Course description
This is an intensive writing workshop for creative writing students interested in exploring the possibilities of historical fiction. Students write and revise original historical fiction, and discuss published works by authors including Toni Morrison, Geraldine Brooks, Jaroslav Hasek, Min Jin Lee, Colson Whitehead, Alice Munro, and Italo Calvino. In addition to considering fundamental craft elements such as character and plot, students design an approach to researching their chosen historical period. Through brief assignments and class discussions, they engage with issues such as the ethics of historical accuracy, the rendering of period dialogue, and the challenges of working with worldviews different from their own.