This course will explore the many facets of reflective writing, a genre that is both historically relevant and a current favorite in contemporary creative writing. Reflective writing is also multi-faceted; in this course, we will discuss numerous types of writing that do the work of reflection, although each particular use of reflection may not resemble the next. We will explore, for example, the sub-genre of writing instruction by way of reflective life-writing; memoir as a reflective practice; fiction as an opportunity for meta-reflection on the act of storytelling; and fiction as cultural critique of what qualities contemporary writing programs ostensibly value. Students will be expected to submit their own creative reflection pieces, as well as critique and engage with the writing of their classmates. Students will also be expected to complete critical work that identifies and analyzes the different types of reflective writing that will be discussed. This is a Writing Intensive course.
Course Requirements:
- ClassAttendance and Participation
- InformalWriting Assignments
- PeerResponse/Workshop
- ThreeShort Stories/Papers
- MidtermReading Exam
- FinalCreative Project
- FinalCritical Essay
Required Texts (Available atthe UH Bookstore):
- Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life
- Abigail Thomas,Safekeeping: Some True Stories from aLife
- Francine Prose,Blue Angel
- Salman Rushdie,Haroun and the Sea of Stories