BEYOND THE IVORY TOWER: A WORKSHOP FOR SCHOLARS ON WRITING FOR THE PUBLIC
This three-day writing workshop, funded by The John Templeton Foundation, is for natural scientists, social scientists, and philosophers looking to communicate their ideas to the public via articles and essays in major media outlets. The workshop is designed to benefit scholars with a range of experience writing for popular audiences.
Led by The New York Times editor James Ryerson, who has two decades of experience working with and editing academics, the workshop will focus on:
- how to conceptually frame scholarly work for a wider audience;
- how to structure the writing of such pieces;
- and how to most effectively “pitch” editors at magazines and newspapers.
In a small collaborative setting (approximately 12 participants), attendees will listen to short lectures, engage in discussion, and work on writing and editing exercises, both in groups and directly with Ryerson.
The workshop will be conducted with the assistance of two scientists, David DeSteno and Lisa Feldman Barrett, who have extensive experience writing about their research in books and articles for the public. During the workshop, Dr. Barrett & Dr. DeSteno will provide insights from their experiences as scholars writing for the general public.
Attendees will leave the workshop with an improved understanding of the editorial process and better skills for popular writing, as well as one piece ready for submission to a major media outlet.
The workshop will take place at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL from June 1-3, 2018.
Attendees will bring with them one draft of a piece (approx. 800-1200 words) they might hope to publish.
All attendees will receive a $1,500 honorarium to cover workshop expenses.
Applications will consist of a brief bio and a portfolio of:
- Three short descriptions of pieces the applicant might like to write (no more than a paragraph each)
- A brief writing sample, which can be a stand alone piece or a passage from a longer work, and of an academic or popular nature (no longer than 1,500 words)
- A CV
Applicants will be selected based on each portfolio’s potential to interest non-scholarly readers.
Applications are due March 9th. For more information and to apply: https://cos.northeastern.edu/workshop-scholars-writing-public/
For questions, please contact Mallory Feldman at Ma.Feldman@northeastern.edu.