9.26 Brainstorming for Essay 1 & Segmented essays

Finding a compelling focus:  The idea was that this week's brainstorming and planning would get you deep into your material => open up ideas that present more than one straight through telling of an event + a clear, unconflicted statement of "what it means."   It is hard to tell, but talking in your groups during the first part of class seemed to open up, deepen, re-cast some of the writing I saw posted on your blogs = and that is excellent for this stage of the planning process.  I hope to be looking at blogs later today - and to give you some feedback early in your composing process - since full drafts are due next week.

Thinking about form:  During the second part of class we discussed Robert Root's essay on segmentation - and took a close look at Mimi Schwartz's elegant use of the segments in "What my father always said."  She didn't simply break the time into six scenes - each scene focuses on a time which grounds the events - but it  is also infused with perspectives from times outside of those events.  Her essay doesn't quite fit into any of the classification systems posed by Root - and that is just fine.  As we discussed in class, her use of segmentation compresses and sharpens her material - so that there is more information - and more possibility for rich interpretation  - than there would be if the story were told as a more straightforward, unsegmented essay.  With segmentation - what is in each segment and the combinations of different elements in different segments - are part of the narrative information.

Drafts due next week:  The length for drafts is posted with the assignment sheet, and I am looking for some serious - though not highly polished - work.  Put your ideas out there - try out an arrangement.  You might add a note at the beginning or the end to suggest ideas you are still working with or features of the draft you would like me to comment on.  Resist the temptation to "finish" your work - rather keep thinking about what might deepen the story, open up the idea, tighten the focus, or how to arrange the conceptual "story" in just the right sequence.

Conferences:  You will receive feedback through one-on-one conferences with me, in my office= CAS 324. The schedule is posted below.

Monday October 8
1:00 Andre; 1:15 Maria; 1:30 Luis; 2:00 Allyson; 2:15 Lewis

Tuesday October 9
1:00 Paris; 1:15 Heather; 1:30 Andrea; 1:45 Midiyna; 2:00 Sara

Wednesday October 10
1:15 Ashley; 1:30 Jay; 2:15 Roshell
7:15: Arlette  + Jameelah

If you can't keep your appointment - send an email so I can schedule with other students

For next class:

Read: McPhee, p. 128, "Search for Marvin Gardens"

Blog 4:  Draft Long essay 1

Spend some time with McPhee.  This is another, slightly different use of segmentation.  The focus of this essay unfolds as you read so keep asking yourself - what IS he writing about?

I am REALLY looking forward to reading your essays.  See you in class!

9.19 Waiting for inspiration, truth in (non)fiction and discussion of Long Essay assignment

Watching our unconscious selves.  We started class with an exercise to access "unconscious" material.  This exercise was not meant to get a list of ideas for an essay on the page, it was meant to introduce you to one practice for accessing feelings, intuitions, and dream thoughts in a way that you can "watch" them - and then describe them.  By describing what you see/experience during the kinds of brief meditation we did in class - especially if you visit this thinking/feeling/nonverbal space regularly and write what you see - you can document patterns in the images, feelings, obsessions, ruts for thinking, and so on that come into your mind.  Some of you may have taken the exercise to the next step by "speaking to" the dream figures that you invite (or that come unbidden) into your mind.  These kind of exercises open us up to what we don't know that we don't know.  For more on watching your mind (a zen based approach) you might look at Mindfulness in Plain English by Bhante Gunaratana,  and for more on exploring your dreams you might read Robert Johnson's Inner work: Using dreams and active imagination for personal work (both on Amazon).

First assignment.  The assignment sheet for the first essay is posted to the right under Assignment sheets.  We talked through the criteria.  I pointed out that we hadn't talked about segmented essays yet (we will be reading about them for next week) and suggested that you do your brainstorming for next class without worrying too much about that requirement (see prompt for Blog 3).  The requirements for undergrads and grads are slightly different so pay attention to your classification.

We then did a little talking about how  some of the topics/stories you brought up in our discussions from the first two classes might be turned into CNF essays.  Probably the most important consideration was to make sure you had both a conceptual focus and a "story" that could be presented using the "techniques" for CNF (narrative, character, scenes, dialog, literary moves similar to what we observed in the sample texts, and so on), and that there be movement between the concept and the narrative.  As we observed in our discussion of Lott - a CNF essay can "fail" if it hammers us too hard with its point (as with Lott's story), and if there seem to be narrative elements that are not central to the essay's development of its concept (as some of you found with the presentation of the blond woman who called for the CNF police) the essay weakens as well. For your writing for Blog 3, you may find yourself more able to produce lots of stories or lots of reflections - and for this week just go with whatever comes to you.  Hopefully the class workshop will help you write into and integrate the two components.

