37 LUCY SCHILLER – MUSIC WRITING – SPRING 2019
The Art and Craft of Creative Nonfiction: Writing About Music
Instructor: Lucy Schiller
Tuesdays and Thursdays 2- 3:15 pm
Spring 2019
Course Description
In this class, we’ll discuss how one can possibly write evocatively, surprisingly, and discerningly about music, an art form that very often feels like it resists apt literary description, sometimes because the personalities at play are so strong, the “feeling” that a song evokes is difficult to distill, or it’s unclear what’s actually interesting or important about the album/musician/song/style in question. We’ll read a mix of writing from across time, space, and style, including work by Amanda Petrusich, Hua Hsu, Greil Marcus, Tiana Clark, Carl Wilson, Hanif Abdurraqib, and more. Meanwhile, you’ll be prompted to steadily write in a variety of styles about music in a way that actually interests other people—not the easiest feat, considering how intimate one’s relationship to music can feel. Critical and considerate workshops will prompt you to revise and polish your work over the course of the semester.
Objectives
To read widely from the historical and stylistic breadth of music writing in order to better understand how and why music works upon us in the way it does. Also, to write a lot, experimenting with our own musical essaying.
Required Texts
-Hanif Abdurraqib, They Can’t Kill Us Till They Kill Us (Prairie Lights)
-Carl Wilson, Let’s Talk About Love: A Journey to the End of Taste (Prairie Lights)
-Marc Woodworth and Ally-Jane Grossman, How to Write About Music (Prairie Lights)
-A journal in which your notes for this class, responses to writing prompts, and other class- related exercises are written
Course Requirements
Class Participation 25%
The backbone of this class is serious and intellectually vigorous discussion. This doesn’t mean we won’t have fun. I come to class ready to examine our reading for the day under a microscope, and I expect you to do so as well. So it is a good idea to annotate the reading, to jot little questions and comments down that you’d like to voice in class. Especially if you’re on the shyer side, I encourage you to have reading-related thoughts and questions handily noted, so that you feel more comfortable sharing them in class.
Your attendance also falls within this category. Please see my attendance policy below.
Short Essays + Exercises 25%
Short essays are assigned throughout the semester. These are designed to inspire you to experiment, try out new modes of writing, embrace risk. The best thing you can do with these prompts is to push yourself into new territory.
There will also be occasional in-class writing prompts. I hope you’ll feel free to take ideas from these as you consider your graded writing assignments.
When it comes to grading your creative work, I will use the following criteria:
-Initiative and sophistication: does the writing go beyond expectations? Does it take a risk, either formally or with regard to the exploration itself? Do these risks serve the work?
-Craft: is the writing lucid? Does it push itself? Is there a sense of the writer trying out something new?
-Typos and formatting issues: is the essay in 12-point Times New Roman font, double-spaced? Is there a name on it and a title that seems well-conceived? Are there typos or errors that detract from the reading experience?
Blog post 10%
Once during this semester, each person in class will post a link on our Canvas site to a piece of music writing they have found via independent research that is directly related to a discussion we have had or a type of music writing we’ve explored. When it’s your turn, please post not just the link, but also an explanation of why this piece is worth reading: what makes it valuable, interesting, unusual, or even remarkable in its approach to its subject?
Major Essay 20%
In the second half of the semester, you will turn in a 3-7 page personal essay that encounters music in some way. If yours is closer to three pages, the stakes are a little higher for you – this essay needs to be the serious culmination of your creative work in this class. We’ll talk more about this as it approaches, but you can think of this personal essay as the “piece de resistance”— or the apex, maybe, all the reading and writing and listening you’ve done this semester. This essay will be workshopped, and you’ll turn in a revision at the end of the semester.
Reading Quizzes 10%
Occasionally, I will pass out reading quizzes. These are not punitive or gotcha-style quizzes: if you’ve done the reading, you should be fine.
Portfolio (including revision, reflection, and pitch) 10%
At the end of the semester, you will turn in a portfolio of all the pieces you have written for this class, a revision of your workshopped* piece, a short reflection essay, and a pitch to a particular site that publishes music writing.
*Some of you will be workshopped closer to the beginning of the semester, some closer to the end. Regardless, I’d like you to think throughout the entire semester about your final, revised essay, which you’ll turn in with your portfolio. This revised essay, as mentioned above, is your workshopped essay—I’d like you to use your classmates’ comments and feedback as your inspiration for the revision.
WorkWork will be assigned very regularly throughout the semester. Please upload your assignments to Canvas promptly and in 12-point, Times New Roman, double-spaced font. Late work will not be accepted without significant prior approval. For every day that a piece of work is late, there will be penalties to its grade.
The week before you are up for workshop, please bring enough hard copies of your essay for every person in the class, including me. This is your responsibility. It would be wise to print/copy your assignments far in advance of class in order to avoid the printing issues that we have all encountered. I will draw up a workshop schedule and post it on Canvas so that there is no confusion about workshop dates.
Readings
Course readings are always either on Canvas or in the required texts for this class. In order to receive credit for class participation, please bring all readings to class on the day of their discussion.
Attendance
In these types of classes (nay, in all types of classes), attendance is extremely important. We meet twice a week. Missing three classes or more will make passing this class difficult and requires consultation with me. Also, being attendance doesn’t just mean coming to class: it also involves being punctual, being prepared (see “Readings” heading above), and being mentally present (see “Electronics” heading below).
Electronics
No electronics are to be used in this class unless you have previously discussed necessary accommodations with me. This is a hard and fast rule. Please note that I can see when you’re on your phone (even when it’s below the table) and will consider this a form of non-attendance.
