Writing True : The Art and Craft of Creative Nonfiction

by Perl andSchwartz

• ISBN13: 9780618370757
• ISBN10: 0618370757
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-09-01
• Publisher: Heinle

Summary

This innovative book teaches students how to write informative and engaging nonfiction that emphasizes voice and creativity and incorporates observation, research, memory, and point of view. Writing True serves as a valuable core textbook or a supplement for any creative writing or composition course with an emphasis on creative nonfiction. A solid pedagogical approach shows students how to be true to capturing the real world with integrity and creativity. The first part of the book, "Writing Creative Nonfiction," offers ten chapters of practical guidance, skill-building exercises, and ideas to help writers develop their creativity. The second part of the book, "Reading Creative Nonfiction," contains an anthology divided into Memoir, Personal Essay, Portrait, Essay of Place, and Literary Journalism. Selections include works by Nora Ephron, Tracy Kidder, Eric Liu, David Sedaris, and other well-known masters of the creative nonfiction genre. The anthology also includes a section entitled "Stories of Craft," with four prominent writers, including John Irving and Sue Miller, describing the challenges and rewards of writing creative nonfiction.

Table of Contents

Preface	xi
About the Authors	xix
Part One Writing Creative Nonfiction	1	(178)
Why Creative Nonfiction?	2	(18)
Nonfiction Plus	4	(5)
An Umbrella Term	9	(1)
The Subgenres	10	(4)
Ways In . . .	14	(6)
The Power of the Notebook	20	(13)
Forgetting about Correctness	22	(1)
Recording Plenty of Details	23	(1)
Capturing the Small Moments	24	(1)
Writing to Surprise Yourself	25	(1)
Exploring ``How It Felt to Me''	26	(1)
Gathering New Information	27	(2)
Adding Visuals	29	(1)
Experimenting with High-Tech Approaches	29	(1)
Ways In . . .	30	(3)
Ten Ways to a Draft	33	(13)
Rereading the Notebook	34	(1)
Freelisting	34	(2)
Line Starters	36	(1)
Memory Chain	37	(1)
Clustering	38	(1)
Using Photographs	39	(2)
Mapmaking	41	(1)
Doing Personal Search	42	(1)
Making a Timeline	42	(2)
A Guide to Felt Sense	44	(1)
What's Next?	44	(1)
Ways In . . .	45	(1)
Taking Shape	46	(18)
The Power of Rereading	48	(2)
Scene, Summary, and Reflection	50	(3)
A Word About Riffs	53	(1)
A Repertoire of Forms	54	(4)
More on the Segmented Essay	58	(3)
Ways In . . .	61	(3)
Finding Voice	64	(21)
Who Am I in This Story?	67	(1)
The Voice of Innocence Versus the Voice of Experience	68	(1)
Other Duets of Self	69	(2)
Where Does ``I'' Stand?	71	(2)
The Need for Outside Voices	73	(2)
How to Find the ``Right'' Voice	75	(1)
A Question of Authenticity	76	(1)
Ways In . . .	77	(8)
Twenty Ways to Talk About Creative Nonfiction	80	(5)
Workshopping a Draft	85	(21)
Starting Out in a Writing Group	86	(1)
Active Listening	87	(2)
Beyond Active Listening	89	(1)
A Writing Group at Work	90	(3)
Principles for Responding	93	(4)
The Rhythm of a Writing Group	97	(4)
After Three or Four Meetings	101	(1)
Editing Groups	101	(1)
Variations on Group Work	102	(1)
Responding as a Social Act	103	(1)
Ways In . . .	104	(2)
The Craft of Revision	106	(23)
The Situation and the Story	107	(2)
Picasso's Bulls	109	(1)
Knowing Your Writing and Rewriting Style	110	(3)
Revision for Better---or Worse	113	(2)
Three Versions of One Opening	115	(1)
The Rewriter's Concerns	116	(6)
The Rewriter's Toolbox	122	(3)
Revision in Action	125	(3)
Ways In . . .	128	(1)
A Lighter Touch --- or Other Ways to Tell a Story	129	(14)
The Role of Humor	131	(2)
Visual Attractions	133	(6)
Options in Multi-Media	139	(1)
Multi-Genre Pieces	140	(1)
A Word of Caution	141	(1)
Ways In . . .	141	(2)
The Role of Research	143	(20)
Become a Researcher, Whatever the Subject	145	(3)
Writing So the Seams Don't Show	148	(2)
How Much Is Enough?	150	(3)
A Word About Plagiarism	153	(1)
Seven Ways to Gather Information	154	(6)
Some Final Words	160	(1)
Ways In . . .	160	(3)
The Ethics of Creative Nonfiction	163	(16)
The Intent to Write True	164	(2)
Emotional Truth Versus Factual Truth	166	(1)
Selection and Omission	167	(2)
Where's the Line on Storytelling Techniques?	169	(3)
What We Owe Our Readers	172	(2)
Writing About Family	174	(2)
Writing About Everyone Else	176	(1)
What the Law Says	177	(1)
One Last Word	177	(1)
Ways In . . .	178	(1)
Part Two Reading Creative Nonfiction	179	(197)
A Preface to Our Anthology	180	(2)
Memoir	182	(36)
``Independence Day, Manley Hot Springs, Alaska''	183	(8)
Lisa Chavez
``Somehow Form a Family''	191	(9)
Tony Earley
``A Few Words About Breasts''	200	(8)
Nora Ephron
``Let It Snow''	208	(2)
David Sedaris
``Beauty: When the Other Dancer Is the Self''	210	(8)
Alice Walker
Personal Essay	218	(45)
``Chimera''	219	(8)
Gerald N. Callahan
``Being Brians''	227	(7)
Brian Doyle
``Notes of a Native Speaker''	234	(3)
Eric Liu
``Under the Influence''	237	(13)
Scott Russell Sanders
``Warring Memories''	250	(5)
Kandi Tayebi
``Snakebit''	255	(8)
Connie Wieneke
Portrait	263	(21)
from The Winged Seed	264	(7)
Li-Young Lee
``Dinner at Uncle Boris''	271	(4)
Charles Simic
``The Miss Dennis School of Writing''	275	(5)
Alice Steinbach
``Going to the Movies''	280	(4)
Susan Allen Toth
Essay of Place	284	(19)
``Island''	285	(2)
Gretel Ehrlich
``Living al Chuco''	287	(2)
Dagoberto Gilb
``Moments of Being: An Antarctic Quintet''	289	(9)
Gretchen Legler
``The Port Authority''	298	(5)
Colson Whitehead
Literary Journalism	303	(23)
``Do Doctors Eat Brains?''	304	(5)
Anne Fadiman
from Among Schoolchildren	309	(5)
Tracy Kidder
``Meet the Shaggs''	314	(12)
Susan Orlean
Stories of Craft	326	(37)
``Memory and Imagination''	327	(11)
Patricia Hampl
``The Art of Interruption''	338	(2)
Steven Harvey
``From a Lecture on Revision''	340	(13)
Sue Miller
``The Writer as Professional Eavesdropper''	353	(10)
Kim Stafford
Short Shorts	363	(13)
``Roommates''	364	(2)
Max Apple
``Tino & Papi''	366	(1)
Norma Elia Cantu
``Lost''	367	(2)
Elizabeth Danson
Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight	369	(1)
Alexander Fuller
``Rain''	370	(1)
Kathleen Norris
``Water''	371	(3)
Maureen Stanton
``Buzzard''	374	(2)
Bailey White
Notes on Contributors for Writing True	376	(7)
Appendix: Resources to Know About	383	(7)
Index	390