Rhetoric and Composition
Director, Center for Writing
Ph.D., Saint Louis University
Fields: Rhetoric, Social Justice, Composition Studies, Writing Across the Curriculum, Professional Writing, Language and Literacy Studies, 19th Century American Literature, Humor Studies
Email: lbrittsm@holycross.edu
Office Phone: 508-793-3681
Office: Dinand 210
PO Box: WP
Office Hours: 1:30-2:30 Monday , or by appointment
Courses
- ENGL 110: Introduction to Academic Writing
- CISS 299: Writing About Data and Policy
- MONT 100: ABC, 123
- MONT 104: Sci Fi: Redefining the Human
- PSPT 108: Elements of Writing Argument
- ENGL 299: Revising Writing
- ENGL 399: Theories of English Language & Literature
Publications
- "Bridging Academic and Workplace Writing: Insights from Employers." Writing Beyond the University: Preparing Lifelong Learners for Lifewide Writing, edited by Julia Bleakney, Jessie L. Moore, and Paula Rosinski, Elon, NC: Elon University Center for Engaged Learning, 2022.
- "Why Does Grammar Matter?" The Conversation. 11 Jan. 2021.
- "Exploring the Borderlands: Using Interdisciplinarity to Build Civic Literacy at the College of the Holy Cross." Redesigning Liberal Education: Innovative Design for a Twenty-First-Century Undergraduate Education, edited by William Moner, Phillip Motley, and Rebecca Pope-Ruark, Johns Hopkins University Press, 2020, pp. 85-97.
- "Not So Easily Dismissed: The Intellectual Influences and Rhetorical Voice of Dorothy Day--'Servant of God.'" Remembering Women Differently: Refiguring Rhetorical Work, edited by Lynee Lewis Gaillet and Helen Gaillet Bailey. South Carolina University Press, 2019, pp. 206-221.
- "Transforming Eloquentia Perfecta for the 21st Century." Connections, Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities, 2019.
- "Eloquentia Perfecta in the Time of Tweets." Conversations on Jesuit Higher Education , vol. 52, 2017, pp. 14-15.
- Review -- Traditions of Eloquence--The Jesuits and Modern Rhetorical Studies. Conversations on Jesuit Higher Education , vol. 51, 2017, pp. 50-51.
- "Do We Really Want the Flies We Might Catch? Interrogating 'Post-Feminist' Lessons for Success." Surviving Sexism in Academia: Strategies for Feminist Leadership, edited by Kristi Cole and Holly Hassel. Routledge, 2017, pp.38-45. Co-authored with Heather Hill-Vasquez.
- "Jesuits in Film: Pioneers, Musketeers, Exorcists." Conversations on Jesuit Higher Education, vol. 45, 2014, pp. 35-36.
- "Faith, Rhetoric, Rock 'n Roll: The Boundary Crossing Influence of Bono's Prophetic Vision." Prophetic Critique and Popular Media: Theoretical Foundations and Practical Application, edited by Robert Woods and Kevin Healey. Peter Lang, 2013, pp. 35-53.
- "Conversations and Collaborations: Eloquentia Perfecta on 21st Century Jesuit Campuses." Conversations on Jesuit Higher Education, vol. 43, 2013, pp. 20-21. Co-authored with Lisa Zimmerelli, Cinthia Gannett, and John Kerrigan.
- "Faith, Politics, and Paradox: Jim Wallis as Social Justice Prophet." The International Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Society, vol. 1, no. 4, 2012, pp. 149-158.
- "Txt Msgs 4 Afrca: Social Justice Communities in a Digital World." Reflections: Writing, Service Learning, and Community Literacy, vol. 10, no. 1, 2010, pp. 172-194.
- "Letting the Cracks Show: Anne Lamott and the Feminine Style of Rhetoric." The Cresset, vol. 71, no. 1, 2007, pp. 17-20.
- Review - Furious Flower II: The Black Poetic Tradition. African American Review, vol. 40, no. 3, 2006, pp. 604-605.
Editorial Work
- To Wit - The Newsletter of the American Humor Studies Association. Editor. (2011-2016).
- Conversations in Jesuit Higher Education. Member of the National Seminar (Editorial Board, 2012-2015).
- The International Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Society. Associate Editor. Vols. 1.1-1.3.
Writing Program Experience
- 2015-present - Center for Writing Director, College of the Holy Cross.
- 2008-2015 - Associate Professor, Writing Program Director, and Director of the Writing Center, University of Detroit Mercy.
- 2006-2007 - Writing Program Assistant Director, Saint Louis University.
Awards
- 2009 - Mellon Grant for Humanities Studies. College of Liberal Arts and Education, University of Detroit Mercy.
- 2007 - Dr. Mary Louise Adams Endowed Fellowship. College of Arts and Sciences, Saint Louis University.
- 2000 - VanReenan Award for Excellence in the Teaching of College Writing, Western Michigan University.
Involved In
- HC F1RST Advisory Board.
- Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies.
- Association for Writing Across the Curriculum, Founding member. Treasurer (2018-present).
- Jesuit Conference on Rhetoric and Composition, Vice-Chair/Chair (2017-2020).
- Northeast Writing Across the Curriculum Consortium, Chair (2017- 2019). Vice-Chair (2016-2017).
- Research Network Forum at the College Conference on Composition and Communication (2011-present).