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SYLLABUS Introduction to Creative Writing (ENGL 210-2) Spring 2009 Mon/Wed/Fri 11:00-11:50
Instructor: Jeffrey Taylor Classroom: Wheatley 02-124 Office Hours: Mon/Wed/Fri 12 Noon-2PM Office: Wheatley 6-73 Phone/Voicemail: 801-414-7640 E-mail: jeffreytaylorslc@yahoo.com
Required Text:
Burroway, Janet. Imaginative Writing: The Elements of Craft (2nd Edition). Penguin Academics, 2007.
Course Goals:
This course is an introduction to the process of writing poetry and fiction, and is designed to embolden you to think and write creatively, enable you to read and respond critically/helpfully, and introduce you to the terminology and basic elements of writing craft. In a friendly, supportive environment, we will examine a variety of published poems and stories from our text and hand-outs, as well as each other’s work, in an effort to shed light on what makes for effective writing (including, but not limited to: image, voice, dialogue, character, conflict and setting). You will be putting these ideas directly to work in the poetry and fiction you produce for class. During the course of the semester, you will complete in-class writing exercises, and out of class assignments, including individual and group exercises, free writing, and formal assignments. By working in both poetry and fiction, and receiving feedback (in the form of written and oral critiques) from your peers and from me, you will begin to develop a working understanding of how poetic and narrative techniques work. It is hoped that by the end of this course, you will have learned to write more creatively—artfully—about the things that matter to you. We all have something unique to say about the world in which we live; this course aims to help you develop the skills to deliver your poetic and fictional expressions in an artful, engaging way.
We will read and write poems with emphasis on imagery, rhythm, and voice. We will read and write fiction paying close attention to character development, conflict/plot, setting and dialogue. And the third part of the semester will be devoted to the continuation and revision of your work in both forms. Throughout the semester, we will be “workshopping” each other’s work, first in small groups and then as a class.
Course Requirements:
1. Creative Writing: You are responsible for one weekly out-of-class writing assignment, as well as in-class exercises as assigned. Most of your writing will take place out of class. These assignments will lead to a final portfolio of work that will include 5 Poems (with my permission, revisions on earlier poems may be turned in as a poem) and 1-2 complete stories, story beginnings or story fragments (6 – 15 pages total), all of which will go through at least one revision. Both original and revised versions of all creative work (poems and stories) are to be included in the portfolio, for a total of 25-50 pages of work. One revision of your choice must be a radical revision, which we will discuss at length later in the semester. While no individual poem or piece of fiction you hand in will be graded, the complete portfolio is a measure of your growth as a writer over the course of the semester. There’s no time to wait for inspiration to strike! Writing is a daily habit that must be developed. As such, it is important for both your grade and your growth as a writer to keep up with the weekly writing assignments.
***The final portfolio is due Wednesday, May 13.***
2. Reading: You are responsible for weekly reading assignments from the text, as well as occasional hand-outs of fiction or poetry. You should be prepared to discuss each week’s reading during the first class meeting of each week. You will be responsible for writing 1 response paper (2 - 3 double-spaced pages) over the course of the semester (one in response to a single poem or short story. Response papers are not to be summaries of what the story or poem was about, nor litanies of what the poem or story reminded you of from your own life. Rather these papers should engage critically with something we have read, asking the question “how/why did the author do that?” Response papers will be graded.
You will also be responsible for bringing in one poem or story segment from unassigned reading to share with the class. We will spend the first few minutes of most class sessions reading and discussing these pieces.
3. Literary Reading Attendance: You are required to attend one fiction or poetry reading during the semester. There are numerous readings scheduled on campus throughout the semester, and local bookstores, other universities, and literary organizations regularly sponsor readings around Boston. You will write a (2-3 page) response paper on the reading. This can be done at any point during the semester. Your response paper should focus on your experience at the reading, making connections, if possible, to the craft elements (voice, image, character, etc.) we discuss in class. This paper will be graded.
