| Course Title: Topics in Creative Writing: 'Four Memoirs: Writing Through Radical Self-Inquiry' |
| Start Date: 09/06/2023 End Date: 12/19/2023 |
| Term: Fall Semester 2023 |
| Description: In this class, we will read four full-length memoirs, each representing radically different structures and styles. Students will write four short memoirs mirroring the forms of these books. These "memoirs" will run between 2,000-2,500 words, and they will represent the pillars of the final grade. Memoir projects will receive instructor feedback, and will also be shared in smaller "care groups" to offer and receive feedback. Mary Oliver once wrote that "attention is the beginning of devotion." Together, we will nurture our attention to the world, and, therefore, devote ourselves to bettering it. We will nurture our sensitivities, our wonder, our awe, and identify not only who we are through rigorous self-inquiry, but what conversations we are participating in when we write, what literary traditions we perpetuate, and, perhaps most importantly, what traditions we break. Sample texts (full-length and excerpted) include Carmen Maria Machado, Alexander Chee, Barry Jenkins, Jaquira Díaz, Michelle Zauner, Saeed Jones, Natasha Trethewey, Alex Marzano-Lesnevich, Cyrus Simonoff, Yuko Tsushima, and others. |
| Distribution(s): NO - Meets No Distrib. Rqmt , WI - Writing-Intensive , TP - Topics Course |
| Academic Level Of Course: Undergraduate | Credits:4.00 |
| Faculty | Phone | Email address |
| T Kira Madden | tmadden@mtholyoke.edu |
| Meeting Dates | Method | Meeting days | Meeting times | Building name | Room | Frequency |
| 09/06/2023 - 12/19/2023 | Seminar | Wednesday | 01:30PM - 04:20PM | CLAP - Clapp Laboratory | 203 | Weekly |
| Requisite Courses | ||
| Prereq: ENGL-201. | Take previously | Required |
| Comments |
| Additional Comments |
| Course Tags |
| Cross-listed Sections |
| None |
| Course Availability | ||||
| Section status: Closed | Capacity: 16 | Enrollment: 16 | Available: 0 | Waitlist: 0 |
BOOK INFORMATION
| Book List | Required | Publisher Full Price |
| Title: In the Dream House: a Memoir Author: Machado, Carmen Maria Copyright: 2020 Edition: Volume: ISBN: 1644450380 Publisher: Graywolf Press |
Required | 12.39 |
| Title: Good Talk: a Memoir in Conversations Author: Jacob, Mira Copyright: 2020 Edition: Volume: ISBN: 0399589066 Publisher: One World |
Required | 13.99 |
| Title: Bluets Author: Nelson, Maggie Copyright: 2009 Edition: Volume: ISBN: Publisher: Wave Books |
Required | 14.88 |
| Title: The Natural Mother of the Child: A Memoir of Nonbinary Parenthood Author: Belc, Krys Malcolm Copyright: 2021 Edition: Volume: ISBN: 9781640094383 Publisher: Counterpoint LLC |
Required | 26.00 |
| Additional Book Comments |
| This is the complete book list for this class. |