ENGL 371: Introduction to Creative Writing

Required Texts: 

  • Self-portrait in a Convex Mirror by John Ashbery
  • Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee
  • The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson by Emily Dickinson
  • CivilWarLand in Bad Decline by George Saunders

Course Description: This is a workshop based creative writing class. During the term, you will workshop four creative pieces. Since your writing is public, you will also perform your work twice during the term. The first time will be during one of the public readings sponsored by Sigma Tau Delta; the second reading will be a “Bullet Reading” during the final exam. In addition to the two public readings, you will also be required to prepare a submission to send to a literary magazine. The final component of the course is an author presentation. The primary objective of this course is to develop your creative capacities. In order to do this, we will write and read extensively throughout the semester.

Requirements

Portfolio 1

15%

Portfolio 2 (Prose)

20%

Portfolio 3 (Poetry)

20%

Portfolio 4

25%

Participation and Exercises

15%

Book Presentation, readings, and a submission

5%

Attendance, Participation, and Exercises: Attendance is required. You should be prepared for class, and you are expected to participate. For each class, your participation will be assessed, using the following scale: +, √, -, or 0. Periodic quizzes will test your preparedness for class. There will also be writing exercises during the semester. The exercises will be assessed using an eight point scale.

Portfolios: For each portfolio, you are required to include the original workshop piece with my comments along with other comments you found useful. Your portfolio will be assessed on its quality and your attention to the revision process. (Note: You must revise.) All of the portfolios are due on the last day of class. I do suggest, however, you turn in at least one portfolio earlier in the term to make sure you understand the grading criteria. The page parameters for the first three portfolios will be given in class. Portfolio 4, however, will be a fifteen to twenty page short story or a collection of poems of comparable length. 

Disabilities: If you require academic accommodations because of a learning, processing or cognition related disability, you will need to submit an accommodation request form (available from Disability Support Services) and one or more of the following documentation: A high school Individual Education Plan (IEP), a 504 Plan and/or a psycho-educational evaluation.  These documents must be less than five years old and verify the nature of your disability, the functional limitations it imposes, and the need for a specific accommodation.  Please contact Disability Support Services at 5453 if you have questions or need assistance providing this information.

 


Calendar:

 

You should complete each assignment prior to class. With workshops, you will distribute your writing to the class during the class period prior to your workshop. Any changes to the calendar will be posted on my web page.

 


Week One, ending Friday, January 16th

M: Course Introduction

W: Read: Saunders, 3-44

F: Read: Saunders, 45-87

 

Week Two, ending Friday, January 23rd

M: No Class: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

W: Read: Saunders, 88-end

F: Class Discussion: The Workshop Process

 

Week Three, ending Friday, January 30th

M: Workshop: 1A

W: Workshop: 1B

F: Workshop: 1C

 

Week Four, ending Friday, February 6th

M: Workshop: 1D

W: Workshop: 1E

F: Class Discussion: The Revision Process

 

Week Five, ending Friday, February 13th

M: Read: Coetzee, 1-67

W: Read: Coetzee, 68-122

F: Read: Coetzee, 123-end

 

Week Six, ending Friday, February 20th

M: Workshop: 2A

W: Workshop: 2B

F: Workshop: 2C

 

Week Seven, ending Friday, February 27th

M: Workshop: 2D

W: Workshop: 2E

F: Peer Revision, library

 

Week Eight, ending Friday, March 6th

M: Read: Ashbery, 1-30

W: Read: Ashbery, 31-end

F: Read: Dickinson, to be announced

 

Week Nine, ending Friday, March 13th

M: Read: Dickinson, to be announced

W: Workshop: 3A

F: Workshop: 3B

 

Week Ten, ending Friday, March 20th

Spring Recess

 

Week Eleven, ending Friday, March 27th

M: Workshop: 3C

W: Workshop: 3D

F: Workshop: 3E

 

Week Twelve, ending Friday, April 3rd

M: Conferences

W: Conferences

F: Conferences

 

Week Thirteen, ending Friday, April 10th

M: Read: from current literary magazines, handout

W: Read: from current literary magazines, handout

F: Class Discussion: The Submission Process

 

Week Fourteen, ending Friday, April 17th

M: Workshop: 4A

W: Workshop: 4B

F: Workshop: 4C

 

Week Fifteen, ending Friday, April 24th 

M: Workshop: 4D

W: Workshop: 4E

F: Weekend Recess

 

Week Sixteen, ending Friday, May 1st

M: Book Presentations

W: Book Presentations

F: Book Presentations

 

Week Seventeen, ending Friday, May 8th

Final: Wednesday, May 6th, 3:00 - 5:00 PM