english creative writing syllabus

ENG 231. Intro to Creative Writing

Spring 2014.

Fall 2020: Introduction to Creative Writing: Hybridity, Identity, and Getting Weird With It

If you’d prefer to download this syllabus in PDF form—including a working schedule for the whole semester— please click here .

ENW 210: Introduction to Creative Writing: 

Hybridity, Identity, and Getting Weird With It

lehmanfallcw.commons.gc.cuny.edu

Instructor: Prof. Zefyr Lisowski

MW 12:30 – 1:45 PM 

Office Hours Monday 11:30 to 12:30 or by appointment

[email protected] | [email protected]  

Course Description

How are we creative? What in our lives leads us to be creative? This course explores various types of creative writing—playwriting, fiction, and poetry—all through the lens of identity, hybrid-ness, and getting weird. Students should be prepared to listen closely to each other and the texts we’re looking at, push themselves in their writing and thinking, and develop skills in a wide range of forms. This can be intense work! As such, I invite you all to take your time with difficult assignments, let me know if you can’t complete a reading, and try and get yourself in a state to “create freely” through writing as frequently as you can, in as many different ways as you can. 

This class will emphasize developing craft through interrogating, writing from, and (in some cases) writing against one’s identity, so be prepared to get messy!

Course Expectations

We’ll draft up course expectations together on the first day, although regardless of what we decide on, compassion and deep engagement with each others’ work is as must. Avoid talking over other people if you can, and if you’re excited about something (or, conversely, really dislike one of the readings I’ve given you) say so!

As far what you can expect to take from this, here are the department’s outcomes:

• Build a community of creative writers sustained through insightful and constructive feedback
• Analyze, produce and learn about avenues for publishing a broad range of creative writing, including fiction, poetry, playwriting, and creative nonfiction

And here are my own addendums to this: 

By the end of the semester students will  be able to: 1) demonstrate their close reading skills by reading and discussing selections in all three genres; 2) develop their creative writing through weekly writing assignments covering all three genres; 3) refine and deepen their writing through revision exercises; a final project consisting of one piece in each genre; and written reflection on the writing process; and 4) engage in verbal workshop critiques of classmates’ work that draws on critical reading skills developed through discussion of literary selections.

Course Materials Get a notebook for our class. Get a pen or pencil. If you have a smartphone, make sure you’re comfortable using the notes function on it—or even better, Google Docs (if not, don’t sweat it). Do you have all of these things? Incredible, that’s the majority of your required materials.  This class is not a comprehensive survey of the history of creative writing in the English language; what we wind up talking the most about is subject to both my own interests and your own. We’ll look mainly at PDFs and web links of poems, stories, and essays, but you will also be responsible for selecting and purchasing at least one hybrid work from the list below to discuss; take some time to google what looks the most interesting to you. We will discuss these books individually by the halfway point of the semester, so reading them ahead is recommended.

Hybrid Works (Combine Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry) 

These works are available at a number of sources, including online, at used and new bookstores. You will select one of these books for a final presentation. Let me know if you have any issues with affording a copy. 

Zami: A New Spelling of My Name, Audre Lorde, The Crossing Press, 1982 (available as a free PDF here ) ISBN 0895941228

Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars, Kai Cheng Thom, Metonymy Press, 2017. ISBN 0994047134

Skim, Jillian and Mariko Tamaki, Groundwood, 2008*** ISBN 088899964X

***This book is a graphic novel/comic book; however, I invite you to think about the same ways it can also be a blurring of form!

________________

Requirements:

Readings : Come into class prepared to discuss all readings you were assigned. Think of things you liked and things you felt troubled by. Coming into your own as a writer so frequently involves coming into your own as a reader as well; connect these pieces w/ your own works in terms of techniques you could thieve, small details you noticed, and the emotional resonance of each work.

Writing Prompts: Each week you will have a creative/critical assignment due. Pick one element from the work you find interesting, and write in that mode. It could be writing a story using a similar narrator as the story we read, revealing information in the same kind of way as a specific nonfiction writer, or using a similar image to one of the poets we read. Revise as you feel necessary and turn in whatever you write. Some weeks, you will get a specific prompt, as opposed to being able to craft your own. Approach this much the same way! 

Forum Presentations: On forum presentation days, you’ll post an excerpt and short analysis on a book you’ve read outside of class that you’re especially excited by . In this post, you’ll discuss whatever you find interesting therein, and you’ll moderate (respond to, highlight, and discuss other people’s posts) a discussion on the forum.

Attendance: Attendance and participation are very important to this course. I expect everyone to be on time and be prepared for all classes; this means doing the reading, doing the assignments, and being prepared to respond to each other’s writing. However, if you have a disability, health, or family/work condition that makes completing the work (or punctuality, or attendance) difficult, let me know. 

Due dates, likewise, must be received within 24 hours of the deadline unless previously informed; the grade will drop by one letter grade each day after that. 

Workshops: Occasionally we’ll workshop each other’s work. This is indicated on the class website by “WORKSHOP” being written in all caps by the day in question. You’ll be assigned groups, and will only have to read each other’s work this week. Come in with comments, thorough questions, and a (kind) letter towards the writer on what you like or don’t like. 

University Policies:

A Note on Grading

This course practices qualitative, not quantitative assessment.  So what does that mean? I won’t give you grades on every assignment, but will provide written and feedback for everything you turn in. I’ll meet in the middle of the semester with each of you to discuss course progress, and at the end of the semester will submit a final grade based on (1) assignment completion; (2) your own self-assessment; and (3) my own evaluation of your progress. Feel free to ask any questions!  This policy is adapted from several other professors; here’s more information if you’re curious about why I’m doing this.

A Note on Scheduling

I realize that there are unique difficulties associated with digital learning. Our class is scheduled to meet twice a week on Lehman’s schedule, on Monday and Wednesday. We’ll be meeting every Wednesday synchronously, via Zoom. Mondays will be reserved for asynchronous work, a time to engage in forum posts, writing, class reading, and homework assignments in preparation for the next synchronous class. Occasionally, we may meet, either in person or one-on-one, on Mondays; you’ll receive ample notice over email when this is scheduled. We’ll discuss this more on the first day of class. 

I think it’s important to say: we’ll be reading some materials that may be difficult—either emotionally or formally. If you’re triggered by any of the materials we’re discussing, let me know and we can make accommodations together. 

This is a living syllabus; especially towards the end, what we’ll read and discuss will have as much to do with your needs and interests as my own. As such, check CUNYCommons and my class emails for the most up-to-date assignment lists.

A note on our identities:

We’re coming to this class from a wide range of different experiences, all of which impact our own writing. A lot of us may have experiences with violence that impact our comfort in the classroom and certainly can impact our writing. To this end, I encourage everyone to treat each other respectfully, including in the assignments you bring in; racist, homophobic, sexist, classist, ableist, transphobic, or otherwise discriminatory language won’t be tolerated, unless you can provide a full and convincing explanation of why you use it.

However, everyone makes mistakes (myself included)! If you see someone being rude, politely let them know. If someone tells you you were rude, consider where they are coming from! Hopefully, no one here wants to hurt anyone else.

I’ll try to put into place some safer space policies, including asking for pronouns and providing content warnings for pieces; however, I may slip up. Please, don’t feel afraid to tell me if I do so.

Above all, approach this with a sense of exploration. We’ll spend some of the first day talking about identities, but this is a conversation that is threaded through all of the works we’ll be discussing. Identities (especially gender and sexuality) can change throughout a semester. Keep that in mind, and, in your writing and class presence, try and explore who you are as much as what the writing is. Let’s jump into things.

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• Creative Writing

The vital presence of creative writing in the English Department is reflected by our many distinguished authors who teach our workshops. We offer courses each term in fiction, poetry, nonfiction, screenwriting, playwriting, and television writing. Our workshops are small, usually no more than twelve students, and offer writers an opportunity to focus intensively on one genre. 

