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Creative Non-fiction Writing
Monday, 03:15 PM - 04:45 PM: GWZ 3.5.15
Spring Term 2009
Catherine Chung

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How are the personal and the public intertwined in the essay? How does author come to understand her situation in context: in history, in politics, in place? How does the author reconstruct and present her memories? Is the meaning transparent to her, or does she struggle with the interpretation? Is the self in narrative fragmented or whole, in the process of becoming, or already constituted? These are some of the key questions we ask of the personal essay as we explore how memory and identity are interpreted and reinterpreted, and in what ways such writing informs us not only about the author, but the society we live in and the beliefs we hold.

In this is class the focus is on learning to write about your own personal experience and its relation to the larger, collective experience. We will read essays with a focus on learning the tricks of the trade, and how to use them in your own work. We will focus on structure, language, technique, and style, and how they work together to create work that is powerful and affecting. Workshops are an integral part of this course. You must be willing to put your writing up for close scrutiny, and able to give criticism generously and honestly. The best workshop is about approaching the work on its own terms. Egos should have nothing to do with it. Remember: the only way to learn how to improve is to talk about what is working and what is not. The best reader is both sympathetic to the project, and without mercy. In this course, you must strive to be your own best reader.

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