Author Archives: sdgibson
Characterization and global revision
From Brian Kiteley’s excellent book The 3A.M. Epiphany, you’ll find this exercise useful.
Reflecting on your writing
Contrast the research you did while working on the last two essay assignments. How did differences in the assignments change the way you worked on each of them? Which was more difficult? Why? Which of the classroom activities gave you … Continue reading
Examples of prose poems
From Great American Prose Poems, an anthology edited by David Lehman, here are some samples.
Example villanelles and sonnets
See this PDF for interesting examples of villanelles. Here are some sonnets. Sestina You used to love me well. Well, you– me– used love to . . . to . . . well . . . love. You used … Continue reading
English 2250 workshopping
This PDF contains the first set of poems we’ll workshop this semester. They’re in the order I received them. This is the second set of poems. Here is the third.
English 4420 and characterization
Based on what you know so far, address these questions: How do your characters act in the face of opposition/desires that contrast with their own? Do they plan, try to persuade, seek to escape, take physical action, for example? Describe … Continue reading
Continuing toward characterization: Setting
I found this exercise useful when trying to create characters. From Alice LaPlante’s Method and Madness, here is the PDF.
Collected stories from English 2250
This PDF contains the stories students in English 2250 in Fall 2011 wished to share with each other. They are in the order they were given to me. Enjoy.
2250 fragments
Remember, you need to bring an electronic version of your notes on these fragments. I suggest using the fiction criteria on the course syllabus in the writing of your notes.
Brown’s Wieland, exploration, and doubt
From Richard Gray’s A History of American Literature: “Brown is exploring the two prevailing systems of thought in early America: respectively, the rationalism of the Enlightenment and the mysticism of Christianity. He is also casting both into doubt” (97-98). What … Continue reading
Metaphor by Metaphor 