3:35p – 6:35p M

TOPIC:  WRITING THE NOVEL
AUTHORIZATION OF INSTRUCTOR REQUIRED.

In this course we will explore the form of the novel, mostly by
writing it but also by reading four or five novels of varied
aesthetics, as well as one or two nonfiction books on the art of the
form.  Some novel titles I’m considering, among others, are Ha Jin’s
_Waiting_, Toni Morrison’s _Love_, Percival Everett’s _Erasure_,
Anita Desai’s _In Custody_, and Kazuo Ishiguro’s _The Remains of the
Day_.  I hope that by the end of the course you will have written
the first few chapters (75-100 pages) of a novel-in-making, with a
general idea of where you are going with the rest.  At the beginning
of the course, you will write and present a two-page exploration of
what you want the novel to do, and more importantly, what you want
it to be.  Depending on the number of students, we will try to
workshop at least one novel section per class.  You will also be
asked to do a presentation on a novel of your choice that’s not on
our list—a novel that has inspired you and might serve as your
ideal.  I am excited about the course, as I too am starting a novel
in spring, and I look forward to sharing my experiences and learning
from yours.