AustLit

Memoir is a flourishing creative non-fiction genre. This course explores a selection of contemporary memoirs - reading as writers - and also develops creative writing competencies. Critical examination of contemporary texts will focus both on content and the sociological attractions of memoirs, as well as the forms and techniques authors use to shape story, considering the interrelationships of technical and thematic concerns. Theoretical and critical issues such as ethics, and authenticity, will also be surveyed. Because the elastic characteristics of the novel can now be found in non-fiction, craft workshops will be devoted to developing creative skills particular to the memoirist. The guided writing workshops aim to strengthen s tudent's skills in areas such as accessing confessional material, 'capturing' content, writing about place, structuring narratives, conducting research and interviews, and how to deal with ethical issues in writing about subjects.