4. Class participation: This is an interactive, discussion-based class. Your presence and participation are necessary and required. Aside from discussing published pieces we read outside of class, and completing in-class writing assignments, you will be split into small groups where you will be required to critically read and discuss your classmates’ work. You will also have the opportunity for your classmates to critically read and discuss your own work. We will work cooperatively in what’s called a “workshop” environment. Part of this process involves written critiques of your classmates’ work. You will be required to write a total of 3 critique “letters” in response to the work of the classmates in your small group. Each such letter will consist of at least one paragraph detailing what you think the strengths of the piece are, and one paragraph of questions the piece raises for you, paying attention to Burroway’s suggestions on page xxvii of the Invitation to the Writer section of the Introduction. More specific instructions for critiques and workshop participation will be given out later in the semester. These critiques will be graded.
Class participation will also include posting to the class website at least three times over the course of the semester.
5. Attendance: You are allowed no more than FOUR unexcused absences. Unexcused absences are ones you have not notified me of in advance. Please take the time to call my voicemail or email me if you find you cannot make class. In case of emergency, I appreciate contact with you as soon as possible. Don’t just disappear—let me know what’s happened to you. Please exchange phone numbers or email addresses with someone in class to find out about a class you’ve missed. If you exceed EIGHT absences for any reason YOU WILL FAIL THE COURSE!
Out of respect for your classmates and me, please turn cell phones off for the duration of each class period. Texting, checking messages, emailing, etc. during class is unnecessary and rude. Please also refrain from eating during class, and take care of all personal needs prior to or after class. It is disruptive to have people coming in and out of the classroom.
6. Conferences: You will be required to attend two 15-minute progress conferences with me near the midway point and the end of the semester. Weeks 7 and 14 (see schedule for dates) are set aside entirely for these. You should bring all of your creative work from the semester to this conference. We will discuss the state of your portfolio and any specific questions you have about how to move forward. Conferences are an important part of this course and will be graded. Please do not skip your conference appointments. As you will not be attending this class during conference weeks, missing a conference is equivalent to 3 classes and will be counted as such. I encourage you to schedule meetings with me at any other point during the semester, or show up for my office hours, to discuss your work, your progress, course expectations, readings, etc.
Grading:
Please note that you will not be graded on “talent” for this course. Rather, your grade will be a reflection of your growth and development as a writer, as well as your adherence to the course requirements outlined above. To determine your grade, I will weigh the timely completion of creative assignments; the growth displayed in your portfolio (first drafts to revisions); your critical responses to class readings, attendance at a literary reading, and responses to the work of your classmates; class participation; and class and conference attendance.
Your grade will be determined as follows:
25% - Response Papers (2 Reading Response Papers; 1 literary reading response) 25% - Portfolio (timely completion of all creative assignments; revision efforts; personal growth) 25% - Class participation/Attendance (discussion, web-posting, etc.) 15% - Workshop (3 critical response letters; discussion) 10% - Conferences
Quizzes may be given throughout the semester.
Students with Disabilities
If you have a disability and feel you will need accommodations in order to complete course requirements, please contact the Ross Center for Disability Services (M1-401) at 617-287-7430.
