The document provides an assignment asking students to write an 800-1000 word "apologia", which is a Greek term for a defense or justification of an issue. Students are asked to take a complex real-world problem, define it from multiple perspectives, summarize the key point of conflict or "stasis point", and propose a potential solution or next step. The apologia should incorporate research from two outside sources and aim to clearly and concisely present an argument while addressing an opposing viewpoint with the goal of moving the issue forward.
1. Caitlin Palmer
Apologia Essay, or Direct or Open Letter
So often, writing as an academic skill is separated from real-life situations we’re in, and what we
do about those situations. Yet the skills that come from writing, including:
● exploration (“How do I know what I think until I see what I say?” - E.M. Forster)
● organization (Going from one thing smoothly to another)
● self-expression (How well did someone else understand what you meant?)
● and an aesthetic (How did it feel? What did you come away with?)
are each a practice that should benefit us in our everyday communication.
Assignment:
Take a clunky, messy problem (of your’s as an individual, a larger group you’re a part of, or a
group you identify with). There should be tension, or stasis, around coming to a resolution. Write
an apologia, the Greek term for a defense or justification of an issue, or addressing a
counter-viewpoint. How can you present where you come from? How can you help someone
who disagrees with you, see the issue in a different light? What is a common ground you would
like to come to?
Write an 800-1000 word essay that:
1) defines the problem, or concept, from both perspectives: your stance and acknowledgement of
a counter-viewpoint;
2) summarizes the situation by identifying the stasis point or conflict;
3) arrives at a line of thought or questioning that could create a “next step,” whether it be a
solution, compromise, or request.
Your work will also involve two outside sources: one showing the extent, scope, or example of
the problem, and another supporting your solution by showing it working, or an author proposing
the same thing.
Aim for clarity, conciseness, and emotional significance.
(*Note: This apologia is not expected to be shown to the addressee of your letter; that would be entirely
left up to you. The point of the exercise is to take tools of argument, persuasion, rhetoric, and clarity,
learned in the academic sphere, and apply to a relevant situation.)
