Last week, Meredith Barrett, A&L’s Assistant Director for Writing and Related Literacies, was named RISD’s Supervisor of the Year for undergraduates. We are all so proud of her wonderfully deserved honor! Meredith brings enormous care, support, and intelligence to her work as a supervisor, educator, and mentor to all of A&L’s tutors. Tutor Jude Bigboy’s nomination letter, read aloud by Kevin Lynch, Director of Student Employment, was beautiful in so many ways. Thank you, Jude, for taking time to reflect and share your experience and perspective so generously. And congratulations to two of A&L’s tutors, Cindy Qiao and Derek Russell, who were among the nominees for Student Employee of the Year. And thank you to President Williams for her lovely comments and appreciation for how much student employees give to the RISD community and to Kevin and Nelly for creating such a joyful occasion!
Help A&L Think About Biases Among Art and Design Disciplines
Did you know that the staff and peer tutors at A&L take part in ongoing education in the philosophy and practice of tutoring? In tutor education meetings, we learn about everything from brainstorming tools to grant-writing best practices to intercultural rhetoric. Here we are building stories with objects last fall …
In the spring, peer tutors take the lead, researching and presenting on topics of interest. This spring, we've learned about the "Pedagogy of Play" from Lucas and "Strategies that Support a Neurodiverse Community" from Abigail, for example. This week, Derek will be leading a session on "Encountering (and Inadvertently Perpetuating?) Bias" in our disciplines and in our tutoring sessions.
If you’re around the center, please help Derek and A&L learn about how bias—affirmative and negative—plays out in RISD's distinct disciplines. To take part in our informal study, submit responses to our questions and any other thoughts you have in the form of sentences, words, lists, drawings, diagrams, etc. Look for the display just inside our doors during open office hours (9-5, M-F). We appreciate your contributions!
Join our team of tutors!
Update, 7/29/22: All A&L Peer Tutor positions have been filled for the 2022–23 academic year. Check back with us in Spring to apply for a position next year.
A&L is hiring grad and undergrad tutors for the 2022–23 academic year.
If you’re interested in …
helping and learning from others
sharing your appreciation for writing in the context of art and design
interpersonal, interdisciplinary, and intercultural connection
the interplay between identity and communication
developing your own knowledge and professional experience
… then see our job descriptions for more details and apply using the link below.
Undergraduate Tutor Job Description
Grad Assistant Tutor Job Description
No prior tutoring experience necessary. All positions will be filled no later than August 31; early applications (by June 1) are encouraged.
Apply via this Google Form.
Can a Typeface Solve a Social Issue?
Language is inherently related to identity in a number of ways: the communities we belong to, the cultures that shape our thinking and expression, the vocabularies we draw from, and even the way we spell words. So it’s no wonder there is so much discussion (like in this episode of The Table podcast) of questions like whether and when to capitalize the b in “Black” or how to achieve gender neutrality and fluidity in languages with masculine and feminine word forms.
Aldo Arillo and Mario García Torres, Mexican type designer and artist, take up the task of removing gender bias in text with a whole new vowel: the secte. They designed this new character with traits of the letters o, a, and e, vowels used to signal gender in Spanish. Read more about it in this article from The Brand Inquirer.
The secte intends to replace the use of @ and x, which are currently used to achieve gender neutrality but are often attributed to influences outside the Spanish speaking or Latin American communities.
Does the secte achieve all it aspires to? Is this an effective solution for eliminating gender bias? More importantly, what does it mean to address this kind of big cultural question through design?
A Conversation with Molly Crabapple - Feb. 24
A&L is thrilled to co-host …
Molly Crabapple in Conversation with Matt Seaton and Marisa Mazria Katz
Join Molly Crabapple (artist, writer, author of the memoir Drawing Blood); Matt Seaton (editor of and contributor to nybooks.com, The New York Review of Books online); and Marisa Mazria Katz, journalist and founding editor of Creative Time Reports, for a conversation on Molly’s career as an artist working for major news outlets (The New York Times, The Guardian, The New York Review of Books, and more) and, more broadly, on the value of and potential for amplifying artists’ voices in the public sphere.
Thursday, February 24, 6:30-8:00 PM
Fleet Library, 15 Westminster Street
Live and in person!
Co-hosted by the Center for Arts & Language and Fleet Library
Spring Drop-in Hours for Multilingual Learners
Spring 2022, Tuesdays 12-1 PM, In-Person at the Center for Arts & Language
Multilingual learners, do you have a question about speaking in class or critique, writing assignments or projects, communication skills in general? Stop by Tuesdays from 12–1 PM to speak with A&L’s multilingual learning staff—Maya Krinsky and Maria Thompson—about using English at RISD.
Friday Grad Thesis Writing Studio - In Person This Spring!
