EN 453.01 Forms and Techniques of Fiction (Spring 2011-2012: 3)
A Form and Theory course for students with an interest in examining fiction
deeply and rigorously from a craft-oriented, nuts and bolts, writerly point
of view. We will read texts on craft, as well as a wide range of short fiction
and a novel. Student writing will include critical responses to the readings,
along with brief fictional experiments. Though some assignments will involve
writing fiction, this course is not a writing workshop. Rather, it is a
literature elective whose focus is the form and theory of fiction. Requirements
include attendance at several evening or afternoon talks and readings by
visiting authors, weekly writing assignments (both critical and creative),
and a substantial independent final project (~12-15 pages) where students
will analyze and annotate a contemporary short story collection through
the lens of craft. Readings will include Drown, by Junot Diaz;
The Tiger¿s Wife, by Téa Obreht; Deepening Fiction: A Practical
Guide for Intermediate and Advanced Writers (Ed. Sarah Stone and Ron
Nyren); The Art of Time in Fiction, by Joan Silber; and The Art
of Fiction, by John Gardner , along with additional short stories, theoretical
and craft essays (tba). This course is suitable for students who have previously
taken or are currently enrolled in a college level fiction workshop.
Elizabeth Graver
Last Updated: 27-SEP-11