Great Books Program students all need to know how to write a well-reasoned, coherent essay. This course introduces students to the art of defining a topic, doing high-quality research with limited resources, and writing an engaging and solid college-level paper.

Kara Heyne has taught English literature and writing for over a decade with online programs. Her BA in English from the University of Dallas (’05) was only the beginning of her love of writing. She was slated to graduate with an MA in English from University of Wisconsin Oshkosh in spring of 2020, but that was delayed due to the extended quarantine. She currently has one published book (The Locket’s Secret) with a sequel released on Easter Monday (The World’s a Stage). She has eight homeschooled children and in her free time she plays with Shakespeare, creating scripts derived from the Bard for younger children to perform, as well as novels based on the classic plays. 

There is no book requirement for this course. There is not one source that would encompass the full scope of the class. We will be starting with writing basics (thesis statements, 5 paragraph essays, etc.) but then moving on to academic research essays, literary criticism, and reading great essays to inform the students’ own style. No single source does this.

The sources I will be referencing are the MLA 8th edition handbook and various reputable free online sources, such as Purdue OWL for writing techniques and Project Gutenberg for the great essays.