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English 233/Abou-Zeineddine
English 233 (Section 001): Introduction to Creative Writing
MWF 8-8:50, Curtin Hall 321
Fall 2012, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Instructor:GhassanAbou-Zeineddine
Email:
Office:Curtin Hall 515
Office Hours:MW, 9-10:30, and by appointment
Introduction:
This course introduces students to the craft of writing short fiction and poetry, and provides them the opportunity to experiment in both genres. We will read several short stories and poems by past and contemporary writers and analyze them with an emphasis on craft. Through close-readings of texts, students will acquire certain elements (or mechanics) of craft, which they might implement in their own work. The first half of the semester is devoted to fiction writing, and the second to poetry.
The Workshop:
The workshop is the core component of the course. Not only will you share your workto be read, analyzed, and discussed in class, but you will also offer your own critiques on your peers’ work. The primary goal of any workshop is to help improve a writer’s work in a supportive environment. To do this, we will spend the first half of every workshop discussing the elements of craft that are working well in the piece. In the second half, we will offer suggestions (constructive criticism) that will hopefully help the writer in his or her revision process.
Required Text:
English 233 course packet (available at Clark Graphics, 2915North Oakland Avenue)
Required Materials:
A journal/notebook for in-class exercises
Recommended Texts:
Heather Sellers’ The Practice of Creative Writing; John Gardner’s The Art of Fiction; and E.B. White’s Elements of Style (fourth edition)
Course Requirements:
First-Person Narrative: Writing in a first-person point of view, narrate an incident from your childhood or adolescence that had some kind of impact on you. Write in the voice of a child/adolescent. For example, let us say you remember the day you rode your very first bicycle at the age of six. You would narrate this event in the voice of a six-year-old. Length: 2-3 pages.
Dialogue Exercise: In order to write convincing dialogue, it is important to keep your ears open to the way people speak to one another. For this assignment, I would like you to spend a half-hour “spying” on a couple or a group of people. Transcribe their conversation. (Make sure to remain inconspicuous. This is a covert assignment/operation.) Please bring these transcripts to class.
Two-Page Fiction Submission: Before submitting your short story for the fiction workshop, you will have the opportunity to submit two pages from your story in progress and have it workshopped in class. You are not bound by these pages. If you are satisfied with them, you can continue on with your story. If not, you can start anew. Please bring five hard copies of your submission to class.
Craft Essay: Analyze two elements of craft from any of the short stories listed on the syllabus and discuss how they function in the piece. For instance, you may comment on the effectiveness of the author’s use of dialogue and setting. Do not summarize the story. Focus on the craft. Support your points with cited examples from the text. Elements of craft include: point of view, characterization, setting, plot (think of structure), dialogue, tone, language, the use of details, etc. Length: 3-4 pages.
Short Story: You will submit your story on D2L by 8 a.m. on the class period prior to your workshop. For example, if you are scheduled to be workshopped on Wednesday, October 17, you would post your story by 8 a.m. on Monday, October 15. All students are required to print out their peers’ stories and bring them to class to be discussed. Length: Minimum of four pages.
Fiction Critiques: Students are required to submit a typed, 200/250-word critique of their peers’ short stories. The critiques should include a discussion on the elements of craft that are working well in the short story, suggestions, and anything else you would like to add—for instance, a theoretical analysis on the theme(s) of the piece. Please provide a copy of your critique to the writer being workshopped and one for me.
Three Poems: I will assign you specific guidelines for your first two poems. For Poem #1, I would like you to write about a place (not an imagined locale) that means a lot to you. For Poem #2, in similar fashion to Pablo Neruda’s odes, which we will read, write an ode to a subject of your choice. There are no guidelines for Poem #3. You can write a sonnet, a lyric poem, a narrative poem, a prose poem, etc. You will provide your poetry critiques on the poem itself—write your notes on the hard copy. In other words, you do not have to submit a typed, 200/250-word critique.For Poem #1, submit your piece on D2L by 8 a.m. on the class period prior to your workshop. Print your peers’ poems and bring them to class. For Poems #2 and #3, bring five hard copies of your piece to class on the day it is due.
Two Art Responses: A personal response to a recent piece of art, be it a film, a novel, a poem, a photograph, a CD, etc. You may also write a response about an art event: a reading, a play, an exhibit, a concert, etc. You are required to change the genre of your response for each submission. Length: 2 pages max.
Portfolio: A revised short story and two revised poems (these are revisions of your work from the fiction and poetry workshops)
Grade Distribution:
First-Person Narrative: 5%
Dialogue Exercise: P/F
Two-Page Fiction Submission: P/F
Short Story: 15%
Three Poems: 15%
Craft Essay: 15%
Portfolio: 30%
Class Participation, Two Art Responses, Critiques, In-class activities: 20%
Formatting:
All assignments must be typed (Times New Roman font, 12 pt.), double-spaced, and page numbered. Your name should appear on every page as a header.
