Lives in Brief

Semester and Year	SP 2010
Course Number	WRTNG-UG1026
Section	001
Instructor	Christopher Bram
Days	Fri
Time	9:30 AM - 12:15 PM
Units	4.0
Level	U
Foundation Requirement

Notes/Restrictions

SNY

Description

This course provides grounding in how to create short, compelling biographies of intriguing people. We will explore the form by reading examples drawn from classical and contemporary literature, discuss research methods including the use of archival sources and interviews, and investigate the techniques of various writers. Students will write two short papers and one long one using different approaches to biography, including one based on interviews. Readings include Eminent Victorians by Lytton Strachey, The Silent Woman by Janet Malcolm, Footsteps by Richard Holmes, and profiles by Lawrence Weschler, Susan Orlean, and others.

Course Type

Advanced Writing Courses (WRTNG-UG)