Can It Really Be Taught?: Resisting Lore in Creative Writing Pedagogy

by Kelly Ritter (Editor), Stephanie Vanderslice (Editor)

The process of creativity is shrouded in mystery and lore, but that doesn't mean that the teaching of creative writing has to remain in the dark. Can It Really Be Taught? shines a bright light on creative writing pedagogy, with a special focus on that hallmark of fiction and poetry classes everywhere - the workshop - in order to discover what works, what doesn't, and what is purely apocryphal. Can It Really Be Taught? offers a critical look at the pedagogical lore of creative writing that has been, up until now, accepted unquestioningly. Fifteen experienced teachers and researchers analyze long-accepted elements and theories of teaching creative writing, such In examining these pedagogical practices and the thinking behind them, as well as the reasons for their popularity, Can It Really Be Taught? offers a range of best practices grounded in relevant theory and based on research, experience, and success.Teachers solely responsible for creative writing, along with faculty and graduate students from all of English, will find great value in the thought-provoking essays within Can It Really Be Taught? Let creativity have its mystery, but take the mystery out of teaching creative writing. Read Can It Really Be Taught? and join a new conversation on creative writing's fundamental importance to English studies.

136 pages, Paperback

First published February 28, 2007

Reviews

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

A set of essays arguing for more critical and self-reflective modes of teaching creative writing.

[Taka · Rating 1 out of 5]

Meh-

Didn't find much practical stuff in it. A lot of the articles were more like speculative pieces about creative writing in academia, offering no hard evidence and discussing things in abstract.

I did, however, learn a little bit, and that's mostly because a few of the articles articulated what I had long suspected about the feasibility of teaching creative writing.

The short answer: you can teach students creative writing. Really. Can't teach them how to be original, but you can teach them strategies and conditions to be original.

Overall, it was more a waste of time than anything.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

Of all the essays, only three were worth reading and inspired discussion. These are the ones by Uppal, Lehay and the joint one with Bizzaro and McClanahan. The one about Box Office Poison by Wendy Bishop was passably interesting. All in all, too many misses, not enough hits.

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was glad to read anything on the pedagogy of creative writing, and especially liked the Bishop/Armstrong and Cross pieces, but I felt too often that this collection of essays brought up problems without offering any possible solutions.

[Patrick Mcgee · Rating 3 out of 5]

As far as essays on teaching creative writing go...

[Christie · Rating 5 out of 5]

For such a short book, this is extremely useful when studying CWP.