ENGLISH 520. Craft and Theory of Fiction. 2 hrs.  In this course, various issues of craft and theory in fiction are presented by the fiction faculty, in a format that ranges from lectures to seminars. This course provides an analysis of professional and student work, focusing on a particular issue of craft or theory, including the construction of timelines, the use of sensory detail, characterization, and narrative structure. May be repeated for a total of 8 hours credit.

ENGLISH 530. Craft and Theory of Creative Nonfiction. 2 hrs.  In this course, various issues of craft and theory in creative nonfiction are presented by the nonfiction faculty in a format that ranges from lectures to seminars. The course provides an analysis of professional and student work, focusing on a particular issue of craft or theory, including the role of memory, structure, characterization, point of view, and detailed description.  May be repeated for a total of 8 hours credit.

ENGLISH 540. Craft and Theory of Poetry. 2 hrs.  In this course, various issues of craft and theory in poetry are presented by the poetry faculty, in a format that ranges from lecture to short-term seminars.  The course provides an analysis of professional and student work, focusing on a particular issue of craft or theory, including traditional verse forms, the use of vernacular speech in poetry, the long poem, the role of place and region in poetry, and the structure of free verse. May be repeated for a total of 8 hours credit.

ENGLISH 525. Fiction Workshop. 2 hrs.  This course focuses on student fiction writing, which is read and evaluated by the entire class.  Students expand their writing and critical skills and strengthen their knowledge of literary standards. May be repeated for a total of 8 hours credit.

ENGLISH 535. Creative Nonfiction Workshop. 2 hrs.  This course focuses on student writing in memoir, autobiography, creative essay, and nature writing.  The work is read and evaluated by the entire class.  Students expand their writing and critical skills and strengthen their knowledge of literary standards. May be repeated for a total of 8 hours credit.

ENGLISH 545. Poetry Workshop. 2 hrs.  This workshop focuses on student writing in the poetic form, which is read and evaluated by the entire class.  Students expand their writing and critical skills and strengthen their knowledge of literary standards. May be repeated for a total of 8 hours credit.

ENGLISH 570. Semester Project in Fiction, Poetry, or Creative Nonfiction. 8 hrs.  Students plan their semester projects with their faculty advisor. The project entails twenty-five hours per week of work on the packets of writing exchanged with the advisor. A booklist of 20-25 books relevant to the craft and theory of the chosen genre will be assembled and documented in an annotated bibliography, five packets of writing will be exchanged throughout the semester, and a final portfolio will be submitted at the semester’s end. The faculty advisor may refer the student to other readings in addition to those on the agreed-upon reading list. May be repeated for a total of 16 hours credit. Prerequisites: Completion of 4 hours of residency courses (ENGL 520/525, 530/535, or 540/545) immediately preceding this semester course, as appropriate to student’s genre.

[optional] ENGLISH 575. Semester Project in Fiction, Poetry, or Creative Nonfiction: Secondary Genre. 8 hrs. Students plan their semester projects in a secondary genre with their faculty advisor. The project entails twenty-five hours per week of work on the packets of writing exchanged with the advisor. A booklist of 20-25 books relevant to the craft and theory of the chosen secondary genre will be assembled and documented in an annotated bibliography, five packets of writing will be exchanged throughout the semester, and a final portfolio will be submitted at the semester’s end. The faculty advisor may refer the student to other readings in addition to those on the agreed-upon reading list. Prerequisites: Completion of minimum 16 hours of ENGL 570; completion of 4 hours of residency courses (ENGL 520/525, 530/535, or 540/545) immediately preceding this semester course, as appropriate to student’s secondary genre. (Students are eligible for the secondary genre concentration at second-year standing; students may enroll in ENGL 575 before or after ENGL 625: Semester Project: Critical Essay.)

ENGLISH 625. Semester Project in Fiction, Poetry, or Creative Nonfiction: Critical Essay. 8 hrs. Students plan their semester projects with their faculty advisor. The project entails twenty-five hours per week of work on the packets of writing exchanged with the advisor. A booklist of 20-25 books relevant to the craft and theory of the chosen genre and focused on the student’s Critical Essay inquiry will be assembled and documented in an annotated bibliography, five packets of creative writing and drafts of the Critical Essay will be exchanged throughout the semester, and a final portfolio and Critical Essay of 20-25 pages will be submitted at the semester’s end. The faculty advisor may refer the student to other readings in addition to those on the agreed-upon reading list. Prerequisites: Completion of minimum 16 hours of ENGL 570; completion of 4 hours of residency courses (ENGL 520/525, 530/535, or 540/545) immediately preceding this semester course, as appropriate to student’s genre.

