Link to "City Visit" by Adam Haslett

Here is a link to the story I mentioned at the end of our discussion of Jill's story today.

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2005/08/city-visit/304123/

Upcoming Events

I hope you can make one of these upcoming events.  

Thursday 11 April, 1:30 pm, Troy Moore LIbrary: GSU Alumni Homecoming

Three former GSU students will read/discuss their work. 

http://workshop.gsu.edu/events.php

Thursday 11 April, 7:30 pm, Rialto Theater Lobby: Five Points Anniversary Celebration

Register to Attend Here:

http://www.eventbrite.com/event/1256463115/eivtefrnd

Thursday 18 April, 1:00 pm, Troy Moore Library: Undergraduate Reading

Reminder about Thursday's events

This is a reminder about Thursday's Colson Whitehead events.  The craft talk is at 1:30 in the Troy Moore Library, and the reading is at 7:30 pm.  The craft talk is only open to GSU students in CW classes or in the CW program, but the reading is open to the public, so bring your friends!  You can earn extra credit for attending either one or both of the events and writing a one page reflection for each event.  

Again, the link to reserve a ticket for the reading is below.

http://colsonwhiteheadatgsu.eventbrite.com/

Sample Critique

Dear Sally,

I really like the way the narrator describes the house she used to live in with all of her friends.  Your descriptions are really good, and I get a sense that this was a time in the narrator's life that was really important to her.

Another thing I love about the story is the nostalgic, bittersweet tone.  To me, the tension in the story relies on the difference between the ad and the narrator’s memories, and the narrator now and then.  The ad cannot do the house justice; nor can the narrator truly recapture that time in her life. 

You tell us in the end of the story that the narrator eventually got her own place.  I wish I had a little better idea of what the narrator is like now.  Where and who is the narrator now?  How did she come across this ad?  Maybe if the narrator's character was more developed the ending would make more sense, because right now I don't feel like it resolves the conflict in the story.  

I don't have a good sense of the characters.  There are a lot of different characters in this story, and I have a hard time keeping them separate from one another.  I have a hard time separating one character's voice from another when they are talking.  

I really love what you’re doing here, and I look forward to seeing how it continues to develop.  Great job. 

How Important is a Consideration of the Reader When You're Writing?

Today NPR's All Things Considered included a very interesting story about how much writers consider the reader while writing.  I thought you all would enjoy the story since we considered the same question in class.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2013/01/28/170296373/e-readers-track-how-we-read-but-is-the-data-useful-to-authors

Workshop Schedule

February

Thursday 7 February: Workshop #1. Jharine & Romain. Workshop stories due.  Creative Exercise #6 Due. 

Tuesday 12 February: Workshop #2.  Mary & Chris. Workshop stories due.

Thursday 14 February: Workshop #3. Brooke & Peter. Workshop stories due.

Tuesday 19 February: Workshop #4. Joe & Patrick.  Workshop stories due.

Thursday 21 February: Workshop #5. Chelsey & Jill.  Workshop stories due.

Tuesday 26 February: Workshop #6. Elizabeth & Allyssa.  Workshop stories due.

Thursday 28 February: Workshop #7. Laura & Sofia.  Workshop stories due.

March

Tuesday 5 March: Workshop #8. Jennifer & Jalisa.  Workshop stories due.

Thursday 7 March: Workshop #9. Golda & Mo.  Workshop stories due.

Tuesday 12 March: Workshop #10. Yumiko & Jharine.  Workshop stories due.

Thursday 14 March: Workshop #11. Romain & Mary.  Workshop stories due.

Tuesday 19 March and Thursday 21 March: SPRING BREAK

Tuesday 26 March: Workshop #12. Chris & Brooke. Workshop stories due.

Thursday 28 March: Workshop #13. Peter & Joe.  Workshop stories due.

April

Tuesday 2 April: Workshop #14. Patrick & Chelsey.  Workshop stories due.

Thursday 4 April: Workshop #15. Jill & Elizabeth.  Workshop stories due.

Tuesday 9 April: Workshop #16. Allyssa & Laura.  Workshop stories due.

Thursday 11 April: Workshop #17. Sofia & Jennifer. Workshop stories due.

Tuesday 16 April: Workshop #18. Jalisa & Golda.  Workshop stories due.

Thursday 18 April: Workshop #19. Mo & Yumiko.  Workshop stories due.

Tuesday 23 April: Optional Conferences.

Thursday 25 April: Last day of class. 

Final Portfolios due via email to cnadon1@gsu.edu by 1 pm Monday 29 April.

Here's a link to reserve Colson Whitehead tickets:

http://colsonwhiteheadatgsu.eventbrite.com/