ENG 470-3 Creative Writing—Poetry

Winter 2018              Monday 11:30 – 2:20

Instructor: Robert Budde                                                    phone: 960-6693

Office: ADMIN 3016                                                             email: rbudde@unbc.ca

Course Description

Writing has the power to invent the world over again. It enchants, stimulates, motivates, informs and delights us. But the act of writing is acraft that must be developed like any other craft and, because of the powerof the written word, carries a great deal of responsibility with it.

In this course we will be studying the tremendous variety of tools

poets have at their disposal. At the same time, I will be providing the students with a language to describe the elements of writing to better understand the dynamics of what they are producing. While we focus on the various forms of poetry, my intent will be to give each writer in the class the freedom to expand their writing "tool box" with the assumption that a more versatile writer is a better writer. Working individually, in small groups, and as a class, we will be exploring our goals and strengths as writers and, at the same time, I will be attempting to open up new possibilities for poetic expression. The class will be part lecture, part group work, part workshopping and will be flexible depending to a large extent on the composition, needs, and inclination of the group. We will be discussing the elements of poetry, practicing the conventions of the form, working on guided projects, and looking at examples of published work. I will also be inviting a variety of published poets into the class to read and discuss their work

Given the studio course structure of this class, I will be able to work with students one-on-one and address each poet as a unique artist developing their art. Keep in mind that this is a 4^th year class and I will be demanding a high level of commitment and effort from you. The ultimate goal of the course is to have students producing publishable poetry.

Ultimately, I hope students will leave the class with a stronger sense of

themselves as writers and, by extension, a stronger sense of themselves.

Required Texts

None. I will be bringing in examples of contemporary poetry to discuss and assigning individualized reading lists as the course progresses.

Assignments/Evaluation

Exercises (4 pp x 3) ----------------------------------  30%

Poet Presentation ------------------------------------   20%

Draft (12 pp) --------------------------------------------  20%

Finished chapbook (36 pp) ------------------------- 30%

While there is no participation grade, attendance and involvement in the class activities (workshop, presentations, etc.) is crucial to your overall success in the class. Because this is a 4^th-year studio class, you are required to let me and the rest of your peers know if you have to miss a class.

Exercises: These will be exercises to strengthen poetry-writing awareness and skills. #1 will be a review of poetry in a contemporary literary magazine. #2 will be an imitation of a contemporary poet I will assign you. The last (#3) will be chosen by the student from a list of possible exercises.

Poet Presentation: This is to be a 20-minute presentation to introduce the class to a contemporary poet’s poetry and poetics. The evaluation will be on both the content (research) and the effectiveness (pedagogy) of the presentation. I don’t want biographical information here but more a discussion of the poet’s work.

Draft: This will be a collection of your writing outside of class as you employ the various tools we discuss in class. I will be looking for around 12 pages here.

Finished Collection: This final project will extend the “draft,” include editing work, and represent a finished, unified collection. This finished piece will be a well-conceived and carefully designed “chapbook” (or website, if you consult with me first). I will be expecting the equivalent of at least 36 pages here. As an introduction to the collection I will want a short “poetics statement” of 1 page.

Deadline Policy: A 5% per day (including weekend days) late penalty will be assessed to papers handed in after the due date without prior permission. 

If there are students in this course who, because of a disability, may have a need for special academic accommodations, please come and discuss this with me, and/or contact the UNBC Access Resource Centre.

**********Plagiarism:  This is a serious offense so if you are unsure whether or not you are plagiarizing in your writing, consult the university calendar or see me before you complete the assignment. Handing in creative work previously submitting in an academic setting is considered plagiarism; please come see me if you want to work on previously written work.