Readings in Fiction: First Books

3 Credits.

In this course, we’ll read first novels and story collections from established and new writers, and discuss what distinguishes these books, and how they establish a singular vision and voice. What makes these debuts so noteworthy? What do these first-time authors demonstrate in terms of artistry and vision, craft and technique? And how do they, as novelist Ayana Mathis says, “articulate the inarticulable” and demonstrate a “distinct singularity of the mind?” As writers working on your own first books, our discussions will hopefully raise questions and concerns relevant to your material, vision, and process.