SPRING 2010
Undergraduate (BFA) Courses
*Note: for day & time information, please go to SeaNet and search for courses.
CRW 203-001: FORMS OF CREATIVE WRITING, FLOWERS W
Texts: The Oresteia by Aeschylus, The Oxford Book of American Short Stories, ed. Joyce Carol Oates, The Making of a Poem, ed. Mark Strand and Eavan Boland, Angels in America by Tony Kushner, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte.
This course will serve as an overview of the various forms of creative writing (poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and drama), balancing originary or seminal texts with more contemporary voices in order to make students aware of both the force of tradition and the weight of modern living on the modern writer. Students will be responsible for lively and energetic discussions of the texts, weekly reading and writing assignments, and creative responses to the assigned material.
CRW 203-002: FORMS OF CREATIVE WRITING, TERRY D
Texts: Other Voices, Other Rooms by Truman Capote and A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams. Other materials will be on electronic reserve.
Students will study the major forms of creative writing--poetry, drama, fiction, and creative nonfiction--by writers such as Shakespeare, Millay, Williams, Capote and Sexton. There will be a combination of lectures and discussion-workshop sessions. Writing assignments will include creative exercises designed to heighten student appreciation of artistic achievement in various forms. There will be a final portfolio consisting of one or more finished, student pieces written in one of the forms they will study. For longer forms, such as a play or a novel, students will be expected to write a scene or chapter only.
CRW 203-003: FORMS OF CREATIVE WRITING, WHITNEY G
Students will study major forms of creative writing--poetry, drama, fiction, creative nonfiction and the graphic novel--by classic writers such as Shakespeare, Poe and Boccaccio, and contemporary works written by the likes of Max Brooks and David Foster Wallace. This class is not for the squeamish, we will be unzipping these works and sifting through their literary bones in order to examine how, on a formal level, each genre operates. Writing assignments will include in class and take home exercises and student workshop pieces. A final portfolio will be due at the end of the semester.
CRW 203-004: FORMS OF CREATIVE WRITING, SAMS A
Section Topic—"Rebels, Outsiders, & Madmen." In this section we will consider the writers (and characters) who pushed boundaries, blazed new literary trails, and struggled to keep their lives under control. Students will study the history and forms of creative writing—poetry, drama, fiction, and creative nonfiction—through the works of writers like Jack Kerouac, Emily Dickinson, Tennessee Williams, Sylvia Plath, Ernest Hemingway, and Shakespeare. Coursework will include lively discussions of assigned readings, and students will have the choice of either creative or analytical responses.
CRW203-005: FORMS OF CREATIVE WRITING, HEINTZELMAN B
We will study the different forms of creative writing—poetry, drama, fiction, and creative nonfiction—with a writer’s eye, to discover how authors do what they do. Discussions will include matters of style, structure, and artistic choice, and students will apply their findings to both analytic and creative assignments. Some authors we may read include John Irving, Sam Shepard, Margaret Edson, and David Foster Wallace.
CRW 203-006: FORMS OF CREATIVE WRITING, JOHNSON D
Students will study the major forms of creative writing--poetry, drama, fiction, and creative non-fiction--from an international perspective. We'll be looking at past and present day British and American writers, but our range will also stretch from Ancient China to twentieth century South and Central America. The authors we'll consider include Li Po, Pablo Neruda, Shakespeare, Anton Chekhov, Emily Bronte, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez. All foreign language texts will be read in English translations. Coursework will consist of discussion and both critical and creative responses to the readings assigned during the semester.
CRW 207-001: FICTION WRITING, WHITNEY G
In this introductory course our main focus will be to study, analyze and define some of the basic elements of the contemporary short story and work to incorporate these qualities into our own writing. We will read and discuss several published works, dissecting them in the context of terms such as characterization, conflict, narrative arc, etc. The requirements for this course include close reading of all assigned stories, several short written exercises (both in class and take home), two longer works which will be workshopped and active and vocal participation in class discussions.
CRW 207-002: INTRODUCTION TO FICTION, SAMS A
In this course students will study the techniques and mechanics of literary fiction and then apply what they learn to their own writing. We will begin by reading and analyzing a variety of contemporary short fiction. Students will participate in short exercises and later submit their own work for energetic peer review and in-class discussion. Plainly put, this is a class devoted to becoming good readers and good writers. Attendance and participation are essential.