Apply to Creative Writing Workshops

Workshops are open by application to Harvard College undergraduates, graduate students, staff, and students from other institutions eligible for cross registration. Submission guidelines for workshops can be found under individual course listings; please do not query instructors.  Review all departmental rules and application instructions before applying.  

Fall 2024 Application Deadline: 11:59 pm ET on Sunday, April 7, 2024. Spring 2025 Application Deadline: TBD

Please visit our course listings for all the Fall 2024 workshops.

Our online submission manager (link below) will open for Fall 2024 applications on Friday, March 22 , 2024.

Students who have questions about the creative writing workshop application process should contact Case Q. Kerns at [email protected] .

Featured Faculty

Teju Cole  is a novelist, critic, and essayist, and is the first Gore Vidal Professor of the Practice. "Among other works, the boundary-crossing author is known for his debut novel “Open City” (2011), whose early admirers included Harvard professor and New Yorker critic James Wood." 

Faculty Bookshelf

Snow hunters by paul yoon (2014).

Open City by Teju Cole (2011)

Mr. Potter by Jamaica Kincaid (2002)

The Autobiography of My Mother: A Novel by Jamaica Kincaid (1996)

Creative Writing Workshops

• Spring 2024

English CACD. The Art of Criticism

Instructor: Maggie Doherty Wednesday, 12:00-2:45pm | Location: TBD Enrollment: Limited to 12 students Course Site

This course will consider critical writing about art–literary, visual, cinematic, musical, etc.—as an art in its own right. We will read and discuss criticism from a wide variety of publications, paying attention to the ways outlets and audience shape critical work. The majority of our readings will be from the last few years and will include pieces by Joan Acocella, Andrea Long Chu, Jason Farago, and Carina del Valle Schorske. Students will write several short writing assignments (500-1000 words), including a straight review, during the first half of the semester and share them with peers. During the second half of the semester, each student will write and workshop a longer piece of criticism about a work of art or an artist of their choosing. Students will be expected to read and provide detailed feedback on the work of their peers. Students will revise their longer pieces based on workshop feedback and submit them for the final assignment of the class. Apply via Submittable  (deadline: 11:59pm EDT on Sunday, April 7) Supplemental Application Information:  Please write a letter of introduction (1-2 pages) giving a sense of who you are, your writing experience, and your current goals for your writing. Please also describe your relationship to the art forms and/or genres you're interested in engaging in the course. You may also list any writers or publications whose criticism you enjoy reading. Please also include a 3-5-page writing sample of any kind of prose writing. This could be an academic paper or it could be creative fiction or nonfiction.

English CACW. Advanced Fiction Workshop

Instructor: Paul Yoon TBD | Location: TBD Enrollment: Limited to 12 students Advanced fiction workshop for students who have already taken a workshop at Harvard or elsewhere. The goal of the class is to continue your journey as a writer. You will be responsible for participating in discussions on the assigned texts, the workshop, engaging with the work of your colleagues, and revising your work. Supplemental Application Information:   * Please note: previous creative writing workshop experience required. * Please submit ONLY a cover letter telling me your previous creative writing workshop experience, either at Harvard or elsewhere; then tell me something you are passionate about and something you want to be better at; and, lastly, tell me why of all classes you want to take this one this semester. Again, please no writing samples.

English CBBR. Intermediate Poetry: Workshop

Instructor:  Josh Bell   Monday, 12:00-2:45pm | Location: Barker 018 Enrollment: Limited to 12 students Course Site

Initially, students can expect to read, discuss, and imitate the strategies of a wide range of poets writing in English; to investigate and reproduce prescribed forms and poetic structures; and to engage in writing exercises meant to expand the conception of what a poem is and can be. As the course progresses, reading assignments will be tailored on an individual basis, and an increasing amount of time will be spent in discussion of student work. Apply via Submittable  (deadline: 11:59pm EDT on Sunday, April 7)

Supplemental Application Information:  Please submit a portfolio including a letter of interest, ten poems, and a list of classes (taken at Harvard or elsewhere) that seem to have bearing on your enterprise.

English CCEP. Ekphrastic Poetry: Workshop

Instructor: Tracy K. Smith Wednesday, 3:00-5:45 pm | Location: Lamont 401 Enrollment: Limited to 12 students Course Site What can a poem achieve when it contemplates or even emulates a work of art in another medium? In this workshop, we'll read and write poems that engage with other art forms--and we'll test out what a foray into another artistic practice allows us to carry back over into the formal methods and behaviors of poetry. With poems by Keats, Rilke, Auden, Hughes, and Brooks, as well as Kevin Young, Evie Shockley, Ama Codjoe and other contemporary voices. Apply via Submittable  (deadline: 11:59pm EDT on Saturday, August 26) Supplemental Application Information:  Please submit a writing sample of 5-10 poems and an application letter explaining your interest in this course.

English CCFC. Poetry Workshop: Form & Content

Instructor: Tracy K. Smith Tuesday, 12:00-2:45pm | Location: Sever 112 Enrollment: Limited to 12 students Course Site

In this workshop, we’ll look closely at the craft-based choices poets make, and track the effects they have upon what we as readers are made to think and feel. How can implementing similar strategies better prepare us to engage the questions making up our own poetic material? We’ll also talk about content. What can poetry reveal about the ways our interior selves are shaped by public realities like race, class, sexuality, injustice and more? Apply via Submittable  (deadline: 11:59pm EDT on Saturday, August 26)   

Supplemental Application Information:  Please submit a writing sample of 5-10 poems and an application letter explaining your interest in this course.

English CCIJ. Intermediate Fiction Workshop

Instructor: Jesse McCarthy Thursday, 3:00-5:45 pm | Location: Barker 269 Enrollment: Limited to 12 students Course Site This is an intermediate course in the art of writing literary fiction. Previous experience with workshopping writing is encouraged but not required. The emphasis of the course will be learning how to read literature as a writer, with special attention given to the short story, novella, or short novel. We will read these works from the perspective of the writer as craftsperson and of the critic seeking in good faith to understand and describe a new aesthetic experience. We will be concerned foremost with how literary language works, with describing the effects of different kinds of sentences, different uses of genre, tone, and other rhetorical strategies. Together, we will explore our responses to examples of literature from around the world and from all periods, as well as to the writing you will produce and share with the class. As a member of a writing community, you should be prepared to respectfully read and respond to the work of others—both the work of your peers and that of the published writers that we will explore together. Apply via Submittable  (deadline: 11:59pm EDT on Saturday, August 26) Supplemental Application Information:  This course is by application only but there are no prerequisites for this course and previous experience in a writing workshop is not required . In your application please submit a short letter explaining why you are interested in this class. You might tell me a bit about your relationship to literature, your encounter with a specific author, book, or even a scene or character from a story or novel. Please also include a writing sample of 2-5 pages (5 pages max!) of narrative prose fiction.

English CCFS. Fiction Workshop

Instructor: Teju Cole Spring 2024: Tuesday, 6:00-8:45pm | Location: TBD Enrollment: Limited to 12 students Course Site Spring 2025: TBD This reading and writing intensive workshop is for students who want to learn to write literary fiction. The goal of the course would be for each student to produce two polished short stories. Authors on the syllabus will probably include James Joyce, Eudora Welty, Toni Morrison, Alice Munro, Jhumpa Lahiri, and Diane Williams.

Supplemental Application Information:   Please submit a cover letter saying what you hope to get out of the workshop. In the cover letter, mention three works of fiction that matter to you and why. In addition, submit a 400–500 word sample of your fiction; the sample can be self-contained or a section of a longer work.

