English 587
Theory of Fiction/Creative Nonfiction/Poetry
The Lannan Readings & Conversation Series
W 4:00-6:30 + Santa Fe Expeditions
Fall 2006
Greg Martin
Office: Humanities 257
Office Hours: Wednesdays 2:00-3:30 and by appointment
Phone: 277-6145
E-mail: gmartin@unm.edu
Course website: www.unm.edu/~gmartin
Books:
*The two stories we will read and discuss from Pastoralia are on e-reserve, but I strongly recommend that you buy it also. It's excellent.
Stories, Essays. Poems, Interviews on On E-reserve at Zimmerman Library. Password: study587)
"The Plague of Doves" Louise Erdrich
"Gleason" Louise Erdrich
Lannan Podcasts
The Lannan Foundation produces one of the finest reading series in the country. Every other Wednesday, at the Lensic Theatre in Santa Fe, writers with national and international reputations read from their work, and then are interviewed afterwards, on stage (in comfortable chairs), by other writers of national and international reptuation. This literature course for creative writers focuses exclusively on the work of the writers of the Lannan Series. The class will attend the readings during the fall semester, all the while reading and discussing the works of the readers. For each author, students will write brief essays (1) which illuminate elements of craft that compel them, and (2) which relate these craft elements to their own creative work—the work of their dissertation.
The goal of the course is practical: to each week look at books, stories, essays and poems and ask the questions: How was this made? Why was it made this way? How does an understanding of this shape my own work?
Reading Responses: (60%) One 3-5 page response will be required each week that we meet in the classroom. (No response is due on those weeks that we travel together to Santa Fe.) These responses should be composed and focused, not tossed off and written off the top of your head. Bring two copies of your response to class each week, one for me and one for another person in class. Give your response to a different person each week. Late reading responses will not receive credit. (See handout on website for more details.)
Craft Essay: (40%) Each student will write one craft essay (approximately ten to twenty pages) on a book, story, stories, memoir, memoirs, author, authors, or craft concern which grows out of the course reading and your reading responses. (Do you see how wide open this assignment is?!? Do you see how you can pretty much do what you want if you base it on something related to the class?!? Rather than daunted, you feel excited, grateful even?!?
Note: If you miss class more than twice it will affect your grade.
Readings & Responsibilities
8/23 |
Introductions. Syllabus. Saunder's "Sticks" & "Adams" |
8/30 |
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Week 3
9/6 |
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9/13 |
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Week 5
9/20 |
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Week 6
9/27 |
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Week 7
10/4 |
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Week 8
10/11 |
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Week 9
10/18 |
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Week 10
10/25 |
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Week 11
11/1 |
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Week 12
11/8 |
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Week 13
11/15 |
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Week 14
11/22 |
THANKSGIVING -- NO CLASS |
Week 15
11/29 |
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Week 16
12/6 |
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Week 17
12/13 |
Jonathan Kozol at the Lensic |
Note: Readings are due on the date listed.