J 335F Magazine Writing/Production 07785 Fall 2019

Prerequisites: Journalism 310F and 311F with a grade of at least B- in each. Class Meets: 2 p.m.-3:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays Room: CMA 4.152 Instructor: Kathy Blackwell Email: [email protected] : @kathyblackwell Office Hours: Thursdays, 1-2 p.m. and by appointment. I encourage everyone to come visit me at the magazine this semester.

Overview

Welcome to magazine writing and production! In this class, we’ll explore the art of magazine writing— from long-form narratives and in-depth profiles to oral histories, essays, service features, lists, reviews, tight-and-bright pieces, and everything in between. We’ll also look at the industry as a whole—where it’s been, what’s working, what isn’t, and what the future might hold. You have the equivalent of a front-row seat in this rapidly changing world. I’m a full-time magazine editor at Texas Monthly (official title: executive editor), so when I’m not with you, I’m in my office on Congress Avenue or out working on stories. If there’s a hot trending topic or interesting anecdote to share that is relevant to our class, I might switch things up a bit. It’s all in the name of helping you understand the magazine world as a whole, which is exciting and challenging and changes daily. You’ll notice there are a few days this semester where we won’t have class—those are when I expect to be on final deadline for an issue. Use those days to focus on your writing assignments. In addition, I’ve lined up some talented writers and editors to share their experiences with you—and, in some cases, focus on their specialty areas— and answer any questions you have. Please come to these classes prepared and ready to engage. Participation is a big part of your grade! Throughout the semester, I’ll assign some of my favorite magazine articles, both the classics as well as modern masterpieces. In turn, I’ll ask you about what you’re reading and hopefully discover publications (both print and web-based) and writers in the process. I’m excited!

Objective

I want you to leave this class with a solid understanding of the industry and how to navigate it. Those coveted staff positions are hard to get, so most writers live in a freelance world. It’s important to be prepared and to be flexible. The more skills you have, the more flexible you will be.

Requirements

Get ready to read. Every assigned article must be read before you come into class. Be prepared to discuss and analyze each piece. And get ready to write. You’ll write an 800-word Q&A; a 300-word pitch based on a press release and another pitch and outline for a service journalism piece; a 1,000- word personal essay; and, finally, a 2,000-word profile that will be annotated for fact checking. It will go through a round of edits from me, and then you will turn in a revised draft for final grading.

Policies

Come to class. I’m giving you several days off from class already to work exclusively on your writing. You’re allowed a maximum of two excused absences—anything above that means a failing grade. It’s especially important that you be in class when a guest speaker is on the agenda. These are busy, talented people who are sharing their time with you, so please show up and take advantage of this opportunity. Writing assignments must be turned in by 11:59 p.m. on their due dates, or they will get a 0 grade. The only exceptions are legitimate medical and family emergencies, so please let me know as soon as possible if there’s an emergency situation. Showing up 15 minutes late or leaving 15 minutes early is the same as an absence, unless we’ve worked it out beforehand. As for devices, please don’t use your cellphone or laptops for anything other than what we’re working on: No texting, phone calls, or engaging in social media, in other words. For notetaking, I encourage you to use pen and paper, as you would while reporting and interviewing. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Students who plagiarize once will get a 0 grade for the assignment. Do it again, and you fail the course.

The Q&A: (Worth 50 points): The Q&A/Chat format is one of the most effective ways to cover a newsmaker or interesting personality, but it’s not as simple as it seems. You will do an 800-word Q&A with someone you think deserves the spotlight. Optional: Do a Q&A with a magazine writer/editor/art director you admire. This is a great way to network and learn more about the industry or how a favorite story came together.

Due: 11:59 p.m. Sept. 20

The Pitch: (Worth 50 points) There are two parts to this assignment. First, I will give you a press release for a big event that every news organization is getting this fall. Your job will be to come up with a unique, 300-word pitch that will grab the eye of an editor. The second part will be a pitch as well as an outline for a service journalism piece of your choice. We’ll discuss what those could like in class. Because we have a lot to cover in this class, you won’t be expected to produce the piece. This is more to exercise those muscles and figure out how these kinds of pieces come together, from “Best Late-Night Breakfasts” to a roundup of fall festivals. Due: 11:59 p.m. Oct. 8.

The Personal Essay: 1,000 words. Details TK. (Worth 75 points).

