Because recently, I've begun to think of writing through the metaphor of alchemy.
What is alchemy? Great question.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary provides three definitions of "alchemy," each of which is relevant to the purposes of our course:
1 : a medieval chemical science and speculative philosophy aiming to achieve the transmutation of the base metals into gold, the discovery of a universal cure for disease, and the discovery of a means of indefinitely prolonging life
2 : a power or process of transforming something common into something special
3 : an inexplicable or mysterious transmuting
Harnessing the aspirational qualities of alchemy -- its desire to transform the mundane into to the magical*, and its search for a cure for disease -- Alchemical Compositions will serve as a space in which we will expose the writing process for what it is, a process, and we'll be doing so by exploring texts written about health and disease.
My philosophy is that the more we show our work, the more we demystify writing itself. Don't get me wrong; there will still be magic. We'll simply have greater access to the magician's sleight of hand, which will help us become better writers.
*or rusty first drafts into sparkling, golden final papers
My philosophy is that the more we show our work, the more we demystify writing itself. Don't get me wrong; there will still be magic. We'll simply have greater access to the magician's sleight of hand, which will help us become better writers.
*or rusty first drafts into sparkling, golden final papers
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