Course Offerings

Poetry 

In this workshop, students will explore written and spoken language which combines imagery and rhythm as it expresses understandings of truth. With close guidance and response, the emphasis will be on discovery and communication. Students will learn from tradition and innovation, read and write daily, have the option to share their work aloud: as Ezra Pound said, “make it new.” Participants will immerse themselves in the power of words as they look at the world and make art from it for themselves and others. Discussion of work by a variety of published poets will augment carefully guided exercises to yield a portfolio of poems. Kathryn Howd Machan

Fiction 

American writer Saul Bellow said, “A writer is a reader moved to emulation.” You love curling up with a good short story or novel. Now you’re trying—or long to try—creating a captivating story of your own. When does a story begin? How do you construct a plot? Whose point of view should the story be told through? How do you create compelling and believable characters? Through readings, discussions, writing exercises, and workshops, this class will begin to answer these and other questions about the fundamentals of writing a great short story. Jack Wang

Graphic Narratives

In this class, students will read and analyze short graphic narratives and work on in-class exercises in drawing graphic stories. They will learn the techniques behind creating characters and writing and storyboarding comic scripts, working from rough to refined drafts. In-class exercises will include collaborating with other students on a one-page graphic story, and drafting and storyboarding a longer graphic narrative.  Students with interest and experience in comic drawing are welcome, but no previous instruction in drawing is required. Diane McPherson

Editing and Publishing

This course offers both instruction and experiential learning in literary editing and publishing. Students will learn the central place of editing in the practice of writing and will be introduced to a range of editorial skills in order to collaboratively produce a literary publication—from developing a guiding concept to soliciting creative work to launching it to an audience. For young writers curious about what happens “behind the scenes” of the books and magazines they love, this is a highly valuable crash course in the exciting world of publishing. Jim Stafford

Magazine Writing

Do you dream of writing for a travel or music magazine? How about a fashion, sports, environmental, gaming, or food publication? Or what about general news magazines like Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, or Atlantic Monthly? This course will give you an informed professional understanding of how the magazine world works and help you develop magazine-style writing skills. Lessons will focus on the analysis of different types of magazines and articles, as well as the fundamentals of researching, writing, and marketing your work. Sessions will include a mixture of lectures, discussions, informal presentations, in-class workshops, and possibly some reporting excursions. Nick Kowalczyk

Personal Essay

At Ithaca College, Personal Essay is one of our undergraduates’ favorite courses to take and one of our faculty’s favorite to teach. In this workshop, students are free to craft creative nonfiction about their deepest and most meaningful experiences, ideas, and feelings—leaving the dreaded five-paragraph essay in the dust. Students will learn how to use vivid detail, description, scenes, and dialogue to bring their autobiographical stories to life. As they work on developing their own style and voice, they will also consider what it means to write personal stories for a public audience, all while sharing their work with an intimate community of peers. Katie Marks