INTRODUCTION TO NONFICTION: NONFICTION AND DOCUMENTARY FILM

The world we live in is a bizarre and wonderful place. You’ll often hear nonfiction writers say reality is strange enough. This class will examine how nonfiction writing documents and retells the stories of our reality. We’ll look at how you build a nonfiction story that captures the reader’s heart and mind just as effectively as fiction. We’ll examine storytelling through books and essays that highlight the extraordinary world we live in. We’ll also look at the relationship between documentary film and nonfiction writing. To supplement our purview of the field, we’ll also dabble into writing our own nonfiction/documentary pieces.  In this class we’ll read work by authors like David Foster Wallace, Sy Montgomery, John McPhee, Joan Didion and many others. We’ll watch “Hands on a Hardbody: The Documentary” a look at a competition to win a new truck by outlasting the competition. We’ll also look at documentaries about the earth, food, place, and people.