In this in-person writing class, students will read and write fiction and poetry. The readings focus on Asian immigration and diasporic narratives, from Hawai‘i and the continental US; we will explore issues such as belonging, community, language, and gender, taking care to approach them with contextual insight and nuance. Students are not required to write about immigration/diaspora, but will be encouraged to consider how the assigned text’s themes and questions are applicable to their own lives, regardless of differences in personal background. To encourage student creativity, the instructor will occasionally provide prompts inspired by the assigned texts; other times, they will be asked to pursue their own inspirations.
Students will produce original work and provide feedback for one another on a regular basis. Student are expected to identity and engage with the mechanics of writing not only so they can emulate or subvert the assigned text’s effects for their own work, but also to become a sharp editor for peer work and make constructive comments supported by notes on the work’s use of voice, perspective, imagery, and other devices. We will discuss literary terminology as well as workshopping techniques and etiquette to make the workshop environment as intellectually stimulating, productive, and collaborative as possible.
At the end of the quarter, students will walk away with a portfolio of poems and stories, and an enhanced ability to analyze literary texts that will aid them in future endeavors in creative or other humanities research.
All readings will be available on Laulima for free.