Re: writers on the list
Prufrock33@aol.com
Sat, 18 Jul 1998 16:33:35 -0400 (EDT)
In a message dated 7/18/1998 1:19:53 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
ccline@uclink4.berkeley.edu writes:
<<
By the way, what do you Bananafish people think about creative writing
classes? I took one for about two weeks at Berkeley. It was led by a
distinguished writer, but I found the class to be a waste of time. I
infinitely preferred a class that I'd taken a couple years back, which
was led by a less acclaimed author. Maybe I was just less inhibited
then.
>>
I am somewhat biased here. I actually have an English major with a
concentration on Creative Writing. I am considering an MFA and, hopefully,
teaching some courses. I have taken only one class. It was a Poetry workshop
and I have to admit it was not all I had hoped for in something of that sort.
My professor was the editor of a small literary magazine, "Wind", if you have
heard of it, and she was a lovely woman, but... I don't know, the class didn't
flame me or anything. I found there was very little comrardie among the
students, and most of the assignments were quite unoriginal and not very
thought-provoking. The expectations were low and the workload was light. I
have been wishing to take a Fiction course with a great writer, Gurney Norman,
but I can never seem to fit it into my schedule. So I am not quite sure the
difference between taking a course with a very experienced writer, or say,
well-known, then one that is not.
I have difficulty with the whole idea of those classes. I suppose it is
because I am not one too good with direction (Angie's official downfall).
Maybe if I end up at Berekley for Grad School you can let me in on a few to
take...
Angie