CRWT 40.22 Dew on the Spider's Web--Making the System Your Story: Personal Narrative and Creative Nonfiction

From memoir to biography, essay to literary journalism to audio documentary—much of the best creative nonfiction reveals something about how the world operates. Stories are not just things we escape into, they are also spaces that teach us how things function. It is a skill to tell not just a personal story, a family story, or a story of community—but also a story that reflects how systems and histories that aren’t apparent to the naked eye—are at play.

Part of the job of a writer is that of detective, trying to figure out how things fit, what makes people tick, and part of that means illuminating invisible forces and connections. Our stories can be the dew on a spider’s web, showing where the patterns are, explaining how the net holds together.

How do we make a system a main character in our story? How do we write about power, where we can show—not tell—how power works?

This is also a class in which we’ll also talk about the dangers of storytelling, including the dangers that can lurk in telling our own stories. How can stories spin truth off its access, lessen the reality of systemic forces, or even turn towards propaganda? How do we use stories for “good” and what does that even mean? \u2028

Degree Requirement Attributes

Dist:ART

The Timetable of Class Meetings contains the most up-to-date information about a course. It includes not only the meeting time and instructor, but also its official distributive and/or world culture designation. This information supersedes any information you may see elsewhere, to include what may appear in this ORC/Catalog or on a department/program website. Note that course attributes may change term to term therefore those in effect are those (only) during the term in which you enroll in the course.

Department-Specific Course Categories

Creative Writing