Due: 11:59 p.m. Oct. 31

The Profile: 2,000 words. (Worth 125 points) Details TK. You will turn in a first draft – please note that this should NOT be a rough draft, but a first draft that you would be proud to turn into a magazine. It should be annotated and come with supporting material. I will edit with notes, and you will write a final draft based on that edit. It will be due exactly a week after you receive notes from me.

First draft: Due 11:59 p.m. Nov. 27 Revision: Due exactly a week after you receive edits/notes.

I’ll explain more about each of these assignments in class and will provide further details on Canvas.

Grading

There are 400 points available in the class. The two short exercises will be worth 50 points each, for a total of 100 points. 100 points will be available for overall class preparation and participation. The remaining 200 points are reserved for the final story: 100 for the first draft and 100 for the final. A rubric will explain what’s expected.

Final grades will be calculated using the plus/minus system. Note: All numbers are absolute, and will not be rounded up or down at any stage. Thus, a B- will be inclusive of all scores from 80.000 percent to 83.999 percent. The University does not recognize the grade of A+.

Our scale:

A 100 percent to 94 percent of 400 available points A- 93 percent to 90 percent B+ 89 percent to 87 percent B 86 percent to 84 percent B- 83 percent to 80 percent C+ 79 percent to 77 percent C 76 percent to 74 percent C- 73 percent to 70 percent D+ 69 percent to 67 percent D 66 percent to 64 percent D- 63 percent to 60 percent F 59 percent and below

Flexible schedule (subject to change)

Week 1, Aug. 29: Learning about each other and the class. Reading: none.

Week 2, Sept. 3 and Sept. 5: An overview of the magazine world. What makes a great magazine? What makes for a great magazine story? Reading for Tuesday: The September issue of Texas Monthly, which the class will receive on Aug. 29. Be prepared to discuss what you liked about the issue, and what you didn’t – what was missing? Which stories were too long/too short? Reading for Thursday: All semester, we’ll be looking at great profiles, which will lead up to your final assignment. Another assignment will be a personal essay. We’ll kick it off with two recent masterpiece examples of each: “How Goop’s Haters Made Gwyneth Paltrow’s Company Worth $250 Million” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/25/magazine/big-business-gwyneth-paltrow- wellness.html by Taffy Akner, New York Times Magazine, July 25, 2018 and Jia Tolintino’s “Losing Religion and Finding Ecstasy in Houston,” , May 27, 2019 https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/05/27/losing-religion-and-finding-ecstasy-in- houston.

Week 3, Sept. 10 and Sept. 12: Q&As and Classics. Reading for Tuesday: We will look at the art of the Q&A, which will be your first assignment. One of the best Q&A writers right now is David Marchese, with New York Times Magazine. We’ll look at one of his pieces and then look at a Q&A with him, as well as two other stories exploring his method. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/15/reader-center/talk-column-david-marchese.html https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/02/15/magazine/meg-ryan-romantic-comedy.html https://dscout.com/people-nerds/david-marchese-interview-advice https://www.interviewmagazine.com/culture/david-marchese-glenn-o-brien-andy-warhol- interview Every Sept. 11, I reread this piece, now considered one of the best magazine pieces ever written: “The Falling Man” by Tom Junod, https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a48031/the-falling- man-tom-junod/ No class on Thursday. Please use this time to work on your Q&A.

Week 4, Sept. 17 and Sept. 19: The Freelance Life and Launching Your Career. For Tuesday, we’ll have a guest speaker. Paula Mejía, the new culture editor at Texas Monthly, who recently returned to Texas from New York, where she Paula’s work has appeared in The New Yorker, , Rolling Stone, and other top publications. She’s a digital producer for Gothamist, New York Public Radio’s local journalism outlet, and before that she launched Atlas Obscura’s food and drink vertical, Gastro Obscura. She is a founding editor of Turning the Tables, NPR Music's series about centering women and nonbinary musicians in the musical canon. Her first book, a 33 ⅓ series volume on The Jesus and Mary Chain’s Psychocandy, was published in 2016. Reading for Tuesday: TK from Paula. For Thursday: Back to profiles. We’ll focus on great scenes, with this write-around profile, considered by many to be the best magazine story of all time: https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a638/frank-sinatra-has-a-cold-gay-talese/ . If there’s time, we’ll start exploring other formats, while also learning more about the industry's history, with this new oral history about the women at Rolling Stone magazine: https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2018/08/the-women-who-transformed-rolling-stone-in-the-mid- 70s . Assignment, due by 11:59 p.m. Sept. 19: An 800-word Q&A. Remember: boring subjects make for boring interviews, so find someone interesting! If you want to make it a networking assignment, choose a magazine writer or editor whose work you admire and want to know more about.

