In our Intro to Lit Creative Writing course, Subversive Structures, Divergent Forms, we’ll investigate literary works that defy convention. We’ll explore the parameters against which these works emerge and evolve. We’ll interrogate Academia, the publishing industry, and other institutions imposing those very parameters on writers. Along the way, we’ll consider the ways in which literature and society are in conversation — how they intersect, mirror, and contrast one another. We’ll grapple with challenges, constraints, and possibilities centered on literary composition and innovation. Along the way we’ll grapple with some key questions. What is “writing”? What does “publication” mean? How might these subversive structures and divergent forms impact your writing? This course will be a fusion of self-directed learning and deep communal integration whereby as writers we will strive towards empowering each other both critically and kindly. The end-goal for us is to cultivate a new (or renewed) sense of purpose in our writing. Our course includes a final project (but neither a final exam nor mid-term!). There to help us will be a number of investigation pieces, reflections, and group activities (often of a creative nature) that are designed to enliven our readings, discussions, and lectures. In addition to our final project, we will undertake two formal projects. Lastly, we will carve out time throughout semester for exploring and developing constructive methods to enrich our writing skills and reading comprehension through student-led creative writing workshops using our very own work as a means for analysis and discussion. Course texts will be made accessible to you digitally via Google Drive.