Department of English

Often what we write can feel close to home.  Our characters and events, some are firmly rooted in the real.  But what is the overlap between writer and character?  Writer and story?  In this course, students will study the modern tradition (and trend) of auto fiction, or fictionalized autobiography.  We will read writers such as Li, Cusk, Heti, Nunez, Hempel, Galchen, among others, and study auto fiction in both short and long forms.  In our discussion, we will attempt to pull apart the layers that go into a truthful story that is also a lie.  Throughout the semester, students will have a chance to write auto fiction of their own.  Each student will be expected to turn in biweekly assignments (2-4 pages) that will culminate in a final portfolio of ‘autobiographical’ work.