Creative nonfiction is a type of writing that,uses literary styles and techniques to construct,narratives that have their foundation in fact.,Examples include: memoir, travelogue, the,personal essay, and cultural observation. As,opposed to journalism and technical writing,,which are also based in fact, creative nonfiction,projects a dramatic, literary framework onto,everyday existence, rendering it enlightening and,potentially meaningful to the reader. We will,study examples of creative nonfiction in order to,determine some of the structures and methods of,this relatively open genre, and in turn, apply,them to students’ own work. As a workshop class,,the primary focus is student writing of,manuscripts to be critiqued and improved. The,class requires students to share their writing,,questions, and opinions. As an online workshop,class, we will interact almost entirely through,the medium of Blackboard, posting work and,responses weekly or bi-weekly. On a deeper level,,we will consider the sometimes slippery nature of,truth as it applies to this writing form, looking,for consensus on the boundaries we can push, vs.,those we must maintain in order for this genre to,preserve its claim to authority.
Credits: 3
Prerequisites: DEN 102