ENGLISH 9CI: Inspired by Science: A Workshop "Oceans Edition" (OCEANS 119CI)

Course Description

How can your interest in science and the environment be enriched by a regular creative practice? How do you begin to write a poem or story about the wonders of the natural world or articulate the human implications of climate change? The "oceans edition" of this course begins at Hopkins Marine Station, where Monterey Bay is both subject and muse. Through close observation of tidepools, seabirds, and shifting landscapes, students sharpen their powers of perception while developing their unique style through targeted exercises that encourage experimentation with details, form, metaphor, and process. Students analyze the craft of contemporary scientists who write and poets who integrate science, learning how to animate their own experiences and research on the page. In the second half of the quarter, back on main campus, the focus shifts to workshops, where you'll share and refine your writing with supportive peer feedback. Whether you choose to write about field discoveries, medicine, or AI, this course empowers students to use the tools of creative expression to communicate science with personal voice and clarity. Open to undergraduates only. Depending on enrollment numbers, reimbursements for qualifying carpools to the Marine Station may be provided for the first 5 weeks of class.