As part of his tenure in the summer term of 2023, Picador Professor Salvador Plascencia will teach two classes at American Studies Leipzig.
Beginning Fiction Workshop
Tuesday, 3-5pm, GWZ 2 5.16
This course is designed as an introductory workshop focusing on the writing of fiction and the discourse of craft. Through the examination of a variety of literary traditions, stylistic and compositional approaches, and the careful reading and editing of peer stories, students will strengthen their prose and develop a clearer understanding of their literary values and the dynamics of fiction.
The first session of this class will take place in the week of May 15. Please note that there will be double sessions (3–7 pm) for some weeks.
You can enroll in this course by registering for the 5-LP BA professional skills module "Creative Writing: Envisioning America" (04-001-1020).
We and You
Wednesday, 3-5pm, GWZ 2 5.16
This course explores the poetics and politics of we- and you-narratives. We will examine how these stories exploit ambiguities in narrative identity. How do readers reconcile the paradox of a singular communal voice? In second-person stories, what do we make of you's ability to simultaneously refer to the reader, a disembodied narrator, and a fictional character? Mobs, high school cliques, refugees, undercover spies, and shapeshifting yous will narrate our readings. The course will include work by the following writers: Jennifer Egan, Mariana Enríquez, Jeffrey Eugenides, Steven Millhauser, Julie Otsuka, and Justin Torres.
The first session of this class will take place in the week of May 15. Please note that there will be double sessions (3–7 pm) for some weeks.
This seminar is part of the BA module "Literature and Culture III" (04-001-1011)