What is literary non-fiction
Alternatively known as "creative nonfiction,"
"literary journalism," and the "literature of fact,"
literary nonfiction is that branch of writing
which employs literary techniques and artistic
vision usually associated with fiction or poetry
to report on actual persons, places, or events.
What is literary Non-Fiction?
Fiction
Literary Non-Fiction
Poems, short stories, novels
Biographies, essays,
speeches, etc.
Entertaining
Entertaining and
Informational
Plots
Varied styles and structures
Mixed text
Mostly narrative
Range of author’s craft
techniques
Range of author’s craft
techniques
Why is reading Literary non-fiction
important?
• Students aren’t given an adequate
introduction or practice in this genre in school.
• It is a major genre on the ACT/SAT exams.
• A part of life for an informed citizenry.
• Every day, individuals read biographies, political and
personal essays, and character sketches in magazines,
newspapers, books, and on-line sources
• A part of college and career readiness
• Encountered in history, social science, the humanities,
education—nearly every subject matter in which
students take coursework.
Purposes for reading literary
non-fiction
• To be entertained
• To learn information:
– More memorable
– more metaphorical
• To appreciate an author’s craft
Examples of Strategies
•
•
•
Before Reading
– KWL
– Triple Entry Vocabulary Journal
– Knowledge Rating Guide
– Anticipation Guide
During Reading
– Discussion Web
– Say, Show Mean
– Annotation – Coding/Comprehension Monitoring
After Reading
– Group Outlining – Structural Analysis
– Interactive Word Wall
– Summarizing – the Last Lines
– Critical Thinking Questions
– Style Analysis
– Synthesis Speaking and Writing
Example: The falling man
Example: The Falling Man
•
In the picture, he departs from this earth like an arrow. Although he has not chosen his fate, he
appears to have, in his last instants of life, embraced it. If he were not falling, he might very well be
flying. He appears relaxed, hurtling through the air. He appears comfortable in the grip of unimaginable
motion. He does not appear intimidated by gravity's divine suction or by what awaits him. His arms are
by his side, only slightly outriggered. His left leg is bent at the knee, almost casually. His white shirt, or
jacket, or frock, is billowing free of his black pants. His black high-tops are still on his feet. In all the
other pictures, the people who did what he did -- who jumped -- appear to be struggling against horrific
discrepancies of scale. They are made puny by the backdrop of the towers, which loom like colossi, and
then by the event itself. Some of them are shirtless; their shoes fly off as they flail and fall; they look
confused, as though trying to swim down the side of a mountain. The man in the picture, by contrast, is
perfectly vertical, and so is in accord with the lines of the buildings behind him. He splits them, bisects
them: Everything to the left of him in the picture is the North Tower; everything to the right, the South.
Though oblivious to the geometric balance he has achieved, he is the essential element in the creation
of a new flag, a banner composed entirely of steel bars shining in the sun. Some people who look at the
picture see stoicism, willpower, a portrait of resignation; others see something else -- something
discordant and therefore terrible: freedom. There is something almost rebellious in the man's posture,
as though once faced with the inevitability of death, he decided to get on with it; as though he were a
missile, a spear, bent on attaining his own end. He is, fifteen seconds past 9:41 a.m. EST, the moment
the picture is taken, in the clutches of pure physics, accelerating at a rate of thirty-two feet per second
squared. He will soon be traveling at upwards of 150 miles per hour, and he is upside down. In the
picture, he is frozen; in his life outside the frame, he drops and keeps dropping until he disappears.
Read more: http://www.esquire.com/features/ESQ0903-SEP_FALLINGMAN#ixzz1H0q2Ty3H
• What does this piece say in regards to the
essential question: how do we define who we
are?
• What stylistic features are in this text that you
need to know?
• How is this text structured?
• What does this piece say about the author?
Why did he write it? What does he want you
to think about the falling man?
Framing the Essential Question
• Look at the man in the photograph. How
would you describe his demeanor?
• From the text:
– “Some people who look at the picture see
stoicism, willpower, a portrait of resignation;
others see something else -- something discordant
and therefore terrible: freedom. “
• How do you think this man is defining himself?
Other interesting questions to
foreground
– On 9/11, many photographs and videos were
taken and displayed to the public. Was this a good
idea? What might be some benefits and
drawbacks?
– Photographers for news outlets often stand on the
sidelines and take photographs of tragic
situations. What responsibilities are they
fulfilling? What responsibilities might they be
shirking? What does that say about how
photographers define themselves?
Stylistic features
• Descriptive: “His left leg is bent at the knee,
almost casually. His white shirt, or jacket, or
frock, is billowing free of his black pants. His black
high-tops are still on his feet.”
• Metaphorical: “He departs this earth like an
arrow.” “They are made puny by the backdrop of
the towers, which loom like colossi,”
• The author presents his interpretation: “There is
something almost rebellious in the man's
posture, as though once faced with the
inevitability of death”
Structure
• Comparison/Contrast: This man from others
who jumped from the tower
• Interpretation of motives and demeanor
Interspersed with factual information (his rate
of speed) and physical description (his arms
only slightly outriggered)
Discussion Web
Reasons
Evidence to
support
Focus question
Conclusion
Evidence
against
Strategies—During (and after) Reading:
Discussion Web
Reasons for
Yes
1. He was
exercising
his will
Should the man
have jumped out of
the window?
Reasons for
No
1. He was
traveling at a
high rate of
speed
Our Answer:
Other: Should the photographer have taken the
photograph?