Department of English

In the past twenty years, the genre of memoir has exploded onto the literary scene. What is it about the intimate details of someone elses life that intrigues the reading public? Is there a hint of voyeurism is our enjoyment? Or do we simply fall in love with real people through the power of their words, and hope for them to overcome the obstacles that life has thrown in their way? In this class, well read numerous texts and each student will write and revise part of their own memoir. This class helps students learn how to, first, identify memoir (and how it differs from autobiography & personal essay) and, second, create works in this genre that reflect their own interests and voice. Students will learn how to critically read, evaluate, and respond to different genres of memoir, discover how to structure and write basic forms of memoir, and develop their own specific understanding of revision and apply those ideas to their own writing. Students will write and submit at least 25 - 30 pages of their own writing to be workshopped by their peers. Required texts: This Boys Life, Tobias Wolff The Color of Water, James McBride Wave, Sonali Deraniyagala Men We Reaped, Jesmyn Ward Why Be Happy When You Can Be Normal?, Jeannette Winterson The Complete Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi Another Bullshit Night in Suck City, Nick Flynn. Instructor: Brando Skyhorse