ENGL 4301: Advanced Seminar in Creative Writing: Syllabus

Class Name: Advanced Inter-Genre Capstone Seminar in Creative Writing (Spring 2024)

Class Code: ENGL 4301, Section T3, Code 52429

Class Room: 2412 Boylan Hall 

Meeting Time: Tues. 3:40-6:25 PM  

Instructor: Prof. Helen Phillips (she/her)

Email: HPhillips@brooklyn.cuny.edu

Office hour: Tues. 2:00-3:00 PM

Office: 3108 Boylan Hall

1. Course readings: All readings for the course are available as PDFs on our LibGuides website: https://libguides.brooklyn.cuny.edu/engl4301. PDFs are password-protected with the password engl4301.
2. Fence: As soon as possible, please subscribe to the literary magazine Fence through CLMP’s Literary Magazine Adoption Program. Go to https://adoption.clmp.org/students/ and enter our class code, 49677604235266596617, to order your discounted year-long subscription for $18.00. A Fence editor will visit our class, and we will read and discuss the current issue of the magazine.   
3. Recommended Reading: In order to prepare for workshop, I highly recommend The Anti-Racist Writing Workshop: How to Decolonize the Creative Classroom by Felicia Rose Chavez and Craft in the Real World: Rethinking Fiction Writing and Workshopping by Matthew Salesses.

Grades

50% of your grade will be based on your writing: your 5 writing assignments, your workshop piece (with workshop note and questions), your final project, your 4 Blackboard posts, your in-class journals, your mechanics, the promptness of your assignments.

• • If your mechanics need attention, I will indicate that on your written work. If you would like additional support for your mechanics/grammar, I recommend Rules for Writers by Diana Hacker.

50% of your grade will be based on your participation: your contributions to discussion, your sharing of your writing, your 16 Blackboard responses, your involvement in your classmates' workshops, your workshop responses to your classmates, your meeting with me, your promptness, your attendance.

• • As per English Department policy, you will receive an automatic F if you miss three or more classes. Two tardy arrivals are equivalent to one absence. You are responsible for any material you miss. Please notify me about absences in advance.
  • Class discussion is a core element of this course. I expect everyone to contribute every time we meet. 
  • I will mark you absent if your phone/computer/device is distracting you from class discussion. Your full presence is required, and mindfulness is essential for this course.

ChatGPT/Generative AI Policy

Because this is a creative writing course in which you are developing your unique voice as a writer, with a particular focus on process over product, all writing in this course (including on Blackboard) must be your own original work. ChatGPT and other generative AI software are not permitted in this class.

University Policies & Information

Plagiarism: The faculty and administration of Brooklyn College support an environment free from cheating and plagiarism. Each student is responsible for being aware of what constitutes cheating and plagiarism and for avoiding both. The complete text of the CUNY Academic Integrity Policy and the Brooklyn College procedure for policy implementation can be found at www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/bc/policies. If a faculty member suspects a violation of academic integrity and, upon investigation, confirms that violation, or if the student admits the violation, the faculty member MUST report the violation. Students should be aware that faculty may use plagiarism detection software. IMPORTANT NOTE: Use of an AI text generator (such as ChatGPT)—when an assignment does not explicitly allow for it—constitutes plagiarism.

Accommodations for Disability: The Center for Student Disability Services (CSDS) is committed to ensuring students with disabilities enjoy an equal opportunity to participate at Brooklyn College. In order to receive disability-related academic accommodations, students must first be registered with CSDS. Students who have a documented disability or suspect they may have a disability (physical or mental condition which substantially limits one or more major life activity) are invited to call the Center at (718) 951-5538 or visit us in 138 Roosevelt Hall. If you have already registered with the CSDS and submitted necessary forms, you will receive your course accommodation letter to provide to your professor and these specific accommodations can be discussed when appropriate.

Consideration of Religious Observance: New York State Education Law requires that we “make available to each student who is absent from school, because of his or her religious beliefs, an equivalent opportunity to make up any examination, study or work requirements which s/he may have missed because of such absence on any particular day or days.” 

Student Bereavement Policy: Students who experience the death of a loved one must contact the Division of Student Affairs, 2113 Boylan Hall, if they wish to implement either the Standard Bereavement Procedure or the Leave of Absence Bereavement Procedure. More information: http://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/web/about/initiatives/policies/bereavement.php. 

The Magner Career Center: The Magner Career Center, located in 1303 James Hall, has valuable resources, including resume and interview preparation, help finding an internship and choosing a career, and more: https://www.brooklyn.edu/magner/. 

