Special Topics: The Form and Process of Creative Nonfiction
 Course: ENGL 513
When: 3-5:40pm
Where: TBA
Instructor: Paula Huston
Phone: 805-756-2294 (on campus, dial 62294)
Email: phuston@calpoly.edu
Office: 47-22M
Hours: 2-3 MWF or by appointment
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Reading
List:
Dillard, Annie. For the Time Being. New York:
Random House, 1999.
Hampl, Patricia. A Romantic Education. New York: Norton,
1981.
Iyer, Pico. The Lady and the Monk. New York:
Random House, 1991.
Novakovich, Josip. Apricots from Chernobyl.
St. Paul: Graywolf Press, 1995.
Taylor, Charles. Sources of the Self: the Making of
the Modern Identity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989.
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Course
Content:
The genre of creative nonfiction is multifaceted, and extends from
the personal essay--including nature, environmental, and travel writing--to memoir,
literary journalism, and personal cultural criticism. Creative nonfiction writers often
make use of fictional and poetic techniques to bring reportage to life, or they may rely
on narrative intertwined with scholarly research to make their points. Their styles,
always marked by literary artistry, range from meditative to expository to lyrical to
whimsical, and the structures of these pieces vary as much as their styles. In spite of
the multiplicity of subjects and approaches, however, there is some common ground. First,
creative nonfiction makes the same promise to its readers that nonfiction always has--that
what it offers up is true and really happened. Secondly, it is invariably marked by a
strong authorial presence, a distinctive personal voice, the sense that an individual self
is being revealed on the page. As the famous essayist Montaigne once said about his work,
"It is myself I portray," and it is this aspect of creative nonfiction that will
draw most of our attention during the course.
Using philosopher Charles
Taylor's account of the development of the modern identity as our guide, we will read
contemporary essayists Annie Dillard, Patricia Hampl, Pico Iyer, and Josip Novakovich for
their presentations of self. If, as Taylor says, "We exist in a space of
questions," then one thing we should be able to count on in these essays is a serious
attempt to answer some of these. What, for example, is the basis for the respect we accord
other people? What are our obligations to them? To the world of nature at large? What is
our notion of a full life? How do we attain dignity and self-respect? How does our
contemporary focus on autonomy and independence shape our notion of love? What, if any, is
our purpose in living?
In addition to our study of the self as presented in these
four quite different works, we'll be reading with a writerly eye to discover just how
these accomplished artists shape their work. Why does Dillard, for example,
structure her essay like a mosaic? Why does Hampl return over and over to the goldenness
of Prague, and how does the symbol deepen and get richer as the book progresses? How does
Novakovich come up with those crazy metaphors? Why does Iyer make use of a single,
idiosyncratic character, Sachiko, to deliver his message to the reader?
Finally, we'll talk about the logical thread that runs unbroken through all
good essays, especially book-length ones. How do these writers handle argument? Do they
make their claims boldly or do they imply them? What kind of evidence do they marshal in
support? What are the spoken or unspoken warrants that sit behind their major claims? At
what point in our own work do we need to sketch out the argument?
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Student
Work:
Part of the course will be given over to the work of class members,
so come prepared to share your own creative nonfiction. In addition, you'll be responsible
for a group presentation on one of the four book-length essays. You'll also be turning in
written responses to various sections of the Taylor book. And finally, you'll be writing a
culminating piece of creative nonfiction that picks up on the theme of modern
self-identity. You should read the first four works on the list and chapters 21, 23 and 24
of the Taylor book. If you find this difficult, don't despair--we'll be going through it
as a team.
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Assignments:
Six pages of your creative nonfiction
work-in-progress. Please send one copy to me at my home address by June 20, and bring
thirteen copies for the class on the first day (June 25). A short paper (3-5) pages
on why you have chosen to become a creative writer--in other words, your purpose as a
writer. If you can get these to me by June 20, wonderful; otherwise, bring this the first
day of class (June 25). (100 points)
A series of 1-2 page analytical responses to
the assigned reading. Due dates are listed below. (200 points)
A 1/2-1 page response to each piece of
student work that we'll be critiquing. Due dates listed below. (100 points)
A 45-minute oral group presentation (three
to a group) on one of the four works of creative nonfiction. I'll make these assignments
on day one, so please be thinking about which work you wish to focus on and who you'd like
to work with. No written version of this is required. (100 points each)
A final paper of publishable length (this
usually means 10-17 pages) that employs the creative nonfiction techniques we've discussed
and taps into the readings. The general topic is the modern notion of the self and
self-identity; the trick is to work with this topic in a literary, creative, non-academic
but intelligent way. My hope is that you'll be able to incorporate some material from your
short response papers, in-class exercises, and your initial attempt to describe your
purpose as a writer. An understanding of Taylor's frameworks will be important here, as
part of this project is obviously dependent upon your figuring out your own. (300 points)
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Due Dates:
Monday, June 25--Short paper on your purpose
as a writer (if I haven't already received this)
Tuesday, June 26--1-2 page analytical
response to Hampl (focus on how she handles setting and description) plus 1/2 page
response for workshop #1.
Wednesday, June 27--Analytical response to
Iyer (focus on characterization and dialogue) plus response for workshop #2
Thursday, June 28--Analytical response to
Novakovich (focus on plotting and action techniques) plus response for workshop #3
Friday, June 29--Analytical response to
Dillard (focus on structure and how she achieves coherence) plus response for workshop #4.
Monday, July 2--Analytical response to all
four books re: research techniques (2-3 pages) plus response for workshop #5.
Tuesday, July 3--Response for workshop #6.
Wednesday, July 4--Holiday (no class).
Thursday, July 5--Analytical response to
chapter 1 of Taylor: Why does he think it is hard to pin down the modern identity?
What is a framework? Response for workshop #7.
Friday, July 6--Analytical response to
chapter 2 of Taylor: What does he mean when he says our identity is dependent upon our
frameworks? How are the sense of the good and the sense of the self intertwined?
Response for workshop #8. Group presentation on Novakovich, with a particular
focus on identifying his framework.
Monday, July 9--Analytical response to
chapter 21 of Taylor: Identify the Romantic notion of the artist. What does he mean
by "expressivism"? Response for workshop #9. Group presentation on Iyer,
with a particular eye to expressivism.
Tuesday, July 10--Analytical response to
chapter 23 of Taylor: Define epiphany and describe epiphanic art. Response for workshop
#10. Group presentation on Hampl, concentrating on symbol and epiphany.
Wednesday, July 11--Analytical response to
chapter 24 of Taylor: What are the "epiphanies of modernism"? What role does
experimentation play here? Response for workshop #11. Group presentation on
Dillard, with an eye to her experimental techniques and the juxtaposition of images.
Thursday, July 12--Response for workshop
#12.
Friday, July 13--Response for workshop #13.
Cumulative project due.
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