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Advanced Nonfiction Writing: Narrative Nonfiction

ENGL 3350.301
instructor(s):
R 5:15-8:15pm and F 1:45-4:45pm (every other week)

This is a course for students who love the written word and desire to advance their ability to write and craft narrative nonfiction. Writing will be emphasized, and so will avenues of storytelling through such components as creating a narrative spine, building a dramatic plot, character development, scene-setting, and use of quotes without compromise of facts. Students must be willing to do reportage, since narrative nonfiction cannot exist without it. There will be heavy concentration on writing assignments and workshopping. We will also examine the works of authors such as Katharine Boo, Lillian Ross, Gay Talese, David Foster Wallace, Truman Capote, John Hersey, JR Moehringer, and Buzz Bissinger (instructor), the author of three bestselling books, including Friday Night Lights and most recently The Mosquito Bowl. Bissinger has been a contributing editor at Vanity Fair for nearly three decades and is the winner of the Pulitzer Prize. Students who have taken this course have gone on to such publications as the New York Times, the Washington Post, Bloomberg, Forbes, and Fortune. Class attendance and participation are essential.

The course will meet on Thursdays 5:15-8:15 and Fridays 1:45-4:45pm on the following days: August 31; September 1, 14, 15, 28, 29; October 10, 11, 26, 27; November 9, 10, 30; and December 7. The instructor will be available for one-on-one discussions during the week of October 23 and always available by email.

English Major Requirements
English Concentration Attributes
  • Creative Writing Workshop Course Minor (AECW)
College Attributes
Additional Attributes