CRW 207-003: FICTION WRITING, HEINTZELMAN B
Text: Course Packet
As a beginning course in the art of fiction writing, we will read and discuss published stories with a focus on the basic elements of literary fiction, including narration, scene, dialogue, and style. We may also use examples from other mediums, including film and drama, to explore the essence and principles of storytelling. This course will push students’ reading and writing skills, and maybe even their perceptions of the story form. Requirements will include brief writing exercises, written responses to peer work, participation in class discussions, and the composition of an original short story that students will workshop in class and later revise.
CRW 207-004: FICTION WRITING, MELVILLE A
Texts: The Scribner Anthology of Contemporary Short Fiction, 2nd Edition (ed. by Lex Williford & Michael Martone); online reserves.
In this course, we will discuss the elements of contemporary fiction, including narrative style, voice, dialogue, and structure. Using our definitions and analyses of these terms, students will apply what they’ve learned to their own writing. Assignments will include exercises, in-class writing, longer pieces that will go through the workshop process, revisions, and other work. Creativity and content, as well as syntax and structure, will form a foundation for response to written work. Students are expected to participate actively, enthusiastically, and thoughtfully, and regular attendance is required.
CRW 207-005: FICTION WRITING, BELLEROSE A
Texts: Martone and Williford, The Scribner Anthology of Contemporary Short Fiction: 50 North American Stories Since 1970 (second edition); online course reserves
The goal of this course is to turn ourselves into an enthusiastic and engaged community of readers and writers, building on skills and interests each of us already brings while acquiring new ones. Much of the course will be reading and discussion designed to expose you to new styles, techniques, and authors, hopefully inspiring your own work. We’ll also explore some of the finer points of craft, editing, and revision. Assignments will include close reading of assigned stories, short written exercises, two longer stories that we will workshop, and written responses to peer work. Consistent attendance and energetic participation are essential.
CRW 208-001: POETRY WRITING, FLOWERS W
Required Texts: The Vintage Book of Contemporary American Poetry ed. J.D. McClatchy, The Vintage Book of Contemporary World Poetry ed. J.D. McClatchy
This course will function as an introduction to contemporary poetics. In the first part of the class we will engage in weekly readings from the required text, concentrating on the formal elements, the craft decisions that give poems their singular energy and resonance. The second part of the course will primarily consist of workshops in which students will critique the work of their peers. Students will be required to maintain a weekly reading journal, participate actively in class discussion and workshops, and submit a final portfolio of at least three revised poems.
CRW 208-002: POETRY WRITING, TERRY D
Texts: A Book of Luminous Things by by Czeslaw Milosz and The Poetry Home Repair Manual by Ted Kooser
Prerequisite: ENG 101 or 103 or consent of instructor. This course is designed as an introduction to poetry writing—previous experience is not required. The course will begin with an examination of contemporary poems, in conjunction with exercises designed to stimulate your creativity. The emphasis during the second half of the semester will be workshop sessions in which students’ work becomes “the text.” Requirements include written responses to the work of your peers, oral participation in workshops, completion of a portfolio consisting of three revised workshop poems and a written response to the work of one of the poets featured in the assigned anthology.
CRW 208-003: POETRY WRITING, JOHNSON D
Texts: The Vintage Book of Contemporary American Poetry, J.D. McClatchy; A Book of Luminous Things: An International Anthology of Poetry, Czeslaw Milosz
This course is meant to be an introduction to, and an exploration of the art of poetry. Like any truly necessary and lasting art form, poetry is essentially an act of fervent communication, and in this class, we will all earnestly strive to realize that aim. Students will read the most vital poets of the past and present, and write their own poems. No prior experience in poetry is necessary. Requirements: in-class writing exercises, extensive reading, the composition of several poems throughout the semester, and peer critiquing of student work.
CRW 208-004: POETRY WRITING, HURT R
Texts: The Vintage Book of Contemporary American Poetry, J.D. McClatchy; Assigned Readings on Blackboard.
