Professional and public writing department holds the eighth annual National Day of Writing in North Woods

by Paige Monopoli, reposted from CAS News Page

KINGSTON, RI – Oct 22, 2024 – In a time where a sense of community is increasingly difficult to come by, creative expression may be among one of the strongest tactics of reconnection. Professor of professional and public writing and director of first-year writing, Stephanie West-Puckett, believes writing has the power to create communities and enlighten our own identities and relationships. That’s why she was eager to bring her previous work with National Day of Writing to URI when she joined as faculty in 2017.

Celebrating The National Day of Writing is a part of West-Puckett’s curriculum. Every year, first year students are required to attend a themed event. In the past, students have met on campus to write about wellness where they wrote letters to loved ones and practiced meditation. One year centered on advocacy by connecting with multicultural student groups. Another examined linguistic diversity accompanied by a dialect quiz from the New York Times.  This year West-Puckett joined forces with Madison Jones, professor of professional and public writing and natural resources science, to try something a little different. Knowing about Jones’s ongoing North Woods Project, together they combined their expertise and developed a two day event. [… READ THE FULL STORY ON THE A&S NEWS PAGE…]