Taught by

How do we tell stories? Why do we tell stories? Is there a bright line between telling stories and telling the truth? And how has the novel in particular adapted itself to our ways of storytelling? In this one-quarter program, we intend to read examples of experimental or genre-bending novels from the pre-modern to the post-modern, along with examples of narrative nonfiction that stand as literary art. Works by writers such as Defoe, Diderot, Sterne, Melville, Agee, Barnes, Calvino, Muñoz, Didion, Paley, Sebald, and Wallace will form the backbone of our studies, which will cluster around British and American literature. Of particular interest will be those novels in which fiction masquerades as fact, those in which fact is disguised in fiction, and nonfiction which relies on imagination to get at truth. We will also read some shorter pieces of philosophy, folklore, literature, journalism, theory, and more to supplement our studies. The program involves in-depth reading, discussion, and writing about these literary works. Students will also be able to write their own stories of experience in response to our books, with guidance from faculty about skills of listening, observing, and literary craft.

Quarters

Winter Open

Location and Schedule

Campus Location

Olympia

Time Offered

Day