Week 5, Sept. 24 and Sept. 26: Essays and service journalism: Tuesday reading: Let’s return to essays. “Going It Alone” by Rahawa Haile, Outside, April 11, 2017 (https://www.outsideonline.com/2170266/solo-hiking-appalachian-trail-queer-black-woman ) “Mom, In Touch” by Abby Johnston, Texas Monthly, July 2018. https://www.texasmonthly.com/the- culture/mom-in-touch/. Thursday reading: Behold, great service journalism packages. TK.

Week 6, Oct. 1 and Oct. 3: The Art of pitching! Tuesday: We’ll have a special guest from Austin/San Antonio’s Culture Map, a digital mag, who will discuss service journalism, offer freelance tips, and explain what makes a good pitch. Reading: TK from guest. Thursday: No class. Work on your pitch assignment.

Week 7, Oct. 8 and Oct. 10: Long-form and Investigative Pieces. Tuesday: Reading: Skip Hollandsworth’s nationally recognized piece from last year. This is a documentary-style feature. https://features.texasmonthly.com/editorial/the-day-the-fire-came/ Thursday: Reading TK. Assignment, due by 11:59 p.m. Oct. 8: A 300-word pitch based on a press release I’m handing out in class, as well as a pitch and outline for a service journalism piece that you would be excited to write. More details TK.

Week 8, Oct. 15 and Oct. 17: More on Profiles Tuesday: Special guest, profile writer. Reading TK. Thursday: Reading TK.

Week 9, Oct. 22 and 24: How the Sausage is Made. We’ll explore the November issue of TM and go over how a magazine gets put together. We’ll also look at the magazine’s web site, so please bring your laptops to class. Reading: The November 2018 issue of TM. Thursday: Production staffers from TM will come to class.

Week 10, Oct. 29 and Oct. 31: The Industry Realities. This week, we’ll discuss recent articles about the state of the industry as well as some trends. We’ll look at the new spotlight on diversity, how women’s magazines are responding to the news, and the struggles the industry is having as a whole. We’ll also use Vanity Fair as a case study. We’ll read about its two big-shot editors that made it what is today— and Graydon Carter—as well as the new editor, Radhika Jones, who is trying to make it more diverse while facing major budget cuts. Please read all these articles, and we’ll get to them over the course of the week. Reading: Women/diversity: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/09/style/diversity-september-issue-magazines.html https://www.theringer.com/2018/9/4/17816298/magazine-cover-industry-2018 https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-07-20/in-the-age-of-trump-ignore-women-s-magazines-at- your-peril https://www.racked.com/2018/5/2/17307494/vogue-anna-wintour-met-gala Industry overviews/news: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/23/business/media/the-not-so-glossy-future-of-magazines.html https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/aug/12/interview-relaunch-proves-theres-life-yet-in-high-end- magazines https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/opinion/what-makes-a-great-magazine-editor

Stories about Vanity Fair, which is doing some interesting things with a new editor. I think it will make an interesting case study. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/11/20/how-tina-brown-remixed-the-magazine (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/07/business/media/graydon-carter-vanity- fair.html?module=inline (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. https://www.foliomag.com/what-the-hell-has-happened-to-vanity-fair/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/10/media/radhika-jones-vanity-fair-interview/index.html (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. Assignment, due Oct. 31: A 1,000-word personal essay. Details TK.

Week 11, Nov. 5 and Nov. 7: TK

Week 12, Nov. 12 and Nov. 14: The editing process and fact checking. That first draft is not going in the magazine. Also, learn about the importance of annotating and providing back up for the fact department and editor.

Week 13, Nov. 19 and Nov. 21: Social media. How to build a profile.

Week 14, Nov. 26 and Nov. 28: NO CLASS.

Week 15, Dec. 3 and Dec. 5: Workshop your profiles. Revisions are due a week from when I send your drafts back to you. On the last day, we will talk about the future of the industry and wrap up any loose ends! Assignment, due Dec. 5: First annotated draft (not rough draft!) of your 2,000-word personal essay. Details TK. Revise is due exactly a week after you get notes back for final grade.

Student Rights & Responsibilities •You have a right to a learning environment that supports mental and physical wellness. •You have a right to respect. •You have a right to be assessed and graded fairly. •You have a right to freedom of opinion and expression. •You have a right to privacy and confidentiality. •You have a right to meaningful and equal participation, to self-organize groups to improve your learning environment. •You have a right to learn in an environment that is welcoming to all people. No student shall be isolated, excluded or diminished in any way.

