The Place of Biographical Interpretation in Fiction Workshops.

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  • Author(s): McGill, Robert1 (AUTHOR)
  • Source:
    New Writing: The International Journal for the Practice & Theory of Creative Writing. Jul2015, Vol. 12 Issue 2, p155-168. 14p.
  • Additional Information
    • Subject Terms:
    • Abstract:
      Recognising students' manifold vulnerabilities in fiction workshops, I argue that instructors have an obligation to read students' work with attention to possible warning signs of unwellness. At the same time, I contend that the fiction workshop is not an appropriate venue for the pursuit of therapeutic goals. In fact, students' vulnerabilities in the workshop constitute a strong justification for the workshop's conventional prohibition on biographical discussion of students' fiction. Nevertheless, there are good reasons for courses to prepare students in other ways for participation in a literary culture that often demands authorial self-disclosure. Observing that a ban on biographical discussion need not apply to fiction courses as a whole, I suggest that instructors should provide students with other opportunities to practise commenting publicly on personal aspects of their work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]