INTC 1007-361 Fiction, the Artistic Imagination, and the Creative Process

Spring 2013 Professor Richard L. Nochimson

Goals and Objectives

The primary focus of this course is to explore the fiction writer's creative process from different
angles, including inspiration, conception, development, revision, and adaptation to the screen.
We will be exploring together general and more specific questions such as the following: What
happens during the creative process? What is the relationship between an author's life and the
author's fictional works? Where does literary inspiration come from? What do creators of
fiction think about as they work? How do short stories and novels get written, rewritten,
reimagined? How do writers draw upon and transform life experience into narrative fiction? In
writing and in rewriting their works, what kinds of decisions do writers make about
characterization, about setting, about point of view, about style, about structure, about ideas to be
conveyed? How do readers react to and evaluate such decisions? In adapting fictional works,
how closely do later writers and filmmakers follow the original work? How do audiences react
to changes from the original?

Required Texts

Charters, The Story and Its Writer: An Introduction to Short Fiction, 8th edition,
Bedford/St. Martin's. 978-0-312-59623-1
Dickens, David Copperfield, Norton Critical Edition. 978-0-393-95828-7
Forster, Howards End, Bantam. 978-0-553-21208-2
Le Carr, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, Penguin. 978-0-14-311978-4
Otsuka, When the Emperor Was Divine, Random House. 978-0-385-72181-3

Students must own their own copies of these exact texts. I do not expect to make any exceptions
to this rule. Each student has the responsibility to have the appropriate text(s) with him in class
at each class meeting. Students need to own their own texts partly so that they can write notes in
those texts, partly so that they will be able to respond successfully to the questions I will ask on
the open-book midterm and final. Students need to have their own texts in class so that they will
be able to participate fully in class discussions. Note that a Kindle version is not an acceptable
substitute. Also, students should own a handbook of grammar and style and a good dictionary.

Occasional required readings will be distributed as printed handouts. A larger number of

required readings are on electronic reserve (E-RES) through the library's website. Students must
print out these readings and bring them to class at the appropriate times. The E-RES password
for this course is 1007SPR. Students must register for off-campus access to library resources in
order to use E-RES from off-campus. Also on reserve at the library are several films. A student
who wishes to see one of the required films at a different location has the responsibility of
making sure that he is seeing the exact film that the other students are seeing through the library.

Classroom Civics

Students should plan to be in the classroom, prepared to discuss the relevant material, for the
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entire 75 minutes of each class period. Late arrivals are a distraction from learning and will be
noticed by the professor. Departures from the classroom are even more of a distraction and
should be reserved for genuine and unavoidable emergencies. (See below under Attendance and
Participation and under Grading for more information.)

Text messaging during class is a major distraction from learning and is absolutely not acceptable.
In fact, I regret to have to say that recent bad experience with student use of cell phones, laptops,
and other kinds of modern devices has forced me to forbid the use of all such devices in my
classroom. Requests for exceptions to the ban against the use of these various devices will be
considered by me on a case-by-case basis. (See me in my office to make any such request.)

Schedule of Readings (Except for the novels, page numbers refer to Charters.)

Jan. 24 Paley, A Conversation with My Father (pp. 1096-99)

Maupassant, The Necklace (pp. 871-76)
Chekhov, The Darling (pp. 257-65)

29 Chekhov, The Lady with the Little Dog (pp. 266-77)

Oates, The Lady with the Pet Dog (pp. 975-88)
Hawthorne, Rappacini's Daughter (pp. 507-28)
Tolstoy, Chekhov's Intent in 'The Darling' (pp. 1571-73)
Chekhov, selections from three letters (pp. 1448-49)
Paley, A Conversation with Ann Charters (pp. 1547-50) Journal # 1 due

31 Repentance [printed handout]

Forster, Howards End, pp. 1-110

Feb. 5 .Forster, Howards End, pp. 110-279

7 .Forster, Howards End, pp. 279-373 Journal # 2 due

12 Frank O'Connor, Guests of the Nation (pp. 1055-63)

James, The Real Thing (pp. 594-611)
Faulkner. A Rose for Emily (pp. 409-15)
Faulkner, excerpts from interviews (pp. 1473-74)
Nabokov, A Reading of Chekhov's 'The Lady with the Little Dog' (pp. 1534-39)

14 Frank O'Connor, First Confession (two versionsE-RES)

James, Brooksmith (E-RES)
James, The Genesis of 'The Real Thing' (pp. 1496-98)