English CLPG. Art of Sportswriting

Instructor: Louisa Thomas Spring 2024: Tuesday, 9:00-11:45am | Location: TBD Enrollment: Limited to 12 students Course Site Spring 2025: TBD

In newsrooms, the sports section is sometimes referred to as the “toy department” -- frivolous and unserious, unlike the stuff of politics, business, and war. In this course, we will take the toys seriously. After all, for millions of people, sports and other so-called trivial pursuits (video games, chess, children’s games, and so on) are a source of endless fascination. For us, they will be a source of stories about human achievements and frustrations. These stories can involve economic, social, and political issues. They can draw upon history, statistics, psychology, and philosophy. They can be reported or ruminative, formally experimental or straightforward, richly descriptive or tense and spare. They can be fun. Over the course of the semester, students will read and discuss exemplary profiles, essays, articles, and blog posts, while also writing and discussing their own. While much (but not all) of the reading will come from the world of sports, no interest in or knowledge about sports is required; our focus will be on writing for a broad audience.  Supplemental Application Information:  To apply, please write a letter describing why you want to take the course and what you hope to get out of it. Include a few examples of websites or magazines you like to read, and tell me briefly about one pursuit -- football, chess, basketball, ballet, Othello, crosswords, soccer, whatever -- that interests you and why.

English CALR. Advanced Screenwriting: Workshop

Instructor: Musa Syeed Spring 2024: Wednesday, 12:00-2:45pm | Location: TBA Enrollment: Limited to 12 students Course Site Spring 2025: TBD

The feature-length script is an opportunity to tell a story on a larger scale, and, therefore, requires additional preparation. In this class, we will move from writing a pitch, to a synopsis, to a treatment/outline, to the first 10 pages, to the first act of a feature screenplay. We will analyze produced scripts and discuss various elements of craft, including research, writing layered dialogue, world-building, creating an engaging cast of characters. As an advanced class, we will also look at ways both mainstream and independent films attempt to subvert genre and structure. Students will end the semester with a first act (20-30 pages) of their feature, an outline, and strategy to complete the full script.

Supplemental Application Information:  Please submit a 3-5 page writing sample. Screenplays are preferred, but fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, and plays are acceptable as well. Also, please write a short note to introduce yourself. Include a couple films/filmmakers that have inspired you, your goals for the class, as well as any themes/subject matter/ideas you might be interested in exploring in your writing for film.

English CNFR. Creative Nonfiction: Workshop

Instructor: Darcy Frey Fall 2024: Wednesday, 3:00-5:45 pm | Location: TBD Enrollment: Limited to 12 students. Course Site Spring 2025: TBD

Whether it takes the form of literary journalism, essay, memoir, or environmental writing, creative nonfiction is a powerful genre that allows writers to break free from the constraints commonly associated with nonfiction prose and reach for the breadth of thought and feeling usually accomplished only in fiction: the narration of a vivid story, the probing of a complex character, the argument of an idea, or the evocation of a place. Students will work on several short assignments to hone their mastery of the craft, then write a longer piece that will be workshopped in class and revised at the end of the term. We will take instruction and inspiration from published authors such as Joan Didion, James Baldwin, Ariel Levy, Alexander Chee, and Virginia Woolf. This is a workshop-style class intended for undergraduate and graduate students at all levels of experience. No previous experience in English Department courses is required. Apply via Submittable  (deadline: 11:59pm ET on Sunday, April 7)

Supplemental Application Information:   Please write a substantive letter of introduction describing who you are as writer at the moment and where you hope to take your writing; what experience you may have had with creative/literary nonfiction; what excites you about nonfiction in particular; and what you consider to be your strengths and weaknesses as a writer. Additionally, please submit 3-5 pages of creative/literary nonfiction (essay, memoir, narrative journalism, etc, but NOT academic writing) or, if you have not yet written much nonfiction, an equal number of pages of narrative fiction.

English CKR. Introduction to Playwriting: Workshop

Instructor: Sam Marks TBD | Location: TBD Enrollment: Limited to 12 students This workshop is an introduction to writing for the stage through intensive reading and in-depth written exercises. Each student will explore the fundamentals and possibilities of playwriting by generating short scripts and completing a one act play with an eye towards both experimental and traditional narrative styles. Readings will examine various ways of creating dramatic art and include work from contemporary playwrights such as Ayad Aktar, Clare Barron, Aleshea Harris, Young Jean Lee, and Taylor Mac, as well established work from Edward Albbe, Caryl Churchill, Suzan Lori-Parks, and Harold Pinter. Supplemental Application Information:  No experience in writing the dramatic form is necessary. Please submit a 5-10 page writing sample (preferably a play or screenplay, but all genres are acceptable and encouraged). Also, please write a few sentences about a significant theatrical experience (a play read or seen) and how it affected you.

English CACF. Get Real: The Art of Community-Based Film

Instructor: Musa Syeed Wednesday, 12:00-2:45pm | Location: TBD Enrollment: Limited to 12 student Course Site

“I’ve often noticed that we are not able to look at what we have in front of us,” the Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami said, “unless it’s inside a frame.” For our communities confronting invisibility and erasure, there’s an urgent need for new frames. In this workshop, we’ll explore a community-engaged approach to documentary and fiction filmmaking, as we seek to see our world more deeply. We’ll begin with screenings, craft exercises, and discussions around authorship and social impact. Then we each will write, develop, and shoot a short film over the rest of the semester, building off of intentional community engagement. Students will end the class with written and recorded materials for a rough cut. Basic equipment and technical training will be provided.

Apply via Submittable  (deadline: 11:59pm EDT on Sunday, April 7)

Supplemental Application Information:  Please submit a brief letter explaining why you're interested to take this class. Please also discuss what participants/communities you might be interested in engaging with for your filmmaking projects. For your writing sample, please submit 3-5 pages of your creative work from any genre (screenwriting, poetry, fiction, non-fiction, etc.)

English CAFR. Advanced Fiction Workshop: Writing this Present Life

Instructor: Claire Messud Thursday, 3:00-5:45 pm | Location: TBD Enrollment: Limited to 12 students Course Site Intended for students with prior fiction-writing and workshop experience, this course will concentrate on structure, execution and revision. Exploring various strands of contemporary and recent literary fiction – writers such as Karl Ove Knausgaard, Rachel Cusk, Chimamanda Adichie, Douglas Stuart, Ocean Vuong, etc – we will consider how fiction works in our present moment, with emphasis on a craft perspective. Each student will present to the class a published fiction that has influenced them. The course is primarily focused on the discussion of original student work, with the aim of improving both writerly skills and critical analysis. Revision is an important component of this class: students will workshop two stories and a revision of one of these. Apply via Submittable  (deadline: 11:59pm ET on Sunday, April 7)

Supplemental Application Information:  Please submit 3-5 pages of prose fiction, along with a substantive letter of introduction. I’d like to know why you’re interested in the course; what experience you’ve had writing, both in previous workshops and independently; what your literary goals and ambitions are. Please tell me about some of your favorite narratives – fiction, non-fiction, film, etc: why they move you, and what you learn from them.

English CAKV. Fiction Workshop: Writing from the First-Person Point of View

Instructor:  Andrew Krivak Tuesday, 9:00-11:45 1m | Location: TBD Enrollment: Limited to 12 students Course Site This course is a workshop intended for students who are interested in writing longer form narratives from the first-person point of view. The “I” at the center of any novel poses a perspective that is all at once imaginatively powerful and narratively problematic, uniquely insightful and necessarily unreliable. We will read from roughly twelve novels written in the first-person, from Marilynne Robinson and W.G. Sebald, to Valeria Luiselli and Teju Cole, and ask questions (among others) of why this form, why this style? And, as a result, what is lost and what is realized in the telling? Primarily, however, students will write. Our goal will be to have a student’s work read and discussed twice in class during the semester. I am hoping to see at least 35-40 pages of a project —at any level of completion—at the end of term.  Apply via Submittable  (deadline: 11:59pm EDT on Sunday, April 7) Supplemental Application Information:  Please write a substantive letter telling me why you’re interested in taking this class, what writers (classical and contemporary) you admire and why, and if there’s a book you have read more than once, a movie you have seen more than once, a piece of music you listen to over and over, not because you have to but because you want to. Students of creative nonfiction are also welcome to apply.