This course is an introduction to the craft of writing poetry. In this class, students will be expected to read modern and contemporary poetry as writers—that is, to observe, discuss and begin to understand how poets use form and technique in order to write effectively. Students will then be expected to put these techniques to work in writing their own poetry, based largely on assigned prompts and exercises. Much of what students write will be critiqued and discussed by their peers in a workshop setting, to which student participation is essential. Class requirements include weekly reading assignments and journal reading responses, as well as frequent writing exercises and at least 3 revisions of poems at the end of the semester.
CRW 209-001: INTRODUCTION TO CREATIVE NONFICTION, DIESENHAUS, D
This course is an introduction to creative nonfiction writing. Students will read essays and articles from books, magazines, and anthologies that introduce them to the form’s various sub-genres, including personal essay, reportage, memoir, and lyric essay, among others. Written assignments will emphasize clarity, structure, attention to detail, imagination, and curiosity, and will call for brief exercises as well longer, polished work. Class requirements include completion of reading and writing assignments, energetic participation, written critiques of fellow students’ work, and a final portfolio of revised work.
CRW 209-003: CREATIVE NONFICTION WRITING, BRINDLEY E
Texts: Writing the Memoir: From Truth to Art by Judith Barrington; The Art of the Personal Essay: An Anthology from the Classical Era to the Present by Phillip Lopate
This will be an introductory course to writing creative nonfiction. It will begin in an examination of different forms of creative nonfiction including craft exercises and contemporary examples of nonfiction. The first half of the semester will deal with writing memoir and conclude with a workshop session for each student. The second half of the semester will deal with writing the personal essay and also conclude in a workshop. Each student will be required to complete these two nonfiction pieces, provide written responses to their peers’ work, oral participation in workshops, and final revisions of the pieces that were workshopped in a portfolio with first drafts.
CRW 209-004: CREATIVE NONFICTION, JENKINS R
This course is an exploration of modern nonfiction. We will read and discuss published work to help define what nonfiction encompasses and what works well in it. Students will write brief exercises, move on to longer pieces of polished writing for workshop, and critique other students’ writing. Other requirements include excellent attendance, enthusiastic and thoughtful participation, and a final portfolio of revised work.
CRW 303-001,002: FORMS OF POETRY, MÖRLING, M
In this class we will consider forms and how they fit and inform the philosophical perspective of our poems. What choices do we make in crafting our poems? What is our process of selection? Are poems, like the bowls of the ancient Japanese potters, born? Or are they made? Emily Dickinson wrote: “Nature is a haunted house. Art--/a house that tries to be haunted.” How can our poems be as natural as possible, the form and the content inevitable to the point of invisibility? The global designer Bruce Mau has said: “For most of us, design is invisible. Until it fails.” Is this what the 18th century Japanese poet Ryokan meant when he wrote: “Who says my poems are poems?/My poems are not poems,/ After you know my poems are not poems,/ Then we can begin to discuss poetry.”
CRW 304-001: FORMS OF DRAMATIC WRITING, FURIA P
A study of the major forms of dramatic writing as they developed historically: Greek tragedy (Oedipus Rex, Antigone, etc.) ; medieval drama (Everyman);Renaissance drama (Othello, Volpone); Restoration & 18th century drama (School for Scandal); modern drama (The Importance of Being Earnest, Death of a Salesman, Raisin in the Sun, etc.) We will also look at other forms of dramatic writing, such as opera (Porgy and Bess), musical comedy (My Fair Lady), and screenwriting (North by Northwest, Gigi, etc.) In the course of reading—and, in most cases, viewing films of these works—we will follow the development of such elements of dramatic form as plot, characterization, exposition, stagecraft, dialogue, and spectacle. Students will write several short essays about the readings as well as “creative” exercises in which they practice aspects of playwriting.
CRW 306-001: FORM OF FICTION, SIEGEL R
This is a reading course, not a writing course, though we will endeavor to read like writers, with an eyeto construction andcraft. Our focus will be on the literary short story--the many approaches that writers have taken to the form, and the different techniques they have used to pursue their goals. The reading load will be fairly heavy, with at least two stories per week. There will be a short written assignment due for each class, as well asone longer paper in the second half of the semester based on a story collection you will choose. We will also be doing some writing in class--creative exercisesmeant to explorethe story imaginatively,from the inside out. In general, this is a class for students comfortable withintense reading,frequent deadlines, and challenging class discussions. Attendance and participation will be required.
