Contemporary Fiction

English 311, Fall 2006

ART 103, MWF 10-10:50

Kelly Magee

MWF, 11-1

kmagee29@gmail.com

Texts and Supplies:

Cunningham, Michael. The Hours. Farrar Straus, 1998.

Erdrich, Louise. The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse. HarperCollins, 2001.

Haruf, Kent. Plainsong. Knopf, 1999.

Lightman, Alan. Einstein’s Dreams. Pantheon, 1993.

Martel, Yann. Life of Pi. Harcourt, 2001.

Packer, ZZ. Drinking Coffee Elsewhere: Stories. Riverhead, 2003.

Roy, Arundhati. The God of Small Things. Random House, 1997.

Saunders, George. Pastoralia: Stories. Riverhead, 2000.

Smith, Zadie. White Teeth. Vintage, 2000.

Introduction and Objectives:

English 311 is a literature course for creative writers. As such, we will read and discuss the texts with more focus on craft than traditional lit courses – how a writer accomplishes a particular vision, or what impact the formal or structural changes have on the whole. The texts I’ve chosen – while just a tiny portion of the quality fiction available – are the ones, published in the last decade by and large, that have had the most impact on the writing world and, frankly, on me and the writers I know. Many, but not all, have won awards; many, but not all, are American. They run the gamut of themes, voices, and styles, but they all have a few things in common. They are what’s classified as literary fiction published by mainstream publishers; they were all published within the last decade (with the exception of Lightman’s novel, which is older but too good to pass up); and they represent the multicultural climate of contemporary publishing. I’ve chosen several first novels, too, so you get a look at what brand new writers are doing.

The assignments for the course are intended to broaden the scope of your understanding of contemporary fiction and to allow you to begin reading and responding to texts as a writer. Reading as a writer is a vastly different process from reading as a reader, or even reading as a lit major. Reading this way is the first step toward learning from the masters. It’s how you’ll discover new ways to solve narrative problems, strategies for breaking molds, styles you hadn’t thought of but might want to try, and above all, fresh, new ways to use language.

One caveat about the class: while I value your opinions on these books, their merit has already been proven in the marketplace and among writers. Rather than coming to class with gut reactions, try to put aside notions of like/dislike for the time being. Instead, read to understand why the author made certain choices and how those choices affect the outcome. Try to shut down the judgment reflex and create informed ideas about the book’s goals and how it attempts to fulfill those goals. No book is perfect, certainly, and there will be some you identify with more than others. But read as compassionate writers, looking for what you can learn from every book you tackle.

Requirements:

Attendance – 10%: Attendance and preparation is crucial to both your success and the overall success of the class, and although three absences are allowed, I make no distinction between “excused” and “unexcused.” Any further absences will result in the lowering of your final grade. If you absolutely must be absent, be sure to get your work to me on time, whether by email, in my mailbox, or with a friend. I’ll begin class at 10am sharp, and to encourage your promptness, will begin with in-class responses which cannot be made up.

Reading and Class Participation – 20%: I expect that you will come to class having completed and thought about the book under discussion by the first class at which it is to be discussed. Because coming to class unprepared is, in my mind, not really coming to class, you may be marked absent for failure to complete the reading. “Completing the reading” means critically and analytically reading the material, not just skimming or reading for pleasure. There’s plenty of pleasure to be had, for sure, but you should go beyond mere comprehension to come prepared with ideas, notes, and questions. Read with a pen and paper – own the book. Underline passages that seem important, and keep a running catalog in the back of themes, characters, symbols, and settings. Look up unfamiliar words and references. If something perplexes you, try to figure out what the author is getting at. If something delights you, figure out why and how the author accomplishes that. If a book seems difficult, assume it’s not the book’s fault. Imagine that the book judges you before you judge the book.

I’ll come with my own ideas, but in the spirit of true discussion, I hope that with your ideas we’ll be able to create an entirely new understanding of each book, working together as a class. Your enthusiastic and consistent participation is the key to this goal. The highest reading grades in the class will go to those whose careful, inquisitive readings contribute to unique and fascinating conversations daily.

One final note: because we’ll speed through many novels in a short amount of time, be sure to set aside plenty of extra reading time. Even if you’re a fast reader, taking notes and reading like a writer eats up more time. Plan accordingly.

In-Class Writing: Class will begin with a short piece of writing about the novel up for discussion. Topics will be provided, and your responses will be used to generate discussion. I’ll collect, read, and return these with either a check or an X. For every two Xs you receive, your final grade will be lowered by a +/-.

Writer’s Responses – 25%: You will write 2-3 page responses to five of the ten texts (5% each). There are not interpretive or critical essays, but your analytical response to them as writers. What have you learned about style, voice, language, character, setting, from the book? What questions do you still have? How does the book relate to another we’ve read? In what ways does it succeed on its own terms, or fail? These do not need to be formal essays, but I do ask that they be energetic and authentic responses. These are due the day the book is due.

Midterm Essay – 15%: This longer essay (4-6 pages) synthesizes your knowledge of both a writer’s craft and two or more of the novels we’ve been reading. You’ll choose either a craft issue that you are interested in, or one that you struggle with in your own writing, and look at how at least two course authors have used this technique to their benefit or detriment. This is not an interpretive paper; rather, it’s an explanation of what you’ve learned about writing technique through study of contemporary writers. Examples of craft issues you might choose are point of view, narrative structure, place and time, scene vs. summary, dialogue, character development, humor, voice, and style. This is only a partial list – feel free to develop your own.

Final Exam – 30%: The final will test your knowledge of the specifics of the texts we’ve read and your ability to make connections between them, describe literary trends, and deal with the terms and concepts we’ve discussed. It will consist of two parts: a section in which you will be asked to comment on the significance of specific passages from the texts, and a section of questions in which you’ll synthesize your knowledge of several texts.

Extra Credit: There will be one opportunity for extra credit at the end of the quarter, and it consists of outside research and a short (5 minute) presentation. The list of authors I’ve chosen for the class is by no means an exhaustive one. For extra credit, research and present on a text you think should be included. The author must be contemporary (published within the last ten years), literary (not genre), and the text must be classified as fiction (a novel or short stories).

Mechanics:

While I’m most interested in your ideas, don’t neglect their expression. Exhibit professionalism when submitting your work for a grade. Out-of-class writing should be typed and double-spaced with one-inch margins. Please remember to number your pages. All essays should be as polished as you can make them. A well proofread essay makes the reading experience pleasurable and is likely to improve your grade.

Plagiarism:

Plagiarism is the unauthorized use of the words or ideas of another person, and is a serious academic offense. Remember that at no point should words or ideas that are not yours be represented as such. This includes buying on-line papers, having someone write all or part of your paper, having someone revise your paper, or using a source without proper documentation. See me for any questions about what does, or doesn’t, constitute plagiarism.

*This syllabus is subject to change.