility in university and professional work. But did you know that most plagiarism among students occurs accidentally, often bringing unexpected issues and challenges? In this workshop, a professor from NYU’s writing program will guide you through step-by-step strategies you can use to clearly represent and correctly cite source material so plagiarism can be avoided.
With Professor David Foley
Tues, Sept. 19, 4 – 5:15 PM, in person
411 Lafayette, 3rd floor, 331
Understanding College Expectations: Reading, Writing, and Learning at NYU
NYU classes immerse students in new texts, new assignments, and new expectations that may be very different from those in high school. In this workshop, we’ll discuss college standards of academic reading and writing, classroom practices, and how to apply prior learning strategies in new educational settings. Please Note: This session is geared towards international students and undergraduates who attended high school outside the USA, but any interested students are encouraged to attend.
With Professor Mark Braley
Tues, Sept. 26, 12:30 -1:45 PM, in person
411 Lafayette, 3rd floor, 331
Mapping Meaning: Essay Structure and Organization
Are you often unsure how to organize your various thoughts on the page? Are you worried about overwhelming your readers with too many ideas that don’t flow in a clear, logical order? In this workshop, we will discuss the difference between a simple essay structure, which risks redundancy, and a complex essay structure, where each idea purposefully leads to the next. We will then introduce several tools that writers use to structure their essays in a way that guides readers through the logical arc of their prose. At the end of the workshop, we will offer a chance to practice applying those tools to your own writing. You are invited to bring a recent essay draft.
With Professor Alessia Palanti
Fri, Sept. 29, 3:00 – 4:15 PM, in person
411 Lafayette, 3rd floor, 331
Refining Your Academic Writing: From Voice to Sentence Construction
The workshop will examine academic writing in two interconnected scales: the macro level, the tone, ethos, and voice of writing as a whole, and the micro level, the construction of complex sentences, diction, and word choice. Challenging received notions about academic writing, we will focus on strategies on how to make our scholarly prose lucid, compelling–even beautiful–and learn how to more eloquently express your authorial ethos.
With Professor Noelle Mole Liston
Thurs, Oct. 12th, 12:30 – 1:45 PM, on Zoom
Zoom Link: https://nyu.zoom.us/j/941505663
Help! I’m Applying to Grad School! Writing a Statement of Academic Purpose for Doctoral Programs
Nearly all grad programs require a statement of academic purpose as part of the application. This workshop is focused on advice for doctoral students, though the advice generally holds true for Masters programs. In it, you will identify what parts of your experience you should focus on, clarify the expectations of your audience/selection committee, discuss commonly held misconceptions about narrative hooks and generalizations, offer advice on securing letters of recommendation and review the drafting process. You’ll leave with a clearly defined list of writing tasks and research priorities.
With Professor Joe Califf
Tues, Oct. 17, 5:00 – 6:15 PM, in person
411 Lafayette, 3rd floor, room 331
Wed, Nov 8, 2:00 – 3:15 PM, on Zoom
Zoom Link: https://nyu.zoom.us/j/2423359300
Information Overload: How to Research Strategically
It’s easy to get lost in your research, overwhelmed by the sheer breadth of writing about your chosen subject and losing your focus along the way. This workshop will introduce strategies for arriving at meaningful and manageable research questions. We will also discuss how to narrow your search to discover relevant source material. Finally, we will apply these strategies to your individual assignments to help you gain a better understanding of your research goals.
With Professor Alessia Palanti
Mon, Oct. 9, 4:00 – 5:15 PM, on Zoom
Zoom Link: https://nyu.zoom.us/j/91623044312
Public Speaking for Undergraduates
The Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman once said, “You only know you know something when you can explain it to someone else.” Public speaking is a way to share knowledge and an inevitable part of professional life. Doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, academics, artists, and other professionals need to communicate their ideas in public. Despite variation among these professions, key principles and habits build the foundation of good public speaking. This workshop will present concepts and techniques that enable you to communicate your work and ideas effectively across a range of professional settings. You will learn how to lead with context and questions, organize your thinking, engage with your audience, and recognize your own personal speaking style. Through activities, exercises, and examples, you will have an opportunity to practice and improve your public speaking skills. Attendees should have a project, idea, story, or other work in mind that might serve as a starting point.
With Professor Justin Warner
Tues, Oct 17, 2 – 3:15 PM, in person
411 Lafayette, 3rd floor, room 331
Thinking Through the Clutter: Writing a Grant Proposal (DURF)
How can you articulate the complexity of your research project in just a handful of pages? How do you write for both an inside and outside reader, revealing the pointed intervention you are making within the discipline while also arguing for the broader significance of your research? This workshop will introduce fundamental principles of writing proposals that travel across disciplines by uncovering the formal and rhetorical structures that make up the genre. We will read professional models and explore practical strategies for mapping out your research problem in context of your discipline, as well as introduce helpful free-writing strategies to get you started. Please Note: This workshop will apply generally to all grants.
With Professor David Ellis
Wed, Oct. 25, 7:00 – 830 PM, in person
Thinking Through the Clutter: Writing a Grant Proposal (open to ALL GRANTS)
How can you articulate the complexity of your research project in just a handful of pages? How do you write for both an inside and outside reader, revealing the pointed intervention you are making within the discipline while also arguing for the broader significance of your research? This workshop will introduce fundamental principles of writing proposals that travel across disciplines by uncovering the formal and rhetorical structures that make up the genre. We will read professional models and explore practical strategies for mapping out your research problem in context of your discipline, as well as introduce helpful free-writing strategies to get you started.
With Professor David Ellis
Thurs, Nov, 2, 5:30 – 7:00 PM, on Zoom
Zoom Link: https://nyu.zoom.us/j/97619835376