WRIT 8206 - The Literary Memoir

Discovering a pattern or shape hidden under the surface of past events is the great joy of both writing and reading creative nonfiction. Bringing these patterns to the surface is often the key to transforming human experience through an artistic vision. It uses structure, voice, form, and language to make literature from the constraints and complexities of personal experience. In so doing, literary memoir shares some of the strategies and ambitions of literary fiction and the personal essay. “All narrative is metaphor,” wrote Mary Oliver, and that double vision will be integral to our approach in this class. We’ll read examples of the literary memoir that represent excellence, innovation, and practical strategies in this evolving form. We’ll examine and experiment with the process of confronting personal material with the intensity required by the art of memoir. This course will require students to focus on craft; as a result, the content of individual memoirs will not be our focus. Instead, we will look at strategies each writer can use to convey their particular material. Course requirements include substantial reading, weekly exercises, critical commentaries, and a major creative piece.

Prerequisites: WRIT 8000 and WRIT 8120 (may be taken concurrently with WRIT 8206)

Credits: 4