English CCSS. Fiction Workshop: The Art of the Short Story

Instructor: Laura van den Berg Tuesday, 12:00-2:45 pm | Location: TBD Enrollment: Limited to 12 students Course Site This course will serve as an introduction to the fundamentals of writing fiction, with an emphasis on the contemporary short story. How can we set about creating “big” worlds in compact spaces? What unique doors can the form of the short story open? The initial weeks will focus on exploratory exercises and the study of published short stories and craft essays. Later, student work will become the primary text as the focus shifts to workshop discussion. Authors on the syllabus will likely include Ted Chiang, Lauren Groff, Carmen Maria Machado, and Octavia Butler. This workshop welcomes writers of all levels of experience. Apply via Submittable  (deadline: 11:59pm EDT on Sunday, April 7) Supplemental Application Information:  Please submit a letter of introduction. I’d like to know a little about why you are drawn to studying fiction; what you hope to get out of the workshop and what you hope to contribute; and one thing you are passionate about outside writing / school. Please also include a very brief writing sample (2-3 pages). The sample can be in any genre (it does not have to be from a work of fiction). 

Write an Honors Creative Thesis

Students may apply to write a senior thesis or senior project in creative writing, although only English concentrators can be considered. Students submit applications in early March of their junior year, including first-term juniors who are out of phase. The creative writing faculty considers the proposal, along with the student's overall performance in creative writing and other English courses, and notifies students about its decision in early mid-late March. Those applications are due, this coming year, on TBA . 

Students applying for a creative writing thesis or project must have completed at least one course in creative writing at Harvard before they apply. No student is guaranteed acceptance. It is strongly suggested that students acquaint themselves with the requirements and guidelines well before the thesis application is due. The creative writing director must approve any exceptions to the requirements, which must be made in writing by Monday, February 7, 2022. Since the creative writing thesis and project are part of the English honors program, acceptance to write a creative thesis is conditional upon the student continuing to maintain a 3.40 concentration GPA. If a student’s concentration GPA drops below 3.40 after the spring of the junior year, the student may not be permitted to continue in the honors program.

Joint concentrators may apply to write creative theses, but we suggest students discuss the feasibility of the project well before applications are due. Not all departments are open to joint creative theses.

Students who have questions about the creative writing thesis should contact the program’s Director, Sam Marks .

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OpenLab Help

I have separated the one big document everyone gets at the beginning of the semester into two: the syllabus and the schedule .

This is the syllabus , which shares a lot of detail about the class. Questions about how the class is run, how you will be graded, etc., can be found here. The other document is the schedule , which shares assignments and due dates. Questions about what we will be doing each week can be found there.

Table of Contents

How This Class Operates

Aspects of a Writing Class

Required Material

Learning Outcomes

• Breakdown of the Final Grade & Grading Scale

Communication

Participation in an Online Course

Office Hours

Late Writing Assignment Policy

Extra Credit

• A Few “Oddities”
• NYCCT Policy on Academic Integrity

Student Accessibility

A Note on Course Workload

I. Nuts & Bolts

Some of you may have taken online courses before, for others, this may be a new experience. Like a face-to-face class, every teacher runs their class differently. Read on for a guide on how this class will be run:

• This is an asynchronous course, which means there is no specific time that this class will meet.
• You’ll notice I have two emails listed. The first address is my general NYCCT email. The second is just for your class. Please use the second email! Because all my classes are online, I get a lot of email every day, so your message can quickly get lost. If you use the second email, my response time will be much quicker!
• All activities/information will take place on OpenLab .
• Each Friday , I will post an Announcement (located under Activities ) message in our OpenLab website. It will summarize what we’ll be working on for the following week.
• I will also publish a weekly Assignment post (also located under Activities ) each Friday , which will provide a detailed guide on what is due throughout the following week, titled “Week 1,” “Week 2,” etc. There will usually be two sections: Read and Write , with links to the week’s reading assignments and instructions on what you need to write in response to the assignment.
• There are deadlines noted in the schedule (the other document) throughout each week, marked in red . Most of the deadlines are on Mondays and Wednesdays , with a few exceptions. Some assignment deadlines are small (posts on the Student Work section), some are large (major writing assignments). All of them count toward your final grade!
• Be advised that if you do not log onto OpenLab and participate in the writing assignments, this will be noted by me. If you have not shown participation in this class within two weeks of the start of the semester, I will notify the administration and you will be dropped from the class. (Please note: If you wait until right before the end of the two weeks, you’ll discover that you’ve lost participation points!)
• The responsibility to keep up with assignments rests on you . All the assignments in this class have specific due dates, which means once a date has passed, you cannot turn in the work and receive the points. I do not accept late work. If you have questions about assignments, please contact me and we can either work things out over Zoom or an email conversation—but this works better when you ask right away rather than wait until right before a due date arrives!

As you’ve probably guessed from ENG1101 or ENG1121, a writing class isn’t like a mathematics or computer programming class. Here’s some details about what this class will be like. Throughout this semester, we will:

Discuss – Suzan-Lori Parks once told The New Yorker : “I love my lecture tours. I get up onstage. I have my stack of books and a glass of water and a microphone. No podium, no distance between me and the audience, and I just talk to people and get all excited and tell a lot of jokes, and sing some songs, and read from my work and remind people how powerful they are and how beautiful they are.”

Although this class is asynchronous, I may at times post short video discussions or link you to PowerPoints. I refer to my lectures as discussions, because that’s how I look at them. I’ll passionately “talk” at length at times, especially when I’m introducing a topic, but I’ll also prod you for your reactions to the information via Discussion Boards, because each of you have a point of view that is unique and needs to be heard.

Read/Analyze – William Faulkner once wrote: “Read, read, read. Read everything—trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You’ll absorb it. Then write.”

You will be asked to read material, analyze the work, and think about how you can use the example to benefit your own writing. I recommend you read the assignment at least twice—once for basic comprehension , the second time for details . If English is not your first language, you may need to read the assignment three or four times.

Write/Revise – Octavia Butler once wrote: “You don’t start out writing good stuff. You start out writing crap and thinking it’s good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it. That’s why I say one of the most valuable traits is persistence.”

You will use what we have read as a jumping-off point for your writing. On a specific date, we will have a “peer review” (see below). After the peer review, you will be given time to revise, edit, and type a second draft. I will evaluate this draft. Be sure to keep the second draft once it’s evaluated! Don’t just delete it, because you’ll have an opportunity to revise that draft for your Writing Portfolio at the end of the semester!

Peer Review – Isaac Bashevis Singer once wrote: “The waste basket is the writer’s best friend.” I add: “The peer reviewer is the writer’s next best friend.”

The class will be divided into a Cohort of four peers each. They will be given another student’s work and have time to read, fill out a peer reviewer’s worksheet, and discuss the work over email or text. You may be tempted to be “nice” and write nothing but glowing reviews during this process—please ignore this temptation. This is a time for you to work together for your common goal for this class: to become better writers.

Course Overview

All writing is creative, including the writing you do for school, internet posts to social media, and text/email messages. Where there was a blank page–virtual or otherwise–and you fill it with your words, you have, in fact, drawn on your intellectual resources to create patterns of meaning with those words.

“Creative writing,” however, generally refers to poetry, fiction, drama, and some forms of non-fiction–memoirs and narratives that use the techniques of story-telling.

We will focus on understanding how form and meaning work together and on understanding the types and complexities of each genre–notably, fiction, non-fiction, poetry, drama, and cross-genres–so each student can begin to develop their unique, individual voice .

We will be writing a lot—every day, in fact. You will be keeping a writing journal the entire semester to log your creative material and reflect on the process itself. I will be checking these journals occasionally throughout the semester—not to evaluate, but to ensure you are keeping up with assignments and know a little bit about what you are thinking as a writer.

We will be reading [1] a lot, immersing ourselves in the world of words–and analyzing forms of written expression, both student-produced and published work. Together, we will read, discuss and write memoir essays, short stories or flash fiction, and, time permitting, poetry and very short dramas (dialogues). In addition, we will give attention to the process of writing and the writing life and learn how to become adept critics by providing sensitive, useful feedback on each other’s work.

