San Diego State University
English 280: Introduction to Creative Writing, Fall 2014
Instructor: Luke Crane
English 280 Introduction to Creative Writing
Section 01 • T/TH 14:00-15:15 • P-147
“Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.”
― Anton Chekhov
“Poetry is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.”
― Pierre Joris
My Office: Arts & Letters 276
Email: lukecrane01@gmail.com
Office Hours: Tuesday 15:30 to 16:30, and by appointment
Class Meetings: T/TH 14:00 – 15:15 – P-147
Required Books & Materials:
English 280 Course Reader
—Access to a computer, printer and paper
The Story of This Course:
Welcome to English 280, an extensive exploration of Creative Writing! Throughout the semester
we will be focusing on the theory and practice of fiction and poetry, as well as various basic
concepts and techniques. As American author and teacher Natalie Goldberg observed, “…we all
have a dream of telling our stories—of realizing what we think, feel, and see before we die.
Writing is a path to meet ourselves and become intimate.” This semester, we will construct a
path by becoming immersed in the reading and writing of fiction and poetry. We will study
fundamental components of fiction by examining short stories that exemplify evocative, artful
narrative- in an attempt to realize our ‘storytelling’ dreams. We will examine various poetic
forms and conventions and practice them through the rendering of our own poetry. We will
develop our writing and critical skills through workshopping the poems and stories of our peers.
We will also model and “steal” from the examples of literary beloveds in order to improve upon
our own work.
Course Requirements & Assignments:
Grades are determined by Contract
Grade A
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Attend class regularly—not missing more than two classes;
Meet due dates and writing criteria for all major assignments;
Participate in all in-class exercises and activities;
Complete all writing assignments;
Give thoughtful peer feedback during class workshops and work faithfully with your
group on other collaborative tasks (e.g., sharing papers, commenting on drafts, peer
editing, on-line discussion boards, answering peer questions);
Sustain effort and investment on each draft of all papers;
Make substantive revisions when the assignment is to revise—extending or changing the
thinking or organization—not just editing or touching up;
Copy-edit all final revisions of main assignments until they conform to the conventions
of edited, revised English;
Attend conferences with the teacher to discuss drafts;
On the ten in-class quizzes, finish with a score of over 90/100
Submit your final portfolio, consisting of 3 high quality Fiction pieces (including final
drafts of workshop pieces), 5 high quality poems (including final drafts of workshop
pieces) 2 other works (as agreed with the instructor).
Grade B





Attend class regularly—not missing more than three classes;
Meet due dates and writing criteria for all major assignments;
Participate in all in-class exercises and activities;
Complete all writing assignments;
Give thoughtful peer feedback during class workshops and work faithfully with your
group on other collaborative tasks (e.g., sharing papers, commenting on drafts, peer
editing, on-line discussion boards, answering peer questions);
 Sustain effort and investment on each draft of all papers;
 Make substantive revisions when the assignment is to revise—extending or changing the
thinking or organization—not just editing or touching up;
 Copy-edit all final revisions of main assignments until they conform to the conventions
of edited, revised English;
 Attend conferences with the teacher to discuss drafts;
 On the ten in-class quizzes, finish with a score of over 85/100
 Submit your final portfolio, consisting of 3 high quality Fiction pieces
(including final drafts of workshop pieces), 4 high quality poems (including final drafts
of workshop pieces).
Grade C
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








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Attend class regularly—not missing more than four classes;
Meet due dates and writing criteria for all major assignments;
Participate in all in-class exercises and activities;
Complete all writing assignments;
Give thoughtful peer feedback during class workshops and work faithfully with your
group on other collaborative tasks (e.g., sharing papers, commenting on drafts, peer
editing, on-line discussion boards, answering peer questions);
Sustain effort and investment on each draft of all papers;
Make substantive revisions when the assignment is to revise—extending or changing the
thinking or organization—not just editing or touching up;
Copy-edit all final revisions of main assignments until they conform to the conventions
of edited, revised English;
Attend conferences with the teacher to discuss drafts;
On the ten in-class quizzes, finish with a score of over 80/100
Submit your final portfolio, consisting of 2 high quality Fiction pieces (including final
drafts of workshop pieces), 3 high quality poems (including final drafts of workshop
pieces).
