14 KRISTEN RADTKE – INTRO TO CNF – FALL 2009

Introduction to Creative Nonfiction

Course Description

In this course we will explore several subgenres of creative nonfiction-personal essay, memoir, lyric essay, literary journalism, graphic nonfiction novel and essay film. These are merely a sampling of many. My aim is to get you all excited about writing creative nonfiction rather than creating a straight survey course. Throughout the class we’ll create a community of writers and learn to work together as readers and writers. We’ll experiment with different forms and ideas in our own writing, delve into notions of truth and learn what a slippery, interesting genre creative nonfiction can be.

 

Course Objectives

– To learn how to “read as writers” (and how that’s different from “reading as a reader”)

Required Reading

Lauren Slater, Lying

Jenny Boully, [one love affair]*

Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis

 

Course Packet

Annie Dillard, The Writing Life, Chapter 1, pg. 3-21 Joan Didion, The White Album, pg. 11-25

Eduardo Galeano, The Book of Embraces, pg. 15-30 James Baldwin, Notes of a Native Son, pg. 85-115 Etel Adnan, Paris, When It’s Naked, pg. 1-30

David Wojnarowicz, Close to the Knives: A Memoir of Disintegration, “The Suicide of a Guy Who Once Built an Elaborate Shrine Over a Mouse Hole,” pg. 253-276

Lucy Grealy: Autobiography of a Face, Prologue and chapter one, pg. 1-28

John D’ Agata and Deborah Tall, Seneca Review ( 1997), “New Terrain: The Lyric Essay”

John D’ Agata, Halls of Fame, “And There Was Evening and There Was Morning,” pg. 197-237 Claudia Rankine, Don’t Let Me Be Lonely: An American Lyric, pg. 15-18, 67-93

Ander Monson, Neck Deep and Other Predicaments, pg. 3-28 Deborah Tall, A Family of Strangers, Part 1, pg. 3-72

Theresa Hak Kyung Cha, The Next American Essay, “Erato Love Poetry,” pg. 139-165 Chris Jones, The Best American Magazine Writing 2005, “Home,” pg. 2-23

 

 

Grading and Expectations
Participation (especially during workshops)	35%
Essays	50%
Progress and proof of sustained effort	15%
Evaluations

 

When you tum in an essay, you can expect to get it back within a week with detailed comments from me. You will not, however, see a grade. As in most creative writing classes, I find grading each essay to be counter productive. But- if at any time you want to know how you’re doing in the course, you are always welcome to come and talk to me about it. Additional!y, if you should be earning lower than a “C,” I will let you know to avoid any unpleasant surprises at the end of the semester.

 

I strongly suggest that you come in and see me during my office hours or by appointment at least once during the semester so we can talk about your work and how you feel about the class. Drop me an email and we can head to a coffee shop or grab a seat in my office.

 

Portfolio

Save the original copy of everything you turn in to me. Your final portfolio will consist of all the assignments you’ve turned in over the semester (make sure you save the copy with my comments on it). I recommend that you get a binder at the beginning of the semester to save all these materials.

The portfolio will consist of:

Short Essay 1 (1 page)

Short Essay 2 (2-3 pages)

Short Essay 3 (2-3 pages)

Major Essay 1 (5-7 pages+)

Major Essay 2 (7 pages+)

Major Essay 3 – Either an intense revision of Major Essay 1 or 2 or an entirely new essay.

 

KEEP IN MIND: I value quality over quantity. If you produce a stellar four pages for a major essay, I strongly prefer that a seven-page piece you grind out for the sole purpose of meeting the page requirement length.

If you’re particularly fond of any of your short essays, you also have the option of revising and expanding on them for your major essays though I expect to see the evidence of sufficient and honest work in the new versions.

 

Workshops

Each student will participate in two writing workshops. During the first few weeks of class you’ll sign up for specific workshop days. Your essay is due one week before your workshop date. One week before your workshop you’ll bring in 18 copies of your essay for the class to take home and review.

It is everyone’s responsibility (and part of the grade) to give it a thorough read, mark it up, write comments and bring it back to the next class. There you’ll read a short selection of the essay and we’ll discuss it as a group-asking questions, making comments, reading sections we particularly enjoyed, pointing out places of confusion, etc. Workshops are not meant to be an “attack” on the writer – they are simply meant to help improve the essay and help you become a better writer. Best of all, they can be a ton of fun.

