Instructor
Nathaniel Minton
Class Type
Lit & Workshop
Course Description
What is the ‘stuff’ of stories? What makes a narrative? This course looks at those building blocks with a critical and creative eye. There is something innate and essentially human about ordering time through narrative, what Frederick Jameson calls “the central function or instance of the human mind”. Narrative is how we interpret reality and how we recast our thoughts and understanding of each other and the world around us. As writers, the imposition of narrative lines is our primary mode for creating meaning and communicating ideas, emotions, and arguments to our audience. Through learning these interpretive and analytical tools we are better equipped to apply them in our own stories and create work that is powerful, evocative, and deeply transformative.
Students will begin with a focus on the interpretation and analysis of literary narratives before moving on to the application of those tools. Students will create original narrative work that will increase their proficiency as writers and deepen their critical responses to the work of peers. Coursework includes weekly discussions, analysis of texts, and the writing of original stories.
Textbook
The Cambridge Introduction to Narrative (Cambridge Introductions to Literature) 3rd Edition, by H. Porter Abbott
