Course Description:

"All my films have a beginning, middle, and end. Just not in that order."

 - Jean-Luc Godard

This is a multi-disciplinary writing class with an emphasis on structure. We'll look at non-fiction, poetry and short stories to understand how writers challenge and explode conventions – and how to experiment in our work with time, point of view and readers' expectations.

Every week, we'll have a combination of published and student work to read. Mondays, we will do in-class writing exercises and discuss the reading assignment. Wednesdays, the class becomes a workshop. I will bring the reading assignments to class or leave them at the Dey House (507 North Clinton Street) for you to pick-up. Readings are listed on the syllabus the day they are to be discussed. Read them before. 

Student work will be available at the Dey House. These assignments are due on Wednesday and will be workshopped the following Wednesday. This deadline is not flexible. If you fail to turn in your workshop story on time, we will not be able to workshop your story.

There is no text to purchase for this class.

Course Requirements:

The requirements for this course are as follows:

-       One complete draft of a story to be workshopped during the semester. This story should be approximately 7-10 pages long, no less than 7 pages and no more than 15. Stories should be in Times New Roman 12 point font, double-spaced, one-inch margins. The class name (and section), my name and the date should be in the top corner of the first page and the pages must be numbered.

-       One complete draft of a piece of creative non-fiction. Same rules apply as for fiction.

-       Three complete drafts of poems. Each poem should be a page in length, though this may be flexible depending on the nature of the poem

-       Two short assignments, 2 pages each.

-       One substantive revision of either your story or non-fiction piece.

-       One single-spaced page of comments for each piece of student work you read. Make two copies — one copy for the writer (to be given along with your line-edits to his/her manuscript) and one copy for me.

-       Completion of all in-class writing exercises.

-       Completion of all reading assignments, including preparation of two discussion questions for one week.

-       Active and respectful participation in class.

-       Timely, regular attendance.

At the end of the semester, you will deliver a portfolio of all of your work (so save it). Since this class will consist primarily of conversation, class attendance and participation will be a significant part of the grade.

Workshop Format (and Requirements):

Workshops are only as effective and helpful as the people in them. In order to ensure that every workshop is useful to the writer and the readers, we will focus on specific elements of craft in our written and verbal comments. Your written comments to each writer should be approximately one single-spaced page long (though they certainly can be longer). You should address each of the following:

-       What you thought worked well in the story

-       The structure of the story

-       Use of character in the story (both major and minor characters)

-       Use of setting

-       Themes and/or ideas of the story

-       Use of language

Be specific, generous, and obey the Golden Rule. Our goal as workshoppers will be to look at each story unto itself – the author will not participate in our conversation. We will discuss the story as if the author were not there. Non-constructive criticism is neither welcomed nor appreciated — any negative comments you have should be accompanied by an explanation of what you thought would help the author improve the story.

Grading Policy:

Participation                30%

Writing Exercises        30%

Commentaries             20%

Portfolio                      20%

In order to receive a C in this course, you must comply with the attendance policy, participate regularly and respectfully, and complete all assignments. You can improve your grade in the following ways:

• Provide thoughtful and thorough comments in class that reflect that you have spent time trying to gain a deeper understanding of both the published texts and your classmates' writing.
• Spend time on your stories so that they have a minimum of typos and represent your best work.
• Spend time on your comments for your classmates' stories, providing critiques that are balanced, nuanced, and constructive.

Extra credit: Attend a reading at Prairie Lights and write a one-page "response" to the reading.

Conferences:

I encourage all of you to meet with me individually about your work. Talk to me after class or email me to set up a time for a conference.

Attendance Policy:

As participation is an integral component of this course, regular attendance is essential. If you have three absences or more, it will affect your grade. If you have six or more, you will fail. I do not generally distinguish between excused and unexcused absences, but if there are special circumstances requiring you to be out of class, please let me know. If you miss your own workshop, you will fail. If you do not turn in a story in time for your own workshop and are unable to switch time periods, you will likely fail.

Excessive tardiness is disruptive and deprives you of the benefits of being in class. Arriving late to class may also cause you to miss an in-class assignment. If I feel it appropriate, multiple instances of tardiness may be considered absences.

Late Paper Policy:

As mentioned above, late papers will not be accepted. Make sure you check your calendar when you sign up for workshop so you don't schedule yourself a story due during a busy time, like mid-terms. If you miss a class, you may email your critique to me and to the writer, but you should bring your line edits to the next class. Missing class does not mean skipping a critique.

Plagiarism Policy:

This class is about creativity. You work should be yours. If you plagiarize, you will fail.

January 19
Introduction; review syllabus
Assignment: Your Primary Sources

Week 2:

January 24
What is a story? How to workshop (handout); workshop sign-up
Exercise: Two truths, one lie
Reading: "Primary Sources," by Rick Moody

January 31
Exercise: The Book of Questions.
Reading: "White Album," by Joan Didion

February 7
Exercise: The Bad Thing
Reading: "Rape in Cyberspace," by Julian Dibbell
Assignment: Crewdson's Photos – Where are we and why?

February 14
Reading: "Witness," by Andre Dubus; "What You Left in the Ditch," by Aimee Bender

February 21:
Exercise: Gardner's Barn (or classroom)
Reading: "Chronicle of a Death Foretold," by Jon Colapinto

February 28

Exercise: How to Live in Your Town/House/Apt
Reading: Chapters 2,3 Triggering Town by Richard Hugo
Assignment: Assumption Exercise: Go to a place you've never been, define the rules.

March 7
Exercise: Your Own Questionnaire
Reading: "Career Move" by Martin Amis, "Answers to a Questionnaire," by J.G. Ballard

March 21
Exercise: 6 Moods
Reading: "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird" by Wallace Stevens; Raymond Patterson, "26 Ways of Looking at a Black Man"

March 28
Exercise: Love poems! (or Eat a peach)
Reading: "Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock," T.S. Eliot; ee cummings, "[somewhere i have never traveled]"; "Fulbright Scholars" and "The 59^th Bear" by Ted Hughes

April 4
Exercise: Revise a stanza/paragraph.
Reading: "One Art" by Elizabeth Bishop; "Bill's Story" by Mark Doty; "Eating the Cookies" by Jane Kenyon

April 11
Exercise: What have you let go of?
Reading: "Brokeback Mountain" by Annie Proulx

April 18
Exercise: Updating a Fairy Tale
Reading: "Sisterhood of Night" by Steven Millhauser; "The Girl Detective" by Kelly Link

April 25
Exercise: Your Strangest Workplace
Reading: "CivilWarLand in Bad Decline" by George Saunders

May 2:
Exercise: How to Date You
Reading: "How to Date a Browngirl, Blackgirl, Whitegirl, Halfie," by Junot Diaz, "What It Takes To Keep a Young Girl Alive," by Jane Anne Phillips