Course Syllabus

Course Information
HUAS 6396.001
Creating Nonfictions
Spring 2008
Monday: 12:30 to 3:15
______________________________________________________________________________

Professor Contact Information

Betty Wiesepape
972-680-6352
Bet@utdallas.edu
Office: JO 4.628
Office hours: Monday 3:30 to 4:30

Course Pre-requisites, Co-requisites, and/or Other Restrictions

Graduate level standing is required. A command of the English language is assumed.

Course Description
This class is an investigation in workshop format of a newly defined genre of literature known as creative nonfiction that
incorporates older forms such as biography, autobiography, story, essay, and journalism. Students in this class will examine
characteristics that define this genre and the boundaries that separate it from other forms of creative writing. In this course,
students will read and analyze nonfiction compositions written by established writers as well as by student writers, and each class
member will produce 3 written peer critiques and will make verbal contributions to workshop sessions. Each student will create
three original nonfiction compositions. Each student also will make an oral presentation about the work of an established creative
nonfiction author and will lead the class discussion of a composition by that author.

Student Learning Objectives/Outcomes

1. Through discussion and application, students will demonstrate their knowledge of the creative nonfiction genre and of basic
creative writing techniques.
2. In a varuett if assigned exercises, students will demonstrate their ability to assess what materials in their personal experience
(events, characters, obsessions, expertise, or fields of interest) make good subjects for creative nonfiction compositions.
3. Students will create three original nonfiction compositions and will submit at least one to submit for possible publication.

Required Textbooks and Materials

Brenda Miller & Suzanne Paola: Tell It Slant: Writing and Shaping Creative Nonfiction
B. Minh Nguyen & Porter Shreve, Contemporary Creative Nonfiction, I & Eye
Jerome Stern, Making Shapely Fiction (any edition)
William Strunk & E.B. White, The Elements of Style (any edition)

Suggested Course Materials

Students will provide photocopies of at least one original story or essay to each member of the class for workshop. Students also
will turn in 2 copies of each original story and 2 copies of each written critiques. This means that students enrolling in this class
should be prepared to incur some photocopying expenses.

Assignments & Academic Calendar

JANUARY 7: INTRODUCTION
DISCUSS: What is the basic difference between fiction and nonfiction? What forms of writing fall into the category of creative
nonfiction? How true does a writer have to be to what really happened? Why should a creative nonfiction writer keep a journal?
READ: Miller & Paola, “Preface”& “Introduction” & Ch. 1; Nguyen & Shrive, ”Preface” & “Introduction”; Didion, “On
Keeping a Notebook”

JANUARY 14: WRITING THE MEMOIR

DISCUSS: How can a writer express his or her own personal vision, experience, and opinions without appearing egotistical?
What is the role of conflict, ambiguity, and self-contradiction in the writing of memoir and personal essay? How do memoir and
the personal essay differ? What basic assumption lies at the heart of these forms? Are any subjects are off-limits?
READ: Nguyen & Shreve, 9-10, 67-72; Miller & Paola, Ch. 3 & Ch. 4; Kidder, “Making the Truth Believable”; Lopate, “On
the Necessity of Turning Oneself into a Character”; Dillard, “Seeing”;
ASIGNMENT DUE: Choose one of the exercises from Nguyen & Shreve, Appendix I, Part I, pgs 355-356. OR develop one of
the exercises you began in last week’s class. Write at least 2 to 3 pages.

JANUARY 21: SCHOOL HOLIDAY—NO FORMAL CLASS

READ: Miller & Paola, Chapter 2; Sanders, “The Singular First Person”; Beard, “The Fourth State of Matter”

JANUARY 28: WRITING THE PERSONAL ESSAY

DISCUSS: What is a personal essay and why would anyone want to write one? What is your purpose for writing a personal
essay? Who is your targeted audience? What are some possible treatments of the material –serious, whimsical, satirical, and
humorous? Should writers of personal essays work from an outline?
READ: Nguyen & Shreve, 72-80, 136-139; Miller & Paola, Chapters 9; Stern, 155-156, 148-149; Gornick, “from The
Situation and the Story”
ASSIGNMENT DUE: Write a 3 to 4 page piece about a subject that evokes some emotion. See Nguyenn & Sherve, Appendix I,
Part V, pgs. 360-361, if you are having trouble coming up with a topic.

