Creative Nonfiction

Catalog description

Where does fact end and fiction begin? Sometimes referred to as the “literature of fact,” creative nonfiction blurs the line between literary art (poetry, fiction, and drama) and “objective” writing practices of research and reportage (history and journalism). Works of creative nonfiction have been galvanizing forces in the transformation of public opinion, influencing debates on the abolition of slavery, the environment, pacifism, women’s rights and more. Students explore different types of creative nonfiction including documentary, literary journalism, memoirs and other types of life-writing, and travel writing. Students engage creative nonfiction to explore ethical issues that might arise from practices of fictionalization including recent high-profile cases and controversies in the journalism and popular media.