• First, make sure your email is one you check on a daily basis, because all announcements and email related to this class will go to the  email address you have set in Blackboard . See  this video  for how to check/change your email address in Blackboard. Please be sure to check that email inbox frequently during the semester.
• Make sure you have access to OpenLab .
• Log in to your OpenLab account and follow  these instructions  to join this course . If you’re new to OpenLab, follow  these instructions to create an account  and then join the course .
• You’ll be posting assignments on OpenLab, so you need to have member status.
• We may be using Google Docs for some assignments. Here’s where you can get started if you’ve never used Google Docs before.
• Have a notebook and a folder reserved specifically for this class, pens/pencils, and a laptop or tablet that has access to the Internet (since all reading material and other documents will be shared online) .

Students will be able to:

• employ characterization, specifically the representation of characters through their actions, words, descriptions of them, and the responses of others to them;
• create stories and poems with convincing points of view, specifically as it functions through the narrators of stories, speakers of poems, and characters of plays, and their perspectives on the subject matter of the works in which they exist;
• create plots, specifically the selection and ordering of events as situations or scenes, to achieve suspense through exposition and action;
• employ style, specifically its identifiable components: patterned sentence structure, word-order, manipulation of the qualitative and quantitative features of sound, and the choice of appropriate diction and tone;
• utilize structure, as a planned framework for writing, selecting from several options to achieve most effective arrangement of parts, and the desired effect and impact of the work;
• understand and demonstrate the use of symbolism and allusion in different cultural contexts;
• conduct online, archival and primary research, to mine raw material for creative works.

Breakdown of Final Grade & Grading Scale

20% Participation

Completion of weekly homework assignments that will include participation in the Discussion Board and other reading/writing activities by assigned due dates will earn these points. There will be 20 points possible for each week.

10% Critical Responses

Guidelines for critical responses to your peers’ work will be explained before our first major writing assignment. Learning to assess your own and others’ work and to offer constructive, specific feedback is a key part of our course. There will be 10 points possible for each Critical Response.

20% Journal

You will be keeping an online writing journal the entire semester to log your creative material and reflect on the process itself. I will be reading these entries—not to evaluate—but to ensure you are keeping up with assignments and know a little bit about what you are thinking as a writer. There will be 20 points possible for each Journal.

20% Writing

Throughout the semester, we will be writing memoir essays, short stories, poetry, and dialogues. You must complete each project on the due dates in order to receive points. There will be 100 points possible for each assignment.

30% Writing Portfolio

This will be a significant revision of three major writing projects and a final reflection essay highlighting how you’ve evolved as a writer. There will be 400 points possible for the Portfolio.

Grading Scale

A- 90-92.9%

B+ 87-89.9%

B- 80-82.9%

C+ 77-79.9%

F 59.9% and below

II. Details

I will be communicating via your City Tech email . Please check your City Tech email at least once a day. I check mine at least twice a day during the week. If you send me an email during the week, you can expect a response within 24 hours. If you write me on the weekend, I will respond within 48 hours.

Just because you’re logging on to OpenLab doesn’t mean you are “participating.” Just logging on every once in a while doesn’t guarantee you will pass this class or get the grade you desire. In order to pass or get the highest grade possible, you need to do the following:

Complete homework before the due date. As I mentioned above, I do not accept late work. On a positive note, homework is graded upon completion. That means if you’ve obviously shown effort (answered the question, written the paragraph, etc.) you’ll get the credit.

How does a person show effort? For example, if I ask students to answer an open-ended question in a paragraph (How do you feel about your cultural identity? Why do people love or hate the Kardashians?), and one student writes a single sentence, they have not shown effort, while another student writes five to eight sentences, they have shown effort.

It’s been my experience (and I’ve been teaching for fifteen years) that those who do the homework fare better on the larger writing assignments than those who didn’t. If I’ve assigned something, I think it’s going to help you become a better writer, it’s not just “busywork.”

Finally, when we have first drafts due for Peer Review for your Cohort, be ready to present whatever you have on that date. Even if it’s incomplete, share what you have. If you don’t share what you have, your peer reviewers won’t be able to give you feedback on what’s good about your writing and what needs work before I evaluate it (this is invaluable information).

Even though this is an online class and we won’t be physically together, it’s important to behave in a professional manner. As you’ve undoubtedly seen on social media, things can very quickly veer from joking to antagonistic if participants aren’t careful, or perhaps a way someone words a post may offend a reader (when there wasn’t an intent to offend). So, when you’re responding to another student’s post on the Discussion Board, a peer’s essay, or in email conversations, please remember the following:

Respect – Students are required to show respect to the professor and other students at all times. This includes carefully reading content the professor assigns or a post made by another student, asking questions about the topic at hand, and refraining from name-calling or using inappropriate language (ableist, racial, misogynist, and anti-LGBTQ slurs, to name a few).

Participation – Students are required to participate actively in the class. This means doing all the homework assignments, connecting with your peers and instructor in a timely manner, and being prepared for each week’s assignments.

Many of you are taking this course to fulfill a Pathways requirement. However, once you commit to the course , you will be considered as a writer who cares about your work . Therefore, all of you are writers in this class and your work will be given the respect your efforts deserve

My office hours will be 1 to 2 PM on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I’ll be available through Zoom and will send an invitation through email each week. Try to join my meeting at the start of the hour, not at the end—since I may be talking to other students or have another appointment after the hour is up. If those times don’t work with your schedule, we can schedule a different time. This means you’ll have to schedule an appointment in advance via email . In order to ensure we can meet, it’s important you contact me at least 24 hours in advance. For example, if you want to meet at 11 AM on Wednesday, be sure to email me on Tuesday morning; do NOT wait until 10:30 AM on Wednesday. I may have an appointment with another student or other responsibilities scheduled during that time. Please take advantage of this. It’s a time for me to help you with reading and/or writing issues or discuss any concerns you have. I really enjoy talking with students!

ALL writing assignments not received by the due date listed on the syllabus will be recorded as an F. I do not accept ANY assignments after the due date (this includes the Writing Portfolio at the end of the semester) .

I do not offer extra credit. If you complete the assigned readings, and turn in ALL writing assignments that have been thoughtfully written and proofread, you will pass this class.

A Few “Oddities” (and Other Notes)

A Cohort is a fancy word for a small group that works toward a common goal. In this class, you’ll be divided into Cohorts for to critique writing assignments. You will be with your Cohort all semester .

Assignments and Readings

Read with gusto and discernment. Learning to read well will enhance your ability to write well. Complete all assignments and write as much as you can. Of necessity, there will be overlap between drafts, with a new sketch or draft begun and another final draft due.

Writing Dos and Don’ts

Hate speech (racist, ableist, misogynist, anti-LGBT+, anti-Semitic, Islamophobic, etc.) won’t be tolerated. Curse words are allowed, but only when there is a true need for the word (perhaps a character would use the f-word, etc.). Don’t get too stressed about grammar, but be sure your sentences are clear to the reader. More on this below…

Language Awareness and Precision

Not all of you self-identify as writers. Some of you do. All of you, though, come to this course with an interest in developing your writing and communication skills. A key goal is for students to pay attention to word choice and phrasing–and to work on exploring ways to communicate complex ideas, observations, and feelings to yourself and to others. Take risks in your thinking and writing. Use our readings as guides to genres and use of figurative language.

Peer and Self-review

Methods for responding to your own and others’ work will be explained later. Always try to understand what the author is trying to say. Suggest, rather than command, focusing on ways to bring out and shape the author’s meaning. All writers are sensitive to criticism. NEVER be rude or dismissive. All writers need to learn to accept constructive criticism. Therefore, provide honest, but gentle feedback, within the guidelines I provide.

As noted in the final grade breakdown, you will be keeping a journal on the class website. I have specific “journal assignments” that are meant to prompt you either to write creatively or reflect on the writing process. If you’re uninspired or unable to follow the prompt, go to the site: https://www.writersdigest.com/prompts or check the web for other writing prompts—just note on your post where you found your alternative prompt (make a hyperlink or write the URL).

Some of our assignments will have specialized formatting, but most typed work should be double-spaced, in 12-point, Times New Roman font, with 1” margins. The first page header (this is on the first page, NOT all pages) should look like this:

Your First and Last Name

Word Count: XXX

Page numbering: Last name and page number in upper right corner on all pages.

