MA in Writing Graduate Course Schedule, Northwestern University School of Professional Studies - Northwestern School of Professional Studies

Program Courses

Please note that course schedules may be amended due to low enrollment, faculty availability, and/or other factors.

Online Sync Sessions are an integral part of the online learning experience. Additional information about learning concepts and assignments may be discussed and sync sessions offer valuable opportunities for students to interact with their faculty and peers during the term. We encourage all students to attend live, but if they are unable to, sync sessions will be recorded and posted within Canvas to allow for an asynchronous model of success as well.

MCW_SEMINAR 461-0 : Nonfiction Writing Workshop

Description

“In the best nonfiction,” writes Philip Lopate, “It seems to me, you’re always made aware that you are being engaged with a supple mind at work. The story line or plot in nonfiction consists of the twists and turns of a thought process working itself out.” The personal essay, specifically, is much more than a short story that happens to be true. Reflection, self-awareness, metawriting, personal vulnerability, and critical thinking all create their own story about the author as focalizer, distinct from what happens in scene. In addition to your workshop pieces, we’ll discuss the work of contemporary essayists (think: Sarah Manguso, Camille Dungy, Alexander Chee, Roger Reeves, Alex Marzano-Lesnevich, Elissa Washuta), tracing how their “supple minds” withhold and reveal information, contextualize their experiences, and draw connections among seemingly disparate elements. Students can expect to write and revise two essays, as well as a few critical annotations of readings.