 

My best recommendation to you is that you start working on your essays for workshop early-keep track of your tum-in date and don’t let it sneak up on you. They will be read by the whole class, so you want it to be something you’re proud of.

 

Participation and Attendance

Come to class. Participate.

If you miss more than three classes, there’s a chance it will lower your grade. If you miss on the day you sign up for workshop, there is no doubt it will. It’s not fair to your classmates. If you have an emergency, call me and let me know.

 

Reading

Reading in this course is just as important as writing. You can’t become a better writer without becoming a better reader. The will be reading assignments almost every week in the first half of the course, and while we will discuss them in class, I will not require any formal writing assignments based on the reading. HOWEVER, if after a few classes we do not have lively discussions about reading I assign, I will begin to require written reports. Do the reading, participate in class discussions, and you won’t have to worry about that. It may seem like a lot of reading up front, but it will subside as the course goes on.

 

Students with Disabilities

If you require modification of seating, testing or other class requirements because of a documented disability, please let me know so that appropriate arrangements can be made.

 

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the undocumented use of someone else’s ideas, words, concepts, etc. I’m all in favor of using outside influences in your own work, but if you copy without credit, it could result in failure of the assignment or the course. This can be a slippery slope, so if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.

 

Schedule (subject to change)

 

August 25: PERSONAL ESSAY

Reading (in class): Course Packet – Phillip Lopate, “Introduction,” (The Art of the Personal Essay)

 

August 27: PERSONAL ESSAY

Reading due today: Course Packet – Annie Dillard, The Writing Life

Short Essay 1 due today: Write about writing (one page)

 

September 1: PERSONAL ESSAY

Reading due today: Course Packet – Joan Didion, The White Album

 

September 3: PERSONAL ESSAY

Reading due today: Course Packet – Eduardo Galeano, The Book of Embraces

Short Essay 2 due today: A memory that has changed over time OR write about a photograph (two pages+)

 

September 8: PERSONAL ESSAY

Reading due: Course Packet – James Baldwin, Notes of a Native Son

 

September 10: PERSONAL ESSAY

Reading due today: Course Packet – Etel Adnan, Paris, When It’s Naked

Short Essay 3 due today: Iowa City, When It’s                   (1-2 pages)

 

September 15: MEMOIR

Reading due today: Course Packet – David Wojnarowitz, excerpt from Close to the Knives: A Memoir of Disintegration, “Postscript: The Suicide of a Guy Who Once Built an Elaborate Shrine Over a Mouse Hole”

Workshop 

 

September 17: MEMOIR

Reading due today: Course Packet- Lucy Grealy excerpt from Autobiography of a Face

Workshop 

 

September 22: MEMOIR

Reading due today: Part 1, Lauren Slater, Lying

Workshop 

 

September 24: MEMOIR

Reading due today: Part 2, Lauren Slater, Lying

Workshop 

 

September 29: MEMOIR

Reading due today: Part 3, Lauren Slater, Lying

Workshop

October 1: MEMOIR

Reading due today: Part 4, Lauren Slater, Lying

Workshop 

 

October 6: LITERARY JOURNALISM

Reading due today: Course Packet – Chris Jones, Esquire, “Home”

Workshop 

 

October 8: GRAPHIC NONFICTION NOVEL

Reading due today: Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis (part 1)

Workshop 

 

October 13: GRAPHIC NONFICTION NOVEL/ LYRIC ESSAY

Reading due today: Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis (part 2)

Reading (in class): John D’ Agata and Deborah Tall, “New Terrain: The Lyric Essay”

Workshop 

 

October 15: LYRIC ESSAY

Reading due today: Course Packet – John D’Agata, Halls of Fame “And There Was Evening and There Was Morning”

Workshop 

 

October 20: LYRIC ESSAY

Reading due today: Jenny Boully, [one love affair}*

Workshop 

 

October 22: LYRIC ESSAY

Reading due today: Course Packet – Claudia Rankine, Don’t Let Me Be Lonely: An American Lyric

Workshop 

 

October 27: LYRIC ESSAY

Reading due today: Course Packet -Theresa Hak Kyung Cha, “Erato Love Poetry”

Workshop 

 

October 29: LYRIC ESSAY

Reading due today: Course Packet -Ander Monson, Neck Deep and Other Predicaments

Workshop 

 

November 3: LYRIC ESSAY

Reading due today: Course Packet – Deborah Tall, A Family of Strangers, Part I

Workshop 

 

November 5:

Workshop 

 

November 10:

Workshop