ENG 294 A & B Introduction to Creative Writing
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McNally
T-Th 10-11:45 am
T-Th 1-2:15 pm |
This course will allow students to explore the fundamental skills of fiction and poetry writing, and is designed around the belief that one must read widely and closely in order to write well. This is an intensive writing course, meant for students who are dedicated readers and serious about the process of writing. We will examine the works of both established and emerging writers in hopes of discerning and emulating the qualities of good poetry and fiction. Frequent writing exercises will provide the opportunity to practice, to imitate, and to experiment. Class members will work together to create a welcoming and productive workshop, including extensive in-class discussion of both published writers and student work. ENG 388 Literary Publishing
The theoretical component of the course will involve a study of the history of the literary magazine from the founding of Poetry: A Magazine of Verse in 1912 to the present time. We’ll attempt to understand both the function of the magazine as a literary force and the interaction of design and text. Readings will be supplemented by guest speakers—professional editors, publishers, designers, writers, and a bookseller—who will add their perspective. The practical component of the course will focus on editing The Quadrangle, the Canisius College literary and visual arts magazine. The work will include soliciting and selecting material, copy-editing and proofreading, design, layout, printing, publicity, and distribution. You do not have to take the course in order to work on the literary magazine, but you do have to work in a significant role on the magazine in order to take the course. Prerequisite: ENG 294 (or ENG 394) or permission of instructor
ENG 391 Advanced Fiction Writing
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Cochrane
Advanced Fiction Writing |
This is a fiction workshop for serious writers. The course will include close readings of literary texts, lots of writing and revising, peer critiques, and individual conferences. We’ll discuss various elements of the craft of fiction (dialogue, description, character development, plot, point of view) as well as the processes of revision and editing—all with an eye toward helping each student draw on his or her own unique experience, observation, language, and imagination in order to shape compelling fiction.
Prerequisite: ENG 294 (or ENG 394) or permission of instructor
ENG 426 Advanced Playwriting
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Schneiderman
T-Th 2:30-3:45 pm |
Enhance the playwright within! This course builds on the lessons learned in Playwriting 411 and takes students the next step of the way on the journey to developing a full-length original play. Studying classic works such as Strindberg's Miss Julie and Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun, to more modern works such as Mamet's Glengarry Glen Ross in addition to attending and analyzing local theatrical productions, Advanced Playwriting provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the structure of modern plays and a step-by-step approach to the development of original dramatic works.
ENG 490 Capstone
The goal of this course is to teach students to do all the things that working writers do: prepare, submit, and present work consistent with professional standards; understand and articulate how their work fits into larger literary traditions; and show a practical knowledge of the particular professional lives of writers, what they do and how they prepare themselves to do that work. In this course, students will produce a polished, accomplished portfolio of creative work in a genre of their choice; they will research markets for their work and prepare their own professional-quality submissions; and they will also learn to present their work publicly, concentrating on the selection and delivery of their creative work for a live audience, and as part of the course, participate in a formal, public reading. They will, in addition, prepare an artistic statement, reflecting on their influences, aesthetic values, and goals as writers, and, finally, research and explore career options and opportunities.
Prerequisite: Senior Standing, ENG 294 (or ENG 394) or permission of instructor