CRW 307-001: INTERMEDIATE FICTION WRITING, BENDER K
We will read several published stories,write short exercises exploring elements of craft, and develop one longer story. The class involves reading shorter work aloud and also workshoppinglonger stories. Books are a course packet and onebook chosen off a list.
CRW 308-001: POETRY WORKSHOP, WHITE M
This will be an intermediate-level poetry workshop devoted to peer review of original poetry. Students should have taken CRW 208. Craft will be stressed in this class, especially such elements as the image, effective description, rhythm, voice, and the line. There will be readings in our textbook, The Practice of Poetry, discussions, writing assignments both in and out of class, all leading toward workshop. Poems for workshop will be carefully critiqued beforehand, and each student will then contribute to a positive yet challenging discussion of the work. Final grade will be based 50% on a final portfolio which will include at least two drafts of about six workshopped poems, as well as journal responses to assigned readings, and 50% on participation, including attendance and daily work.
CRW 309-001: INTERMEDIATE CREATIVE NONFICTION, LEE R
CRW 320-001: SCENES IN FICTION,EDGERTON C
Students and instructor will discuss the function of scenes in stories. Students will study scenes in published stories as well as write scenes. Classroom work with include a) discussions of literary theory, b) discussion of technique in fiction, c) discussions and readings of favorite authors/passages, d) translations of scenes to a dramatic performance format (to be explained in class) e) writing essays about scenes. In general, the student in this class approaches fiction writing as writer, reader, critic, and translator from fiction to drama.
CRW 320-002: WRITING SHORT-SHORT CREATIVE NONFICTION, BASS T
Prerequisite: CRW 209 (no exceptions). This course will focus on writing extremely short nonfiction--stories of 1,000 words (about four typewritten pages) and under. Students will write their own short-shorts and submit them for critique in workshops. We will deal with new writing only; no work from previous classes will be allowed. The course will emphasize extreme editing for the sake of brevity and economy—while still achieving thorough and complete stories. We also will consider the ways the short-short form invites experimental writing. Class participation is a must. There will be an attendance policy and short tests on the readings. Textbooks will include In Brief: Short Takes on the Personal, edited by Mary Paumier Jones and Judith Kitchen, and Short Takes: Brief Encounters with Contemporary Nonfiction, edited by Judith Kitchen.
CRW 320-003: THE SONNET, MÖRLING, M
In this class we will read, write and memorize sonnets, sonnets and only sonnets. What is it about this passionately lyrical and deeply evocative form that has so strongly and steadily persisted through time? What is it about the idea and the structural chore of a sonnet that adheres to and captivates so many different kinds of minds? We will study the history of the sonnet and its traditional formulas—we will follow its transformation under the spell of modernism in the twentieth century into the present. This class is a writing workshop and class participation is both essential and required. There will be an attendance policy.
CRW 320-004: THE PERSONAL ESSAY, HOLMAN, V
This class will focus on the personal essay. We’ll read and analyze essays in class for their technique and craft and we’ll experiment with our own writing through exercises. Midway through the course we will turn our focus to workshopping your personal essay and those of your classmates. Writing assignments (35%), class participation (35%), reading attendance (15%), final portfolio (15%).
CRW 321-001: BOOKS AND PUBLISHING, SMITH E
An introduction to the culture and commerce of books. This course examines the life cycle of a book, the people and processes involved in book publishing, and the business and ethics of the publishing industry. Students have an opportunity to engage in a variety of publishing activities. [Note: This course counts toward the BFA degree and the 12-hour Certificate in Publishing.]
CRW 322-002: EDITING FOR PUBLICATION, BASS T
Majors only. Prerequisite: CRW 207, 208, 209, or consent of instructor. This course will focus on editing literary manuscripts, mainly using each student’s own writing. We will emphasize developing and applying skills in self-editing, grammar, mechanics, spelling, formatting, style, and other fundamentals crucial to effective, polished writing in the creative writing profession. Students will complete exercises and edit their own creative works. There will be several exams and multiple in-class exercises. Class participation is a must. An attendance policy will be enforced. Textbooks: The New Well-Tempered Sentence by Karen Elizabeth Gordon and On Writing Well by William Zinsser. [Note: This course counts toward the BFA degree and the 12-hour Certificate in Publishing.]
