Creative Writing

Creative Writing Experiments provides a foundation in at least two genres or areas of creative writing (i.e. fiction, poetry, screenwriting, playwriting, creative nonfiction, literary journalism, memoir, and/or translation). The conversations and writing assignments will be guided by a reading list that emphasizes modern and contemporary global voices. Students will write extensively and participate in workshops as they experiment with various forms and techniques. They’ll look at published works alongside student works-in-progress to better understand the strategies of creative writing. The goal is for students to practice and refine techniques drawn from a diversity of approaches, explore them through their own creative pieces, and to leave the class with a heightened appreciation for the complexity of making creative works.

Creative Writing Studio provides a focused workshop in one genre or area of creative writing (i.e. fiction, poetry, screenwriting, playwriting, creative nonfiction, literary journalism, memoir, or translation) with an emphasis on modern and contemporary global writing. The course situates creative practices within the cultural context that shaped the particular genre or area of creative writing at the center of the course—in fiction, for example, magical realism and its ties to Latin America, the varied approaches to memoir across different cultures, or the haiku or tanka and its connection to Japan and East Asia. Central to the course is the development of students’ own creative skills and practices. Students will write extensively and participate in workshops as they explore various approaches and techniques. They will look at published works alongside peer drafts to better understand the craft. The goal is for students to become more skilled at writing and revising creative pieces of their own, and to leave the course with a stronger understanding of the strategies, elements, and imaginative possibilities of one area of creative writing.