With these rights come responsibilities: •You are responsible for taking care of yourself, managing your time, and communicating with the teaching team and with others if things start to feel out of control or overwhelming. •You are responsible for acting in a way that is worthy of respect and always respectful of others. •Your experience with this course is directly related to the quality of the energy that you bring to it, and your energy shapes the quality of your peers’ experiences. •You are responsible for creating an inclusive environment and for speaking up when someone is excluded. •You are responsible for holding yourself accountable to these standards, holding each other to these standards, and holding the teaching team accountable as well.

Personal Pronoun Preference Professional courtesy and sensitivity are especially important with respect to individuals and topics dealing with differences of race, culture, religion, politics, sexual orientation, gender, gender variance, and nationalities. Class rosters are provided to the instructor with the student’s legal name. I will gladly honor your request to address you by an alternate name or gender pronoun. Please advise me of this preference early in the semester so that I may make appropriate changes to my records.

University Policies Academic Integrity Each student in the course is expected to abide by the University of Texas Honor Code: “As a student of The University of Texas at Austin, I shall abide by the core values of the University and uphold academic integrity.” Plagiarism is taken very seriously at UT. Therefore, if you use words or ideas that are not your own (or that you have used in previous class), you must cite your sources. Otherwise you will be guilty of plagiarism and subject to academic disciplinary action, including failure of the course. You are responsible for understanding UT’s Academic Honesty and the University Honor Code, which can be found at the following web address: http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs/acint_student.php

Q Drop Policy If you want to drop a class after the 12th class day, you’ll need to execute a Q drop before the Q- drop deadline, which typically occurs near the middle of the semester. Under Texas law, you are only allowed six Q drops while you are in college at any public Texas institution. For more information, see: http://www.utexas.edu/ugs/csacc/academic/adddrop/qdrop

University Resources for Students Your success in this class is important to me. We will all need accommodations because we all learn differently. If there are aspects of this course that prevent you from learning or exclude you, please let me know as soon as possible. Together we’ll develop strategies to meet both your needs and the requirements of the course. There are also a range of resources on campus:

Services for Students with Disabilities This class respects and welcomes students of all backgrounds, identities, and abilities. If there are circumstances that make our learning environment and activities difficult, if you have medical information that you need to share with me, or if you need specific arrangements in case the building needs to be evacuated, please let me know. I am committed to creating an effective learning environment for all students, but I can only do so if you discuss your needs with me as early as possible. I promise to maintain the confidentiality of these discussions. If appropriate, also contact Services for Students with Disabilities, 512-471-6259 (voice) or 1-866-329-3986 (video phone). http://ddce.utexas.edu/disability/about/

Counseling and Mental Health Center Do your best to maintain a healthy lifestyle this semester by eating well, exercising, avoiding drugs and alcohol, getting enough sleep and taking some time to relax. This will help you achieve your goals and cope with stress. All of us benefit from support during times of struggle. You are not alone. There are many helpful resources available on campus and an important part of the college experience is learning how to ask for help. Asking for support sooner rather than later is often helpful. If you or anyone you know experiences any academic stress, difficult life events, or feelings like anxiety or depression, we strongly encourage you to seek support. http://www.cmhc.utexas.edu/individualcounseling.html

The Sanger Learning Center Did you know that more than one-third of UT undergraduate students use the Sanger Learning Center each year to improve their academic performance? All students are welcome to take advantage of Sanger Center’s classes and workshops, private learning specialist appointments, peer academic coaching, and tutoring for more than 70 courses in 15 different subject areas. For more information, please visit http://www.utexas.edu/ugs/slc or call 512-471-3614 (JES A332).

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•Occupants of buildings on The University of Texas at Austin campus are required to evacuate buildings when a fire alarm is activated. Alarm activation or announcement requires exiting and assembling outside. •Familiarize yourself with all exit doors of each classroom and building you may occupy. Remember that the nearest exit door may not be the one you used when entering the building. •Students requiring assistance in evacuation shall inform their instructor in writing during the first week of class. •In the event of an evacuation, follow the instruction of faculty or class instructors. Do not re-enter a building unless given instructions by the following: Austin Fire Department, The University of Texas at Austin Police Department, or Fire Prevention Services office. • Info regarding emergency evacuation routes and emergency procedures can be found at www.utexas.edu/emergency