This Spring, Fridays anytime between 9 and 12, all grad thesis writers are welcome to sit, stay, and write a while in A&L’s open space. Join us for free coffee, great views, quiet company, writing resources, and A&L staff and tutors on hand for impromptu check-ins. No RSVP required. Email jliese@risd.edu with questions or requests.
Friday Study Skills Workshops - In Person This Spring!
A&L’s Study Skills for Academic Success lesson series returns this Spring, in person at A&L, 2nd floor, 15 West. Join A&L’s Multilingual Learning Specialist Maria Thompson weekly from February 25th through March 25th on Fridays from 12-1 for targeted guidance and skills relevant to all RISD courses. Please RSVP to uthompso@risd.edu.
Week 1, Feb 25
Reflecting on academic culture
In the first week, we will focus on key features and expectations of academic culture. We will watch and discuss the video series Writing Across Borders and reflect on our first semester experiences at RISD. All participants will perform a self-assessment and set initial workshop goals.
Week 2, March 4
Recording and reducing lecture notes
This week, students learn how to record, organize and reconstruct efficient notes, develop their ability to detect key concepts quickly, and utilize course resources such as the syllabus. Students learn how to abbreviate and use nontraditional ways to record information, such as the Cornell and visual note-taking techniques.
Week 3, March 11
Responding with sources
This week prepares students to write using different methods of engaging with sources. Students will learn about annotated bibliographies, use Hypothesis software to complete a social annotation activity, and then write their own complete annotation on a source.
Week 4, March 18
Reviewing and expanding
This week we learn creative ways to review concepts with peers and seek further information. Students will learn effective ways to collaborate with others through structured activities and scheduled study sessions.
Week 5, March 25
Reading with a critical eye
This week's lessons are designed to teach students how to read scholarly writing with a critical eye for relevant details in the least amount of time. Students will learn what part of a text to visit first and how to determine if it is significant to their research topic quickly. We conclude the series by revisiting our goals and considering our intentions for the remainder of Spring semester.
Online This Wintersession: Writing about Your Work
Join A&L Director Jen Liese for a participatory workshop series focused on writing effectively and authentically about your own art or design for any purpose (graduate thesis, a website, an artist statement, a project grant, grad school applications, your own discovery …).
Five Wednesdays from 4-5 PM, starting January 12.
Email jliese@risd.edu to RSVP and get the Zoom link.
Let’s share some work and words. We’ll start with a conversation about where you are with your writing—what you’re working on, your goals, your questions. From there, we’ll respond to generative writing prompts together—on the spark or context behind your work, your precedents, your process, your plans. We’ll also look at exemplary, inspiring writing by artists and designers. Each week, we’ll set a goal for the next, then come together, share our progress and writing, and give feedback. Students can expect to complete a draft, open up ways of thinking and communicating, maybe even launch a new writing practice.
Questions and requests for alternate workshop times (groups of 3 or more) are welcome.
Online This Wintersession: Study Skills for Academic Success
Join A&L’s Multilingual Learning Specialist Maria Thompson for 30-minute interactive lessons on key academic skills. The online series will be divided into five parts—reflect, record, read, respond, and review—and will focus on verbal participation throughout.
Wednesdays and Fridays at 10 AM, starting January 12.
Email uthompso@risd.edu to RSVP and get the Zoom link.
Details …
Week 1, Jan 12 and 14
Reflecting on academic culture
The first week, we will focus on key features and expectations of academic culture. We will watch and discuss the video series Writing Across Borders and reflect on our first semester experiences at RISD. All participants will perform a self-assessment and set initial workshop goals.
Week 2, Jan 19 and 21
Recording and reducing lecture notes
This week, students learn how to record, organize and reconstruct efficient notes, and develop their ability to quickly detect key concepts. Students learn how to abbreviate and utilize nontraditional ways to record information, such as the Cornell and visual note-taking techniques.
Week 3, Jan 26 and 28
Responding with sources
This week prepares students to write using different methods of engaging with sources. Students will learn about annotated bibliographies, use Hypothesis software to complete a social annotation activity, and then write their own complete annotation on a source.
Week 4, Feb 2 and 4
Reviewing and expanding
This week we learn creative ways to review concepts with peers and seek further information. Students will learn effective ways to collaborate with others through structured activities and scheduled study sessions. We conclude the series by revisiting our goals and considering our intentions for the Spring semester.
Week 5, Feb 9 and 11
Reading with a critical eye
This week’s lessons are designed to teach students how to read scholarly writing with a critical eye for relevant details in the least amount of time. Students will learn what part of a text to visit first and how to quickly determine if it is significant to their research topic.
Postmarked Seeks Submissions
A new publication is on its way from Architecture, and they are looking for contributions from contributors in all disciplines. We’re already intrigued by this issue’s theme: Sonder.