19 Lawrence, Odour of Chrysanthemums (pp. 790-804)

Le Carr, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, pp. 3-124 Journal # 3 due

26 Le Carr, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, pp. 127-276

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Feb. 28 Le Carr, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, pp. 279-381

Mar. 5 discussion of film of Howards End

Hemingway, Hills Like White Elephants (pp. 539-42) Journal # 4 due

7 Stern, Brooksmith by Henry James: A Story (E-RES)

Steinbeck, The Chrysanthemums (pp. 1246-53) [Read this version first.]
Steinbeck, The Chrysanthemums (E-RES) [Read this version second.]
Parini, Lawrence's and Steinbeck's 'Chrysanthemums' (pp. 1550-52)
Hemingway, A Clean, Well-Lighted Place (E-RES) Journal # 5 due

14 Stern, A Clean Well-Lighted Place by Ernest Hemingway: A Story (E-RES)

discussion of two screen versions of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy Journal # 6 due

19 short stories TBA

21 short stories TBA Journal # 7 due

Apr. 4 discussion of film of David Copperfield Journal # 8 due

9 Dickens, David Copperfield, Chapters I-IX

Hawthorne, Wakefield (E-RES)

11 Dickens David Copperfield, Chapters X-XVIII

18 Dickens David Copperfield, Chapters XIX-XXXVII

Doctorow, Wakefield (E-RES) Journal # 9 due

23 Dickens David Copperfield, Chapters XXXVIII- LVII

25 Dickens David Copperfield, ChaptersLVIII-LXIV

30 background and critical readings on Dickens TBA Journal # 10 due

May 2 short stories TBA

7 short stories TBA

Requirements

1. Reading. Students must complete all readings on schedule.

2. Attendance and Participation. Regular attendance and punctuality are essential so that
students can achieve the basic objectives of the course. Any student who is absent more than two
times during the term--no matter how good the reasons--must expect that his final grade will be
affected. Absences without a good reason are not allowed at all. (Absence from a portion of a
class session, as for lateness, counts as one-half of an absence. Please plan to be in class for 75
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consecutive minutes, except in cases of genuine emergency.) Active participation in class

discussions is both important and expected. Students should note now that this class will meet
on Thursday, April 4. An absence on that date would be especially unfortunate.

3. Formal Writing. The midterm in-class written opportunity will be on March 12. There will be
two required essays. The due dates, which must be adhered to, are March 14 and May 2 . The
final in-class written opportunity (comprehensive) will be on May 24 at 9:30 a.m. Students are
responsible for knowing and understanding the rules of the College about academic integrity.

4. Informal Writing. Students will keep an informal journal of reactions to the readings. Ideally
you will write something about every piece of assigned reading, noting significant points of
interest and raising interesting questions. Ideally you will do this informal writing while you are
reading or immediately afterwards, and certainly in time for the relevant class discussion. A
thorough journal of reactions to assignments will stimulate useful class discussions. Also, it will
help you succeed in the midterm and final in-class written opportunities. On ten specific dates
(noted above), students are required to complete and submit to me their journal of reactions for
that day's assignments. Each of these should be two pages long (either two handwritten pages or
two double-spaced typed pages). These should be handed to me at the beginning of class on
those dates. (A student who is forced to be absent on one of those dates may send his journal to
me as an email attachment to demonstrate the timely completion of the assignment; he should
hand me a printed version at the beginning of the next class.) Detailed instructions about these
ten required journal assignments will appear on separate sheets.

5. Reading Week. This class will not meet during Reading Week. The Reading Week
assignment is due by May 9: a brief essay (not to be graded) on Julie Otsuka's novel and on the
lecture she is giving, scheduled for 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 17. Students are required to
attend that lecture. No student can earn a satisfactory final grade in this course without timely
completion of the Reading Week assignment.

Grading

The final grade will depend upon the following factors: midterm in-class written opportunity
(15%); first essay (15%); second essay (20%); final in-class written opportunity (20%); journal
(15%); attendance and participation (15%). In addition, in order to earn a satisfactory final grade
for the course, the student must have completed all of the course requirements.

Instructor Office Hours and Availability

My office hours in Furst 513 are Tuesdays 12:30-2:30. I am available at other times by
appointment or by chance. I am reachable by telephone (212-960-5311) during my office hours.
I am very happy to see students at any time that is mutually available, and I encourage students
to take advantage of my availability. Messages will reach me most readily through my voice
mail: 917-326-4802. I check for voice mail messages often (usually several times each day,
seven days each week). I am also reachable by email: RLN@yu.edu.