Strawberry Hills Forever
Erskineville
:
Local Consumption Publications
,
2007
Z1433102
2007
selected work
prose
short story
autobiography
(taught in 3 units)
An autobiographical almanac from the world of Vanessa Berry, drawn in part from her popular zines Laughter and the Sound of Teacups and I am a Camera. Berry's picaresque self takes pleasure in the anachronisms of daily life, and redefines the genre of memoir for the DIY generation. - back cover
Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to demonstrate
(1) a broad understanding of issues related to the shaping of the past in literature
(2) a detailed understanding of techniques involved in the construction of the self through memory and narrative
(3) core skills in written and oral communication, in textual analysis and in creative practice.
Content
This course will explore the processes involved in writing about the self, integrating analysis of the autobiographical techniques of major writers with a practical understanding of the resources of the writer through workshop exercises and assignments. Particular attention will be paid to
The literary tradition of the autobiographical act
The creation of self and identity in and through narrative
The fictions that inform "autobiographical truth"
The nature and role of memory in the structuring of experience
The motives for memoir-writing
750-word writing assignment(15%)
3000-word essay or 3000-word creative writing assignment or equivalent 65%
Attendance at seminars is compulsory. Two absences are allowable in the case of illness or other emergencies, and two more absences may be recovered by completing extra work on each of the seminars missed, but further absences will be regarded as failure to complete the course.
Participation in workshop exercises (5%)
