HE 312 POETRY AND HE 313 FICTION WORKSHOP
Instructor: Berwyn Moore, Associate Professor of English
Office: Palumbo Academic Center, Room 3240
Phone: 871-7504
e-mail: moore001@mail1.gannon.edu
Office Hours: M-W-F: 12:15 – 1:15
T-TH: 11 – 12 and 1:30 – 2:15 (and by appointment)
Text
Knorr, Jeff and Tim Schell, eds. A Writer’s Country: A Collection of Fiction and Poetry. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 2001.
Description
This combined fiction and poetry workshop is an advanced writing course for students interested in developing their creative writing skills, improving their analytic, critical, and evaluative skills, and increasing their knowledge of contemporary literature. Classes are conducted as workshops for critique and discussion of students’ in-progress poems and stories. Opportunity is also provided for in-depth analysis of stories, poems, and essays by established writers and for study of contemporary literary forms and genres.
This course is based on the premise that creative writing is art as well as discourse. As such, its successful composition requires an understanding of how its elements, including subject, language, and structure, work together to create a unified whole – a poem or a story. In addition, the "artists" benefit from a supportive environment which encourages astute critical dialogue while fostering growth and confidence. This course will facilitate both aspects.
Outcomes
Students analyze and appraise contemporary fiction and poetry and their various styles and approaches with understanding.
Students interpret and evaluate contemporary fiction and poetry for their artfulness of language and technique.
Students analyze and assess different literary genres and forms.
Students write in a selected genre, effectively blending elements of form with content.
Students assess the effectiveness of their writing.
Students revise effectively and efficiently.
Students analyze, interpret, and appraise the writing of their peers from a sound critical perspective.
Approach
Students will compose in the creative genre for which they registered and will critique the submitted works of their peers in both genres. Throughout the term, students will submit drafts of their work for class discussion and critique. A revolving schedule will allow each student to submit work to as many workshop sessions as possible. At the end of the term, students will submit a manuscript of revised work.
Additional course activities will include analyses of works from the A Writer’s Country, annotations of books read outside of class, and in-class exercises.
Course Requirements
1. Attendance and Participation
The success of this workshop demands that you attend regularly, participate actively, and prepare all assignments and exercises on time. You are expected to come to class prepared to discuss in detail the assigned poems and stories for that day, offering each writer thoughtful critical comments and suggestions. You should annotate your copies of the material, which will be given to the writers following discussion. Your participation grade will be based on active class participation, thorough preparation of assignments for discussion, and completion of in-class exercises.
If you miss a class, you must write one page of comments for each workshop piece discussed that day. Give one copy to me and one copy to the writer.
You may have one unexcused absence. Any absence can disrupt the unity and dynamic of a workshop, so please try not to miss class. Each absence over two will result in a 5% reduction of your final grade, and four or more absences may warrant dismissal from the class.
2. Workshop
You will take turns submitting drafts of original poems and stories for class discussion throughout the semester. Even though these drafts are "in-progress," they should be typed and proofread to eliminate distracting errors. Your classmates will be provided with copies and will prepare comments for discussion. The feedback you receive through written comments and through class discussions will be invaluable to you for revising your creative work. The poems and stories submitted for workshop will not be graded; your revised work will be turned in at the end of the term for evaluation. (We will determine a workshop schedule once the course begins.)
3. Outside Reading
You will write two critiques of contemporary poetry or fiction books that you read outside of class. You may use your text to find writers whose work you like. Your report should highlight the stylistic and thematic features of the poems or stories as a whole and should be made from the perspective of a writer; in other words, consider what this published writer has accomplished which could benefit you in your writing process and goals. Your audience for these assignments is the class.
Due dates: Tuesday, Feb. 20 and Thursday, April 5
4. Oral Report
Throughout the semester groups of 2 to 3 students will give a 15 - 20 minute report on some aspect of craft or technique. You should make the report interesting as well as informative; you may give the class an exercise that uses the technique.
5. Manuscript
At the end of the semester, you will submit a manuscript of revised work. Poetry manuscripts should contain 7 poems (no haikus, epigrams, or limericks) and fiction manuscripts should contain 10-15 pages, which may be 1 to 3 stories or even an excerpt from a longer work. Your emphasis with the manuscript, however, should be on its quality. It should also be typed, carefully proofread and edited, and titled. Be sure to keep all worksheets and drafts of your poems, as I may need to see these.
Also as part of your final manuscript, you are to write a 1 - 2 page evaluation of your strengths and weaknesses, of what you have learned about writing, and of the goals you have yet to accomplish as a creative writer.
Due date: Thursday, May 10
Grading
Assignment: % of Final Grade:
Participation and Workshop Preparation 30%
Book Critiques 20%
Oral Presentation 10%
Final Manuscript (and self evaluation) 40%
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The English department's annual Awards Night is scheduled this year for Thursday, April 19th, at 7:30 p.m., in the Yehl Room of the Waldron Campus Center. Margaret Gibson, author of 7 books of poetry and winner of several prestigious awards, including 3 nominations for the Pulitzer Prize, will give a reading of her work. An afternoon seminar with her is scheduled for 3:00 on the same day in PC 3234; this session will replace that day’s class.
Workshop Schedule
Spring 2001
The dates below on the left identify the days your poem and story drafts will be discussed. The dates on the right are your deadlines to turn drafts into me for copying. If you miss the date on the right, then you are responsible for making copies and distributing them to the class before the workshop date. (The English department secretary’s office in Palumbo 3227 may be used for dropping off and picking up material, if necessary.)
Workshop Date: Names: Draft Turn-in Date:
Jan.25: Dan, CJ, Melissa Jan. 22
Jan. 30: Esther, Mario, Kristie Jan. 23
Feb. 1: Chuck, Jill, Kristen Jan. 25
Feb. 6: Matt, Colleen, Josephine Jan. 30
Feb. 8: Rick, Julian, Nicole Feb. 1
______________________
Feb. 13: Dan, CJ, Melissa Feb. 6
Feb. 15: Esther, Mario, Kristie Feb. 8
Feb. 20: Chuck, Jill, Kristen Feb. 13
Feb.22: Matt, Colleen, Josephine Feb. 15
Feb. 26 – Mar. 2 Midterm Break
Mar. 6: Rick, Julian, Nicole Feb. 20
_______________________
Mar. 8 Dan, CJ, Melissa Feb. 22
Mar. 13: Esther, Mario, Kristie Mar. 6
Mar. 15: Chuck, Jill, Kristen Mar. 8
Mar. 20: Matt, Colleen, Josephine Mar. 13
Mar. 22: Rick, Julian, Nicole Mar. 15
_______________________
Mar. 27: Dan, CJ, Melissa Mar. 20
Mar. 29: Esther, Mario, Kristie Mar. 22
Apr. 3: Chuck, Jill, Kristen Mar. 27
Apr. 5: Matt, Colleen, Josephine Mar. 29
Apr. 10: Rick, Julian, Nicole Apr. 3
________________________
Apr. 12 – 16: Easter Break
Apr. 17 Dan, CJ, Melissa Apr. 10
Apr. 19: Awards Night! Class with Margaret Gibson at 3:00 in PC3234
Apr. 24: Esther, Mario, Kristie Apr. 17
Apr. 26: Chuck, Jill, Kristen Apr. 17
May 1: Matt, Colleen, Josephine Apr. 24
May 3: Rick, Julian, Nicole Apr. 26
May 10: Manuscript due