Three Genres The Writing of Literary Prose, Poems and Plays

by Minot, Stephen; Thiel, Diane

• ISBN13: 9780205012756
• ISBN10: 0205012752
• Edition: 9th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-01-27
• Publisher: Pearson

Summary

Three Genresgives students a basic introduction to fiction/ literary nonfiction, poetry, and drama and helps them to develop their creative skills in each area.#xA0; Each genre section is self-contained and includes complete works as examples along with helpful advice about how to draw on the variety of techniques they use.#xA0; The style is informal, practical, and positive.#xA0; Minot and Thiel encourage students to draw on their own experiences and develop skills on their own.

Author Biography

About Stephen Minot

 

Stephen Minot, Professor Emeritus of the Creative Writing Department at the University of California, Riverside, has taught creative writing for over thirty years.  Over the span of his very successful career, Professor Minot authored three novels, two collections of short stories, and three textbooks including Reading Fiction and Literary Nonfiction, The Fourth Genre.  His short stories have appeared in a variety of magazines and literary quarterlies including The Atlantic, Harpers, The Kenyon Review, The Virginia Quarterly Review, and the Sewanee Review, just to name a few.  Professor Minot’s work has also appeared in the O. Henry Prize Stories collection and The Best American Short Stories.  He is also the recipient of the Atlantic First Award, the Saxton Memorial Fellowship, and the National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship for writing.  Professor Minot and Virginia, his wife, split their time between California and Maine.   

 

 About Diane Thiel

 

Diane Thiel is the author of eight books of poetry, nonfiction and creative writing pedagogy, including Echolocations, Resistance Fantasies,  Winding Roads: Exercises in Writing Creative Nonfiction, Cross Roads: Creative Writing in Four Genres, and Open Roads: Exercises in Writing Poetry.  Thiel’s translation of Alexis Stamatis’s novel, American Fugue, received an NEA Award.  Her work appears in many journals, is re-printed in over fifty anthologies, and has been translated widely.  She has received numerous awards, such as the PEN Translation, Robert Frost, and Robinson Jeffers Awards, and was a Fulbright Scholar.  Thiel has taught creative writing for twenty years and is a Professor at the University of New Mexico.

 

Table of Contents

Preface for Students	p. xi
Preface for Teachers	p. xiv
About the Authors	p. xvii
Telling a Story: Literary Nonfiction/ Fiction	p. 1
Literary Nonfiction	p. 1
True Experience: ôKilling Chickensö	p. 5
Nonfiction in a Reflective Mood: ôUnwiredö	p. 10
Impressions of a Real Place: ôOn Leaving Floridaö	p. 15
ôWestbury Courtö	p. 23
Creating Your Own Literary Nonfiction	p. 27
Fiction	p. 34
Fiction: The Freedom to Invent	p. 34
Finding and Shaping Fresh Material	p. 43
ôEscapesö: A Story	p. 54
Viewpoint: Who's Seeing This?	p. 61
ôRwandaö: A Story	p. 69
The Making of a Story	p. 78
Structure: From Scenes to Plot	p. 84
ôA Simple Matter of Hungerö: A Story	p. 92
Creating Tension	p. 102
Setting: Where am I?	p. 108
ôObst Vwö: A Story	p. 114
Dialogue: The Illusion of Speech	p. 122
Characterization: Creating Credible People	p. 129
Liberating the Imagination	p. 139
Three Flashes of Fiction:	p. 148
ôThe Bank Robberyö: A Story	p. 149
ôStockingsö: A Story	p. 151
ôGirlö: A Story	p. 152
Heightened Meaning: Metaphor, Symbol, and Theme	p. 154
ôGotta Danceö: A Story	p. 163
Style and Tone	p. 167
Five Ways to Open Up a Story	p. 178
Troubleshooting Guide: Fiction	p. 182
The Writing of Poetry	p. 187
What Makes a Poem a Poem?	p. 187
Plunging In: A Selection of Poems	p. 197
ôDesignö	p. 199
ôWinter Oceanö	p. 199
ôTraveling through the Darkö	p. 200
ôThe Giftö	p. 200
ôAnger Sweetenedö	p. 201
ôSonnet 29ö	p. 202
ôWhat the Mirror Saidö	p. 202
ôAfter Springö	p. 203
ôHaikuö	p. 203
ôAlways the One Who Loves His Father Mostö	p. 204
ôThis Winter Dayö	p. 204
ôOn a Maine Beachö	p. 205
ôIs It Well-Lighted, Papa?ö	p. 205
ôThe Wakingö	p. 206
ôCoast to Coastö	p. 207
ôBuffalo Bill'sö	p. 208
ôMorning Swimö	p. 208
ôBilingual/Bilingüeö	p. 209
ôA Martian Sends a Postcard Homeö	p. 210
ôThe Pardonö	p. 211
ôBalancesö	p. 212
ôRhymes for Old Ageö	p. 213
ôNames of Horsesö	p. 214
ôShe Had Some Horsesö	p. 215
ôFamousö	p. 216
ôA Secret Lifeö	p. 217
ôMysteryö	p. 218
ôThe Paradise of Wingsö	p. 219
ôNuclear Winterö	p. 220
ôThe Mapmaker's Daughterö	p. 220
Sources: Where Poems Come From	p. 223
The Impact of Images	p. 232
Using the Sound of Language	p. 243
Traditional Rhythms	p. 252
Stanzas: A Choice of Fixed Forms	p. 262
Free Verse: Creating Unique Forms	p. 272
A Sense of Order	p. 282
Varieties of Tone	p. 290
Finding the Form: A Revision Narrative with Exercises	p. 298
ôMemento Mori in Middle Schoolö	p. 302
Poems for Self-Study	p. 305
ôGrandmotherö	p. 306
ôIndian Country Againö
ôIntransitiveö	p. 307
ôBurning the Lettersö	p. 308
ôTo Those Who Are Programming Computers to Produce Poetryö	p. 309
ôShort-order Cookö	p. 309
ôCalifornia Hills in Augustö	p. 310
ôShakespearean Sonnetö	p. 311
ôMaiden Voyagesö	p. 311
ôDog Biteö	p. 312
ôGoing Bananasö	p. 313
ôWhat Lips My Lips Have Kissedö	p. 314
ôThe Afterlifeö	p. 314
ôLot's Wivesö	p. 315
ôAutobiography of an Immigrantö	p. 316
ôRockin' a Man, Stone Blindö	p. 317
ôLove Song for Chloeö	p. 317
Troubleshooting Guide: Poetry	p. 319
The Writing of Drama	p. 323
Drama: A Live Performance	p. 323
Hello Out There: A Play	p. 328
The Dramatic Plot	p. 340
Recokoning: A Play	p. 348
Conflict: Generating Emotional impact	p. 355
Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda: A Play	p. 363
The Nonrealistic Play	p. 368
Dramatic Charaterization	p. 376
Visual Impact	p. 383
The Voices of Comedy	p. 394
Dramatic Themes	p. 400
Five Dramatic Exercises	p. 408
Troubleshooting Guide: Drama	p. 409
Appendices
Submitting Work for Publication	p. 412
Resources for Writers	p. 419
Credits	p. 427
Glossary-Index	p. 430
Index of Authors and Titles	p. 445
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