Storytelling and the Human

Catalog description

Storytelling is intrinsic to the human experience. A mode of sense-making and a means of world-making, it is and has always been central to the creation and persistence of selves, societies, and states. Be they inwardly narrated or outwardly expressed, stories shape our human existence, from basic acts of sensory perception, through the mundane activities and encounters of daily life, to the great events and encounters of the public square. We are all, inevitably, producers and consumers of stories. In this combined literature and creative writing seminar on the phenomenon and the craft of storytelling, we will study short stories, biographies, and memoirs from different periods, cultures, and traditions, our investigation shaped by two guiding questions: What does it mean to tell a story? What makes for a compelling narrative? We will think critically about reading, writing, interpreting, and imagining as we engage in these activities and practices through the process of analyzing literature and composing texts. Students will have the opportunity to write and to workshop at least two pieces of fiction and/or non-fiction and to receive feedback on multiple drafts. If you are interested in becoming a better reader, writer, thinker, or communicator, to develop a story along with your voice, and/or to explore the human as a mode of being and expression, this course is for you.