Interdisciplinary Arts 0189 - Shaping Your Story: Tension and Flow in the Personal Essay

From James Baldwin's recounting of being in prison in Paris to Joan Didion's recollections of 1960s Hollywood and beyond, many great writers have used the personal essay to illuminate universal or cultural truths, moving from the minutiae of daily life to insights and observations about the human condition. This course will explore this dynamic literary genre, considering how different forms and structures (i.e., the braided essay, the lyric essay, etc.) shape the stories we tell about our lives and experiences--stories about power, place, and identity. Students will read a diverse range of personal essays, looking at how writers build and resolve tension and approach questions of memory and truth. As we engage with published work and write, workshop, and revise our own short essays, we will think critically about what stories and histories get told and what gets silenced, and how we can use writing to create connection and imagine new possibilities. (keywords: personal essay, creative nonfiction, writing, workshop, memory)

Time and Narrative Students in this course can expect to spend 6 to 8 hours weekly on work and preparation outside of class time.