Upenn Creative Writing

This seminar-style course is designed for students interested in experimenting with both memoir and fiction, and is appropriate for any level of experience, from curious beginners to accomplished writers. This workshop-style course will serve as an introduction to writing across a wide breadth of genres, including (but not limited to) fiction, poetry, and essays.There will be weekly reading assignments with short response papers and weekly creative prompts, which will be workshopped in a collaborative, supportive setting. Students will craft their own original pieces in this community-based classroom, where we will read and comment on each other’s work.How do we decide what to include and how do we justify what we exclude?

Much of this workshop will be spent on the “I” character.

How do we portray ourselves, both when we’re at the center of our stories and when we’re on the edges looking in?

We'll read some essays that are built along traditional lines (chronological, logical, etc.) and some that are segmented and nonlinear.

You’ll write several essays, drawing from your experience in idiosyncratic and unpredictable ways.

This course is designed both for students who have little background in science and for science and pre-med students who want to become stronger writers.

Through a series of readings, writing activities, and workshops, we will explore the art of navigating health and medical research, crafting our own original pieces of reporting.To find out more information or to register, call 215-662-6968 or email Sandy. Registration is required for this free program Two monthly sessions.Do you ever consider questions like: "What is my legacy? " This may include your life story, memories, dreams, or the values you live by.In addition to writing assignments throughout the semester, students will complete a final portfolio of approximately fifteen pages of revised work.Anyone who follows health and medical news knows the problem: today's breaking headlines are flipped on their head tomorrow.The class is structured along familiar discussion/workshop designs.You’ll be responsible for presenting your work periodically, and for responding to the work of others in writing and in class. The Writing a Life program is in partnership with the Kelly Writers House at the University of Pennsylvania. Write a poem, a letter, or embark on a journey to write about your life story.In this workshop we’ll explore fiction and creative nonfiction using nontraditional techniques including nonlinear segments, multiple voices, found texts, and more.We’ll dig into readings from a wide range of sources, from Sei Shōnagon’s 10th century Pillow Book through George Saunders’s 2017 novel, Lincoln in the Bardo.