Schedule
Spring 2023: Core Courses
ENGL 3010 | Poetry | Graves
Prerequisites: ENGL-1010 and 1020 or equivalents. This course is a study of poetry as a genre with attention to its form and techniques. Reading and analysis of poems written by acknowledged mastersof the genre will be included.
Required Texts:
Collected Poems, Sylvia Plath
Peach State, Adrienne Su
ENGL 3142 | Creative Writing I: Fiction | Baumgartner
Prerequisites: ENGL 1020 or equivalent; and one 2000-level literature course. Students
will read contemporary short fiction from a range of cultures and traditions, and
have an opportunity to write and submit new work of their own. Special emphasis will
be given to issues of form and technique in the short story. We will begin the semester
by examining some of the finest published stories around, and then shift our attention
to exploring outstanding student fiction submitted for workshop. Although we will
dedicate a significant portion of the semester to student writing, you should come
prepared to read and write critically (as well as creatively) on a weekly basis.
Required Texts:
The Ecco Anthology of Contemporary American Short Fiction, ed. Joyce Carol Oates, 2008. [ISBN-13: 978-0061661587]
The Making of a Story: A Norton Guide to Creative Writing, Reprint edition, ed. Alice LaPlante, 2010. [ISBN-13: 978-0393337082]
ENGL 4917 | Creative Writing II: Poetry | Graves
Prerequisite(s): A grade of C or above in ENGL 1020; or equivalent. This course is
a creative writing workshop which requires students to submit one poem per week on
topics and ideas designed by the student or assigned by professor. Specific poetic
forms may be required. Poems will be offered rigorous criticism both by classmates
and by the instructor. Regular reading assignments from required texts will be discussed
in class. The final assignment for the workshop will be an in-class reading from a
portfolio the student has created over the course of the semester.
Required Texts:
A Little Book on Form, Robert Haas
Peach State, Adrienne Su
ENGL 4930 | Creative Writing Capstone | Baumgartner
Prerequisites: ENGL 3141 and ENGL 3142. This capstone course in creative writing allows
juniors and seniors in the Creative Writing minor to gain valuable professional knowledge
and experience. This is a cross-genre class focusing on poetry and fiction; work in
drama, screenwriting and creative nonfiction is also welcome. Coursework will go beyond
traditional workshop curriculum to focus on publishing, copy editing, memorization
and performance, as well as guided instruction in developing professional materials
necessary for the creative job market. A key project in the class will be the development
of an edited, cohesive portfolio of each student’s best work. Feel free to contact
Dr. Mark Baumgartner (baumgartnerm@etsu.edu) if you would like more information about
the course.
Required texts:
The Creative Writer’s Survival Guide, by John McNally
The Poet’s Companion, by Kim Addonizio and Dorianne Laux
The Best American Poetry 2022, eds. David Lehman and Matthew Zapruder
The Best Short Stories 2022: The O. Henry Prize Winners, eds. Valeria Luiselli and Jenny Minton Quigley
Please see The Clarion on the Literature and Language webpage for complete details on all courses offered in the department.