FEBRUARY 4: DEVELOPING A WRITING STYLE

DISCUSS: How does a writer engage the reader and gain trust? How important is rhythm, vivid description, specific detail, and
sensual image in the development of a writing style?
READ: Nguyen & Shreve, 81-82, 133-136, 140-142; Miller & Paola, Chapter 10; Stern, 168, 224-32, 239, 110-13, 211-212,
218-19, 143-145; Stories to be selected by student presenters..
IN-CLASS: Begin student presentations of authors and their work.
ASSIGNMENT DUE: Begin Story #1—A memoir or a personal essay

FEBRUARY 11: REVISION

DISCUSS: What part does revision play in the creative process? How should we go about the task of revising? What are the
guidelines we should use when commenting on classmates stories?
READ: Miller & Paola, Chapter 12; Stern, 204-206; Stories to be selected by student presenters.
IN-CLASS: Student presentations
ASSIGNMENT DUE: Two copies of 1st draft of Story #1. Check your schedule and be prepared to sign up for a personal
conference with the professor

FEBRUARY 18: WRITING ABOUT REAL LIFE CHARACTERS

DISCUSS: Do all our memoirs have to be about the I at the center? How can we make our characters come alive on the page?
How can we make them sound like real people when they talk? How should we go about conducting interviews?
READ: Miller & Paola, Chapter 8; Stern, 249-254, 96-100, 192-95, 113-120, 94-96, 212-13, 91-92; Stories to be selected by
student presenters.
IN-CLASS: Student presentations
ASSIGNMENT DUE: Two copies of a critique of a student story. See Nguyen & Shreve, Appendix I, Part II, pgs 356-357 for
ideas on writing about place.

FEBRUARY 25: WRITING ABOUT PLACE

DISCUSS: During this week students will meet with the professor in private conferences.
READ: Miller & Paola, Ch. 5; Nguyen & Shreve, pg. 81-82; Stories to be selected by student presenters
IN-CLASS: IN-CLASS: Student presentations. Practice workshop of one of the assigned stories

MARCH 3: SPRING BREAK—NO FORMAL CLASS

MARCH 10: WRITING ABOUT CULTURE AND SOCIETY

IN-CLASS: Workshop of student stories
READ: Nguyen & Shreve, 281-282; Stories to be selected by student presenters.
IN-CLASS: Workshop of student stories; Student presentations
ASSIGNMENT DUE: ASSIGNMENT DUE: One copy of final draft of Story #1

MARCH 17: WRITING ABOUT THE ARTS

DISCUSS: How does a writer use the work of another artist in an original piece of writing without being sued? How does one
become an arts reviewer?
IN-CLASS: Workshop of student stories; Student presentations
READ: Miller & Paola, Chapter 7; Nguyen & Shreve, pg. 143-144; Stories to be selected by student presenters.
ASSIGNMENT DUE: Begin Story #2. See Nguyen & Shreve, Appendix I, Part V, for ideas on writing about culture and
society.
See Nguyen & Shreve, Appendix I, Part III, pgs 357-358 for ideas on writing about the arts.

MARCH 24: WRITING ABOUT NATURE AND SCIENCE

DISCUSS: How can the form of a piece be altered to fit the subject? How can a writer arrange episodes, scenes, summary,
action, and exposition so that these elements contribute to the unity of the story?
IN-CLASS: Workshop of student stories; Student presentations
READ: Miller & Paola, Chapters 9 & 10; Nguyen & Shreve, 207-208;
ASSIGNMENT DUE: Two copies of 1st draft of Story #2.

