ENGL 242 – Longform Narrative

This course will explore techniques and theories that sustain multifaceted and long narratives in fiction and nonfiction. Students will read texts that transpire over many pages, over long periods of time, and which involve deep explorations of character, setting, and theme. Readings will draw on various genres: classics (“Crime and Punishment” and Thomas Mann’s “The Magic Mountain”), crime fiction (Donna Tartt’s “The Secret History”), and narrative nonfiction (Rebecca Skloot’s “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” and Gay Talese’s “Honor Thy Father”). We will examine and explore the elements that sustain long and complex stories. Students will write one very long (50-page) essay or piece of fiction over the course of the semester.