IMF 51624 Fiction: Kurt Vonnegut L W

Instructor

Zachary Vickers

Class Type

Workshop & Literature

Course Description

In this seminar/workshop we will look at the life and writing of one of America’s most recognizable and innovative authors, Kurt Vonnegut. We will look at his literary influences, and read both his short and long fiction, and nonfiction. Later, we will look at contemporary authors who have drawn influence from Vonnegut, thus connecting centuries of aesthetic development. Students will write their own fiction, playing with Vonnegut’s style, or other authors whom they draw influence from. Students will also be expected to critique each other's work and revise one story for a final project. By the end of this course, students will have a better understanding of Vonnegut’s writing, how the lines of literature and genre can be blurred to create provocative and heart-rendering fiction, and how to begin to analyze their own influences so that they may further hone their own voice/aesthetic.