This seminar will explore how contemporary writers, artists, and activists from Spain, Latin America and the US use various nonfiction forms to document personal experiences of love, loss, and identity, as well as important political, cultural, and social issues. We will investigate their creative uses of the personal essay, biography, memoir, autofiction, profiles, blogs, and longform journalism. In addition, we will examine visual, audio, and multimedia forms such as documentaries, podcasts, photography, and graphic novels. We will pay particular attention to the ways in which these examples of Creative Nonfiction use the tools and techniques of fiction to develop material based on real personal experiences, public events, and cultural phenomena. Students will have the opportunity to produce analytical responses to the texts and topics covered in the course, as well as their own creative pieces .

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 10

Prerequisites: Open to students who have completed two courses beyond SPAN 241 or by permission of the instructor.

Distribution Requirements: LL - Language and Literature

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Not Offered; Spring