Creative nonfiction can sometimes seem like a contradiction of terms. How does one tell a “true” story while using all of the tools at our disposal as writers, including fabulation? What does it mean to perform criticism (i.e., write about art, film, literature, or performance) from a subjective standpoint? And how do we write about our lives while writing towards what we do not yet know?
In this advanced course, we will explore the unwieldy genre of creative nonfiction by reading and writing works of short memoir, cultural criticism, and autotheory. As part of our inquiry, we will read works by writers such as Maggie Nelson, Hanif Abdurraqib, Julian Aguon, Leslie Jamison, Carmen Maria Machado, and Saidiya Hartman. We will discuss the gendered elements of the critiques of “navel-gazing” and delve into the history of first-person theorizing as a Black, feminist, and queer/trans practice. Each week, students will read, analyze, and discuss several essays and perform writing exercises in response to prompts. Students will discuss and exchange feedback on their essays through workshops and revise at least one for their final submission.