Class Overview
General Class Information
All fields must be completed and posted in UVaCollab and World Viewable in SIS no later than two weeks prior
to registration.
Subject Area &
Catalog Number
ISHU3183
Class Title
CREATIVE NONFICTION: WRITING THE STORY OF YOUR
LIFE 3 CREDITS
P (In-Person)
Credit
Credit Type
Undergraduate
Graduate
Re-licensure
Re-certification
Points
Delivery Method
Noncredit
CI (Classroom/Internet)
WB (Web-Based)
Approval Date
(For internal use only)
1. Class Description (Use the SIS 400 characters from catalog description)
STUDENTS WILL LEARN HOW TO BRING TOGETHER THE IMAGINATIVE STRATEGIES OF FICTIONAL STORY
TELLING WITH NEW WAYS OF NARRATING TRUE, REAL-LIFE EVENTS. CREATIVE NONFICTION WRITING WILL
ALLOW YOU TO SHARE YOUR STORIES IN COMPELLING WAYS, HELP YOU WRITE EFFECTIVELY IN
PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL SITUATIONS, AND PROVIDE NEW WAYS FOR YOU TO DOCUMENT REAL-LIFE
EXPERIENCES AS THEY OCCURRED.
2. Learning Outcomes
THE STUDENT WILL DEMONSTRATE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE RHETORICAL MATERIALS TO BE READ
DURING THE SEMESTER IN HIS/HER PARTICIPATION IN CLASS DISCUSSIONS.
THE STUDENT WILL PRACTICE LEADING DISCUSSIONS ABOUT ASSIGNED READINGS WITH HIS/HER PEERS
IN AN EFFECTIVE AND INSIGHTFUL WAY.
THE STUDENT WILL FORMULATE AND CONTINUE TO LEARN TO JUSTIFY A THESIS STATEMENT, ANALYZE IT,
AND PROVIDE EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT IT SO THAT HE/SHE CAN COMPOSE WELL-WRITTEN ESSAYS. LENGTHS
WILL VARY FROM 500-WORDS TO 1000-WORD ESSAYS.
THE STUDENT WILL SHARPEN HIS/HER CRITICAL AND ANALYTICAL SKILLS AS HE/SHE READS NONFICTIONAL MEMOIRS AND ESSAYS BY PROFESSIONAL WRITERS. IN SO DOING, STUDENTS WILL LEARN TO
IDENTIFY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MEMOIR AND THE OTHER TYPES OF NONFICTION LITERARY NARRATIVE.
STUDENTS WILL LEARN HOW TO APPLY THE PRINCIPLE OF MEMOIR WRITING TO THEIR OWN LIFE
EXPERIENCES.
STUDENTS WILL LEARN HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY PARTICIPATE IN THE SHARING OF CONSTRUCTIVE
CRITICISM OF WRITTEN WORK.
THE STUDENT WILL LEARN HOW TO COLLABORATE WITH GROUP/TEAM MEMBERS IN MAKING AN
EFFECTIVE CLASS PRESENTATION ON AN ASSIGNED BOOK-LENGTH READING.
THE STUDENT WILL LEARN HOW TO EFFECTIVELY PLAN FOR ONGOING DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR WRITING
THAT WILL INCLUDE STRATEGIES FOR EXPANDING THEIR PERSONAL NARRATIVES.