MARCH 31: WRITING ABOUT HISTORY

DISCUSS: How important is research in the writing of creative nonfiction? How much material can be quoted without
permission?
READ: Miller & Paola, Chapters 6 & 11; Stories to be selected by student presenters.
IN-CLASS: Workshop of student stories; Student presentations
ASSIGNMENT: 2 copies of critique of a student story #2; See Nguyen & Shreve, Appendix 1, Part IV, pgs 358-359 for ideas
on writing about nature and science.

APRIL 7: GETTING TO THE HEART OF THE MATTER

DISCUSS: How can we go deeper into the material of our stories? How can we use myth, metaphor, and analogy to enrich our
creative nonfiction writing?
READ: Stern, 235-236; Stories to be selected by student presenters
IN CLASS: Workshop of student stories; Student presentations
ASSIGNMENT DUE: Begin Story #3

APRIL 14: METHODS AND MARKETS

DISCUSS: How important is a title? How do we go about submitting work for publication? What markets are available to
creative nonfiction writers? What procedures should we follow?
READ; Stories to be selected by student presenters
IN CLASS: Workshop of student stories, Student reports
ASSIGNMENT DUE: First draft of Story #3

APRIL 21: WORKSHOP OF STUDENT STORIES

This entire class will be devoted to workshopping student stories.
Critique of a student story #3

APRIL 28: CLASS WRAP-UP

DISCUSS: How can we sustain and encourage our desire to write after this class is over? How can we use what we have learned
in this class in our future teaching professions?
IN-CLASS: Workshop of student stories;
READ: Gutkind, “The Creative Nonfiction Police”; Ehrenreich, “Getting Ready”
ASSIGNMENT DUE: Final Draft of Story #2 or #3.

MAY 5: Final Exam date

In place of a final exam, each student will submit one creative nonfiction piece for publication and will present proof of
publication to the professor on this date. PLEASE NOTE: Although we will have no final exam in this class, all work for the
course must be turned in to the professor by this date

Grading Policy
Grades will be based upon: attendance, classroom citizenship, and participation in workshop sessions–10%; Written Critiques--
30%; Original short stories–40%; Final Assignment and performance–10%. Reaction Paper to an Arts & Humanities sponsored
event—10% Students receive grades only on the final drafts of stories and essays, but failure to perform exercises or to turn in
first drafts will result in the grade of the final draft being lowered one full letter grade.
Course & Instructor Policies
Students will be expected to read and be prepared to discuss all assigned readings and to complete all assigned writing exercises.
Failure to perform these assignments will have a negative effect upon the student’s class participation grade. (See above)

During the course of the semester, each student will write 3 nonfiction essays and revise 2 of them. Students will also write a 2
to 3 page critique` of another student's story on 3 separate occasions. NOTE: Stories written prior to this class may not be
submitted to fulfill the requirements of this course.

All written assignments including exercises must be typed, double spaced, and legible. Work submitted after the due date will be
accepted, but the grade on the assignment will be lowered one full letter grade, and the professor will not make editorial
comments on late work. In addition, the professor will not accept handwritten work or work submitted by email.

Class attendance and participation in discussions and workshop sessions are mandatory. Attendance will be checked each week,
and a student who misses more than 3 classes should not expect to receive a passing grade. (3 absences in this class are
equivalent to 9 classes in as course that meets for one hour 3 times a week.) NOTE: No make-up work will be assigned; no extra
credit projects will be offered, and no absences will be excused except those mandated by the administration of this university.

No exams will be given in this workshop class. In lieu of a final exam, each student will select one original story to submit to a
journal for possible publication and submit proof of submission in the form of a mailing receipt to the professor on or before the
final exam date.

Field Trip Policies

Off-campus Instruction and Course Activities
No field trips are planned for this class during this semester. Students will be made aware of arts events in the area, but if they
wish to attend, they will make their own arrangements and provide their own transportation.