Lott & Gutkind:   You raised many thoughtful observations about how CNF works - and about how these two authors "defined" the genre.  You noted that Lott's essay was a little idealistic - in that it emphasized the art and interactive/experiential and mission (see the responsibility section at the end) features of CNF to the extent that CNF writers may seem as if they belong to a cult (yeah that's a little exaggerated - but I found my self thinking that as we came to the end of the discussion - it was like Lott was pushing a set of beliefs CNF writers needed to buy into to be "real" CNF authors).  At the same time - Lott's essay also articulated a concrete series of things that CNF did or engaged readers (and authors) in doing.  On that list were significant considerations about telling the truth => which leads into Gutkind's piece.  While his essay was more narrative (and for some of you more enjoyable) - the body did not provide some much "how to" (though the the list at the end does  when it warns about not creating incidents or characters, not harming innocent victims, remembering your own story but thinking intently on how it impacts your reader...).  Rather it raised questions (at least it seemed to for us) about the authors repsonsibilities to truth-telling - and what (T)ruth is.  I'm not sure I can sum up this discussion because it seemed there were different perspectives.  We will definitely be continuing this talk as we read about Stephen Frey.

Next week we will start in the computer lab (CAS 202) where you will workshop your brainstorming.  We will then spend some time thinking about the different ways CNF writers use segments as "meaning making" elements of their essays - and you can develop ideas about how you might use segmenting in your writing.

Read: Root, 318; Schwartz, p. 194, Kahn, p. 95

Blog 3: invention writing for Long essay 1.  This posts should explore "episodes" or "scenes"  associated with the idea you want to write about.  Or it can be writing about the ideas or points you want to make.  If possible, try to hold off on composing coherent, edited prose.  Rather do some in-depth describing and speculating that circles around your "story" and/or your "idea." Go as far as you can - and do not "marry" your prose - you are going to be moving on.  Also, the more writing you post the stronger position you will be in to benefit from the workshop during the first part of class.  Have fun!

9.12 Connecting to felt stories + what is CNF?

For the journal prompt, you began by writing a list of feelings, sensations (tastes, touches, sounds. . ) bodily perceptions.  Psychologists tell us that accessing memories through looking at these nonverbal, felt experiences can allow us to remember and relive experiences that are difficult to approach through words.  You came up with a great list of sensations/feelings - and an awesome set of stories.

In-class writing and sharing stories from your journals is part of a process for creating a reservoir or "treasure chest" of materials that you can dip into as you pursue your writing interests.  The essays you write for this course are not the only or even the most important products of our work together.  The course is designed to set you up with some new approaches to brainstorming (such as tapping into sensual associations and the in tact stories and scenes that often come with them) AND to provide you with friendly support as you write down and explore ideas for your future writing.

We spent the second half of class doing a close analysis of the features of "Some things about that day" and "Out there."  We looked at focus, organization, directness/indirectness, "literaryness," word choices, point of view (always first person) - to mention only some of your good observations.  As we talked - we went back and forth between noticing the particular features of these essays - and naming the general features of creative nonfiction.

I know I promised you that we were going to come up with a kind of description of what CNF was and what it did - and that them we would circle back to the some of the stories you told about memories/experiences associated with sensations - but we didn't quite get there.  That's OK.  Fortunately we have about 14 more classes.

For next class:

Read: Lott & Gutkind on creative nonfiction (handouts in class)

Blog 2:  Use today's class discussion + what you are reading in Lott + Gutkind to develop your definition of creative nonfiction.  Keep working on your list of features you see as "essential" to CNF.  What do Lott & Gutkind leave out of their discussions?  How are definitions of creative nonfiction changing in light of digital publishing?

I will be providing you some feedback on Blog 1 - hopefully before the end of the weekend.  Comments will be sent via email - and you can use them to get a better idea of the expectations for a "good" post.

In class on Wednesday we will  start with journal writing, finish up our discussion of what CNF is, finally get a chance to think about how to turn "stories" into CNF, and finish up with talk about segmented essays.

Have a great weekend.  It is pretty beautiful out there.

9.5 Writing Journals and What is Creative Nonfiction?

IMPORTANT NOTES: 
1.  The next class will meet in CAS 310

2.  If you have not done so already -- send me an email with your blog address from the account you want to use for the course.  I will use this email account to be in touch and send comments on your writing.  

