ENGL789 Form and Theory in Fiction: I-Novels, Auto-fiction, and the Role of the Self in Fiction

What is the role of the self in fiction and how do investigations of the self shape a novel's form? How does an author's investigations of race, gender, and identity shape formal choices? How do different cultural understandings of the self recast the role of the author in fiction? How do we read and analyze novels differently when we believe they are "true"? Though many novels contain autobiographical elements, in this course we will focus on consciously-autobiographical novels and novels that purposefully engage with how conceptions of the self shape the author-reader relationship. Authors will include: Leslie Marmon Silko, Alexander Chee, Jamaica Kincaid, Marie NDiaye, Ruth Ozeki, Takashi Hiraide, and Jordy Rosenberg. Rather than trying to narrow and categorize this genre/s, we will consider the expansive qualities of these questions and how examining the role of the self in contemporary literature might be generative for both a creative and critical practice. This course is designed for MFA fiction writers and open to all English graduate students.

Section(s):
0101 -  Gabrielle Fuentes