Autobiography
NEW! Last Updated: 11/11/2009
Spring quarter
Faculty: Steve Blakeslee writing, literature
Major areas of study include writing and 20th-century literature.
Class Standing: Sophomores or above; transfer students welcome.
Prerequisites: A command of standard written English.
CRN: 30252
Note: This 8-credit program will meet from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays.
“Could a greater miracle take place,” writes Henry David Thoreau, “than for us to look through each other’s eyes for an instant?” This program will approach autobiography (literally, “self-life-writing”) as a powerful way to make sense of human experience, particularly in times, places, and social and political settings that differ from our own. In seminars, students will delve into the rich and intricate issues of memory, authority, persona, and truth that face every self-portraying writer. In “writing marathons,” they will learn to write freely and fearlessly about their memories, thoughts, and emotions. Finally, students will develop substantial memoir-essays of their own.
Credits: 8 per quarter
Enrollment: 25
Program is preparatory for careers and future studies in writing, humanities, and education.
Planning Units: Culture, Text and Language, 8-12 Credit Programs