III. College Policies & Student Accessibility

New York City College of Technology Policy on Academic Integrity

Students and all others who work with information, ideas, texts, images, music, inventions, and other intellectual property owe their audience and sources accuracy and honesty in using, crediting, and citing sources. As a community of intellectual and professional workers, the college recognizes its responsibility for providing instruction in information literacy and academic integrity, offering models of good practice, and responding vigilantly and appropriately to infractions of academic integrity. Accordingly, academic dishonesty is prohibited in The City University of New York and at New York City College of Technology and is punishable by penalties, including failing grades , suspension , and expulsion . For further information about plagiarism, cheating and academic integrity see page 57 of the City Tech catalog .

You will earn a zero on a plagiarized assignment in my class. You will NOT be able to “make up” the assignment.

City Tech is committed to supporting the educational goals of enrolled students with disabilities in the areas of enrollment, academic advisement, tutoring, assistive technologies and testing accommodations. If you have or think you may have a disability, you may be eligible for reasonable accommodations or academic adjustments as provided under applicable federal, state and city laws. You may also request services for temporary conditions or medical issues under certain circumstances. If you have questions about your eligibility or would like to seek accommodation services or academic adjustments, please contact the Center for Student Accessibility at 718-260-5143.

Per CUNY guidelines, please calculate two hours of work per credit hour per week, exclusive of class time. This means that for a 3-credit course, you will need to budget 6 hours each week for independent study/class preparation.  Taking into consideration other professional, educational, and personal obligations, please make sure that you have the time to do the work for this course and successfully complete it.

• There are reading assignments that cover abusive relationships and death. If these topics are triggers for you, talk to me privately ; we can discuss alternative readings or I can provide a summary that will let you know if these readings will be an issue. You must approach me before the reading is due. ↑

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English 220: OER and Clone Syllabus

Introduction to Creative Writing ~~ Updated 2023

Welcome Writers!

Course Site for CUNY City College’s ENG 220 Introduction to Creative Writing

What will this course teach me?

See “syllabus” for Course Description and Course Learning Outcomes

How will we do this?

See “Course Schedule” for phases, readings, journals, and assignments.

Anything else?

Check “Resources” for any additional links. Check our Connected “Group” for announcements.

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Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.” -Edith Lovejoy Pierce

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ENGL 3301/3302: Creative Writing Workshop: Syllabus

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• Index of Works and Images

Syllabus: ENGL 3301/3302: Creative Writing Workshop

• Syllabus 3301_3302 Spring 2023 Helen Phillips Downloadable Syllabus. Includes Course Information, Grading, Assignments, Course Requirements and Policies, University Policies and Schedule

Course Information

ENGL 3301 (#3615)/ENGL 3302 (#3480): Writing Fiction I & 2 (Spring 2023): Section TR2               

Prof. Helen Phillips (she/her): email: [email protected]

Class Time: Tues./Thurs. 2:15-3:30pm; Office hour: Thurs. 3:30-4:30pm

Classroom: Boylan Hall 3146; Office: 3108 Boylan Hall

Course Requirements

• Five Writing Exercises . During the first part of the semester, you will complete five one-to-two-page writing exercises based on prompts I will give you. These exercises will facilitate experimentation and will arise from the assigned readings . The writing prompts will be given in class and posted on our Blackboard site.  
• Short Shares . Each of you will share one of your short writing exercises with the class. On your appointed short share date, please bring 22 hard copies of your piece to class.
• Readings. During the first part of the semester, there will be assigned readings of short fiction relevant to the weekly themes. Please read these works thoughtfully, as class discussion (both in person and on Blackboard) will center on them and your writing exercises will arise from them. We will also be “adopting” the literary magazine One Story , and editor Lena Valencia from One Story will visit our class.
• Journal . Please keep a journal for in-class writing exercises. We may sometimes share these writings aloud. You will type up all of your journal entries and submit them as part of your final portfolio on Fri., May 19.
• Blackboard: Four Blog Entries + Sixteen Blog Responses. Each week, I will post a prompt on Blackboard to be completed and posted on the class blog. Each week, one-third of the class will be assigned to post their response to the prompt, and the other two-thirds of the class will be assigned to write comments for at least two of those classmates who posted their responses to the prompt. The online blog entries are due by midnight every Tuesday, and the comments are due by midnight every Wednesday. PLEASE NOTE THAT YOUR BLACKBOARD POSTS COUNT TOWARD YOUR ATTENDANCE GRADE, AS THE FOURTH HOUR OF THIS COURSE TAKES PLACE ONLINE. Please reach out to me if you need help navigating Blackboard.
• Workshop Story . During the second part of the semester, you will hand in a story to be discussed in workshop.
• It should be 5-10 pages (please discuss with me first if shorter or longer).
• It should be a new piece that you’ve written specifically for this class.
• Workshop Note : Please include, as the final page of your

workshop submission, a note to us about your process, your intentions/vision for the piece, your imagined audience, and any challenges you face with it. This should include 1-5 questions you have about your piece that you would like to discuss .

• Workshop Responses: You will read and respond to all of your classmates' workshop submissions. Come to class prepared for an active discussion. Bring a thoughtful typed response (min. five sentences) to each workshop piece. There are two options for your response:
• You may write a direct response , in which you:

(a) articulate your observations about the piece.

(b) ask the writer questions about the piece.

• Print two copies of your workshop response : one for me and one for the writer. You may also email or give them in hard copy the marked-up text.
• IMPORTANT: Your workshop responses are an essential component of your grade. Through these responses, you express your respect for your classmates’ efforts. Your grade will be severely affected if you fail to hand in 100% of the workshop responses in a timely fashion.
• Workshop Self-Reflection : This consists of an email to me, of any length, sometime in the week following your workshop (and prior to our post-workshop meeting), in which you reflect on your workshop experience. What was useful, what questions you still have, ideas you have for revision, etc.
• Post-Workshop Meeting . I will meet with each of you individually following your workshop, typically during my Thursday office hour. We will discuss your workshop and I will give you my in-depth feedback.
• Final Portfolio . On Friday, May 19 , by midnight , you will hand in your final portfolio (by email to [email protected]). This consists of:
• A Learner’s Letter : A 1-3-page letter in which in which you reflect on your journey over the course of the semester. What challenged you? What inspired you? What did you explore as a writer, as a reader, as a peer? What did you choose to do for your “Something New,” and why? What are your creative aims going forth?
• Something New: A revision of something you’ve written earlier in the semester? An expansion of a journal entry or short writing exercise? A new story? You tell me. (Approx. 5-10 pages)
• In-Class Journals : All of the in-class journal entries. typed. 
• Literary Magazine Submission : You will submit something you’ve written to a literary magazine of your choice and will fill out the “Submission Worksheet” (we will be discussing the submission process as a class). There is a 99% chance that your story will be rejected! This will enable you to begin your rejection letter collection, a prized possession of all writers.  

Extra Credit

Option #1: Attend a Literary Event (in person or remote). In order to get credit, email me the event details and a paragraph in which you describe your experience.

Option #2: Review a Literary Magazine. Read at least three works in a literary magazine (many are listed here: http://www.clmp.org/directory ), and write a one-to-two-page description/analysis of what you read.

Required Reading

• Course readings : All readings for the course are available as PDFs on our LibGuides website: https://libguides.brooklyn.cuny.edu/cww . PDFs are password-protected with the password engl3301.
• One Story : As soon as possible, please subscribe to the literary magazine One Story through CLMP’s Literary Magazine Adoption Program . Go to https://adoption.clmp.org/students/ and enter our class code, 82592858313849117471 , to order your bargain year-long subscription for $15.00. One Story editor Lena Valencia will visit our class, and we will discuss Spring 2023 issues of the magazine.  
• Recommended Reading : In preparation for workshop, I highly recommend The Anti-Racist Writing Workshop: How to Decolonize the Creative Classroom by Felicia Rose Chavez (Haymarket Books, 2021) and Craft in the Real World: Rethinking Fiction Writing and Workshopping by Matthew Salesses (Catapult, 2021).

