According to John Barth, there are four “proper objects of study for serious writers: their material (‘human life,’ Aristotle says, ‘its happiness and its misery’), their medium (language), their craft. . . and their art (the inspired and masterful application of their craft and medium to their material.)” For the most part, these “objects” for study are best left to the province of the workshop classes, which are at the heart of most writing programs. However, the writers’ life is larger than his or her desk, broader than his or her writing group. Or, looked at differently, said life may be considerably smaller. Strictly speaking, the writer’s life revolves around something that can be held in the palm of one’s hand, slipped into a pocket or purse, and when finished, stored on a shelf. A writer’s life is about books: the reading of them; the researching, writing, and reviewing of them; and, in this day and age, the teaching of others who aspire to write them as well. This course is divided into four strands, all of which will be ongoing and interwoven: In #1, we will look into our pasts and speculate about our futures, asking the all-important question: Why do I write? This first question triggers others: When do I write? How do I write? What do I write? For whom do I write? The answers will take shape in a preliminary essay, written near the beginning of the semester and revised at the end. In #2, we will take a careful look at what Barth refers to as medium and craft. In doing so, we will seek to answer the question how well do I write? At the beginning of the semester, each member of the class will select a recent manuscript to analyze and revise. In #3, we will consider finished manuscripts: who will publish what I write? In this part of the course, we’ll take an inside look at the publishing industry. We will approach this inquiry from a variety of standpoints: as a book reviewer, as a reader of a selected literary magazine, and as an outsider studying a particular publisher. Assignments will include reading and reporting on a particular literary magazine as well as researching and reporting on a publisher. In #4 we will consider who will read what I write? Here, we will explore the role of reviewers by becoming one—writing and submitting a book review. In the last twenty years or so, the writer’s role has become increasingly public, such that authors are expected to give readings and contribute to the marketing plans of their book. As time allows, we will invite writers to visit class and share their experiences. We will also attend and critique selected readings.

Fulfills core MFA requirement