2701 | M 5:00 - 7:30 | Mulholland, Peter

This class serves as an introduction to creative writing and focuses primarily on poetry and short fiction. The first few classes will focus mainly on poetic form and structure. We will consider philosophies of poetry and identify craft concepts based on writings of poets such as Glyn Maxwell, Kay Ryan, A.E. Stallings, and Eduardo C. Corral. We will also consider how craft techniques and aesthetic principles from other art forms, such as comics, can inform our approach to writing and reading poetry. We will, for example, read excerpts from Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics. We will also consider some of the wordless novels of the woodcut artist and novelist Lynd Ward. Our conversations about poetry will always circle back to how poetry functions as a unique storytelling medium, which will carry into our discussion of short fiction. We will read works of short fiction from a variety of prose writers including Kyle Minor, George Saunders, and Jhumpa Lahiri. Just as in our poetry discussions, philosophy of craft and identification of distinct craft principles will drive our focus during our study of the short story form. By the end of the course, you will produce a portfolio of several poems and at least two fully realized short stories. This is a workshop course, so much of your grade will be based upon in-class participation during editing workshops and feedback sessions. Consistent class participation will be essential to your growth as a writer and for the success of your peers. Towards the end of the course, we will briefly touch upon publication and the publishing industry.