ENGL 401: Capstone in Creative Writing Spring 2016

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1 ENGL 401: Capstone in Creative Writing Spring 2016 Instructor Information Dinah Ryan, Associate Professor of English School of Nations 110D Office Hours: TBA and by appointment (Office hours will be finalized by January 18) Extension: Basic Information 3 SH Prerequisite: Meeting times: TBA. Generally students will meet individually with the faculty on w biweekly and will meet in groups for peer review, as needed. Course description as stated in the Principia College Catalog: This course is the culmination of the creative writing concentration in the English major. Students create a substantial and coherent body of original fiction or poetry, accompanied by an artist's statement. Students also read deeply the work of writers who have influenced them and conduct serious research about their work and working process. A public presentation--a reading or some other form of publication--at the completion of the capstone is encouraged. Prerequisites: Course Texts and Materials Texts and resources are determined by the student s individual research needs per the annotated bibliography and capstone proposal developed in ENGL 399: Capstone Proposal. ENGL 401 presumes that additional and more focused research will take place at the capstone level as the student brings the creative question to fruition in the final collection of poetry or fiction (and/or other final project and presentation). Course Description You must go on, I can t go on, I ll go on. The Unnamable, Samuel Beckett

2 The capstone in creative writing is the culmination of the student s progress toward the production of compelling original work in either prose or poetry. It assumes an entry-level proficiency of professionalism in the field of creative writing: work that could be published or enable the student to gain entry into graduate school or a professional-level writer s conference/workshop, or support the student s entry into the professional domains of creative writing (such as publishing or working for nonprofit arts organizations). That is, the capstone in creative writing is not only an expression of the student s original work and research, but reflects a high level of literary scholarship, critical inquiry, and craft. This course meets all English Department outcomes 1. Apply literary knowledge through close readings of texts. 2. Comprehend scholarly debates about texts 3. Identify the effect of culture on style in historical and/or contemporary settings 4. Integrate appropriate research materials 5. Practice the formal elements of prose and poetry. In addition, this course provides a target collection point for the assessment of student learning for these outcomes within the English major. Please see the rubrics for English Department Outcomes. ENGL 400 also constitutes the major piece in the student s writing portfolio. Although as an upper level course, ENGL 400 does not fulfill a GEH (General Education: Humanities) LADR requirement, it is presumed that you will fulfill each of these outcomes in the natural course of completing your capstone. These outcomes will not be assessed for ENGL 400, but are listed below for your reference: 1. Analyze texts in the humanities 2. Raise and respond to difficult questions 3. Demonstrate an understanding of diverse perspectives.. This course meets the following College Wide Learning Outcomes (CWLOs): 1. Demonstrate a depth and breadth of knowledge 2. Demonstrate critical and generative thinking 3. Demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively 4. Be intentional learners 5. Be effective members of communities 6. Act on the basis of Principle

3 Course Assignments The final product of the capstone in creative writing has two components: a scholarly artist s statement, which is accompanied by an appropriate bibliography, and a body of original creative work. General guidelines for capstone length are as follows: 1. Poetry: a chapbook length collection of poems (25-35 pages in length) 2. Fiction: pages of prose, consisting of either stories or chapters of a novel-inprogess 3. As stated in 1. and 2., above, all capstones will include a scholarly essay in addition to the creative work (i.e., a 100-page fiction capstone will also be preceded by a scholarly essay). The scholarly essay combines research about your influences with elements of an artist s statement (i.e., a scholarly exploration of the way in which influences have affected the intentions, themes, and processes within your work). Please note: a) The general guidelines above are subject to variation depending on the student s form. For example, a substantial collection of micro-fiction would be under 65 pages. The basic requirement calls for a significant, scholarly, and ambitious body of work. b) It is expected that previously written original work (work produced in courses prior to the capstone) may be revised to be part of the capstone. While a substantial body of new work is expected during the capstone, we recognize that students have been building a body of work throughout their study of creative writing. The basic requirement calls for significant production of new work and serious revision of preexisting work during the capstone. Please remember that every writer s work and project is distinct. Compare yourself to the high standards of the writers and forms that influence you and to your individual goals and ideals. Don t compare yourself or your project to other students projects. Generally, students in ENGL 401 will have completed ENGL 399: Capstone Proposal. They will therefore come into ENGL 401 with a working plan for the capstone project, which may include an annotated bibliography, as well as a formal capstone proposal. Students who have completed the annotated bibliography are expected to extend their research according to the plan in the capstone proposal, including adding to the annotated bibliography as they progress. Students who have either not taken ENGL 399 or completed it without the annotated bibliography, must complete an annotated bibliography according to a working plan. The annotated bibliography allows the organization of the student s research in a way that is useful to in the writing process since it requires a formal summary analysis of sources. The final bibliography may include anywhere between fifteen and thirty sources. The creative work: See the statement under Course Description (above) for the expectations regarding quality in the creative work.