Student Support Services: (Food Pantry, etc.)
http://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/web/about/offices/studentaffairs/student-support-services.php

The Brooklyn College Library: https://library.brooklyn.cuny.edu/resources  

The Brooklyn College Health Clinic: https://www.brooklyn.edu/dosa/health-and-wellness/health-clinic/

Brooklyn College Personal Counseling: 0203 James Hall, 718-951-5363, https://www.brooklyn.edu/dosa/health-and-wellness/personal-counseling/

Sexual and Gender-based Harassment, Discrimination, and Title IX: Brooklyn College is committed to fostering a safe, equitable and productive learning environment. Students experiencing any form of prohibited discrimination or harassment on or off campus can find information about the reporting process, their rights, specific details about confidentiality, and reporting obligations of Brooklyn College employees on the Office of Diversity and Equity Programs website. All reports of sexual misconduct or discrimination should be made to Michelle Vargas, Title IX Coordinator (718.951.5000, ext. 3689), and may also be made to Public Safety (719.951.5511), the New York City Police Department (911 or a local NYPD precinct), or Melissa Chan, Associate Director of Judicial Affairs, Division of Student Affairs (718.951.5352) as appropriate.

For Undocumented Students: As an educator, I support the rights of undocumented students to an education. If you have any concerns in that regard, feel free to discuss them with me, and I will respect your wishes concerning confidentiality. For resources and support, please visit Brooklyn College’s Immigrant Student Support Office located at 17 Roosevelt Hall.  You can also contact them via email at ISSO@brooklyn.cuny.edu or via phone at 718-951-5023.

Course Requirements

1. Five Writing Assignments. During the first part of the semester, you will complete weekly writing assignments based on prompts I will give you. The writing assignments will be given in class and posted on our Blackboard site. NOTE: These assignments should not exceed two double-spaced pages.

2. Short Shares. Each of you will share one of the above five short writing assignments with the class. On your appointed short share date, please bring 20 hard copies of your piece to class.

3. Readings. The assigned readings of fiction, poetry, and plays relevant to the weekly themes are available on our LibGuides site: https://libguides.brooklyn.cuny.edu/engl4301

Please read these works thoughtfully, as class discussion (both in person and on Blackboard) will center on them and your weekly writing assignments will arise from them. In addition, we will be “adopting” the literary magazine Fence, and an editor from Fence will visit our class. 

4. In-Class Journals. Class will often include a 5-15--minute writing exercise in response to a prompt. Please bring a journal for this purpose. Typed journals will be due along with your final project on Friday, May 17. 

5. Four Blackboard Blog Entries + Sixteen Responses. Each week, I will post a journal prompt on our class Blackboard site (accessed via CUNYfirst) to be completed and shared on the class blog. Sometimes the writing prompt will relate to the week’s reading; other times it will relate to questions that arise in workshop; often it will include a creative response option. Each week, one-third of the class will be assigned to post their response to the journal prompt, and the other two-thirds of the class will be assigned to write comments to at least two of those classmates who posted their responses to the journal prompt. The online blog entries are due by midnight every Sunday, and the comments are due by midnight every Monday. Please note that your Blackboard posts count toward your attendance grade, as the fourth hour of this course takes place online. Please let me know if you are not familiar with the Blackboard interface. 

6. Workshop. During the second part of the semester, you will hand in a piece to be discussed in workshop. 

• It may be any genre. 

• It should be 8-15 pages (if more or fewer pages, please discuss with me first).
• It should be new work you have written specifically for this class. 
• BY MIDNIGHT ON YOUR DUE DATE: 
  • Workshop Piece: Upload your workshop submission to the Blackboard blog post with your name in the title. Workshop submissions should be typed in 12 pt. font, proofread, with pages numbered. Fiction should be double-spaced; poetry/plays should be formatted as desired.
  • Workshop Note: Please include, as the final page of your workshop submission, a note to us about your process, your intentions/vision for the piece, your imagined audience, and any challenges you face with it. This should include 1-5 questions you have about your piece. 

7. Workshop Responses. You will read and respond to all of your classmates' workshop submissions. Come to class prepared for an active discussion. Bring a thoughtful typed response (minimum five sentences) to each workshop piece. Print two copies of your workshop response: one for me and one for the writer. You will hand your response back to the writer. You may also email or give them in hard copy the marked-up text. There are two options for your workshop response: 

1. 1. You may write a direct response, in which you: 
      1. articulate your observations about the piece. 
      2. ask the writer questions about the piece. 
   2. You may write a creative response, in which you create a new piece of writing that is in some form a reaction to the workshop piece. This should include a brief explanation about how the workshop piece inspired your response.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Your workshop responses are an essential component of your grade. Through these responses, you express your respect for your classmates’ efforts. Please email your classmates and me your workshop responses if you miss their workshops. You must hand in 100% of the workshop responses in a timely fashion.

8. Workshop Self-Reflection: This consists of an email to me, of any length, sometime in the week following your workshop and prior to our post-workshop meeting, in which you reflect on your workshop experience. What you took away from the workshop, what questions you still have, ideas you have for revision, etc. 

9. Post-Workshop Meeting. I will meet with each of you individually the week following your workshop, typically during my Tuesday office hour. We will discuss your workshop and I will give you my in-depth feedback in person. 