Late Policy:
Assignments handed in late will result in a full letter grade penalty for every day it is late. If there are extenuating circumstances as to why you cannot hand in an assignment on time, you MUST contact me prior to the assignment due date so that we may resolve the issue.
Punctuality and Attendance:
The class is scheduled to begin at 8:00 a.m. and cannot function with the distraction of students entering the classroom late. Please make every effort to arrive on time—there is much course material to cover and limited days in which to do it. Arriving late to class, especially on a regular basis, will affect your class participation grade.
Students who miss more than the maximum number of classes allowed during a semester (six classes) without a written medical excuse will be dropped from the course. Students are responsible for all course assignments regardless if they miss class. Multiple absences will affect your class participation grade.
Classroom etiquette:
Students are required to bring their course materials to each class. Side-talking and cell phone use are strictly prohibited.
Plagiarism:
As per university guidelines and basic ethics, academic and otherwise, plagiarism of any degree or sort will NOT be tolerated. Plagiarism will result in a zero on the assignment, and possibly failure of the course. Additionally, a written complaint of the activity will be sent through the English Department to the Dean’s office. Please review the university’s policy on plagiarism.
Emails:
Please make sure to check your emails regularly, as I may send notices to students regarding assignments and/or changes to scheduling, classroom, etc. Also, if you have any questions or concerns, you can always reach me via email.
D2L:
You will submit your short story and poem #1 on D2L. As explained under course requirements, please submit your work by 8 a.m. on the class period prior to your workshop.
General Education Requirement:
English 233 meets GER Arts requirements. In assessing (and grading) your work, I will consider these rubrics recommended by the GER evaluation scale:
1.work is cliché or not original and does not reflect thoughtful, informed engagement with its literary genre;
2.work is not original, but attempts, unsuccessfully, thoughtful, informed engagement with its literary genre;
3.work is a mixture of cliché and original work, and attempts, with mixed success, thoughtful, informed engagement with its literary genre;
4.work is largely original and largely successful at thoughtful, informed engagement with its literary genre; and
5.work is highly original and highly successful at thoughtful, informed engagement with its literary genre.
Semester Plan
Week One
9/5: Introduction
9/7: Anton Chekhov, “The Lady with the Little Dog”
Week Two
9/10: Shirley Jackson, “The Lottery”
9/12:Stuart Dybek, “We didn’t”
9/14:James Baldwin, “Sonny’s Blues”
Week Three
9/17:First-person Narrative Assignment
9/19:William Faulkner, “A Rose for Emily”
9/21: Ernest Hemingway, “The Three-Day Blow”
Week Four
9/24: Dialogue Exercise
9/26: Flannery O’Connor, “A Good Man is Hard to Find”
9/28: Dan Chaon, “Big Me”
Week Five
10/1: Two-Page Fiction Submission/Group Workshop
10/3: Gabriel Garcia Marquez, “Blacaman the Good, Vendor of Miracles”
10/5: Ben Okri, “Worlds that Flourish”
Week Six
10/8: Craft Essay
10/10:Fiction Workshop
10/12:Fiction Workshop
Week Seven
10/15:Fiction Workshop
10/17:Fiction Workshop
10/19: Fiction Workshop
Week Eight
10/22:Fiction Workshop
10/24:Fiction Workshop
10/26: No Class. I will be at a conference. We will makeup this class.
Week Nine
10/29: Fiction Workshop/Art Response #1
10/31Fiction Workshop/Selection of Shakespeare’s sonnets
11/2: Selections from Louise Glück and Lucille Clifton
Week Ten
11/5: Selections from Mark Strand and Charles Simic
11/7: Selections from Joy Harjo, Gary Soto, and Jaime Manrique
11/9: Selections from Pablo Neruda’s odes
Week Eleven
11/12:Poetry Workshop (for poem #1)
11/14: Poetry Workshop
11/16: Poetry Workshop
Week Twelve
11/19: Poetry Workshop
11/21: No Class. Happy Thanksgiving.
11/23: No Class
Week Thirteen
11/26:Poetry Workshop
11/28:Poetry Workshop
11/30: Poem #2/ Group Workshop (Please bring five hard copies of your poem to class)
Week Fourteen
12/3: Conference (I will meet with each student privately to discuss his or her final projects)
12/5: Conference
12/7: Poem #3/Group Workshop (Please bring five hard copies of your poem to class)
Week Fifteen
12/10: Poetry Group Workshop (Please bring five hard copies of a revised poem to class)
12/12: Poetry Group Workshop (Please bring five hard copies of a revised poem to class)/Art Response #2
Portfolio: Due on Friday, December 14. Please submit a hard copy in my mailbox (English Department, Fourth Floor) by noon.
Note: Assignments and due dates are subject to change and additional assignments may be added as the class progresses.