FINAL CREATIVE NON-FICTION PORTFOLIO

For your final creative non-fiction portfolio should contain the following material in the following order within a pocketed-folder:

Left-pocket: both of your peer-reviews; reviewer's name should be printed clearly on the top of each page.

Right-pocket: a) the final version of your creative non-ction essay, b) your first two homework assignments (i.e. your original "contributor's note" and anecdote of a mundane of common-place event), and c) all 4 in-class writing exercises.

Portfolios will need to be placed in my university mailbox (located across the hall from Andrews 202) no later than 3:30PM tomorrow, which is Monday, May 2nd. No late assignments will be accepted.

Also, as a reminder, those of who have missed a reading and/or reading response will have an opportunity to make up some points on Tuesday, May 3rd at 7:00PM. More information on the reading you can attend can be found at the Clean Part Reading Series blog.

04.20.11: UPDATE

READING: For our next class, please read pages 132-145 in Telling True Tales.

WRITING: Adding on to the "flashback" scene you began writing in class today, create two narrative and reflection sequences (the "weaving" technique I spoke of in class) that will be embedded within the body of your essay. These new elements should directly contribute to the development of the character (i.e. the "I" of your essay). I would suggest analyzing the global structure and patterns of Sedaris' as an example of how this can be done effectively. The inclusion of these sequences should push your essay to at least the 4-page, single-spaced mark.

04.18.11: UPDATE

READING: If you haven't already done so, please read the DeSilva essay "Endings" on pages 116-121 in Telling True Tales, along with pages 126-132.

WRITING: For next class, please a) write into your work at least two "marriage moments," as defined by LeMann in his craft-essay "Weaving Story and Idea, and b) using DeSilva's notions of what constitutes a finely-crafted ending, re-write and augment the conclusion of your non-fiction piece. These additions and emendations should be considerable enough that your essay should be nearing the 3-page, single-spaced threshold.

04.13.11: UPDATE

READING: For Friday's class, please read pages 109-121 in Telling True Stories, and pages 271-278 in Best American Essays (2005).

WRITING: In addition to more formally incorporating today's in-class writing assignments into your 1-page, single-spaced anecdote of a mundane or common-place event, extend the narrative so that it reaches the 2-page, single-spaced mark. Do not continue on with the narrative, but instead, develop, enhance, and intensify your current anecdote by incorporating highly-specific and descriptive writing that offers readers a detailed, sensory experience from both long and short narrative distances, as well as cultivating a more thorough context. To this extent, think about when long-range, mid-range, or short-range distance would best serve your piece. Likewise, incorporate small bits of dialogue in order to reveal something about the narrative voice and its relation to another character.

REMINDER: Your 1-page, single-spaced responses to last Saturday's reading are due at the beginning of Friday's class-session.

04.11.11: UPDATE

WRITING: Write a 1-page, single-space anecdote of a mundane or common-place event that occurred during the past week of your life. In an effort to make this event interesting, though, develop your character (i.e. the "I" of your essay) in such manner that you create a theatrical or dramatic persona by highlighting a particular idiosyncrasy, personality tic, or peculiar aspects of yourself.

Additionally, you also will need to write a 1-page, single-spaced response to a particular image, phrase, or poem (or 2 poems if you're engaging in a relevant comparative analysis) from Saturday's reading. Responses will be due Friday and will be worth 5 points.

READING: For next class session, please read pages 97-108 in Telling True Tales, as well as pages 1-8 in Best American Essays.