Classroom Policies:
Due Dates: All work is due the day it is due- Stories, poems, and other writings are (1) keyed
to the class inquiry at that moment, and (2) regarded by me and graded as a step in your progress
through the course and the sequence of assignments. They may not be made up at a later date.
*If your work is being workshopped the following week, it must be delivered to your workshop
group on its due date (generally, one week prior)- This is part of your responsibility to fellow
group members! Please note: For each class that a major assignment is late, one full letter
grade will fall against that particular piece in your portfolio.
Professional Presentation of Your Texts: All work must be typed. No disks or emails, please.
Final drafts must show evidence of revision and proofreading for errors.
Attendance Policy: PLEASE READ CAREFULLY
Please notify me if you will be absent from class.
Your absent limit is tied to your Contract agreement.
Your attendance in class is assumed and you will receive credit for your work at each
meeting.
Classroom Expectations: The following list covers expectations for in-class behavior:
1. Turn off all cell phones, iPods, IM’s, iPhones, electronics that beep and annoy
everyone, etc. Laptops must be used in ways relevant to our class (not your
MySpace account or a paper for Poli Sci). Your professional courtesy will
allow everyone in the room the best advantage in this course.
2. Arrive on time, be prepared with all readings/writings, and bring all texts
under investigation. If you must leave early, please notify me before class
begins.
3. All work must be your own. Plagiarism will result in an F on the
assignment, a referral to Judicial Review, and possible expulsion…Please note
the fine print:
Plagiarism shall be defined as the act of incorporating ideas, words, or specific
substance of another, whether purchased, borrowed, or otherwise obtained, and
submitting same to the University as one's own work to fulfill academic
requirements without giving credit to the appropriate source. Plagiarism shall
include but not be limited to (a) submitting work, either in part or in whole,
completed by another; (b) omitting footnotes for ideas, statements, facts, or
conclusions that belong to another; (c) omitting quotation marks when quoting
directly from another, whether it be a paragraph, sentence, or part thereof; (d)
close and lengthy paraphrasing of the writings of another; …(f) submitting as
one's own work papers purchased from research companies.
Abusive behavior in any form, toward your instructor or another student, is forbidden by
university policy and may result in expulsion. Since this is a creative writing class, we will be
examining texts that represent a myriad of different styles and subjects. Keep in mind that it is
our job to evaluate text in terms of its merit, not just our own, personal taste. There will be
specific protocols for giving feedback in class, and I will spend time explaining them. Insulting
or offensive commentary will not be tolerated. We all deserve respect!
Blackboard: I’ll use Blackboard daily for announcements & assignments. You will find course
documents and helpful links available to you 24/7. Please check announcements before you
leave for class in case I have posted some last minute and necessary information. Periodically, I
will post topics for exploration under the ‘Discussion’ heading. You will be required to respond
to these topics in a timely and analytical manner.
Special Circumstances: If you have special learning needs or are registered with Disabled
Student Services, please let me know as soon as possible so that I can accommodate you.
Athletes who will be traveling and miss class, and members of religious denominations who
must be absent during religious holidays, must notify me within the first two weeks of class in
order for these absences to be excused.
Tentative Schedule: * Assignments/due dates subject to change at your instructor’s
discretion*
Topic
Week/Dates Class Activities
Welcome Aug. 26
Introduction to Course
Homework/Reading
Sherman Alexie – How to
Write the Great American
Indian Novel
Fiction
Sherman Alexie - Indian
Education
Aug. 28
What is Fiction//Icebreakers
Margaret Atwood - Happy
Endings
Maya Angelou - Champion
of the World
T. Coraghenssan Boyle – The
Hit Man
Fiction
Sept. 02
Plot/Structure
James Baldwin - Sonny’s
Blues
Lydia Davis - Story
Ron Carlson - Bigfoot Stole
My Wife
Fiction
Sept. 04
Character
Sept 09
Setting/Scene
Doris Lessing - To Room
Nineteen
Raymond Carver - Cathedral
Raymond Carver - What We
Talk About When We Talk
About Love
Sept 11
Dialogue
Eudora Welty - Why I Live at
the P.O.
