Long-Form Writing Shines in Mind Shift 2025

The seduction and addiction of consuming Netflix content at 1.5x. Language preservation and identity. Political messaging and parasocial relationships. The joy of raising one’s voice in song with others. These topics and more are included in this collection of long-form essays produced in the Winter 2025 course Professional Long-form Writing & Platforms.

These original pieces are the product of weeks of brainstorming, research, writing, editing, more writing, and the final editing. Students were encouraged to pursue a topic of deep personal interest, and the results are as varied as the kaleidoscope of students our program is lucky to attract. While students were trained on using AI tools for research and editing, these pieces represent original work.

This class demands a certain kind of commitment, as well as courage and conviction, given that work is shared openly in draft form with their peers. The lesson conveyed is that writing is not just a solitary act, but one that invites collaboration.

Enjoy!

Anita Verna Crofts

Comm Lead Artist in Residence