ENCW 303 - Writing Our Obsessions and Desires

CR: 3
Prerequisite: ENCW 101 or a 200-level ENCW course. Many writers explore their obsessions, but how does one turn an obsession into art? This course will explore how different nonfiction writers use obsession and desire as avenues for discovery, how writing on the same subject from different angles can lead to revelation, and how writers can use deep immersion in one topic as a structural device. Students will write both analytical and creative work. Writers whose works will be read include Maggie Nelson, Roland Barthes, Lia Purpura, Van Gogh (letters), Susan Sontag, Lidia Yuknavitch, Susan Stewart, Anne Carson, and David Lazar. III.W, V.2, V.6b