Literature 2181 - Reading and Writing the Personal Essay

Institution:

Bard College

Subject:

Description:

This course involves equal parts reading and writing and is for students who want to develop their creative writing and analytic thinking. Readings are taken from Phillip Lopate's The Art of the Personal Essay, which traces the long tradition of the personal essay, from Seneca to Montaigne to contemporary stylists such as Richard Rodriguez and Joan Didion. The personal essay is informal, begins in the details of everyday life, and expands to a larger idea. Emphasis is placed on craft: how scenes and characters are developed, how dialogue can be used, how form can fracture from linear narrative to collage. Student work is critiqued in a workshop format. Candidates must submit samples of their work.

Credits:

4.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.bard.edu

Phone Number:

(845) 758-6822

Regional Accreditation:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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