Course Policies

• If your mechanics need attention, I will indicate that on your written work. If you would like additional support for your mechanics/grammar, I recommend Rules for Writers by Diana Hacker.
• 50% of your grade will be based on your participation : your contributions to discussion, your sharing of your writing, your sixteen Blackboard comments, your responses to the readings, your involvement in workshopping others’ stories, your meeting with me, your promptness, your attendance both in class and on Blackboard.

Attendance Policies

• As per English Department policy, you will receive an automatic F if you miss six or more classes. Two tardy arrivals are equivalent to one absence. You are responsible for any material you miss. Please notify me about absences in advance.
• Please note that your Blackboard posts count toward your attendance grade , as the fourth hour of the course is online.
• Class discussion is a critical element of this course. I expect everyone to contribute each week.
• I will mark you absent if your phone/computer/device is distracting you from class discussion. Your full presence is required, and mindfulness is essential for this course.

University Policies

University Policies & Information

Plagiarism: The faculty and administration of Brooklyn College support an environment free from cheating and plagiarism. Each student is responsible for being aware of what constitutes cheating and plagiarism and for avoiding both. The complete text of the CUNY Academic Integrity Policy and the Brooklyn College procedure for policy implementation can be found at www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/bc/policies. If a faculty member suspects a violation of academic integrity and, upon investigation, confirms that violation, or if the student admits the violation, the faculty member MUST report the violation. Students should be aware that faculty may use plagiarism detection software.

Accommodations for Disability: The Center for Student Disability Services (CSDS) is committed to ensuring students with disabilities enjoy an equal opportunity to participate at Brooklyn College. In order to receive disability-related academic accommodations, students must first be registered with CSDS. Students who have a documented disability or suspect they may have a disability are invited to schedule an interview by calling (718) 951-5538 or emailing [email protected]. If you have already registered with CSDS, email [email protected] or [email protected] to ensure accommodation emails are sent to your professor.

Consideration of Religious Observance: New York State Education Law requires that we “make available to each student who is absent from school, because of his or her religious beliefs, an equivalent opportunity to make up any examination, study or work requirements which s/he may have missed because of such absence on any particular day or days.”

Student Bereavement Policy: Students who experience the death of a loved one must contact the Division of Student Affairs, 2113 Boylan Hall, if they wish to implement either the Standard Bereavement Procedure or the Leave of Absence Bereavement Procedure. More information: http://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/web/about/initiatives/policies/bereavement.php

The Magner Career Center: The Magner Career Center, located in 1303 James Hall, has valuable resources, including resume and interview preparation, finding an internship, choosing a career, and more. 

The Brooklyn College Library: http://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/web/academics/library.php

Student Support Services : Including Food Pantry & Counseling: http://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/web/about/offices/studentaffairs/student-support-services.php

Sexual and Gender-based Harassment, Discrimination, and Title IX : Brooklyn College is committed to fostering a safe, equitable and productive learning environment. Students experiencing any form of prohibited discrimination or harassment on or off campus can find information about the reporting process, their rights, specific details about confidentiality, and reporting obligations of Brooklyn College employees on the Office of Diversity and Equity Programs website. All reports of sexual misconduct or discrimination should be made to Michelle Vargas, Title IX Coordinator (718.951.5000, ext. 3689), and may also be made to Public Safety (719.951.5511), the New York City Police Department (911 or a local NYPD precinct), or Melissa Chan, Assistant Director of Judicial Affairs, Division of Student Affairs (718.951.5352) as appropriate.

Course Schedule

Readings/assignments are due on the day they are listed.

Blackboard posts are due Tues. at midnight; Blackboard responses are due Wed. at midnight.

Thurs. 1/26                Introduction to course

Tues. 1/31                 Assignment : Bring in a paragraph from a published piece of writing to which you have a strong reaction. Please type this paragraph & bring in 22 copies.

Thurs. 2/2                  “Robo-Baby” Matthea Harvey

“Twilight” J. Robert Lennon

“Fingers” Rachel Heng

“Thin City 5” Italo Calvino

“The Letter from Home” Jamaica Kincaid

Tues. 2/7                  “The Swan as Metaphor for Love” Amelia Gray

“Mary When You Follow Her” Carmen Maria Machado

“The Funeral” Tony Wallin-Sato

“Zoology” Natalie Diaz

“Jane Death Theory #13” Rion Amilcar Scott

“Rongorongo” Ed Park

Thurs. 2/9                  In-Class Writing Intensive

                                    “Your Brain on Fiction” Annie Murphy Paul             

Tues. 2/14                 Flash Fiction Assignment (300 Words) + 4 Short Shares

Thurs. 2/16                “Puppy” George Saunders  

“The Burglar” Sarah Shun-lien Bynum

Tues. 2/21                  NO CLASS (MONDAY CONVERSION DAY)

Thurs. 2/23                Point-of-View Assignment + 4 Short Shares

Tues. 2/28                 Bring 3 questions for BC alum De’Shawn Charles Winslow

First chapter of In West Mills or Decent People by De’Shawn

Thurs. 3/2                  “Birds in the Mouth” Samanta Schweblin

“The Hunter” E.L. Doctorow                                    

Tues. 3/7                   (Un)Familiar Assignment + 4 Short Shares

Thurs. 3/9                  “Interiors” Kathleen Collins

“The First Full Thought of Her Life” Deb Olin Unferth

Tues. 3/14                 Innovative Structure Assignment + 5 Short Shares  

Thurs. 3/16                “Friday Black” Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

“Fairy Tale” Alexandra Kleeman

Tues. 3/21                 “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” Ursula K. Le Guin

“The Ones Who Stay and Fight” + “Intro” by N.K. Jemisin

Thurs. 3/23                “Parable” Assignment + 4 Short Shares

Tues. 3/28                 Bring 3 questions for One Story editor Lena Valencia

One Story Reading Assignment

Thurs. 3/30                2 Workshops

Tues. 4/4                   2 Workshops

Thurs. 4/6                 SPRING BREAK

Tues. 4/11                 SPRING BREAK

Thurs. 4/13               SPRING BREAK

Tues. 4/18                 2 Workshops

Thurs. 4/20                2 Workshops

Tues. 4/25                 2 Workshops 

Thurs. 4/27                2 Workshops 

Tues. 5/2                   2 Workshops

Thurs. 5/4                  2 Workshops

Tues. 5/9                   2 Workshops

Thurs. 5/11                2 Workshops

Tues. 5/16                 1 Workshop + Course Celebration & Writer’s Life Discussion

Fri. 5/19                     Final Portfolios

d ue via email to [email protected] by midnight

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• URL: https://libguides.brooklyn.cuny.edu/cww

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The Write Time and the Furious Flower Syllabus Project

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About Our Guests

McKinley E. Melton earned his PhD from the W.E.B. Du Bois Department of Afro-American Studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Prior to joining the Gettysburg College faculty, Dr. Melton was a visiting assistant professor of literature at Hampshire College from 2007-2012. He is also the recipient of a 2015 Career Enhancement Fellowship for Junior Faculty from the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation and was a 2015-16 Postdoctoral Fellow at the Fox Center for Humanistic Inquiry at Emory University. Most recently, Dr. Melton was awarded a 2019-20 Frederick Burkhardt Fellowship by the American Council of Learned Societies, in order to support a year as scholar-in-residence at the Furious Flower Poetry Center at James Madison University.

Allia Abdullah-Matta is a poet and Professor of English at CUNY LaGuardia, where she teaches composition, literature, creative writing, and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies courses. She writes about the culture and history of Black women and explores the presence of Black bodies and voices in fine art and poetry. She was the co-recipient of the The Jerome Lowell DeJur Prize in Poetry (2018) from The City College of New York (CCNY). Her poetry has been published in Newtown Literary , Promethean , Marsh Hawk Review , Mom Egg Review Vox , Global City Review , and the Jam Journal Issue of Push/Pull . Her chapbook(s) washed clean & blues politico (2021) were published by harlequin creature (hcx). Abdullah-Matta has published critical and pedagogical articles and serves on the Radical Teacher and WSQ ( Women’s Studies Quarterly ) editorial boards. She is working on a collection of poems inspired by archival and field research in South Carolina and Georgia, funded by a CUNY BRESI grant.

