Out of the Whirlwind: Studies in Narrative Perspective

Catalog description

In the Book of Job, the voice of God speaks out of the whirlwind. The voice of The Hunger Games is Katniss Everdeen herself. Oscar Wao is not the narrator of his brief and wondrous life: Yunior is. In this intermediate craft course, we will investigate how the teller shapes and powers the story. Along with critical texts, we will read fiction told in a variety of perspectives, including stories that aren’t easily categorized. How does a narrator reveal herself? How is narrative perspective developed, maintained, and broken? When is intimacy created with the reader, or distance from him, and why? Students will write their own stories in an experimental array of perspectives--from the third-person omniscient we associate with Dickens, to the unreliable first-person beloved by fans of J.D. Salinger, to the less traditional second person found in Lorrie Moore’s work. Alongside discussions of narration, we will continue to practice additional craft elements: plot, characterization, and imagery, among others. Students will be required to complete a substantial fiction project, but may also experiment with other or hybrid genres as part of their work for the course. This is a course for students who love to read, who are committed to the practice of writing creatively, and who aim to become better creators and analyzers of stories. This is also a workshop, and we will share our creative work and respond to the work of others in a writing workshop setting. Prerequisite: Introduction to Creative Writing ( CRWR-SHU 159 or CRWR-SHU 161 ) OR Junior standing. Fulfillment: General Elective.