We are all experienced storytellers. Narrative is how we make sense of experience. But why are some stories we hear or read more compelling than others? This is a course about telling true stories, otherwise known as creative nonfiction. Through extensive reading, discussion, and writing, you will become well-versed in this genre and hone your ability to write your own creative nonfiction. You will ask what constitutes a “true” story and what it means for it to be “well told.” What is the relationship between literary truth and factual truth? What are the literary tools at a nonfiction writer’s disposal? What makes stories like these work on us — or not? Course readings will introduce you to some of the many forms that this broad and flexible genre takes. Through close reading and analysis of these texts, you will explore how writers use their experiences and observations to convey authentic stories and make artful commentary. Readings will also serve as models of technique and style to draw on in your own writing projects. Mining your own life and the world around you for inspiration, you will write creative nonfiction pieces in a variety of forms, such as personal narratives, profiles, philosophical meditations, and hybrid texts. Throughout the semester, you will share full drafts of your writing projects with the class, and you will read each other’s work constantly and critically.
It will be all over the library, depending on what it is about. If you need suggestions feel free to ask a librarian!