<p>^^Not sure what has happened with Harvard’s Expository writing program. It was tops, twenty and even just ten years ago. When Richard Marius (biographer of Thomas More, author of an excellent short book on writing about history, and a co-editor of Thomas More papers) was the director, Harvard’s program was top-notch; the next director also did a fine job; I knew two well-published novelists who worked there, but that was ten years ago. I’m sorry for not having investigated further – I just went on line and looked at what Harvard has been doing with expository writing lately and see that it is, unfortunately, very much going the way of other first year writing programs - some layers of administration, and a legion of exploited adjuncts.</p>
<p>It certainly looks to me like Harvard is in need of re-evaluating what it wants to do with first-year writing. Perhaps Drew Gilpin Faust will take a look at this. In the meantime, I’ll stand by my earlier post - Cornell and Michigan are both exemplary in what they do with first-year writing. Yale also has a good approach - the Freshman Seminars program.</p>