ENGLISH 650. Thesis Manuscript Preparation. 8 hrs.  The student will complete the Creative Thesis of publishable quality under the supervi­sion of the faculty advisor. For prose writers, both fiction and nonfiction, the manuscript should be 100-125 pages; for poetry writers, the manuscript should be 48-60 pages. Prerequisites: Completion of a minimum 8 hours of ENGL 625; completion of 4 hours of residency courses (ENGL 520/525, 530/535, or 540/545) immediately preceding this semester course, as appropriate to the student’s genre.

ENGL 655. Fifth Residency. 1 hr. The graduating student will return for a final instructional residency to participate in a Thesis Interview, give a reading from the completed Thesis Manuscript, and teach a seminar to peers. Prerequisite: Completion of minimum 8 hours of ENGL 650.

Sample Residency Seminar Descriptions

These interdisciplinary seminars fulfill Craft & Theory Courses: ENGL 520, 530, 540.

WRITING JOY IN TROUBLED TIMES. Karen McElmurray
These last years have meant fires, hurricanes, floods, political upheavals, and the aftermath of a major pandemic. One of the most important things we can do during such times is explore the seemingly ephemeral—compassion and joy.  In this seminar, we will look at some writers who write joy in all its complexities, be it via the natural world, the spiritual world, or via the transformative power of language itself. We will focus on excerpts from longer readings, and a couple of full essays. Seminar participants will also write in response to a prompt or two.

AMERICAN BASTARD: Jan Beatty and the Cross-Genre Memoir. Devon McNamara
Award winning Pittsburgh poet Jan Beatty’s compact meteor of a memoir, American Bastard, breaks the mold on the dance between poetry and prose. We will explore how her poems drove her toward truth as she searched for her birth father and ignited this cross-genre mosaic of fierce beauty and power.

LISTING YOUR WAY TO THE (LYRIC?) ESSAY. Randon Billings Noble
In this two-part session we’ll explore different ways in which the humble list can be transformed into a creative – perhaps lyric – essay.  We’ll start by talking about the ways list-making can spur your creative practice.  We’ll then look at some examples of list-based essays – from Sei Shonagon’s 11th-century classic “Hateful Things” to more contemporary work by poet Danez Smith, multi-genre writer Han Kang, and cartoonist Lynda Barry. Then we’ll do some generative writing exercises that will lead you to a list-based essay of your own.

FITTING ENDS: Robert Steves
When Blaise Pascal wrote, “The last act is bloody, however fine the rest of the play,” he wasn’t referring to plays–or literature–though he very well could have been. Tragically, many books don’t really “end” as much as stop. Novels in particular, even great novels, often simply collapse under their own weight. I bet you can name at least three off the top of your head. In this craft talk, we’ll discuss challenges related to gracefully concluding a manuscript, especially a longer or book-length narrative. We’ll go over theory and best practices, with the novel Election by Tom Perrotta as our primary example.

Note: Election is a short novel that won’t take you long to finish, probably. As you’re reading, please take detailed notes, especially regarding the novel’s setups, buildups, and payoff(s). It might be helpful to keep the following questions in mind: how many endings are there in this novel? Where does each ending begin and end? What is your definition of a good ending, and does Election’s final scene match that definition?

NOT YOUR GRANNY WITCH: Writing Against Stereotype in Appalachian Literature (and Beyond). Natalie Sypolt
Appalachian women are often portrayed in one of three ways in fiction:  one, the wise, milky- eyed granny witch/healer/midwife; two, the wild and beautiful mountain girl, fiery and naïve, running the hills barefoot, waiting for her one true love to rescue her; or three, that girl’s mother, worked near to death, possibly beaten by her no-good husband, all of them poor and threadbare.  But where are we, the women of Appalachia who are none of those things (or maybe are some of them, but are also so much more)? This seminar will examine the portrayal of Appalachian women in fiction and talk about the importance of writing against stereotype/archetype.  While we will focus primarily on Appalachian fiction, developing round and realistic characters is important no matter what genre you’re working in or where your work is set.

I MUST CONFESS… Vince Trimboli – Visiting Writer
“Confessional poetry is, to my mind, more slippery than poems that are sloppily autobiographical; I find the confessional mode much more akin to dramatic monologue.” ~Cate Marvin The term “confessional poem” has become somewhat taboo in our current writing landscape. This two-part seminar is designed to explore the rich history of the Confessional Poem, as well as track its progression and influence within the modern world of poetics. We will be exploring and discussing foundational poems that introduced this trend into the popular vernacular as well as modern interpretations of this modality. Students will be asked to identify shifting themes, metaphors, and topics address through the history of the Confessional Poem. In addition, we will be discussing the idea of monologue vs. simply autobiographical. The second part of our seminar will give the students time to share and discuss the work they have created from our first day of discussion.

MUSIC AND THE MUSE. Doug Van Gundy
Music and language share many elements – rhythm, tonality, mood – and writers have long used music as inspiration for (or accompaniment to) their work.  In this seminar we will look at several short pieces inspired by or written about music from across the genres, discuss what music can teach us as writers, and explore ways to use music to help generate new writing.