Course Syllabus

Creative Nonfiction Workshop

Description of Course

Creative Nonfiction is a prose genre that applies the techniques of literary craftsmanship to the task of accurately representing reality. It does not invent events or people, in other words, but conveys them in a compelling and dramatic way. In this course, which is designed for advanced writers, we will explore the theory and practice of creative nonfiction by reading and writing in a variety of forms, including profile, travel writing, memoir, and literary journalism. This course includes a heavy writing component, and your work will be critiqued and edited in a workshop setting.

Learning Objectives

• To learn about the competing definitions, conventions and issues that surround the genre of good creative nonfiction writing
• To master some of the tools that make for powerful creative non-fiction—or any kind of writing
• To consider a number of different genres of creative non-fiction, and to learn how to write effectively in each
• To develop a portfolio of work that allows you to put this understanding of the genre and its possibilities into practice
• To learn to critique others’ work effectively, constructively, and sensitively, in a collaborative setting

Expectations

I expect you to attend all class sessions unless prohibited by an emergency. Participation makes up a quarter of your grade, and if you are not in class, you can’t participate. Regardless of whether the work under consideration is a published magazine article by a famous writer, or a fellow student’s essay, I expect you to read it closely, and come to class prepared to discuss it thoughtfully. I expect you to turn in assignments on time (this is necessary to give your readers a chance to thoroughly consider your essays before they are workshopped) and to incorporate the constructive opinions of the workshop as you revise. I also expect that, while being honest, you will be kind and respectful when you critique others’ work, and will strive to be open and receptive (not defensive) when others critique yours.

Reading

Because no one learns to be a good writer without being a good reader, there will be a fairly heavy amount of reading in this course. You are expected to come to class having done the assigned reading for that day, and being prepared to discuss it thoughtfully.

A course reader of required readings  has been made for this course. Additional readings will be posted to Canvas.

Readings include, but are not limited to:

Jo Ann Beard, "The Fourth State of Matter"

David Foster Wallace, "Shipping Out"

Susan Orlean, "The American Male at Age 10"

Junot Diaz, "Homecoming, With Turtle"

Gay Talese, "Frank Sinatra Has A Cold"

Meredith Hall, "Shunned"

John Edgar Wideman, "Looking at Emmett Till"

Joan Didion, "Some Dreamers of the Golden Dream"

Evaluation

As this is a writing course, there will be frequent written exercises. Some of these exercises will occur in class, and will be spontaneous and ungraded, while others, though still short - no more than 1 page - will require more polishing. The latter are designed to give you an opportunity to apply thoughtfully the lessons and techniques discussed in class.

You will also be required to write a long, substantive essay over the course of the semester, which will be workshopped, revised, and turned in after workshopping for a final grade. Although I will consider the quality of the original essay, as well as the degree to which it has improved, you will only be graded on this second version (your grade, however, will suffer if you do not turn in a draft for workshopping at the appointed time).

Grading

• Short assignments: You will be assigned eight short (1 page) assignments throughout the semester which must be printed out and brought to class on the day they are due. Together, these assignments will comprise 30% of your grade.
• Essay: Your essay will be the culmination of a longer project that must involve research and reporting. The topic is up to you, but you will be asked to decide upon it early in the semester so that you can report and research it effectively. Essays should be roughly 10 pages long. 40%
• Informed participation: You will be evaluated not only on how frequently and consistently you participate in class discussions and peer critique, but on the quality of your contribution as well. 30%

Academic Regulations  

Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on:

• Course Enrollment and Grading
• Attendance
• Coursework, Exams, and Final Grade Reports

DIS - Study Abroad in Scandinavia - www.DISabroad.org