HEINZ INSU FENKL
OFFICE HOURS
: JFT 618 M 3:30-4:30; T 3-3:30; H 3:30-4:30; F 3-4:30; & by appointmentPHONE/EMAIL: 257-2743, fenkli@newpaltz.edu (assignments to: prof fenkl@aol.com)
Creative Writing Workshop 1
Description:
This is primarily a writing course, and it means you will be doing a significant amount of writing throughout the semester. Although not all of the writing you do will be "finished," you should be prepared write approximately 50 pages of poetry and prose, not including what you will do in your journals and for your exercises. Writing, of course, is not done in a vacuum. You will also be doing a great deal of reading for this class -- close and careful reading, which you will be expected to discuss intelligently and constructively. Through close readings of literary works from a range of sources, you will be learning to read "deeply" and to apply the insights you glean in your own writing. Because the exact nature and pace of this class will be determined by its particular make-up in any given semester, we will not have a formally scheduled syllabus. The only timetable we will follow is the workshop schedule, which will be established after the first five weeks. For the two-thirds of this course, you will be doing writing exercises and assigned readings, both of which will be topics of discussion in class. During the last third of the course, the class will be run exclusively as a writing workshop.
Requirements:
1. Attendance & Participation: It is absolutely essential for you to attend class and participate constructively in the discussions. Since this is a writing workshop, one of your primary roles will be to contribute your responses to the works of others, whether they be fellow students or famous writers. Three unexcused absences will take your grade down by one full letter. Four unexcused absences will result in a failing grade.
2. Writing Exercises: We will be doing numerous writing exercises throughout the semester, the exact number and nature to be determined by the specific needs of the class. You are expected to complete the exercises (some of which will be done in class) and submit them on time. Details about the exercises will be provided in class. For most of the exercises, you will receive brief comments, but you may have significant feedback on some assignments along with suggestions for revision.
3. Midterm: We will have a midterm exam covering literary terms and concepts, basic editing, and required readings.
4. Workshop Poems & Stories: These are the most important pieces of writing you will be doing for the semester, since they will represent the application of everything you've learned. You will be assembling a collection of your poems from among those you write during the semester (or you may workshop a single long poem). Stories should be in the form of a narrative and be at least 1500 words long. Format, subject matter, etc., will be discussed throughout the semester. Since these stories and poems will determine the scheduling of the last several class sessions, it is absolutely imperative that you turn them in on time and be in class to discuss them. You will receive a marked copy of your workshop piece, which we will then discuss in conference.
5. Comment Sheets: During the workshop segment of the class, you are required to provide a page of written (typed, not handwritten) comments on each story or group of poems being discussed. If the class is full, this means you will be writing 40 pages of comments throughout the semester, always in advance of the workshop session. One copy of the comment sheet goes to the student whose work is being workshopped on a particular day; another copy will be handed in to me. (Comment sheets will not be accepted after the class on which they are due.)
6. Notebook: Throughout the semester, you will be required to keep a bound notebook in which you do much of your writing, ruminating, revision, and brainstorming. You may be asked to submit this notebook during the semester. This notebook is also where you will be jotting down your responses to the stories we will be reading from various texts.
7. Reading: Although we will not have the time to discuss everything we read before the workshop sessions, you are expected to read everything assigned and to keep a record of informal responses in your class notebook.
8. Conference: You will be required to have at least one conference with me, to be scheduled before the end of the semester. It is recommended that you confer with me both before and after your workshop session.
Grades will be determined as follows:
Participation (20%)
Workshop (40%)
Midterm (20%)
Writing Exercises (20%)
Schedule:
Weeks 1-7 Introduction, Writing Exercises
Week 8 Midterm (Tuesday, March 14th, in class)
Weeks 9-14 Workshop
TEXT: Urban Temple, David McCann