300

This course examines the art of telling nonfiction stories set in the past with a special emphasis on biography. Students read a wide variety of successful examples, learn historical research skills, and practice literary and narrative techniques to create their own biographical/historical work.

This course is designed to introduce poets to questions of poetic form, the prime physical and emotional constituent of poetic meaning. We will build on our knowledge of basic elements of writing and reading poetry and enhance our understanding of poetry by studying forms in all its contexts. Students will engage in close readings of poems as well as critical analysis about poetics.

Advanced poetry writing and reading of related works. May be repeated for advanced credit with portfolio by permission of instructor. May be used to satisfy general distribution requirements if not used for the writing major.

Advanced study of one or more specialized writing genres and/or techniques. Topics may vary but may include new journalism, memoir and biography, advanced editorial practice, and other creative and professional writing topics.

Advanced techniques for writing imaginative fiction. May be repeated for advanced credit with portfolio by permission of instructor. May be used to satisfy general distribution requirements if not used for the writing major.

A workshop/seminar for advanced creative writing students involving prose, poetry, experimental forms; reading work aloud; and publication of work. May be repeated for advanced credit if content varies and with permission of instructor. May be used to satisfy general distribution requirements if not used for the writing major.

A studio writing course introducing students to a variety of recognized structural elements used in literary narrative, from classic and historical to contemporary. Readings include fiction, critical background, and commentary on the uses of forms for practical purposes. Students write an array of assignments in selected forms.

In this upper-level workshop students study and practice telling compelling true stories. (Writing about others is emphasized, rather than memoir.) Elements of this craft include reporting and research, as well as narrative techniques: creating scenes, rendering dimensional characters, writing with voice and vivid description, and choosing the right story structure. Readings, contemporary and classic, vary in length from magazine articles to books. Shorter writing assignments build to the final project: a substantial (25- to 30-page) nonfiction narrative.

The purpose of this course is to introduce the principles of comprehensive editing and basic copy editing. The comprehensive editing level involves higher-order issues, such as reasoning and evidence, organization, visual design, style and use of illustrations. Basic copy editing is the final editing level, covering consistency, grammar and usage, and punctuation, for example. May not be used to satisfy general distribution requirements.