Tobias Wolff - Bullet in the
Brain
Tobias Wolff - Hunters in the
Snow
Fiction
Sept 16
Point of View
Sandra Cisneros - Barbie-Q
Octavio Paz - The Blue
Bouquet
Leslie Marmon Silko - The
Man to Send Rain Clouds
John Steinbeck - The
Chrysanthemums
Sept 18
Style/Details
Joan Didion - Earthquakes
Anne Dillard - The Chase
Amy Tan – Fish Cheeks
Kurt Vonnegut - Harrison
Bergeron
Fiction
Sept 23
Keeping the Story Alive
Shirley Jackson - The Lottery
James Joyce - The Dead
Maxine Hong Kingston - No
Name Woman
Fiction
Fiction
Fiction
Sept 25
Twists and Turns
Sept 30
Workshops - GROUP A
Oct 02
Workshops - GROUP B
Oct 07
Workshops – GROUP C
Oct 09
Workshops – GROUP A
Oct 14
Workshops – GROUP B
Oct 16
Workshops – GROUP C
Jamaica Kincaid - Girl
Billy Collins – Workshop
Billy Collins – Introduction
To Poetry
Philip Levine – The Simple
Truth
Robert Lowell – Man and
Wife
Robert Lowell - Skunk Hour
Robert Lowell - Memories of
West Street and Lepke
Robert Lowell –
Grandparents
Thomas Lux – The People of
the Other Village
Albert Rios – Writing from
Memory
Charles Simic – The Clocks of
the Dead
Gary Soto – Oranges
Wallace Stevens - The
Emperor of Ice-Cream
Poetry
Oct 21
What is Poetry?
Elizabeth Bishop – The Fish
Elizabeth Bishop – Sestina,
Elizabeth Bishop – Filling
Station,
Elizabeth Bishop – At the
Fishhouses,
Elizabeth Bishop – In the
Waiting Room
Carolyn Forche – The Colonel
Allen Ginsberg – A
Supermarket in California
Robert Hayden – Those
Sunday Mornings
Linda Hogan – The Truth Is
Yusef Komunyakaa - Thanks
Steve Kowit – The Grammar
Lesson
Oct 23
Essentials: image, language
Michael Lassell – How To
Watch Your Brother Die
Jimmy Santiago Baca– I Will
Remain,
Jimmy Santiago Baca– So
Mexicans Are Taking Jobs
from Americans
Jimmy Santiago Baca– I Am
Offering This Poem
Gwendolyn Brooks – The
Bean Eaters
Gwendolyn Brooks – The
Ballad of chocolate Mabbie,
Gwendolyn Brooks – Sadie
and Maud
Gwendolyn Brooks – We Real
Cool
Douglas Kearney – Every
Hard Rapper’s Father Ever:
Father of the Year
Frank Stanford – Singing
Knives
Poetry
Oct 28
Essentials: music
Samuel Taylor Coleridge Kubla Khan
A.E Housman - To an Athlete
Dying Young
John Keats - Ode on a
Grecian Urn
John Keats - Ode to a
Nightingale
Percy Byssie Shelley –
Ozymandias
Gregory Corso – Marriage
Sharon Olds – Photograph of
the Girl
Sharon Olds - Rite of Passage
Sharon Olds - I Go Back to
May 1937
Oct 30
Poetic Forms: Traditional
Shel Silverstein - Sick
Russell Edson – The Love
Affair
Russell Edson – The Ape
Russell Edson – A Stone Is
Nobody
Russell Edson – Fire Is Not a
Nice Guest
Russell Edson – Oh My God,
I'll Never Get Home
Poetry
Nov 04
Poetic Ideas
T .S Eliot -The Love Song of J.
Alfred Prufrock
T.S Eliot -The Waste Land
Nov 06
T.S Eliot
Poetry
Nov 11
Veterans Day
Philip Larkin – High
Windows
Philip Larkin – This Be the
Verse
Philip Larkin – Aubade
Philip Larkin – Toads
Revisited
Philip Larkin – Annus
Mirabilis
James Tate – The Lost Pilot
James Tate – The Ice Cream
Man
James Tate – How the Pope is
Chosen
Poetry
Poetry
Poetry
Poetry
Nov 13
Subjects: Love/Portrait
Nov 18
Workshop – GROUP A
Nov 20
Workshop – GROUP B
Nov 25
Workshop – GROUP C
Nov 27
Thanksgiving Holiday
Dec 02
Workshop – GROUP A
Dec 04
Workshop – GROUP B
Dec 09
Workshop – GROUP C
Dec 11
Writing Life: Community, publishing
Dec 16
Portfolio Due
James Tate – A Wedding