4 Finally, students in ENGL 401 are asked to publicly present their work. In addition to a reading from the creative work, this presentation may include a summary of the research question(s), discovery process, and final analysis. Or, it may include what is called a craft talk about the writer s process. The form of the presentation is decided by each student. Grading Practices: Research (including the annotated bibliography): 20% Creative project: 50% Presentation: 15% Participation (including timeliness, group participation, and support for presentations): 15% COURSE POLICIES: The following policies are shared between faculty directing the capstones and apply to both students in ENGL 400: Capstone in Literature and ENGL 401: Capstone in Creative Writing. Work Ethic and Commitment: 1. Adhere to the finalized, approved capstone structure and work sequence. 2. Set and keep appointments with faculty (this includes appointments with your supervising faculty, supplementary faculty, librarians, and others, as needed). This includes arriving on time for your weekly meeting at your supervising faculty s office, with your work in hand. If you wish to reschedule any appointment, you must make those arrangements at least a week in advance. 3. Submit all work on time and attend every scheduled meeting (as above). 4. Actively confer with other English capstone students to: i. Determine a time and place to present the capstones ii. Make the arrangements for the capstone presentations, including format, advertising, logistics, refreshments, introductions, etc. iii. Arrange student workshops to provide feedback for each other during the capstones 5. Be responsible for having your capstone project reproduced (can be done on campus) and turned in to the English department on the date determined between you and your faculty. 6. Demonstrate humility and a willingness to take direction. This will most definitely include being willing to do multiple revisions of your work at the direction of your supervising faculty. Revisions of the capstone project may also include other sorts of directives (such as those given by supplementary faculty, etc.).

5 Additional details about expectations: Your capstone is the culmination of your academic work in college. Therefore, it is the most important activity you will engage in as a student this term. No other obligation other courses, sports, extracurricular activity, personal relationships, etc. constitutes a more important activity. This is your most important activity and you will be expected to give it priority; no excuses, no equivocation. You are expected to make every group meeting and every individual meeting on time and without fail. You are required to give a public presentation of your capstone, a reading or performance of the work. You are required to work as a group to coordinate required activities and final presentations. All capstone students in the major students in both the literary studies and creative writing teacks must work together to coordinate, support one another, and build a sense of community. You are required to make all arrangements for your final presentations, including publicity, invitations, room reservations, logistics (microphone, seating, and refreshments), Prin calendar, etc. There is a checklist available if you need help You may be required to present your work in a formal defense to your capstone advisor, another member of the English Department, and one outside reader (to be selected by you in consultation with your capstone advisor). You may also be required to ask for feedback from another professor besides your capstone advisor at least once during the semester. You are required to proofread your capstone and submit your capstone to the English Department and to the Writing Center no later than 5 p.m. on that day. You are responsible for having your capstone bound. You should plan on making three copies: one for the English Department, one for your capstone advisor, and one for yourself. You may make as many additional copies as you wish. You may want to make enough to be able to use them for professional purposes, as well as to have some copies for yourself. Plagiarism and Academic Honesty: Issues of academic integrity and plagiarism are as relevant in creative writing as they are in any other academic or intellectual practice. The problems here, in fact, can be even more knotty since footnoting and other kinds of textual citation are not commonly used in creative writing. We will talk about some of these issues in class, but please bear in mind that academic integrity is as important in this course as it is elsewhere. And, if you have questions about how to handle source material within your poems, please see the college librarians or the professor. The following Academic Honesty Policy is reprinted verbatim from the Principia College catalog:

6 A Principian is expected to pursue a life of integrity (see The Principia Pledge and Code of Conduct). Therefore academic honesty is essential to a Principia College education. Students are expected to refrain from cheating, plagiarizing, unauthorized sharing of work, any form of misrepresenting another s work as one s own, and helping others with any of these forms of dishonesty. Consequences for academic dishonesty may include failure on the assignment and/or failure in the course. Further consequences may include lowering of academic standing and/or suspension. Spring 2015 English Department Readings and Events: You are required to attend readings and presentations by visiting writers, which are sponsored by the English Department, and some College events. A schedule will be given to you early in the term. Please add these events to your calendar. You are encouraged to attend all FOEs and English Department activities such as trips to conferences, off-campus readings and talks on craft, etc. and on-campus gatherings. Changes to syllabus or course schedule and activities The faculty member reserves the right to make changes to this published syllabus if it is in the best interest of the educational development of this class. Any such changes will be announced as soon as possible and, insofar as practical, after consultation with the whole class. Freedom of thought Policy 9 (from The Purpose and Policies of the Principia) and First Amendment rights will be strictly observed in this course.