Creative Writing: Fringes of Society

Creative Writing: Fringes of Society will introduce students to Katherine Dunn's surrealist, eccentric, absurdist novel, Geek Love published in 1989. By considering the themes of this particular story--family, identity, capitalism, gender roles, patriarchy, and ultimately love--we will explore the fantastical world of a family on a quest that defies societal norms and common morality. Students will craft their own story using selected motifs and symbols as story guides. We will examine the concept of "normal," "ethical," and "self-acceptance" as related to the novel's characters and through this idea found in Geek Love: "I get glimpses of the horror of normalcy. Each of these innocents on the street is engulfed by a terror of their own ordinariness. They would do anything to be unique." The course will be focused on literature, reading reflections, small group work, and student led seminars for the beginning half and the last half will focus on creative writing prompts, story boards, in class discussions, creative writing projects, and class presentations. Class meets Thursdays 1pm - 4pm | 75% in person and 25% remote (hybrid). Content warning: Geek Love contains graphic descriptions of carnal human realities, death, violence and more so please be advised to review the required reading before registering. 

Anticipated Credit Equivalencies:

2 - Literature: Fiction

2 - Creative Writing