Plagiarism, Including Self-Plagiarism
If you have any questions about plagiarism, a category which includes self-plagiarism, come see me. I am happy to talk about it with you. You should not be recycling material in this class that you have already written, nor should you be using the work of others and claiming it as your own—this would be not just a breach of trust between you and me/your classmates, but it would also be a waste of your own time and education.
Conferences
I’d like to meet with you as many times as you need throughout the semester, and I’d encourage you to schedule meetings with me at the very least within the first month of the semester and once around or after Spring Break. I am always happy to discuss your evolving work, thoughts you’re having about class or writing, and anything else that’s coming up.
Respect
Intrinsic to this class’s structure is a spirit of mutual respect. I have no doubt you’ll be able to show up, listen gracefully to your classmates, and offer thoughtful workshop criticism—this is, after all, what you’re expecting from your classmates with regards to your own work and intellect. If you’re experiencing any kind of frustration, intimidation, or something else that I can help with, please come talk to me. I especially encourage conferences post-workshop: not only can debriefing help you begin to consider your upcoming revision, but it can help clarify for you the comments and the tenor of your workshop—it’s strange, sometimes, how the dust settles (or not) afterwards, and I can help provide clarity as well as my own thoughts.
Syllabus
January 15: Introductions
What are the struggles of music writing?
January 17: Is Music Your Bag?
Discuss: Meghan Daum, “Music Is My Bag” Kiese Laymon, “Da Art of Storytelling”
January 22: Particular Utterances (Song-Level Writing)
Discuss:
Mary Gaitskill, “On B-Movie” (in How to Write About Music) Hua Hsu, “A Year in Marking the Time with Music”
Elena Passarello, “Twinkle, Twinkle, Vogel Star”
January 24: Particular Utterances, Including One Non-Song
Discuss:
Greil Marcus, “Stories of a Bad Song”
Elena Passarello, “Communication Breakdown”
***Due: An ode to your favorite song, 500 words or more, due to Canvas by 8 pm. I’m looking for evidence here of experimentation—take a risk in your ode, try something that feels cheesy or new for you.
January 29: Personal Responses to Music
Discuss:
Andre Perry, “Americana/Dying of Thirst”
Hope Edelman, “Bruce Springsteen and the Story of Us”
January 31: Personal Responses to Music
Discuss:
Tiana Clark, “Nina Is Everywhere I Go” John Jeremiah Sullivan, “Upon This Rock”
***Due: An argumentative reaction to one song on Wikipedia’s “List of Music Considered the Worst” list or Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Songs of the Century – So Far” list, 750 words or more, due to Canvas by 8 pm.
February 5: Pushing Our Notions of Personal Taste
Discuss: Carl Wilson, Let’s Talk About Love: A Journey to the End of Taste, pages 1-50
February 7
Discuss: Carl Wilson, Let’s Talk About Love: A Journey to the End of Taste, pages 51-86
***Due: A spirited exploration of a “guilty pleasure” song, 750 words or more, in which you feel free to rant, risk (within reason), and go deep into why this piece of music matters. Please post this to Canvas by 8 pm.
February 12
Discuss: Carl Wilson, Let’s Talk About Love: A Journey to the End of Taste, pages 87-161
February 14: Music in Our Moment
Discuss:
Ta-Nehisi Coates, “Kanye West in the Age of Donald Trump”
Jessica Hopper, “Emo: Where The Girls Aren’t” (you can find this here: https://www.rookiemag.com/2015/07/where-the-girls-arent/)
***Due: 1000+ word political essay on a song, artist, or album we need to be listening to right now, in our political context.
February 19: Channeling Song
Jeff Sharlet, “Big World: How Clear Channel Programs America” Amy Leach, “The Same Old Joy”
James Agee, “Knoxville, Summer of 1915”
February 21: Channeling Song
Michael Ondaatje, Coming Through the Slaughter [excerpt] John Jeremiah Sullivan, “Back in the Day”
February 26
Hanif Abdurraqib, They Can’t Kill Us till They Kill Us, pages TBD
February 28
Hanif Abdurraqib, They Can’t Kill Us till They Kill Us, pages TBD
March 5
Hanif Abdurraqib, They Can’t Kill Us till They Kill Us, pages TBD
March 7
Hanif Abdurraqib, They Can’t Kill Us till They Kill Us, pages TBD
***Due: An essay, 1000+ words, on a concert you went to, and/or on regional identity, and/or a scene.
March 12: Let’s Experiment
John Darnielle, “There Are Other Forces at Work” Joan Didion, “The White Album”
March 14: Profiles
Drew Bratcher, “Mr. Brooks”
Leon Nayfakh, “The Sadness of T-Pain”
Amanda Petrusich, “Aretha Is as Immortal as Can Be”
***Due: an ode to a musician, alive or deceased, in which you poetically attempt to capture some essence of their spirit, 500+ words, due to Canvas by 8 pm.
March 26
Personal Essay brainstorming
Q & A: Professional music writing, pitching, etc.
March 28: Experimentation, Continued
John Darnielle, “On Black Sabbath” (in How to Write About Music) Campbell McGrath, “On Bob Dylan” (in How to Write About Music) Jordan Ferguson, “On J. Dilla’s Donuts” (in How to Write About Music)
April 2: Interviews
Michael Eldridge, “Remains of the Day-O”
Watch: A Nardwuar video of your choosing, but if you’re confused with where to start, check out his interview with NERD. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RKbSi87J5Q)
April 4
Workshop of: and
April 9
Workshop of: and
April 11
Workshop of: and
April 16
Workshop of: and
April 18
Workshop of: and
April 23
Workshop of: and
April 25
Workshop of: and
April 30
Workshop of: and
May 2
Soiree, conclusions, portfolio due