by Writing Workshops Staff
2 weeks ago
Ethan Warren occupies a particularly thoughtful position in the increasingly fragmented landscape of cultural criticism, where traditional publications shutter their arts sections and algorithmic feeds dictate cultural discourse.
The author of The Cinema of Paul Thomas Anderson: American Apocrypha and editor-in-chief of the arts and culture journal Broad Sound, Warren has spent years cultivating the kind of critical voice that seems increasingly rare: one that values depth over virality, context over clickbait, and genuine engagement over performative hot takes.
Warren brings this sensibility to his upcoming six-week course, Writing on Arts and Culture: 6-Week Essay Generator, offered through WritingWorkshops.com. The class promises to guide students through the essential mechanics of cultural criticism, from crafting incisive reviews to developing expansive thinkpieces that connect artistic works to broader cultural currents. But Warren's approach extends beyond mere technique; he's interested in fostering what he calls sticky ideas, the kind of critical insights that could only emerge from a writer's specific constellation of interests and experiences.
In our conversation, Warren reflects on the existential threats facing arts criticism today, from the rise of AI-generated content to the wholesale elimination of culture desks at major publications.
Yet rather than succumbing to pessimism, he sees this moment as an opportunity for writers to "sharpen up our critical pencils" and ensure a future for thoughtful cultural discourse. His course structure, moving from review fundamentals through the complexities of the cultural essay, mirrors his belief that criticism, at its best, serves not as mere consumer guidance but as a form of cultural stewardship.
What emerges from Warren's teaching philosophy is a vision of criticism as both craft and calling. Students will analyze exemplary work from critics like Roger Ebert and Manohla Dargis, learn to pitch editors effectively, and develop their own critical frameworks.
But the deeper promise of Warren's course lies in its potential to transform passionate readers, viewers, and listeners into the kind of cultural critics our moment desperately needs: writers who understand that, as Stephen King once observed, "life isn't a support system for art, it's the other way around."
For those seeking to transform their cultural enthusiasms into professional opportunities, or simply to articulate their aesthetic experiences with greater precision and power, Warren's course offers something increasingly valuable: a structured pathway into the art of thinking seriously about art itself.
We sat down with Ethan Warren to learn more about his upcoming class and his approach to arts and culture criticism.
Writing Workshops: Hi, Ethan. Please introduce yourself to our audience.
Ethan Warren: I'm a writer and editor of arts and culture criticism. I'm the author of the book The Cinema of Paul Thomas Anderson: American Apocrypha, and the editor-in-chief of the arts and culture journal Broad Sound.
Writing Workshops: What made you want to teach this specific class? Is it something you are focusing on in your own writing practice? Have you noticed a need to focus on this element of craft?
Ethan Warren: I see a lot of existential threats out there endangering arts and culture criticism, whether that's the shuttering of outlets or the rise of AI "writing." It's an important time to sharpen up our critical pencils and make sure there's a future for this type of writing.
Writing Workshops: Give us a breakdown of how the course is going to go. What can the students expect? What is your favorite part about this class you've dreamed up?
Ethan Warren: Students can expect a mixture of instruction and collaboration. We'll use breakout rooms to give one another feedback on the work we're doing, because I think sharpening your editing eye is just as important as honing your own writing. I'm really looking forward to seeing what topics people pick for their "thinkpiece" essay, and how many different types of art we might be able to see represented. I'd love to see writing on art forms you don't always see written about, whether that means video games, sculpture, or anything in between.
Writing Workshops: What was your first literary crush?
Ethan Warren: I fell deeply in love with the short stories of Ray Bradbury as a preteen, and they've never lost any of their power for me. They still lull me into a sort of pleasant dream state where anything feels possible with both narrative and language.
Writing Workshops: What are you currently reading?
Ethan Warren: I'm reading Warren Zanes' "Deliver Me From Nowhere" on the making of Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska. If you're a Springsteen fan (and I'm a big one), it's like candy.
Writing Workshops: How do you choose what you're working on? When do you know it is the next thing you want to write all the way to THE END?
Ethan Warren: At this point, I can usually tell which ideas are sticky--they're the ones that excite me because nothing like it exists, whether that means finding a topic that's never been written on at great length, or mashing up two ideas that excite me individually into something that could only come from my specific interests. The biggest bummer is when you feel like someone else could have written your piece just as easily.
Writing Workshops: Where do you find inspiration?
Ethan Warren: In other people's writing. The best way to get fired up is to read something else that interests and excites you. In the best case, it doesn't lead to imitation but rather reminds you of the breadth of possibility there is for how we express ourselves.
Writing Workshops: What is the best piece of writing wisdom you've received that you can pass along to our readers? How did it impact your work? Why has this advice stuck with you?
Ethan Warren: I really like Stephen King's line "life isn't a support system for art, it's the other way around." I think it's an important reminder to people like me who feel compelled to be constantly producing. We make stuff to enrich our lives, and if life becomes just the scaffolding around what you're trying to make, the making of the thing suffers. You need to live a rich and expansive life and know that it will all come back around to influence your work just as long as you leave that space and don't centralize your career.
Writing Workshops: What is your favorite book to recommend on the craft of writing? Why this book?
Ethan Warren: Going back to an earlier answer, I've always had a fondness for Ray Bradbury's Zen in the Art of Writing. It's a great entry-level writing manual written with warmth, wit, and charm. It inspired me as a young writer and I hope it would inspire anyone similarly.
Learn more about Ethan's Writing on Arts and Culture 6-Week Essay Generator class, and sign up now to avoid the waitlist!
Instructor Ethan Warren is the author of the book The Cinema of Paul Thomas Anderson: American Apocrypha (Columbia University Press, 2023) and the forthcoming When I Paint My Masterpiece: The Cinematic Bob Dylan (Columbia UP). His freelancing credits include Bright Wall/Dark Room, LitHub, and the Los Angeles Review of Books. He is a former editor for Bright Wall/Dark Room and is now editor-in-chief of the arts and culture journal Broad Sound.
