ENG 309 - Innovation Course

The word “poetry” comes from a Greek root, poiesis, which is related to a form of the verb “to make.”  Let’s therefore remind ourselves, here and now, that a poem is a made thing, and that to talk about poetics is to talk about acts and/or habits of making.  We may find it useful to begin with this reminder, because so much of the contemporary imagination regarding “writing” centers on imagination, individuality, and solitude.  What happens when we break open these ideas, and focus on the act of writing as an act of making?  What happens when we give ourselves over to process, and let the poem and the process underhand lead the way?  While there may be any number of ways to do so, this course is organized around three (hopefully) generative approaches to the writing of poems: Dictation, Document, and Ritual.  What does it mean to receive rather than to write one’s poems?  How does conceiving of the poem, the page, and even the word as an object already in the world change what it means to make a poem?  And what about repeated and/or structured habits of presence or presentation-which we might call ritual?  We will explore a small set of writers who are exemplary in these regards, and we will read and discuss their works, engage with these modes of making, and share and discuss our works with each other.  Our course will be divided into three units on the previous topics, and each unit will include one sustained workshop session.  You will keep a notebook, write a series of exercises, and respond in a sustained manner to our primary readings, and you will share your work in a structured manner in smaller groups.  You will also be workshopped by the full class once during the semester.  At the end of the semester, you will have a portfolio of these pieces, along with other short-form prose responses.  Our goal, over the course of the semester, is not to write a perfect workshop poem, but rather to develop and sustain a series of generative writing practices.  

“Forms of Poetry” investigates a literary genre via both theory and practice, operating like a laboratory, emphasizing experimentation, and embracing making as a way of learning. “Forms of Poetry” explores three different types of writing (literary criticism, critical theory, and poetry) while assuming no significant expertise in any one area.  Satisfies English major (Innovation Course) and minor requirements.  Satisfies Global Literary Theory Interdisciplinary minor requirement.   Satisfies the Literary Studies, Creative Writing/Rhetoric requirement.  No creative writing background is required; there are no prerequisites.

Satisfies English major (Innovation Course) and minor requirements.
Satisfies Communication Studies major requirement.
Satisfies the Literary Studies, Creative Writing Rhetoric requirement. 

Other Topics- Not currently offered

Forms of Poetry
Instructor
Parker

“Forms of Poetry” investigates a literary genre via both theory and practice, operating like a laboratory, emphasizing experimentation, and embracing making as a way of learning. “Forms of Poetry” explores three different types of writing (literary criticism, critical theory, and poetry) while assuming no significant expertise in any one area.

Satisfies English major (Innovation Course) and minor requirements.
Satisfies Global Litererary Thoery Interdisciplinary minor requirement.
Satisfies the Literary Studies, Creative Writing Rhetoric requirement. 

The Unreliable Narrator in News- Fall 2023
Instructor
Drew

In film, tv, and literature, the unreliable narrator is a character whose credibility is compromised, whether because of malice, ignorance, or misunderstanding.  But what happens when the real world’s official documentarians-journalists-are widely deemed to be unreliable narrators?  

Today, half of all Americans think national news organizations deliberately mislead them (Gallup & the Knight Foundation).  This course will consider the literary concept of the unreliable narrator, and what happens to news coverage, public policy, elections, public discourse, and the idea of truth itself when journalists are considered unreliable narrators.  

The class will explore recent and current news coverage and speak with journalists and sources involved with those stories.  Topics will include the rise of conspiracy theories, the role of social media, and the emergence of AI in news.  The class will also provide practical information on how to suss out unreliable narrators and narratives in news-as a news producer or consumer.  

Prerequisites & Notes
 No creative writing background is required; there are no prerequisites.