Writing Creative Nonfiction presents more than thirty essays on today's hottest literary form--creative nonfiction. The stellar line-up of contributors includes Philip Lopate, William Least-Heat Moon, Diane Ackerman, Ted Conover, Dinty Moore and many others. From researching ideas and structuring the story, to reportage and personal reflection, this book covers every key element of the craft. Each essay is followed by three exercises for hands-on learning.
* An impressive line up of the best teachers from the finest writing programs throughout the country * Creative nonfiction titles are hot--with new books hitting the bestseller lists everyday! * The AWP's role guarantees strong consumer and academic interest
Like eating a well-conceived meal at an exceptional restaurant, reading this book is a wholly satisfying experience. Less-skilled chefs may have failed to get the book's many disparate elements to cohere, but, in the hands of editors Carolyn Forché and Philip Gerard, those ingredients sing. Brenda Miller compares the shape of a lyric essay with that of a loaf of challah bread; Nicholas S. Hentoff and Harvey A. Silverglate offer a primer on legal land mines. Christopher Merrill ponders the art of war writing, while Dinty W. Moore explores,the use of humor in creative nonfiction. There's an essay about bringing oneself into the story, and another about taking oneself out. Bob Reiss offers hilarious yet salient advice on surviving as a writer overseas. The contributors (Annie Dillard, Phillip Lopate, Barry Lopez, Terry Tempest Williams, et al.) spend the first half of the book discussing creative nonfiction and the second half demonstrating it. Not only does the format work, but pairing the works of creative nonfiction with the accompanying commentary is educational and entertaining.
Among the book's most interesting sections, perhaps because their subject matter is underrepresented in writing-reference literature, are those about biography. Philip Furia discusses the need both to conduct an unbelievable amount of research and to leave a whole bunch of it out. And Honor Moore focuses on the intensity of biography writing: "I had no idea I was getting into twelve long years during which I would put preoccupation with someone else's life ahead of attention to my own." --Jane Steinberg
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 5.0 / 5.0
Writing Creative Non- Fiction- Great book:
Great book. I'd recommend it to anyone who want to write interesting free flowing articles be it stories or anything. This book offers you with knowledge you'd need to write a good essay, story or book. I love this book it has really helped me improve my writing skills. Writing Creative Nonfiction
Writing Creative Nonfiction:
The book was well known before I ordered it. It is all I looked for and it is on my principal bookshelf.
An essential resource for learning to write creative nonfiction:
This book may not be 100% comprehensive (a tad redundant, perhaps), but if there is any other one out there that has more to offer on addressing the varieties of style, structure, form and the creative nonfiction process, I haven't seen it. Being new to the business in 2003 when I began working on Waiting for Westmoreland in earnest, I found the instuctions and insights illuminating, inspiring and confusing all at once. How to choose?! I felt like Alice on her journey after the rabbit. Still, it gave me... more info
an excellent resource:
whilst one can not expect every chapter to be directly relevant, i found each of them thought provoking. this book has enabled me to view the genre, and my writing attempts, in a new light. an essential read for anyone interested in writing narrative non-fiction.
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