680 Creative Nonfiction Schedule
(tentative and subject to change -- if it does, I will let you know in class but please check this webpage for updates)

Week, Topic, Dates	Daily Activities and Readings (* = handout. Underline = hyperlink)
1 Creative Non-fiction Aug 30	Greetings and logistics. Fact or fiction. What is creative nonfiction? Read "Why I Write" by Terry Tempest Williams (handout), George Orwell, and Joan Didion (see links).  Annie Dillard, "from An American Childhood" and Tobias Wolff, "This Boy's Life." Your map in class. Also, “The Yellow Test” by Lee Gutkind.
2 Memoir Sep 6	Chapters 1 and 2 in WLS, “Introduction” to The Art of the Personal Essay by Lopate (handout) and “Delivering Lilly.” Ephron, "A Few Words about Breasts" (handout); Sanders, "Under the Influence" (handout), “Buckeye” (handout). Lavalle, “Long Distance” (BAE 97-106), Crenshaw, “After the Ice” (BAE 31-41). Journal #1: Why do you write? Somewhere in the piece (perhaps beginning, perhaps end), please also finish this comparison: "Writing is like _______." Or writing is ________. Journal #2: Where will you write (exercise one), when will you (exercise four), and famous first lines (exercise five--write down three). Journal #3: Your map story (exercise two in Ch. 2). Also, do your "generic disclaimer" (exercise three to share).
3 The Scene and the Sense Sep 13	Walls, The Glass Castle, first half. Timeline (in class). Idea notebooks. Chapter 3, 4 and 5 in WLS and Appendices A and C.  Lopate, "On Shaving a Beard”; Vannoy (no relation), “A Personal Essay by a Personal Essay” (BAE 210-212); Potter, “Lucky Girl” (BAE 147-154). Journal #4: Crack a scene open (exercises two, three, four in Ch. 3). Journal #5: "On . . . " (exercise four, Ch. 4). Journal #6: Your people, talking (exercise eleven, Ch. 5).
4 Visiting Writer Sep 20	Walls, The Glass Castle, second half. Chapter 6 in WLS. Lopate, "Against Joi de Vivre" (handout); Poland, "Going Native." Journal #7: choose any exercise from this chapter.
5 Voice Sep 27	Visiting Writer I (post/email your draft by 5:00 the night before class)
6 Research Oct 4	Chapters 7 and 8 in WLS. Edge, "I'm Not Leaving Until I Eat this Thing"; Hall, "The Edison Cafe"; Cable,"The Last Stop”. Write R (research), O (observation) or I (interview) in the margins of the paragraphs of this last piece. Also, Read this reprint of McPhee's "Acthafalaya" and “The Search for Marvin Gardens” (handout). Journal #8: exercise 3 or 4 (from Ch. 8).
7 Report Oct 11	Chapter 9 in WLS. Ehrenrich, "Nickel and Dimed.”  LeDuff, “What Killyed Aiyanna Stanley Jones,” (BAE 107-125); Durham, “Greiving (BAE 56-97); Wallace, "Shipping Out: On the (Nearly Lethal) Comforts of a Luxury Cruise.” Journal #9: Your proposed topic and interview questions for paper #2.
8 Nature Oct 18	Chapter 10 in WLS. Purpura, Rough Likeness. Smith, “Generation Why?” (BAE 185-199). Read also “Sick of Nature” by Gessner.
9 Profile Oct 25	Writing Day
10 Critique Nov 1	Visiting Writer II
11 Shape Nov 8	Miller, "A Braided Heart”; Keckler, “The Olive Jar” (Appendix B in WLS). Trillin, “Alice”; Derricotte, ‘Beds” (BAE 42-58); Reiderer, “Patient” (BAE 165-179); McKeithen, “What Really Happened (BAE 137-141). See also, “Wild Ducks” at “Bill and Dave’s Cocktail Hour.” Gilbert’s Favorite Memoirs.
12 Nov 15	Wild, Strayed. Roorbach’s Review of Wild. See also Srayed’s “The Love of My Life” from The Sun. Also, “Write Like a Motherfucker.”
13 Readers Nov 29	Visiting Writer III
14 Publish Dec 6	Chapter 11 in WLS. Your book review. Journal #10: exercise six/eight (and preferably nine) (from Chapter 11 in WLS). COR; Sewanee; Now and Then; Ploughshares; Shenandoah; Truth about Fact; Hudson; Missouri; App Voices; Ecotone.; Orion; Brevity. Salon piece on "Afraid of Publishing." Also, two essays on John D’Agata and fact, a riff by Gideon Lewis-Kraus and this book review (and the sentence in question). Caught this by Robin Hemley when poking around.
Exam Portfolio	Visiting Writer IV: Read your best piece to the class. Hand in final portfolio w/ self-evaluation/exam.