ENGL 2222 Introduction to Creative Writing for Multilingual Students

Are you a speaker of another language (or languages) in addition to English? Have you always wanted to write creatively but never had the time? In this beginning-level creative writing workshop, participants will embark on their own personal, artistic journeys and gain confidence as writers of English. You will consider the languages, family rituals, and stories that have shaped you by writing deeply personal essays and spoken-word poems that explore your identity as a writer and storyteller. You will write weekly, both in and out of class, and learn to listen carefully to your peers and the stories they have to share. Well discuss your classmates drafts throughout the semester and you will learn to provide thoughtful feedback to help one another build confidence and find joy in writing. In addition to reading the work of students in our workshop, well read texts by multicultural storytellers including Sandra Cisneros, Jhumpa Lahiri, and Chang Rae Lee and explore the way language and cultural rituals shape identity. We will encourage one another to write boldly and freely and be creative with form, looking to spoken word poets, such as G Yamazawa who writes from the lens of the cultural outsider, for inspiration. Well experiment with language mixing, code-switching, play with sentence structure, and learn to abandon the rules of English grammar in early drafts in order to free ourselves to explore our personal stories more deeply. All levels of writers are encouraged to register.