8 LULU DEWEY – INTRO TO CNF – FALL 2020

Introduction to Creative Nonfiction

Fall 2020

Instructor: Louisa (Lulu) Dewey

 

REQUIRED TEXTS:

Short readings posted each week on ICON

Course Overview:In this course, we will explore genres of creative nonfiction through readings, discussions, short writing exercises, and writing itself. Each week, we’ll read essays and excerpts by celebrated essayists and nonfiction writers—James Baldwin, Joan Didion, Kiese Laymon, Amy Leach, and more—and we’ll use their work as a starting point to discuss the many genres within the wider genre of creative nonfiction. You’ll also experience a workshop environment in which class members read, discuss, respond to, and critique the drafts you’ve produced.

 

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

The point of this class is to read, interpret, analyze, discuss, and write essays. We’ll also work together to define what constitutes creative nonfiction and “the essay.” Throughout the semester, you’ll be engaging in dialogue with your classmates to brainstorm, define, and mold your ideas of what it means for something to be a work of creative nonfiction. You’ll earn grades for those discussions, for writing a series of essays that we’ll workshop as a class, and for a final portfolio and reflection.

 

COURSE EXPECTATIONS:

This is a reading and writing intensive course and requires that you diligently read and write throughout the whole of the semester.

I expect you to come to our online discussions with a deep reading of the assigned texts, whether they are from established authors or from your classmates; your own independent thoughts, questions, and interpretations; and the desire to discuss those ideas and questions with your peers.

Some weeks, we will engage in a Writing Lab, where you’ll get a prompt from me and time to begin working on an essay that you could potentially submit for workshop. I expect that you take this time seriously and dedicate yourself to the writing process.

Collaborative discussion and engaged participation characterize this course. Both students and myself as your teacher will contribute significantly to the learning community in online conversations, workshops, and our written work. This approach aims to cultivate creativity, encourages personal initiative, and expects caring consideration toward everyone in the class. Thank you for demonstrating compassion and respect toward all class members and their perspectives, identities, and positions. This is a space for you to curiously and freely explore ideas.

 

ATTENDANCE:

This is, of course, an online course—your “attendance” will be based on your participation in weekly discussions, short writing assignments, and peer workshops.

You may miss one “class” (i.e., one week of assignments) excused or unexcused—but will not be able to “make up” any missed work. If you anticipate that you will miss multiple assignments, please shoot me a quick email noting why and we can chat about it together.

 

ASSIGNMENTS:

ICON Posts – 30% of Final Grade

You will have an ICON post due by midnight each Friday (in the first case, Friday, August 28th). By each Sunday, you should leave responses to two of your peers.

I’ll open up discussion boards with a set of discussion questions based around the readings for each week, and you’ll be responsible for posting a thought, a question, an imposition, a quid pro quo (anything!), on ICON to contribute to this discussion. This will be the chance for open discussion, energized debate, civil disagreement, creativity, and intellectual collaboration. Some weeks, we’ll also have a separate writing prompt.

 

Workshopped Essay Draft – 10% of Final GradeEach of you will produce two original, creative essays, one short and one longer. These will be works of nonfiction prose. You will post your essay to ICON one week ahead of your assigned workshop week (Friday).

 These essays can take whatever shape you want them to be. They can be heavily researched, journalistic, personal, observational, performative, lyrical, etc. There are no limits on style or form, with the caveat that you should be attempting to write nonfiction (which, of course, means you’re also allowed to fail at that task). We will be doing a considerable amount of prompted writing this semester, and you should be using those days as breeding grounds for the essays you share with the class.

This is the time for you to have fun, challenge yourself, and try writing something in a new or different way.

 

Workshop Responses – 20% of Final GradeA thoughtful letter responding to, supporting, and critiquing your classmates’ essays, at least half a single-spaced paragraph in length, written or typed, for each essay you workshop. Graded for completion, one point for each workshop that is not your own.

 

Final Portfolio – 40% of Final GradeAt the close of the semester, you’ll turn in your two revised essays, as well as a 1-2 page reflection as part of a final portfolio. This will be due December 16th on ICON.

GRADE BREAKDOWN

ICON Posts – 30%

2 Workshop Essays – 10%

Final Portfolio – 40%

Workshop Responses – 20%

TOTAL – 100%

Grades:

For Creative Work

{A}: Excellent work that shows initiative and sophistication that goes beyond general expectations. The writing is well crafted and reflects a commitment to the creative process. The writer is capable of analyzing, reflecting and revising so that the work improves over time and reflects skills gained in the course of the class. The writer takes risks in service to the work.

{B}: Strong work. The writing is well crafted and demonstrates that the writer is engaged with the creative process in ways that are above average. The writer demonstrates attempts to reflect on and analyze their writing and can make some choices about revision. Risks are taken; some may be more successful and resonant than others, but they show an attempt to serve the work.

{C} Competent work that meets the basic requirements. The writer’s work could be stronger with more engagement with the creative process. The writer has composed essays that reflect varying levels of success. There is some revision, but it’s superficial. Overall the work does not show a full commitment to receiving and incorporating feedback.

