Unit 1: TIME
Tuesday, January 25th
Introduction to each other and course
Read: Syllabus, excerpt from Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott, post to the blog with an excerpt from your favorite creative nonfiction for discussion
Thursday, January 27th
Continue introductions, class schedule
Reading discussion: Observation (& broccoli), favorite readings
Intro. to Winter short
Read: “The Pond in Winter” by HD Thoreau, “Winter” by Larry Sill, “Good Use for Bad Weather” by Donald Hall, & “Snow” by Jon Haines
Dress warm for Tuesday!
Tuesday, February 1st
Reading discussion: descriptive writing & sensory details
Writing outside
Share writing outside exercise, discuss details
Watch: Treeline, directed by Jordan Manley, read “Poems about Trees” by K. Silem Mohammad,
(& “Hermann Hesse on What Trees Teach Us About Belonging and Life”), blog post
Thursday, February 3rd
Winter short due (Friday)
Reading discussion: form/style. film, deconstruction & generated texts
Make a valentine: generated poems & letters
Introduce Timeline
Read: “Of Memoir & Memory” by Robert Atwan & excerpt from Becoming by Michelle Obama
Tuesday, February 8th
Reading discussion: memoir & memory
In-class work on essays
Read: excerpts from The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr & Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? by Jeanette Winterson, blog post
Thursday, February 10th
Reading discussion: reconstructing memory
Read & watch: “Adventures in Depression” by Allie Brosh & excerpt from How to Ruin Everything by George Watsky (& Ted Talk: Lucky)
Tuesday, February 15th
Reading discussion: multimodal memoir
In-class work on essays
Rough draft for Thursday
Optional conferences
Read & watch: “My Father, Out to Sea” by Jaed Coffin & Ted Talk: "How long does it take to become an American?", blog post
Thursday, February 17th
Reading discussion: the medium for the message
Workshop rough draft/revisions
Publishing timelines to blog
Listen: Podcast: “Bars, Blood, & Boxing in Southeast Alaska”
Tuesday, February 22nd
Timeline due (post to blog)
Sound & voices
Introduction to audio essays & technology
Listen & read: War of the Worlds by Orson Welles & “The ‘War of the Worlds’ Radio Broadcast was a Magnificent Fluke” by A. Brad Schwartz & Audacity tutorial
Thursday, February 24th
Reading discussion: memoir, identity & voice
Interview activity/practice audacity
Listen: The Moth Playlist: “Stranger than Fiction”
Tuesday, March 1st
Reading discussion: meaningful… & funny?
Adding sound effects, music
In-class work on drafts
Listen: Podcast, Storycorps or This I Believe(s) of your choice, blog post
Thursday, March 3rd
Reading discussion: audio & emotion
Sign up for conferences
Read: excerpts from And Here’s the Kicker, “How to Write Better using Humor” by Leigh Anne Jasheway & “7 Ways to Become a Master Humor Writer When You Don’t Think You Have a Funnybone” by Sarah Cy
Tuesday, March 8th
Conferences
Reading discussion: Humor & voice
Work on audio essays
Read & listen: Excerpt from Wow, No Thank You: “We Almost Got a Fucking Dog” by Samantha Irby &“The Loft’s Wordplay: Samantha Irby reads ‘Ghost’”
Thursday, March 10th
Workshop audio essays/revision
Read & listen: interview with Samantha Irby & blog: "Bitches Gotta Eat" (& Irby on "And Just Like That" hate)
March 14-18 Spring Break!!!
Unit 2: SPACE
Tuesday, March 22nd
Audio essay due
Presentations
Reading discussion: Samantha Irby, self-deprecating humor, & blogs
Read: “You’re so brave for wearing clothes and not hating yourself by Lindy West," “Hollywood Summer” by Samantha Irby, &My Body a Wunderkammer by Shelley Jackson
Thursday, March 24th
(Presentations cont.)
Reading discussion: perspective & adaptation (& body image)
Watch Shrill scene in class
Read & watch: excerpts from Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay, “Un/Tied Shoes” by Evie Ruddy & Tracey Lebedovich, & The Problem that Has No Name by Hannah Bonner, blog post
Tuesday, March 29th
In-class perspective exercise
Share exercise, discuss narrative/characterization
Watch: opening to Stranger than Fiction & excerpt from Sherlock Holmes, Perspective from Inside a Character, blog post
Thursday, March 31st
Perspective short due Friday!
Introduce Humans
Portraits discussion with UNH Art Museum
Read: Humans of New York TBA, The Art of an Effective Interview with Brandon Stanton
Tuesday, April 5th
Reading discussion: Visual rhetoric and interviews
In-class work on essays
Read: Humans of New York of your choice, blog post
Thursday, April 7th
Discussion: Connection in covid times, what are we writing & why?
Introduction of final project
Rough draft for Tuesday
Watch & play: "How to be at Home", otherlyseries (instagram (in stories)), & Way to Go
Tuesday, April 12th
Workshop Humans rough draft/revisions
Bring images/text for platform tutorials Thursday!
Interact: Yesterday Today Tomorrow, Infinite Worries Bash
& Unjustly Exposed
Thursday, April 14th
Humans essay due Friday (post to blog & Instagram)
Reading discussion: games or literature?
Final projects: Space, the final frontier!
Platform options and introductions
Read & interact: “What is Immersive Storytelling? The Frontier of Virtual Reality,” Bubble & This is Not a Good Sign (both on mobile device)
Topic proposals due (via email)
Tuesday, April 19th
Reading discussion: interactivity and immersion
In-class work on projects
Read & Watch: Ted Talk: “How Virtual Reality Can Create the Ultimate Empathy Machine” by Chris Milk, Clouds Over Sidra, & Bashir’s Dream, blog post
Thursday, April 21st
Reading discussion: VR & empathy
Work on projects
Sign up for workshop & conferences
Experience: Motto & Agence & V(R)ses
Tuesday, April 26th
Reading discussion: reflection/the past & future of storytelling
Work on projects/ posting drafts
Workshop & conferences
Thursday, April 28th
Work on project revisions
Workshop & conferences
Tuesday, May 3rd
Presentations & discussion
last blog post!
Thursday, May 5th
Last day of class!
Presentations & discussion
Blog recap!
Space essay final revisions due by Thursday, May 12th