Courses

Literary journalism is an umbrella term that encompasses the personal essay, certain types of investigative journalism, and some creative nonfiction. These forms are unified by a shared goal: to convey the truth of a nonfiction story beyond its most basic facts using storytelling techniques traditionally associated with fiction. In this course, you will read pieces of literary journalism that illustrate a range of reporting strategies and narrative styles, from classics of the form by such authors as James Baldwin and Truman Capote, to work by contemporary writers like Jia Tolentino and Jen Percy. As a class, we will examine the relationship of these writers to their material, and, when necessary, consider the tension of who tells which stories. The readings and writing exercises will enliven lessons on reporting practices, drafting techniques, and approaches to editing. We will also discuss how to pitch stories to publications. By the end of this course, you will have researched and developed your own 10- to 20-page piece of literary journalism—a profile, feature reporting, or something more essayistic. You will receive feedback both from the instructor and in the form of peer responses to each other’s work.