WHAT WE DID IN CLASS:
Getting to know each other.  Tonight was the first class and we started with introductions.  Hopefully going through the class names and listening to classmates' stories gave you some ideas about who you are going to be working with. That way - as the blog list to the right is completed, you will have a face to go with the writing.  I was struck by what serious storytellers you are - you went for "real" stories and told them with details and thoughtfulness.  In some cases your observations and stories deserved much more validation and acknowledgement that I was able to give on the spur of the moment in class.  I had lots to think about after class - and I am guessing you did, too.  I am looking forward to reading your writing!

Syllabus, Calendar, and questions.  We spent some time going over the course objectives, the general plan for the assignments, how grades will be calculated, and my "teaching philosophy."  I know it was a lot all at once - pretty much impossible to remember it all - so if you have questions ASK - either in class (your classmates will thank you), by email or in person.  I am on campus most of the day from M-Th - if you give me a heads up - I will make sure to be in my office so we can talk.

Blogs. During the second part of class you created a blog and sent me the address (url) for your blog.   You will do your first post for next class (see below).

Essential features of creative nonfiction (CNF).  If you are going to write CNF, you need to have an idea of what it is and what it does.  What is its subject material (what do CNF writers write about)?  What point of view do the authors take?  How do they present information (is it told as a story? as a lecture/essay? like journalism?   is it more like a sermon or a short story?  which features does it have in common with those two forms?)  During the last part of class we listed some possible characteristics that might serve to describe what creative nonfiction is and what it does.  For your first blog post, you develop your own description.  Maybe you will agree with some of the features we put on the board - but not others.  You will use the model essays assigned under Readings as evidence of what CNF is and what it does.  There is no right answer.  What counts is your exploration.  Have fun!

FOR NEXT CLASSS:
Read:  Check out course blog + browse your text and read carefully:  Beard, p. 3,"Out There," Marquart, p. 118, "Some things about that day," Lopate, p,107, "Portrait of my body," Ebert,p.258, "I think I'm musing my mind," (then check out a couple entries + comments on his blog http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/

Blog 1:  Using the sample essays from your text - identify and discuss what you see as features of creative nonfiction, then make a list.  What are the "essential" features?  What are the sometimes there and sometimes not features? What are some of the differences between short and long forms?

And:  Bring your writing journal to class!

We will begin next class with some journaling - and shared stories from your jourmals.  You will have time IN CLASS to write in your jourmal. The general focus of the journal prompt is listed on the calendar.  I will set up the writing - maybe by asking you to freewrite or list memories connected to taste, touch, smell - physical sensations + associations, and then you will (maybe/depending on what is important to you and your writing) will "write into" one of your thoughts/associations.

See you next week!

9.5 About this Blog

This is the course blog for ENG 4017/5017 Section 1.  We will use this blog to keep a record of what we do in class, as a hub for communications with me and other class members, and to keep all the important course documents in one place.

Documenting what we do in class: After each class I will write up a summary of what we talked about, what you turned in, and what you are expected to do for next class.  Although I have created a class calendar - sometimes we might not do exactly what is on the list.  This blog will update the calendar and give the real story on what we accomplished and where we are going next.  You should be sure to check these updates every day.  By using the link list to the right titled Blog Archive, you will be able to check back on earlier class discussions.  I will title Blog Archive posts both by the date, and a title describing the post's content. 

A hub for course communications:  You can see a link list to the right named "Course Blogs."  So far, my blog is the only link on that list.  By next week, each of you will have created your own blog.  You will send me the link in an email posted from your kean email, the account you will use for this course.  The list of course blogs will allow you to read and review writing, comments on class discussions, and questions posted by everyone in class.  If you do not want your blog to be searchable (visible to search engines), when you set up your blog set the privacy functions so that your blog is visible only to individuals who have the link.

You do not need to be tech savvy to take this course.  If you are uncertain about how to create your blog - or if you have trouble using it - stop by my office and I can talk you through it.  This is meant to be a resource for you, and if it is not working about that way let me know so we can fix it.

Course documents:  To the right you will also see several sets of link lists with links to they syllabus and calendar, assignment sheets, useful links,  and etc.  We will be creating and accumulating these links and documents as we go through the course.  By posting them here - you will have access to the assignment sheets, possible publication venues, and other course information - all in one place.

If you have questions - ask me in class, or email me at ENG4017@gmail.com.