The hardest part of writing an essay is starting it. The easiest way to spark a new idea is to look at the text through a specific lense. Here are 6 lenses I find particularly useful, enlightening, and interesting.
Feminist theory Text to look at: Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay
Queer theory
Text to look at: Brown has compiled a list of potentially helpful, intersectional queer theory.
Cognitive frameworks
Text to look at: “Introduction: Epistemic Communities and International Pol- icy Coordination” by Peter Haas
Dream theory
Text to look at: Sigmund Freud and Anna Freud both have good, extensive theories that can be applied to dreams.
Pronoun Use
Text to look at: The Secret Life of Pronouns by James Pennebaker
Path Dependence
Text to look at: “Increasing Returns, Path Dependence, and the Study of Politics” by Paul Pierson