10. Final Project. Final projects are due on Friday, May 17, by midnight, via email to HPhillips@brooklyn.cuny.edu. This consists of: 
    1. A Learner’s Letter: A 1-3-page letter in which in which you reflect on your journey over the course of the semester. What challenged you? What inspired you? What did you explore as a writer, as a reader, as a peer? What did you choose to do for your final project, and why? What are your creative aims going forth? 
    2. OPTION 1: Revision and Submission. 

-Revision: You will revise your workshop piece. Your revision must be substantive, and must include a paragraph describing the changes you made. 

-Submission: You will then submit your revision to a literary magazine/play festival of your choice. We will discuss the submission process as a class, and you will hand in proof (in the form of the “Submission Worksheet”) that you’ve sent your work out. There is a 99% chance that your work will be rejected! This will enable you to begin your rejection letter collection, a prized possession of all writers. 

OPTION 2: New Writing Assignment. A month or so before the semester ends, you must notify me that you would like to select this option, and I will give you a personalized assignment to prompt the creation of a new 8-10-page piece of writing. 

1. 3. TYPED JOURNALS: You will type up and hand in, as part of your final portfolio, all of the journal entries completed in class. 

11. Group Celebration & Reading. On Tuesday, May 21, we will gather as a class for a final celebration & reading. 

Extra Credit 

1. Attend a Literary Event. In order to get credit, email me the event details and a paragraph in which you describe your impressions of the event. 

2. Review a Literary Journal. Select a literary magazine (many are listed here: http://www.clmp.org/directory). Read at least three works in the magazine, and write a 1-2-page description of what you read. 

Course Schedule

Readings/assignments are due on the day they are listed.

Blackboard posts are due Sun. at midnight; Blackboard responses are due Mon. at midnight.

Tues. 1/30:  Day 1: Introduction to Course

Assignment due:     Bring in 20 hard copies of a brief selection from a piece of published writing by a writer whose work has made you want to write.    

Reading due:         List of writing quotes (sent by email)

Tues. 2/6:    Day 2: Monologue

                  Assignment due:     Erasure piece (+ Short Shares)

Readings due:       

1. “Out East” Kyle Francis Williams

2. “We’re Gonna Die” Young Jean Lee  

3. “As a Consequence of My Brother …” Natalie Diaz

Tues. 2/13:  Day 3: Writing Intensive with guest lecturer Alyssa Northrop

                  Reading due:

“On the Many Different Engines That Power a Short Story”

Lincoln Michel: https://lithub.com/on-the-many-different-engines-that-power-a-short-story/

Tues. 2/20   Day 4: Dialogue & Escalation

                  Assignment due:     Monologue piece (+ Short Shares)

Readings due:

1. Selection from “John” Annie Baker

2. “Far Away” Caryl Churchill

3. “Aubade with Burning City” Ocean Vuong

                                     

Tues. 2/27:  Day 5: Juxtaposition & Tension

                  Assignment due:     Dialogue piece (+ Short Shares)

Readings due:

1. “Orpheus at the Second Gate …” Yusef Komunyakaa

2. “The Future of Terror 3” Matthea Harvey

3. “Village Pets” Jenzo Duque

4. “The Lover” Joy Williams

Tues. 3/5:     Day 6: Form & Experimentation + Workshop Prep Discussion

                   Assignment due: Craigslist piece (+ Short Shares)

 Readings due:

1. “Two Men Arrive in a Village” Zadie Smith

2. “Mister Original Bugg” Mac Wellman

3. Selection from THOT Chanté L. Reid 

4. “scrub dark” & “(Name Withheld)” Rosamond King

5. “Incantation of the First Order” Rita Dove

Tues. 3/12:  Day 7: 2 Workshops

                  Assignment due:     Obstruction piece (+ Short Shares)

Tues. 3/19:  Day 8: 3 Workshops

Tues. 3/26:  Day 9: 3 Workshops

Tues. 4/2:    Day 10: Visit from editor Jason Zuzga + Publishing Discussion

                           NOTE: Class will take place via Zoom

Assignment due:     Three questions for the editor

               Readings due:        Selections from Fence

Tues. 4/9:   Day 11: 3 Workshops

Tues. 4/16:  Day 12: 2 Workshops + Revision Discussion

Tues. 4/23: NO CLASS (Spring Break)

Tues. 4/30: NO CLASS (Spring Break)

Tues. 5/7     Day 13: 3 Workshops

Tues. 5/14: Day 14: 3 Workshops

Fri. 5/17:     Strongly Preferred Deadline for FINAL PORTFOLIOS

due via email to HPhillips@brooklyn.cuny.edu by midnight

Tues. 5/21:  Exam Period: Celebration & Writer’s Life Discussion

Reading due: “The Writer’s Process” Hallie Cantor

“How Not To Write Your First Novel” L. Grossman        

Tues. 5/21: Absolute Final Deadline for FINAL PORTFOLIOS

due via email to HPhillips@brooklyn.cuny.edu by noon