Negotiating the Personal in Creative Writing

Vandermeulen, a college-level creative writing teacher, questions three widely accepted practices in creative writing courses: the full-class workshop, early emphasis on critique over other kinds of responses, and the tradition of the 'silent writer.' He describes a new format for writing workshops where the writer under discussion is not silent but instead solicits responses from the teacher and other students. He tells how to set up groups and train students in reader-response so that group members can support each other as people and as writers, paying special attention to personal and interpersonal aspects of teaching. The author draws on the results of his own survey of 150 innovative US creative writing teachers, mainly from the Midwest, and interviews with 35 of the survey respondents. There is no subject index. The book is distributed in the US by UTP Distribution. Annotation 穢2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)