ENG 377 - Topics: Advanced Memoir (1)

In this course, students will explore the genre of memoir by authors such as Ingrid Rojas Contreras, Melissa Febos, Lilly Dancyger, Maxine Hong Kingston, Lidia Yuknavitch, and more as they venture to make their own mark on this corner of the literary world. We’ll begin in week one by examining the structure and stakes of memoir: both our own stories as well as the books and excerpts we are reading. We will move on to more advanced concepts, experimenting with hybridity, considering our own ethics, and making space for experimentation and the unreal. Along the way, students will keep a journal for their own morning pages practice. Finally, we will look at how memoir is sold in the real world: at the industry that is traditional publishing. We will break down everything from how to query agents to the benefits of traditional publishing vs. self-publishing.

The goal of this course is that each student will have completed a polished chapter of their memoir, along with a complete outline of their book. Students will also leave the course with a robust understanding of how nonfiction is sold in traditional publishing, including how book proposals work. A NYC-style literary reading and party in which the students share their work will conclude the class. Prerequisites: FYW Course or ENG 201 , ENG 202 , ENG 215 , or ENG 225  
(Fine Arts)