Course Outline
This is a reading/writing course, with the emphasis on reading. But the purpose of our reading is not simply to understand or appreciate the text in an academic, isn’t-that-interesting kind of way; we’re reading to learn to write better ourselves. And the purpose of the writing assignments is to think about and/or apply what we’ve learned. In the process, we’ll talk about the strengths and weaknesses of what some call the “fourth genre;” about the moving, movable line between fact and fiction; about the connection between form and function; and about how and when journalism rises -- if it does -- to the level of art.
Class Schedule
The class meets weekly from 1:30-3:30 p.m. in Seminar 2 in The Link.
|
Week 1 Sept 12 |
What is this thing called Narrative Nonfiction? Or is it Creative Nonfiction? Or Literary Nonfiction? And what does it — whatever it is — have to do with journalism anyway? Introduction and course outline. |
|
|
|
Week 2 Sept 19 |
When was The New Journalism really new? A History of Narrative Nonfiction. |
|
|
|
Week 3 Sept 26 |
Classics I, the “New” Journalism. Journal #2
|
|
|
|
Week 4 Oct 3 |
Classics II, the I in NarratIve NonfIctIon. Scene |
|
|
|
Week 5 Oct 10 |
War Stories. Observation. |
“The Third Winter” by Martha Gellhorn (Angelina Chapin) From “Dispatches” by Michael Herr (Hilary Cluett) From “Another Day of Life” by Ryschard Kapuscinski (Heather Cox) From “Specimen Days” by Walt Whitman (Brittany Curran)
Supplementary Reading |
|
|
Week 6 Oct 17 |
Undercover. Perils and possibilities.
Journal #3 |
|
|
|
Week 7 |
Ordinary Lives. About Writing Profiles
Journal #4 |
|
|
|
Week 8 |
Fame and Infame |
|
|
|
Week 9 Nov 7 |
Essays, Memoir
|
|
|
|
Week 10 Nov 15 |
Fact into Fiction
|
|
|
|
Week 11 Nov 22 |
No class |
|
|
|
Week 12 Nov 29 |
No class |
|
Assignments/Marking
— Two Writing Assignments (750-1,000 words each)
Scene (10 points)
Profile (10 points)
— Five Journals (500 words each)/ Participation (40 points)
— Three book reports (10 points each)
1 from Classics; 2 from the three other categories (memoir, contemporary, paired)
— One essay (1,500 words) (10 points)
“What I Learned About Narrative Nonfiction in 1,500 Words, More or Less.”
Students with Disabilities
Students with disabilities should register as quickly as possible at Student Accessibility Services if they want to receive academic accommodations. To do so please phone 494-2836, e-mail disabilities@dal.ca, or drop in at the Killam Libarary, G28.
Intellectual Honesty
Plagiarism is a form of academic fraud. Plagiarism is the presentation of the work of another author in such a way as to give one's reader reason to think it to be one's own.
Self-plagiarism is the submission of work by a person which is the same or substantially the same as work for which he or she has already received academic or professional credit.
Plagiarism is considered a serious academic offence, which may lead to loss of credit, suspension or expulsion from the University, or even the revocation of a degree. For more see King's calendar p. 40-41 and Dalhousie's calendar p. 25.