CRWR 185 A-Z - Special Topics

Semester Hours: 3

Current Special Topics

CRWR 185T - Writing Your Life in Poetry

The fact is that anybody who has survived [their] childhood has enough

information about life to last [them] the rest of [their] days.

——Flannery O’Connor

Our personal stories are an essential part of who we are. When we draw on our own experiences in our writing, be it in prose or poetry, we often gain deeper insights into our lives and give others the opportunity to contemplate theirs. In this poetry workshop, students will write and share original autobiographical work, examine aspects of poetic craft such as rhythm, imagery, density, line and sound, and engage in vibrant discussions about the vagaries of memory, truth (upper and lowercase), construction of the lyrical self, and so much more.

In addition to writing a new autobiographical poem every other week and keeping a writer’s journal, each student will give an oral presentation on a poetry collection chosen from a recommended reading list. Students will also read a diverse array of published work and study how other poets represent and narrate the self.

Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
WSC 001  and CRWR 133 . May be repeated for credit when topics vary. As individual subjects are selected, each is assigned a letter (A-Z) which is affixed to the course number. Specific titles and course descriptions for special topics courses are available in the online class schedule.

View Course Offering(s):

Summer Session I 2026

Summer Session II 2026

Summer Session III 2026

Fall 2026