CRWR 22137/42137 Advanced Fiction Workshop: The College Novel
In this advanced fiction workshop, we will examine and write narratives set at college, the so-called campus and varsity novels (and short stories). We will try to capture the attendant promise and uncertainty of life on the cusp of adulthood, asking what it means to come of age, to age, to experiment, and possibly, to regress. We’ll attempt to veer away from cultural cliché and caricature to portray the truth of life on (and off) campus and come to grips with the way you live right now, as we consider what it means—to borrow the title of one such novel—to make our home among strangers. Students will read published works by Elif Batuman, Danielle Evans, and Alice Munro, and will submit up to two original stories or novel excerpts for workshop. Please expect a rigorous but constructive workshop environment where being a critic and an editor is essential.
Instructor consent required. Apply via creativewriting.uchicago.edu. Attendance on the first day is mandatory.