3. Assessment Components
THIS SEMINAR WILL MEET TWICE A WEEK FOR THREE HOURS ON ALTERNATE WEEKENDS FOR FOURTEEN
MEETING SESSIONS. STUDENTS WILL READ THE REQUIRED READING ONE WEEK IN ADVANCE. ALL OF THE
READINGS FOR THE COURSE WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE ON THE FIRST NIGHT OF CLASS. BOOK TITLES WILL BE
MADE AVAILABLE BEFORE THE COURSE BEGINS SO THAT STUDENTS CAN PURCHASE THE NECESSARY
BOOKS. STUDENTS WILL BE GRADED ON THEIR ABILTIY TO DISCUSS WHAT MAKES A PARTICULAR MEMOIR OR
ESSAY A DISTINCTIVE LITERARY FORM. STUDENTS WILL BE GRADED ON INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP DISCUSSION
PRESENTATIONS. THE PRESENTATIONS WILL BE GRADED ACCORDINGLY: ORGANIZATION OF SUMMARY OF
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MATERIAL, INTEGRATION OF IDEAS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE COURSE GOALS, DEPTH OF ANALYSIS AND
HOW WELL HE OR SHE FACILITATES THE DISCUSSION WITH THE CLASS. EACH PERSON WHO PRESENTS OR
CONTRIBUTES TO A DISCUSSION OF ASSIGNED TOPIC SHOULD TAKE THE LIBERTY TO TO USE ANY MEANS
AVAILABLE OR FORMAT TO ACCOMPLISH THE GOAL, I.E., CLOSE READING OF EXAMPLE TEXTS, VISUAL AIDS,
USE OF EXAMPLES FROM PROFESSIONAL LITERARY CRITICS, ETC. I WILL BE AVAILABLE TO DISCUSS ANY AND
ALL IDEAS FOR THESE DISCUSSIONS/PRESENTATIONS IF A STUDENT WISHES TO CONSULT WITH ME.
WHATEVER, THE FORMAT USED BY THE STUDENT, IT SHOULD FOSTER A CIVIL, PHILOSOPHICAL, RESPECTFUL,
AND INTELLIGENT DISCUSSION OF THE TOPIC AT HAND.
STUDENTS WILL CREATE AND KEEP A COMPREHENSIVE PORTFOLIO OF NOTES, DRAFTS, AND FINISHED
WRITTEN WORK TO DEMONSTRATE ORIGINAL THOUGHT AND WRITING HABITS FOR THE ENTIRE COURSE OF
THE SEMESTER. THE PORTFOLIO WILL BE CHECKED ON THE LAST SESSION OF THE SEMESTER.
STUDENTS WILL LEARN HOW TO EMPLOY PRINCIPLES OF A PARTICULAR WRITING STYLE OF CREATIVE
NONFICTION IN AN EFFORT TO CREATE AN EFFECTIVE PORTION OF THEIR MEMOIR WRITING SAMPLE
SUBMISSIONS. STUDENTS WILL DO THE SAME MIMIC OF STYLE FOR THE PERSONAL ESSAY (EXAMPLES OF
SUCCESSFUL MODELS WILL BE STUDIED AND DISCUSSED IN CLASS).
STUDENTS WILL READ AND ANALYZE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PERSONAL NARRATIVE, INCLUDING ESSAYS,
AUTOBIOGRAPHIES, MEMOIRS, AND 21ST CENTURY BLOGS.
STUDENTS WILL PREPARE AND REVISE TWO OR MORE BRIEF PORTIONS OF PERSONAL MEMOIRS.
STUDENTS WILL PARTICIPATE IN PEER REVIEW OF WORKS IN PROGRESS. IN SO DOING, STUDENTS WILL
LEARN STRATEGIES FOR GIVING AND RECEIVING CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM, AND PRACTICE USING
FEEDBACK TO IMPROVE WRITING SKILLS.
STUDENTS WILL EXPERIMENT WITH SEVERAL TECHNIQUES FOR RECALLING AND WRITING ABOUT
SIGNIFICANT REAL-LIFE EVENTS.
STUDENTS WILL ASSESS THE RELATIONSHIP OF SIGNIFICANT IDEAS ABOUT HUMAN EXPERIENCE TO THE
FORMULATION OF PERSONAL ATTITUDES ABOUT LIFE.
STUDENTS WILL ENDEAVOR TO UNDERSTAND TRANSFORMATIONAL EVENTS FROM THEIR LIVES. BY
REFLECTING ON MAJOR TURNING POINTS OR POINTS OF SELF-AWARENESS, STUDENTS WILL USE THEM TO
CONSTRUCT MEANING IN THE PRESENT.