{D} Weak work that falls below the basic requirements. The writing produced is brief or not fully developed. The writing does not show an engagement with the creative process and does not reflect the writer’s potential.

{F} Unacceptable work. It exhibits fundamental problems, which consistently go unaddressed or ignored. The work is frequently incomplete. Writing that does not represent the writer’s original work will get an F.

A—F scale based on performance in the grade categories detailed above.

A+:98-100	B+: 87-89	C+: 77-79	D+: 67-69  F: 59 and below
A:93-97	B:83-86	C:73-76	D:  63-66
A-:90-92	B-: 80-82	C-:  70-72	D-: 60-62

 

Course Calendar:Titles listed underneath dates will be discussed on that day. Come prepared with notes and points to discuss during class.

 

All items on the calendar are subject to change.

 

*****

Week 1 – Getting to know each other 

1.      Read through the syllabus.

2.     Meet individually on Zoom (or a format of your choice) with the student from class you were randomly assigned to chat with. During your 20-30-minute Zoom session, get to know each other, interview each other, try to figure out in this brief period of time what makes this other person interesting. Then, for homework, compose a roughly 175-word introduction of this person that will help everyone else in class get to know them. By Friday at noon, post your profile on ICON in the Week 1 Module. To help the rest of us quickly understand who you are introducing us to, title your profile “On                ” followed by the name of the peer you are introducing.

3.     Be sure to check out these miniature profiles of your peers! Feel free to leave comments and say hi to each other.

 

Week 2 – What is creative nonfiction, anyway?

1.     Readings:

“Hateful Things,” Sei Shonagon

“Long-awaited Olive Garden receives warm welcome,” Marilyn Hagerty

2.     Review slides on ICON

3.     Discussion post due by Friday at midnight.

a.     What is creative nonfiction?

b.     What makes it “creative” vs just plain nonfiction?

c.     What the heck is an essay?

Please respond to two of your peers’ answers by Sunday at noon.

 

Week 3 – Personal Essays

1.     Readings:

David Sedaris, selections from Me Talk Pretty One Day

“The Doctor Is A Woman,” Sloane Crosley

“I Shit My Pants in the South of France,” Jonathan Ames

2.     Review slides on ICON

3.     Discussion post due by Friday at midnight. Please respond to two of your peers’ answers by Sunday at noon.

 

Week 4 – Lyric Essays

1.     Readings:

“to have eaten the octopus,” Jessie Kraemer

“Tinfoil Astronaut,” Lina Maria Ferreira Cabeza-Vanegas

2.     Review slides on ICON

3.     Discussion post due by Friday at midnight. Please respond to two of your peers’ answers by Sunday at noon.

4.     Lyric Essay Writing Lab! 200-500 words due by Friday at midnight. Respond to two of your peers by Sunday at noon.

 

Week 5 – Literary Journalism

1.     Readings:

“Some Dreamers of the Golden Dream,” Joan Didion “A Noiseless Flash,” John Hersey

2.     Review slides on ICON

3.     Discussion post due by Friday at midnight. Please respond to two of your peers’ answers by Sunday at noon.

5. Literary Journalism Writing Lab! 200-500 words due by Friday at midnight. Respond to two of your peers by Sunday at noon.

 

Week 6 – Writing Family Memories

1.     Readings:

Excerpts from Heavy, Kiese Laymon “Eat, Memory,” David Wong Louie

2.     Review slides on ICON

3.     Discussion post due by Friday at midnight. Please respond to two of your peers’ answers by Sunday at noon.

 

Week 7 – Writing for Social Change

1.     Readings:

“Notes of a Native Son,” James Baldwin “How to Unmarry Your Wife,” Sarah Viren

2.     Review slides on ICON

3.     Discussion post due by Friday at midnight. Please respond to two of your peers’ answers by Sunday at noon.

 

Week 8 – Mini Workshops

Group 1: __________

Group 2: __________

Group 3: __________

 

Week 9 – Profiles

1.     Readings:

“The World’s Biggest Terrorist Has a Pikachu Bedspread,” Kerry Howley “Frank Sinatra Has a Cold,” Gay Talese

2.     Review slides on ICON

3.     Discussion post due by Friday at midnight. Please respond to two of your peers’ answers by Sunday at noon.

1.     Profile Writing Lab! 200-500 words due by Friday at midnight. Respond to two of your peers by Sunday at noon.

 

Week 10 – Satire

1.     Readings:

“How to Write About Africa,” Binyavanga Wainaina “A Modest Proposal,” Jonathan Swift

2.     Review slides on ICON

3.     Discussion post due by Friday at midnight. Please respond to two of your peers’ answers by Sunday at noon.

 

Week 11 – Writing for an Internet Audience

1.     Readings:

“Rockin’ It, Frat Party Style,” from McSweeney’s Internet Tendency

“Why I’d Rather Live Alone,” Samantha Irby