CNF 44 — An Introduction to Creative Writing: Fundamentals and Explorations
Summer
Thursdays
6:30—9:30 pm
Date(s)
Jun 25—Jul 30
6 weeks
Drop By
Jul 8
2 Units
Fees
$455
Limit
21
Closed
Our stories are drawn from our complex imaginations as well as our lifelong experiences. Our narratives may range from memories of our childhood to half-remembered travel adventures/disasters to characters from another time and place. The challenge for creative writers is to discover and develop these stories in innovative and entertaining ways, and this course is designed with exactly that in mind. Open to writers of all levels and experiences, our course will experiment with many forms of creative expression. Students will read poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, including the work of Tobias Wolff, Jack Gilbert, Louise Glück, and Joan Didion. We will discuss the fundamentals of creative composition including figurative language, sound, imagery, voice, and style, and complete weekly in-class writing exercises designed to spark creativity and stimulate the mind. Students will have the opportunity to receive feedback on a piece of their choice in an in-class workshop and will complete the course with a better sense of which direction their work is headed. Through lively discussion, we will determine the distinct characteristics and benefits of each genre and create a welcome community of writers where we all support and engage each other.
Kimberly Grey, Marsh McCall Lecturer in Continuing Studies; Former Stegner Fellow, Stanford
Kimberly Grey’s first book, The Opposite of Light, received the Lexi Rudnitsky First Book Prize and will be published in 2016. Her work has appeared in numerous journals including The Kenyon Review, The Southern Review, Tin House, A Public Space, and 2011 Best New Poets Anthology. She has taught at Stanford and Adelphi University, where she received an MFA in poetry.Textbooks for this course:
(Required) Janet Burroway, Imaginative Writing: The Elements of Craft, 4th Edition (ISBN 978-0321923172)