Writing Seminar , Digging Into the Garden State WRI 173/174
For Therese Cox's course : https://writing.princeton.edu/undergraduates/writing-seminars/fall-seminars#173
From cranberry bogs and cornfields, to rolling vineyards and lush suburban lawns, New Jersey has long earned the nickname, “The Garden State.” But in popular culture, New Jersey may be best—or worst—known for its paved landscapes: its snarl of turnpike exits and petrochemical plants, its big box superstores, and acres of suburban sprawl. In this Writing Seminar, we’ll look beyond the asphalt and dig into the complexities of New Jersey’s built and unbuilt environments. Together, we’ll ask: What can the Garden State teach us about urban development, ecosystems, and civic engagement? We’ll begin the semester by analyzing representations of suburban sprawl in Kate Wagner’s blog, McMansion Hell, alongside theories of postmodern architecture. Next, we’ll draw on a range of scholarly perspectives—from anthropology to cultural studies, civil engineering to environmental humanities—as students investigate the commercial, cultural, and ecological significance of the American Dream mall for the New Jersey Meadowlands. For the final project, students will craft a researched argument about a physical site, cultural object, or event that makes us rethink some aspect of urban, suburban, or exurban development—either in New Jersey or beyond. Topics may include online reconstructions of the Garden State in Minecraft, Robert Smithson’s site-specific artworks, green vs. gray architecture, or the gamification of public space.