Off-campus, out-of-state, and foreign instruction and activities are subject to state law and University
policies and procedures regarding travel and risk-related activities. Information regarding these rules and
regulations may be found at the website address
http://www.utdallas.edu/BusinessAffairs/Travel_Risk_Activities.htm. Additional information is available
from the office of the school dean. Below is a description of any travel and/or risk-related activity
associated with this course.

Student Conduct & Discipline

The University of Texas System and The University of Texas at Dallas have rules and regulations for the
orderly and efficient conduct of their business. It is the responsibility of each student and each student
organization to be knowledgeable about the rules and regulations which govern student conduct and
activities. General information on student conduct and discipline is contained in the UTD publication, A to
Z Guide, which is provided to all registered students each academic year.

The University of Texas at Dallasadminidtrates student discipline within the procedures of recognized and
established due process. Procedures are defined and described in the Rules and Regulations, Board of
Regents, The University of Texas System, Part 1, Chapter VI, Section 3, and in Title V, Rules on Student
Services and Activities of the university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures. Copies of these rules and
regulations are available to students in the Office of the Dean of Students, where staff members are
available to assist students in interpreting the rules and regulations (SU 1.602, 972/883-6391) and online at
http://www.utdallas.edu/judicialaffairs/UTDJudicialAffairs-HOPV.html

A student at the university neither loses the rights nor escapes the responsibilities of citizenship. He or she
is expected to obey federal, state, and local laws as well as the Regents’ Rules, university regulations, and
administrative rules. Students are subject to discipline for violating the standards of conduct whether such
 conduct takes place on or off campus, or whether civil or criminal penalties are also imposed for such
conduct.

Academic Integrity
The faculty expects from its students a high level of responsibility and academic honesty. Because the
value of an academic degree depends upon the absolute integrity of the work done by the student for that
degree, it is imperative that a student demonstrate a high standard of individual honor in his or her
scholastic work.

Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, statements, acts or omissions related to applications for
enrollment or the award of a degree, and/or the submission as one’s own work or material that is not one’s
own. As a general rule, scholastic dishonesty involves one of the following acts: cheating, plagiarism,
collusion and/or falsifying academic records. Students suspected of academic dishonesty are subject to
disciplinary proceedings.

Plagiarism, especially from the web, from portions of papers for other classes, and from any other source is
unacceptable and will be dealt with under the university’s policy on plagiarism (see general catalog for
details). This course will use the resources of turnitin.com, which searches the web for possible plagiarism
and is over 90% effective.

Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or
other reproductions of copyrighted materials, including music and software. Copying, displaying,
reproducing, or distributing copyrighted works may infringe the copyright owner’s rights and such
infringement is subject to appropriate disciplinary action as well as criminal penalties provided by federal
law. Usage of such material is only appropriate when that usage constitutes “fair use” under the Copyright
Act. As a UT Dallas student, you are required to follow the institution’s copyright policy (Policy
Memorandum 84-I.3-46). For more information about the fair use exemption, see
http://www.utsystem.edu/ogc/intellectualproperty/copypol2.htm

Email Use
The University of Texas at Dallas recognizes the value and efficiency of communication between
faculty/staff and students through electronic mail. At the same time, email raises some issues concerning
security and the identity of each individual in an email exchange. The university encourages all official
student email correspondence be sent only to a student’s U.T. Dallas email address and that faculty and
staff consider email from students official only if it originates from a UTD student account. This allows the
university to maintain a high degree of confidence in the identity of all individual corresponding and the
security of the transmitted information. UTD furnishes each student with a free email account that is to be
used in all communication with university personnel. The Department of Information Resources at U.T.
Dallas provides a method for students to have their U.T. Dallas mail forwarded to other accounts.

