Fact or Fiction: Reading and Writing the Personal Essay

A diatribe against braggarts? A consolation to a lonely wife? An ode to Japanese design? The personal essay genre encompasses it all. In this class, you read across continents and centuries, from Montaigne to Sedaris, to discover the joy of the form that marries the logic of nonfiction to the dialogue and drama of fiction. What is fact and what is fiction in a personal essay? Through the analysis of the writing of renowned authors, explore the personal essay and its meaning, context and style. In class, practice craft exercises, write and workshop your own essays.