Hayes Davis ’ first volume, Let Our Eyes Linger , was published by Poetry Mutual Press; he is currently serving as the Howard County (Md) Poetry and Literature Society Writer in Residence, and he won a 2022 Maryland State Arts Council Independent Artists Award. His work has appeared most recently on the Academy of American Poets Poem-a-Day feature, he has been anthologized in This is What America Looks Like , Deep Beauty , Furious Flower: Seeding the Future of African American Poetry , Ghost Fishing: An Eco-justice Poetry Anthology , and others. His poems have also appeared in Mom Egg Review , New England Review , Poet Lore , Auburn Avenue , Gargoyle, Kinfolks , Fledgling Rag , and other journals. He holds a Masters of Fine Arts from the University of Maryland, and is a member of Cave Canem’s (Cah-vay Cah-nem) first cohort of fellows. He has attended or been awarded writing residencies at the Provincetown Fine Arts Work Center, The Hermitage, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts (VCCA), Manhattanville College, and Soul Mountain. He has appeared on the Kojo Nnamdi Show on WAMU, 88.5 in Washington, D.C. and at the Hay Festival Kells in Kells, Ireland. He has taught English and directed equity and justice work in Washington, D.C.-area independent schools for 20+ years; he shares his creative and domestic life with his wife, poet Teri Ellen Cross Davis, and their children.

Dave Wooley is an English, Journalism and Creative Writing teacher at Westhill High School in Stamford, Connecticut, where he has taught since 2001. He has served as a Co-Adviser for the school’s hybrid newspaper The Westword since 2003. He has served as an adjunct Professor at Fairfield University, teaching Philosophy of Hip Hop, and he is a teaching fellow at the Connecticut Writing Project. Dave is one half of the rap group d_Cyphernauts and a hip-hop educator who has presented at the HipHopEd conference, the NCTE annual conference, the CSPA conference, among others. He served as a curriculum and music coordinator for the National Endowment for the Humanities’ “From Harlem to Hip-Hop: African- American History, Literature, and Song” which was hosted at Fairfield University. Dave is a contributing poet on the website Ethical ELA, and he has been involved with the Furious Flower Center for Black Poetry as a participating scholar in its last three Legacy Seminars. He is one of the authors of Furious Flower’s newly created open access syllabus, Opening the World of Black Poetry: A Furious Flower Syllabus. He lives in Stratford, Connecticut with his wife and four children.

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• CBSE Class 10 Syllabus

CBSE Class 10 English Syllabus 2023 (PDF) with Important Resources for Last Minute Revision

Cbse class 10 english syllabus 2023: download the english (language and literature) syllabus published by cbse for the academic year 2022-23 in pdf. check important resources for quick and easy preparation for the cbse class 10 english board exam 2023..

CBSE Class 10 English Syllabus 2022-2023: CBSE students who are going to appear for the CBSE English Exam 2023 must check the complete course curriculum and marking scheme mentioned in the CBSE Syllabus. We have provided here the CBSE Class 10 English (Language and Literature) Syllabus 2022-23 which students can read and download in PDF. Students must take care of the portions of the textbooks that have been excluded from the latest syllabus. Check and download the CBSE Class 10 English Syllabus in PDF here. Also, check important exam preparation resources for good marks in CBSE Class 10 English Eexam.

CBSE Class 10 English (Language and Literature)

Code No. 184

SECTION - WISE WEIGHTAGE

Section A - Reading Skills (20 marks)

Reading comprehension through unseen passage (20 marks).

I. Discursive passage of 400-450 words. (10 marks)

II. Case-based passage (with visual input- statistical data, chart etc.) of 200-250 words. (10 marks)

(Total length of two passages to be 600-700 words)

Section B - Grammar and Writing Skills (20 marks)

Iii. grammar 10 marks  .

• Subject – verb concord
• Reported speech
• Commands and requests
• Determiners

IV. Creative Writing Skills (10 marks)

This section will have short as well as long writing tasks including compositions.

I.Formal Letter based on a given situation in 100-120 words. One out of two questions is to be answered. (5 marks)

Section C  - Literature Textbooks and Supplementary Reading  (40 Marks)

V. reference to the context.

(i) One extract out of two from Drama / Prose.

(ii) One extract out of two from poetry. (5+5 = 10Marks)

VI. Short & Very Long Answer Questions (30 Marks)

(i) Four out of Five Short Answer Type Questions to be answered in 40-50 words from the book. FIRST FLIGHT (4x3=12 marks)

(ii) Two out of Three Short Answer Type Questions to be answered in 40-50 words each from FOOTPRINTS WITHOUT FEET. (2x3=6 marks)

(iii) One out of two Long Answer Type Questions from FIRST FLIGHT to be answered in about 100-120 words each to assess creativity, imagination and extrapolation beyond the text and across the texts. This can be a passage-based question taken from a situation/plot from the texts. (6 marks)

CBSE Class 10 English Course Content

First flight.

1. A letter to God

2. Nelson Mandela - Long Walk to Freedom

3. Two Stories About Flying

4. From the Diary of Anne Frank

5. Glimpses of India 6. Mijbil the Otter

7. Madam Rides the Bus

8. The Sermon at Benares

1. Dust of Snow

2. Fire and Ice

3. A tiger in the Zoo

4. How to Tell Wild Animals

5. The Ball Poem 6. Amanda!

7. The Trees

9. The Tale of Custard the Dragon

FOOTPRINTS WITHOUT FEET

1. A triumph of Surgery

2. The Thief's Story

3. The Midnight Visitor

4. A Question of Trust

5. Footprints Without Feet

6. The making of a Scientist

7. The necklace

3. WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS – II (WORKBOOK FOR CLASS X)

Units 1 to 4 and Units 7 to 11

INTERNAL ASSESSMENT

Listening and speaking competencies .

Assessment of Listening and Speaking Skills will be for 05 marks.

It is recommended that listening and speaking skills should be regularly practiced.

Art-integrated projects based on activities like Role Play, Skit, Dramatization etc. must be used.

English, like any other language, cannot be memorised like formulas or mastered overnight. The curriculum of CBSE board for class 10th students ensures that students develop all skills - speaking, reading and writing - over the course of time. Therefore, students should practice regularly to stay fluent in the language.

Get here latest School , CBSE and Govt Jobs notification in English and Hindi for Sarkari Naukari and Sarkari Result . Download the Jagran Josh Sarkari Naukri App . Check  Board Result 2024  for Class 10 and Class 12 like  CBSE Board Result ,  UP Board Result ,  Bihar Board Result ,  MP Board Result ,  Rajasthan Board Result  and Other States Boards.

• What is the subject code of the English syllabus for CBSE board Class 10th? + The English (Language and Literature) course code is 184. Students should not be confused and pay attention while referring to the CBSE Class 10 English syllabus because 'Communicative English' is a different paper with the subject code 101.
• From where to download the CBSE Class 10th English syllabus? + The whole syllabus for CBSE Board class 10 English is available in this article by Jagran Josh. CBSE Class 10 English DELETED potions for 2022-23 can also be viewed from Jagran Josh.
• What is the syllabus for CBSE class 10 English term 2 exam? + From 2022-23, CBSE board will not conduct Term 1 and Term 2 exams. They confirmed that it will hold CBSE Board Exams only once from this academic year like in previous years. So, candidates should study the whole syllabus for the annual board exam.
• What happens if I cross word limit in my class 10 CBSE English exam? + Word limit is suggested so that students have an idea about approximate numbers of words required to form their answers in order to correctly and precisely answer the question. Although no marks are deducted for exceeding the suggested word count, it could be better if you can express your answers in the suggested word range to save your and examiner's time.
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