Withdrawal from Class

The administration of this institution has set deadlines for withdrawal of any college-level courses. These
dates and times are published in that semester's course catalog. Administration procedures must be
followed. It is the student's responsibility to handle withdrawal requirements from any class. In other
words, I cannot drop or withdraw any student. You must do the proper paperwork to ensure that you will
not receive a final grade of "F" in a course if you choose not to attend the class once you are enrolled.

Student Grievance Procedures

Procedures for student grievances are found in Title V, Rules on Student Services and Activities, of the
university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures.

In attempting to resolve any student grievance regarding grades, evaluations, or other fulfillments of
academic responsibility, it is the obligation of the student first to make a serious effort to resolve the matter
with the instructor, supervisor, administrator, or committee with whom the grievance originates (hereafter
 called “the respondent”). Individual faculty members retain primary responsibility for assigning grades and
evaluations. If the matter cannot be resolved at that level, the grievance must be submitted in writing to the
respondent with a copy of the respondent’s School Dean. If the matter is not resolved by the written
response provided by the respondent, the student may submit a written appeal to the School Dean. If the
grievance is not resolved by the School Dean’s decision, the student may make a written appeal to the Dean
of Graduate or Undergraduate Education, and the deal will appoint and convene an Academic Appeals
Panel. The decision of the Academic Appeals Panel is final. The results of the academic appeals process
will be distributed to all involved parties.

Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the Dean of Students, where
staff members are available to assist students in interpreting the rules and regulations.

Incomplete Grade Policy

As per university policy, incomplete grades will be granted only for work unavoidably missed at the
semester’s end and only if 70% of the course work has been completed. An incomplete grade must be
resolved within eight (8) weeks from the first day of the subsequent long semester. If the required work to
complete the course and to remove the incomplete grade is not submitted by the specified deadline, the
incomplete grade is changed automatically to a grade of F.

Disability Services
The goal of Disability Services is to provide students with disabilities educational opportunities equal to
those of their non-disabled peers. Disability Services is located in room 1.610 in the Student Union. Office
hours are Monday and Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.;
and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The contact information for the Office of Disability Services is:

The University of Texas at Dallas, SU 22
PO Box 830688
Richardson, Texas 75083-0688
(972) 883-2098 (voice or TTY)
disabilityservice@utdallas.edu

If you anticipate issues related to the format or requirements of this course, please meet with the
Coordinator of Disability Services. The Coordinator is available to discuss ways to ensure your full
participation in the course. If you determine that formal, disability-related accommodations are necessary,
it is very important that you be registered with Disability Services to notify them of your eligibility for
reasonable accommodations. Disability Services can then plan how best to coordinate your
accommodations.

It is the student’s responsibility to notify his or her professors of the need for such an accommodation.
Disability Services provides students with letters to present to faculty members to verify that the student
has a disability and needs accommodations. Individuals requiring special accommodation should contact
the professor after class or during office hours.

Religious Holy Days

The University of Texas at Dallas will excuse a student from class or other required activities for the travel
to and observance of a religious holy day for a religion whose places of worship are exempt from property
tax under Section 11.20, Tax Code, Texas Code Annotated.

The student is encouraged to notify the instructor or activity sponsor as soon as possible regarding the
absence, preferably in advance of the assignment. The student, so excused, will be allowed to take the
exam or complete the assignment within a reasonable time after the absence: a period equal to the length of
the absence, up to a maximum of one week. A student who notifies the instructor and completes any missed
exam or assignment may not be penalized for the absence. A student who fails to complete the exam or
assignment within the prescribed period may receive a failing grade for that exam or assignment.
 If a student or an instructor disagrees about the nature of the absence [i.e., for the purpose of observing a
religious holy day] or if there is similar disagreement about whether the student has been given a
reasonable time to complete any missed assignments or examinations, either the student or the instructor
may request a ruling from the chief executive officer of the institution, or his or her designee. The chief
executive officer or designee must take into account the legislative intent of TEC 51.911(b), and the student
and instructor will abide by the decision of the chief executive officer or designee.

These descriptions and timelines are subject to change at the discretion of the Professor.