The Theory and Practice of Point of View

ENGLISH CKPV Subject & Catalog Number

Description

This workshop will be a semester-long study on how, where, and why a writer chooses to use a particular point of view. Taking the word “point” quite literally: Where do you stand in a story as a writer? How did you get in? Where is the reader in all of this? What is expected of that reader, and why does it matter? Point of view is the quantum physics of your novel, short story, or memoir. It’s not simply a fixed, objective or passive perspective. It can and ought to be a dynamic exploration of interconnectedness. We will read critical works by Henry James and James Wood, fiction by Joseph Conrad, Emily Bronte, Michael Ondaatje and Valeria Luiselli. Most importantly, this is a writing workshop. Each student will present one piece of writing at least twice, the second submission being re-written from an entirely different point of view. The final submission will be the completion of the piece you (the writer) set out to write. Our intention throughout the semester will be to get a better understanding of the authorial voice, vision, and veracity underlying the work each student hopes to bring to realization, not just in the course (not possible) but in the course of the writer’s life.  Fiction and creative nonfiction students are invited to apply. Please send a letter with a brief description of the project you intend to bring to the workshop.