Fiction and Poetry Session 1

Saul Bellow said, "A writer is a reader moved to emulation.” This course draws inspiration from the published works, journals, and drafts of writers such as Alice Munro, John Updike, Rita Dove, and Li-Young Lee. As a class, we’ll learn to read like writers by examining a range of content, styles, structures, and techniques. You’ll debate the distinction between the realistic and the fantastic in works such as Gabriel García Márquez’s I Sell My Dreams and the value of imagery in Elizabeth Bishop’s The Fish. While writing short fiction and poetry in various forms, we’ll workshop drafts with your classmates under the guidance of your instructor, building a community that fosters your development as writers. You’ll not only learn to tactfully give and receive criticism, but also to refine your work, building a common understanding of how voice, style, and structure constitute strong poetry and prose.