CRW 323-001: BOOKBUILDING, MANNING C
Prerequisite: CRW 207, 208 or 209 or consent of instructor. Intensive hands-on training in book design and production using desktop publishing technologies. Students develop skills through a progressively complex series of projects, culminating in a finished chapbook of their own work, in a small edition. Students should gain from this course basic software skills, a heightened design aesthetic, and an understanding of how books are built and produced, manuscript to bookshelf. Includes survey history and future trends in printing and publishing. [Note: This course counts toward the BFA degree and the 12-hour Certificate in Publishing.]
CRW 407-001: ADVANCED FICTION WRITING, DEGRAMONT M
This course is geared toward the experienced fiction student. We will focus on craft, subtext, and revision. Students will write short stories or sections of a novel, and their work will be discussed in a workshop environment. Written critiques and extensive class participation will be required. In addition to workshop, class will involve writing exercises and discussion of reading assignments. We will read stories by accomplished authors including Alice Munro, Mark Richard, Tobias Wolff and Raymond Carver.
CRW 407-002: ADVANCED FICTION WRITING, BENDER K
This is a workshop focusing on revision. Students will write a draft of one story, and doa substantial revision of this story.Required text is one book chosen off a list.
CRW 408-001: ADVANCED POETRY WRITING, MESSER S
Course will be run as a workshop with the requirement of one new poem a week, and the careful consideration of peer work and participation in class discussion. While the course will primarily focus on the workshop, we may also branch off into in-class or take-home exercises in procedural poetics and other formal constraints intended to spark innovation and new material. We will also be reading (for inspiration) new work by Sabrina Orah Mark and Joel Brouwer, and/or work by new poets Matthew and Michael Dickman.
CRW 460-001: PUBLISHING PRACTICUM, SMITH E
A select group of students support the work of The Publishing Laboratory, with responsibility for editing, designing, and producing books and other publications. Undergraduate practicum students work 9 hours weekly in the Lab (including 1.5 hours from 3:30 to 5 Tuesday), under faculty supervision. Completion of CRW 323 and one other publishing course (from CRW 321, 322, 324) is a prerequisite for the Practicum. Participants are selected by permission of instructor; a brief application is required. Working hours are scheduled at each student’s convenience during standard Pub Lab hours. May be repeated once for credit. [Note: This course counts toward the BFA degree and the 12-hour Certificate in Publishing.]
CRW 496-001: SENIOR SEMINAR IN POETRY, WHITE M
This is the capstone course for BFA students specializing in poetry, and should be taken in the last undergraduate year. In this class, we will round off the BFA experience with an intensive look at the student’s best work, and will shape and refine the final BFA portfolio through discussion and workshops. Along the way, we will also focus on other topics of interest to graduating poets, such as public performance, publication, careers, applying to graduate school, and living the life of an artist. Each student’s work will be included in a class anthology, and each student will also take part in a public BFA poetry reading to be scheduled toward the end of the semester.
CRW 496-002: SENIOR SEMINAR IN WRITING (FICTION AND NONFICTION) BRENNER, W
This course is the capstone learning experience for Creative Writing majors. Students will compile, polish, and submit their final BFA theses and perform a public reading of their work. In addition, we will spend class time discussing professional topics, such as applying to graduate school, publishing your work, and finding employment after graduation. This course is reserved for BFA students focusing in fiction or nonfiction. You must be a CRW major (accepted into our BFA program after submission of your application portfolio), and must have successfully completed either CRW 407 or CRW 409.
CRW 498: UNDERGRADUATE INTERNSHIP IN CREATIVE WRITING (1-6 hours of credit)
Prerequisite: ENG 103 or ENG 201, and nine additional hours of CRW writing courses, of which at least three are at the 300-400 level. Academic training and practical writing experience through work in a private company or public agency. Faculty supervision and evaluation of all study and on-site activity. Open to students of junior or senior standing in all majors who have been approved by the faculty internship advisor. See Tim Bass, CRW internship coordinator.
