Advanced Creative Cross-Genre Writing (309-0-20)
Instructors
Rachel J Webster
Meeting Info
University Hall 118: Mon, Wed 2:00PM - 3:20PM
Overview of class
Our ancestors are an endless source of stories. They connect us to human experiences and historical contexts that hold opportunities for self-reflection, increased agency, and multi-generational awareness. To begin to understand our ancestors' contexts, resilience, and survival is to be "delivered from our myths and given our history," as James Baldwin wisely wrote. Writing stories from our families and ancestries can help us to vivify and add specificity to our writing as we transcend the subject matter of our individualism. This course will help you to write some of the stories, poems and essays that only you can write. Each week, we will read work about family and ancestors by authors, including Toni Morrison, Maxine Hong Kingston, Joy Harjo, Rita Dove, Tarfia Faizullah, and Brandon Shimoda. We will connect our reading to pragmatic exercises that guide you to engage in research, listening, imagination, drafting, and revision. You will write across genres and can choose to focus on Poetry, Fiction, or CNF. You can expect to enliven your creative process, and to revise at least three finished works of writing.
Class Attributes
Attendance at 1st class mandatory
Enrollment Requirements
Enrollment Requirements: Prerequisite: ENGLISH 206-0, ENGLISH 207-0, ENGLISH 208-0, or Department consent.