COURSES

Readings will focus on specific techniques or elements to provide students with examples and ideas for composing their own creative work.

 

For example, the poem “The Fish” by Elizabeth Bishop could be read and discussed as a prime example of using an extended metaphor to illuminate an experience. The speaker in the poem examines, with a great deal of curiosity and attentiveness, a fish she has caught, and in the process discovers characteristics and themes not immediately seen. The poem is both an example of paying close attention to concrete details, and of using these to represent abstract qualities.

 

 Bishop’s poem could be used as a clear and simple prompt that asks students to describe an object in ways that bring to light hidden attributes and themes. Student work would be discussed in a workshop led by the instructor, with the aim of providing the author with feedback and suggestions—all of it in an encouraging and supportive fashion.

 

The course would meet objectives critical to the process of composing creative work. It would introduce students to work they could learn from; it would inspire them to produce their own work, present it to an audience, and receive valuable feedback they could use to grow their craft. It would also teach students the art of critiquing peer work in productive ways (as modeled by the instructor). Finally, it would teach students to read texts carefully and closely.

 

At the end of six weeks, each student would have a portfolio they could share beyond the class!