Foundations
| Date | Topic | Before Class (homework due that class day) | In-Class Resources |
| Week 1 | |||
| Day 1 | Introductions | Review the course syllabus | Class Foundations Stations — Activity Link for Teachers |
| Week 2 | |||
| Day 2 | What is Creative Nonfiction? | Read 1. Edward Hoagland “Essay: What I think, What I am” from the New York Times 2. Cynthia Ozick “She: portrait of the essay as a warm body” from The Atlantic –> Reading Question: Compare how Hoagland and Ozick describe the essay. Bring in (physically) example of Nonfiction writing you like | Invention Exercise: switch around examples of CNF. Write after the section you have in front of you. |
| Day 3 | Choice Session | Read Lee Gutkind “The 5 R’s of Creative Nonfiction” from Creative Nonfiction –> Reading Question: Find and explain the 5 r’s in your own words Review: optional course themes Link –> Reading Question: What 4 themes interest you the most? Write this down and be ready to discuss in class. As well, if you have theme or reading ideas, please be ready to discuss those in class. |
Theme 1: Home
| Date | Topic | Before Class (homework due that class day) | In-Class Resources |
| Week 3 | |||
| Day 4 | Familiar Objects | Read: Karen Babine’s “Odd Objects: In Praise of the Wunderkammer” from Brevity Reading Options Choose 2: 1. Carmen Maria Machado “Household object: taxidermied aliigator head, $20.00” from The Believer 2. Aleida Rodriguez “My mother in two photographs” from In Short: A collection of Brief Creative Nonfiction” 3. Cynthia Ozick “The Shock of Teapots” from In Short: A collection of brief Creative nonfiction –>Reading Question: How do the authors take the objects they are describing from relatable to relevant? 3. Bring in: a picture of something in your home. | Invention Exercise: Describe an object in your home (1-2 paragraphs) |
| Day 5 | House | Read: 1. Beth Kephart “House as Home: Writing the Places that Raised us” from Brevity 2. Toi Derricotte “Beds” from Creative Nonfiction –>Reading Question: How does Derricotte protray “Home” in her essay? Why? | Invention Exercise: Write about Home (1-2 paragraphs) |
| Week 4 | |||
| Day 6 | Neighborhood | Read: Amy Brill “Finding Community at a Queens Bodega” from Electric Literature or Elisabeth Geier “Pedestrian” from Electric Literature –> Reading Question: decided by group 1 | Student Craft Talk 1 Invention Exercise: Write about a place in your neighborhood (1-2 paras) |
| Day 7 | Workshop | Read: Meredith Quinn “How to be a good writing workshop participant” from Writer Mag Read: Beth Nguyen “Unsilencing the workshop” from LitHub –>Reading Question: What part of workshop do you feel most confident about? What worries you the most? Bring in: Peer Review Response Worksheet Link (always bring in on workshop days). Submit/Bring in: Theme 1 Messy Draft (1-2 pages) with cover letter | Creation of Class Workshop guidelines One-on-One Workshops |
Theme 2
| Date | Topic | Before Class (homework for that class day) | In-Class Resources |
| Week 5 | |||
| Day 8 | |||
| Day 9 | |||
| Week 6 | |||
| Day 10 | Student Craft Talk 2 | ||
| Day 11 | Workshop | Submit/Bring in: Theme 2 Messy Draft (1-2 pages) with cover letter | 3 person Workshops |
Theme 3
| Date | Topic | Before Class (homework for that class day) | In-Class Resources |
| Week 7 | |||
| Day 12 | |||
| Day 13 | |||
| Week 8 | |||
| Day 14 | Student Craft Talk 3 | ||
| Day 15 | Workshop | Submit/Bring in: Theme 3 Messy Draft (1-2 pages) with cover letter | two-on-two Workshops |
Theme 4
| Date | Topic | Before Class (homework for that class day) | In-Class Resources |
| Week 9 | |||
| Day 16 | |||
| Day 17 | |||
| Week 10 | |||
| Day 18 | Student Craft Talk 4 | ||
| Day 19 | Workshop | Submit/Bring in: Theme 4 Messy Draft (1-2 pages) with cover letter | 5 person workshops |
Theme 5
| Date | Topic | Before Class (homework for that class day) | In-Class Resources |
| Week 11 | |||
| Day 20 | |||
| Day 21 | |||
| Week 12 | |||
| Day 22 | Student Craft Talk 5 | ||
| Day 23 | Workshop | Submit/Bring in: Theme 5 Messy Draft (1-2 pages) with cover letter | three-on-three workshops |
Workshop
Assignment: One Revised Draft of Theme 1-5 messy draft (3-4 pages) and Cover Letter
| Date | Topic | Before Class | In-Class Resources |
| Week 13 | |||
| Day 24 | Workshop | Read and Comment in-Progress drafts | Class split in two groups |
| Day 25 | Workshop | Read and Comment in-progress drafts | Class split in two groups |
| Week 14 | |||
| Day 26 | Workshop | Read and Comment in-progress drafts | Class split in two groups |
| Day 27 | Workshops | Read and Comment in-progress drafts | Class split in two groups |
Publishing
| Date | Topic | Before Class | In-Class Resources |
| Week 15 | |||
| Day 28 | Literary Magazines and Journals | Find A Lit Mag/Journal that you like. Click here for places to look. “Like” here means that you like to read it and would like to see yourself published in it. Write down details about what kind of writing they publish and their submission instructions. Bring this information to class. | |
| Final Exams Week | |||
| TBA | Open Mic | Submit Transformed Draft and Cover Letter |