Plagiarism and Academic Honesty
All students are accountable to the definitions and the regulations concerning Academic Plagiarism is defined as the attempt to use or pass off as one’s own the ideas or writings of another. This includes copying from a friend, downloading material from the Internet and pretending it’s yours, or using passages either reproduced word-for-word or paraphrased from another’s writing without giving the author credit. If you’re confused about the right way to quote sources, please see me and I’ll be glad to clarify. Because plagiarism involves stealing someone’s ideas, it’s considered a serious matter in academic life. Anyone committing plagiarism risks failing the course. All students are accountable to the definitions and the regulations concerning Academic Honesty contained in the University of Massachusetts Boston “Code of Standard Conduct.” For more details see: www.umb.edu/student_services/student_rights/code_conduct.html
Week 1: Course Intro / Metaphor / Cliché
M 1/26: Course intro
W 1/28: Joyce Peseroff & Sylvia Plath
F 1/30: In class exercise (Clichés)
Week 2: Image
M 2/2: Burroway Ch. 9: Poetry (pgs. 309-325)
W 2/4: Walt Whitman & Charles Baudelaire
F 2/6: Roald Dahl *POEM 1 DUE* Benjamin Percy
Week 3: Voice
M 2/9: Frank O’Hara
W 2/11: Charles Bukowski
F 2/13: In class exercise (Walking Poem) *POEM 2 DUE*
Week 4: Character
M 2/16: NO CLASS – President’s Day
W 2/18: Burroway Chapter 3: Character (pg. 79-93)
F 2/20: Bill Corbitt Poetry Reading (Class will meet at UMass Bookstore) Week 5: Setting
M 2/23: Burroway Chapter 4: Setting
W 2/25: Shirley Jackson “The Lottery” *1ST READING RESPONSE* F 2/27: Group Workshops *CRITIQUE 1 DUE*
Week 6: Conferences (Bring all work to date)
M 3/2: NO CLASS – Conferences
W 3/4: NO CLASS – Conferences
F 3/6: NO CLASS – Conferences *FICTION DUE (3-5 pg.)
Week 7: Story
M 3/11 Burroway Chapter 5: Story (pg. 163-172)
W 3/13: Junot Diaz “How to Date a Browngirl, Blackgirl, Whitegirl, or Halfie” Jhumpa Lahiri “Interpreter of Maladies” (pgs. 100-117);
F 3/15: In class exercise
Week 8 (3/16-20): SPRING BREAK – NO CLASSES
Week 9: Revision
M 3/23: Burroway Chapter 6: Development and Revision (pg. 207-222)
W 3/25: Donald Barthelme “The School”
F 3/27: Group Workshops *POEM 3 DUE*
Week 10: Dialogue
M 3/30: In class assignment
W 4/1: Hemingway “Hills Like White Elephants”
F 4/3: Group Workshops
Week 11: Nature and Politics in Literature
M 4/6: Denise Levertov Gary Snyder W 4/8: Allen Ginsberg
F 4/10: Kenneth Patchen Week 12: Performance (oral tradition of literature)
M 4/13: Dick Lourie Poetry Reading (Class will meet at UMass Bookstore) *CRITIQUE 2 DUE*
W 4/15: Rhythms. Blues Forms in Poetry. Langston Hughes Kevin Young *POEM 4 DUE*
F 4/17: Student Readings (Bring 25 copies of your poem) *2nd READING RESPONSE*
Week 13: Revision / Workshops
M 4/20: NO CLASS: Patriot’s Day
W 4/22: Revision Video *POEM 5 DUE*
F 4/24: Group Workshops
Week 14: Workshops / Student Readings
M 4/27: Group Workshops
W 4/29: Group Workshops *CRITIQUE 3 DUE*
F 5/1: e. e. cummings Raymond Carver “The Cathedral” *FICTION REVISION (5-8 pg)
Week 15: CONFERENCES
M 5/4: Conferences – no class
W 5/6: Conferences – no class
F 5/8: Conferences – no class
Week 16: Class Readings
M 5/11: Class Reading
W 5/13: Class Reading ***FINAL PORTFOLIO DUE***
FINAL PORTFOLIO WILL CONSIST OF:
A. 5 POEMS
B. 1 SHORT STORY. (6-15 pages)
C. 2 READING RESPONSES (2-3 pages each)
D. 2 POEM REVISIONS
E. 1 SHORT STORY REVISION
If you have any questions at all, don’t hesitate to ask. Come by my office any time during office hours. Or set up appointments with me. I respond to email quickly.
Have fun this semester!!!
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