Visions Seeks Submissions
Visions, a publication that celebrates the diversity of Brown and RISD’s Asian and Asian-American community is accepting submissions this week. See below for submission info and see the archives right here: https://issuu.com/visions.brown.
Ways of Speaking and Listening
A&L Director Jen Liese has a new article published in the Archives of American Art Journal: a feature on the artist lecture archives of the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture and, more broadly, an analysis and speculation on the rhetoric of this rich primary-source genre of art histories. The RISD community can link to the article directly right here.
And that reminds us … yes, A&L tutors can work with you on all stages and parts of developing your artist talk!
A group of participants outside of the Fresco Barn, Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, 1966. Gelatin silver print. Photographer unknown. Photograph courtesy Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture.
Multilingual Critique Group - Fridays at Noon
This weekly study group is for multilingual students who want to improve their English language fluency and vocabulary. Bring your lunch, language questions, and an artwork to share.
When: Fridays, 12-1, Oct. 8, 15, 22, 29, and Nov. 5
Where: A&L (15 West, 2nd floor)
Facilitated by: Maya Krinsky. Email mkrinsky01@risd.edu with questions and to sign up.
Many Ways of Telling
Anne West, faculty liaison and thesis book mentor extraordinaire, has curated the latest in her biannual exhibitions of exemplary thesis books. Don’t miss it—up for just two more weeks.
We're Back, at Last
My goodness, it feels good to be back at A&L and at RISD, with wonderful students and beloved colleagues. We wouldn’t be A&L without the incredible insight and energy of our nearly 30 student staff members. Welcoming everyone back and getting the year rolling together is an honor. Here’s a look into our first tutor education and v.1 (volume-1.org) editorial meetings. So much more to come …
A&L is Hiring Peer Tutors!
A&L is hiring grad and undergrad tutors for the 2021–22 academic year.
If you’re interested in …
helping and learning from others
sharing your appreciation for writing in the context of art and design
interpersonal, interdisciplinary, and intercultural connection
the interplay between identity and communication
developing your own knowledge and professional experience
… then see our job descriptions for more details and how to apply.
Undergraduate Tutor Job Description
Grad Assistant Tutor Job Description
No prior tutoring experience is necessary. All positions will be filled no later than August 31; early applications (by June 1) are encouraged.
Spreading the Writing Love
This week, we heard from two A&L tutors (one past, one present) and were so inspired, we just couldn’t keep it to ourselves. Fred Mathelier (BFA FAV 2020), thank you so much for sending and letting us share your awesome mini-book review, and Derek Russell (BArch 2022), thank you for sending and letting us share a snapshot of your off-screen writing process (we sure do need more of that these days!).
Okay, here you go, everyone, spreading the writing love …
Hey! It's Fred!
For my birthday earlier this year, my grandmother slipped me a gift card to Barnes and Noble, which I used as an excuse to browse the shelves for a few hours.
This one cover jumped out to me, "Murder your Darlings," by Roy Peter Clark. Up til that moment I misquoted the phrase as "Kill your Babies," and although I understood the spirit of the phrase, Clark's 2021 writing guide has crystal clarified what I already understood.
The book is an aggregate of different writing guides that Clark draws from when writing and coaching others, familiar faces like Aristotle and Strunk and White have passages, but in between, I meet writers new to me, like Ursula K. LeGuin, and Arthur Quiller-Couch aka "Q" (the originator of the title phrase!). The cover quotes Mingon Fogarty's review on the cover; "A party popper of inspiration" she calls it. I agree wholeheartedly.
When Clark went over techniques for helping writers get unstuck in chapter 8, I knew I had to share this with you guys, and use that as an opportunity to say hello and ask how you were doing.
Missing A&L like crazy today,
Wishing well,
Fred
And here’s Derek’s wall full of writing, of which he notes: “Replicating and rearranging passages has worked out great to help see the work in its entirety.” (You can read Derek’s writing up close in v.1, right here.)
"The Functions and Failures of Language"
Here’s a conversation we can’t wait to hear. See Color the Conversation’s Instagram page to learn more and to register.
English for Art & Design
English for Art & Design is a 1-credit language-intensive course for new graduate students in any of RISD’s programs. The course provides a linguistic, cultural, and academic foundation and connects graduate students across disciplines. The course serves as additional language study or an intro to US academic culture if you have never studied in the U.S. before. It is not a traditional language class; all course material is drawn from our academic fields, work, and interests.
The course meets online July 5-30, 2021, with live sessions Mon/Wed 8-10 PM EST, individual meetings with the instructor, and additional independent and interactive work, totaling 10 -15 hours per week.
Please contact instructor and Associate Director of Multilingual Learning Maya Krinsky to sign up or ask questions about this course or other recommendations for pre-arrival study. mkrinsky01@risd.edu.