Kelly Writers House Seminar: Joyce Carol Oates, David Milch and Susan Howe
Note: Admission to this course is by permission of the instructor only.
This is the 12th annual Kelly Writers House Fellows Seminar, which features visits by very eminent writers as "Fellows" of the Kelly Writers House, the student-conceived writing arts collaborative at 3805 Locust Walk. The seminar is taught by Professor Al Filreis, Kelly Professor of English and Faculty Director of the Writers House, and will include extended visits to the class by Joyce Carol Oates, Susan Howe, and David Milch. Oates is a world-famous novelist and writer of short stories - but also a superb essayist. Susan Howe is one of the eminences in the world of avant-garde American poetry and poetics. David Milch left his Yale doctoral program to rescue the TV drama, "Hill Street Blues," by writing almost an entire season of shows in its third year, then created and wrote "NYPD Blue" and "Deadwood." A great novelist, great poet, and great screenwriter.
Throughout the semester we will study the work of these three writers—and some of the materials "around" them that make the particular contemporary context in which each operates so compelling. Enrollment in the course is strictly limited. Students will be enrolled only by permit of the instructor and are asked to send a one- or two-paragraph statement by email to afilreis@writing.upenn.edudescribing why they want to participate in this project and what academic (or perhaps non-academic) experience makes them especially eligible. Participants will write frequent short position papers; will engage in team projects following up each of the Fellows' visits; will be involved in interviewing the three Fellows; and will take a comprehensive final examination. The Writers House Fellows program is made possible by a generous grant from Paul Kelly.