Tell Me a Story: The Power of Stories in Human Experience

Tell Me a Story: The Power of Stories in Human Experience aims to engage students through reading stories by American writers:

     1) for inspiration

     2) to provide insight into the varieties of human experience

     3) to enhance close-reading skills for appreciation of writing techniques for various purposes in telling a story

     4) to write analytically and creatively in response to readings and discussion.

The course is discussion-based and will include opportunities for student choice of stories to read and discuss. The instructor will also choose stories for the class to read and discuss including fiction, nonfiction, podcasts, music, film, and plays. Students will write to analyze stories, craft creative writing work (your own stories), and explore questions emerging from research on how and why stories do what they do.