STUDENTS WILL STUDY AND ENDEAVOR TO GAIN WISDOM GAINED FROM READING PUBLISHED AUTHOR'S
WORK AND THAT OF THEIR CLASSMATES (CLASSMATE'S MAJOR WORKS WILL BE WORK-SHOPPED AND
DISCUSSED IN CLASS).
ATTENDANCE IS REQUIRED OF EVERY STUDENT! YOU MAY BE ABSENT ONCE, BUT AFTER THE NEXT
ABSENCE, YOUR ENTIRE GRADE WILL BE LOWERED BY ONE LETTER GRADE. (I.E., A TO B, B TO C, ETC.)
STUDENTS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT THIS IS A READING AND WRITING AND DISCUSSION INTENSIVE
COURSE THAT RELIES ON PARTICIPATION OF ALL CLASS MEMBERS.
STUDENTS WILL BE GRADED ON EFFORT, IMPROVEMENT, CONTRIBUTION (AS NOTED EARLIER), AND
PREPAREDNESS.
15% OF THE GRADE WILL BE WRITTEN WORK IN THE FORM OF AN ESSAY
(PERSONAL/REFLECTIVE/NONFICTION).
20% OF THE GRADE WILL BE THE SHORT MEMOIRS (NUMBER ONE, 10%; AND NUMBER TWO, 10%).
25% OF THE GRADE WILL BE THE LONGER MEMOIR.
10% OF THE GRADE WILL BE THE ORAL PRESENTATION AND TEAM DISCUSSION FROM ASSIGNED MEMOIR
MENU.
10% OF THE GRADE WILL BE THE WRITING EXERCISES AND SHORTER WRITTEN HOMEWORK
ASSIGNMENTS.
5% OF THE GRADE WILL BE THE WRITING PORTFOLIO OF ALL COURSE NOTES AND WRITTEN WORK.
15% OF THE GRADE WILL BE CLASS PARTICIPATION
STUDENTS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT I DO NOT ACCEPT LATE WORK FOR CREDIT. IF A STUDENT MISSES A
DEADLINE, HE/SHE WILL RECEIVE A ZERO FOR THAT ASSIGNMENT.
4. Required Text (include ISBN, specific edition)
THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE, BY STRUNK, WHITE, AND KALMAN. PENGUIN BOOKS. ISBN: 978-0-14-311272-3
WRITING THE MEMOIR, FROM TRUTH TO ART, SECOND EDITION. BY JUDITH BARRINGTON. ISBN-10:
0933377509 AND ISBN-13: 978-093377509;
WRITING TRUE: THE ART AND CRAFT OF CREATIVE NONFICTION, BY SONDRA PERL AND MIMI SCHWARTZ.
ISBN-10: 0618370757 AND ISBN-13: 978-0618370757.
WRITE NOW: NONFICTION. MEMOIR, JOURNALISM AND CREATIVE NONFICTION EXERCISES FROM TODAY'S
BEST WRITERS, EDITED BY SHERRY WILLIS. PENGUIN 2009. ISBN-10: 158427586 AND ISBN-13: 978-1585427581.
MOMENTS OF BEING, BY VIRGINIA WOOLF. ISBN: 0-15-661918-0.
THE BEST AMERICAN ESSAYS OF THE CENTURY, EDITED BY JOYCE CAROL OATES, 2000. ISBN: 0 61804370-5.
THIS BOY'S LIFE, A MEMOIR, BY TOBIAS WOLFF. ISBN-10: 0802136680 AND ISBN-13: 978-0802136688.
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5. Required Additional Resources and Technical Components
THERE MIGHT BE SOME SESSIONS THAT WILL BE HELD ONLINE OR CLASS LECTURES TO BE ACCESSED
ON THE COLLAB SITE (DATES TO BE DECIDED WHEN CLASS MEETS AND WHEN BAD WEATHER DICTATES).
FOR THESE SESSIONS, STUDENTS MUST HAVE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET AND A HEADPHONE/MICROPHONE
SET IS NEEDED FOR BLACKBOARD/COLLABORATE.
6. Other Class Expectations (for Classroom/Internet and Web-Based classes, specify any live
(synchronous) meetings dates, times, delivery mode)
TBA, IF NEED BE.
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