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Academic Year 2004/2005

Writing Historical Biography/Biographical Fiction
HIST 344 SP
Crosslistings:
AMST 305

This highly structured seminar and intensive writers' workshop offers students the chance to write serious historical biography and biographical fiction. In addition to reading a range of distinguished writers and conducting independent archival research, students will share their writing with one another in sessions designed to sharpen their skills as stylists, researchers, and narrators. Some writing exercises will be traditional, others more experimental. Final projects will be submitted in installments of three, and peer critiqued. There will be at least two guest speakers. Instructor's permission to register is required.

MAJOR READINGS

J. R. Ackerley, MY FATHER AND MYSELF
Jean H. Baker, MARY TODD LINCOLN: A BIOGRAPHY
Fawn Brodie, THOMAS JEFFERSON: AN INTIMATE HISTORY
Willa Cather, DEATH COMES FOR THE ARCHBISHOP
Evan S. Connell, MR. BRIDGE
Evan S. Connell, MRS. BRIDGE
Jeffery Eugenides, MIDDLESEX
Stephen Greenblatt, WILL IN THE WORLD: HOW SHAKESPEARE BECAME SHAKESPEARE
Laura Hillenbrand, SEABISCUIT: AN AMERICAN LEGEND
Alan Hollinghurst, THE LINE OF BEAUTY
Diane Middlebrook, ANNE SEXTON: A BIOGRAPHY
Lytton Strachey, EMINENENT VICTORIANS

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Weekly writing assignments, plus a final piece of thirty pages--nonfiction or fiction.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS and/or COMMENTS

Applicants to the course must submit a short writing sample--no more than ten pages of nonfiction or fiction--to the Department of History by noon on Monday, December 6.
This is a drop/add course; the class list will be posted outside the professor¿s office, PAC 414, no later than Monday, December 20.

COURSE FORMAT: Seminar

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UGRD    Credit: 1    Gen Ed Area Dept: SBS HIST    Grading Mode: Graded   

Prerequisites: NONE

SECTION 01

Instructor(s): Swinehart,Kirk Davis   
Times: ...W... 07:00PM-09:50PM;     Location: FISK413;
Reserved Seats:    (Total Limit: 15)

Special Attributes:
Curricular Renewal:    Writing
Permission:    Permission of Instructor Required
Links to Web Resources For This Course.

Last Updated on MAR-21-2005

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