Creative Writing: An Introduction to Poetry and Fiction

by David Starkey

Creative Writing: An Introduction to Poetry and Fiction is a brief guide that offers plenty of options for the two-genre creative writing course. Adapted from David Starkey’s successful Creative Writing: Four Genres in Brief, it starts with lively and highly-praised instruction on the basics of reading and writing poetry and fiction. Then it presents a wide and versatile selection of model contemporary poems and stories for students to admire and emulate. Throughout, it offers a range of checklists to help students shape their poems and stories, as well as inventive assignments to fire students’ imaginations and get them creating on their own.

246 pages, Paperback

First published September 19, 2013

About the author

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David Starkey directs the creative writing program at Santa Barbara City College.
Among his poetry collections are Starkey's Book of States (Boson Books, 2007), Adventures of the Minor Poet (Artamo Press, 2007), Ways of Being Dead: New and Selected Poems (Artamo, 2006), David Starkey's Greatest Hits (Pudding House, 2002) and Fear of Everything, winner of Palanquin Press's Spring 2000 chapbook contest. A Few Things You Should Know about the Weasel will be published by the Canadian press Biblioasis next year.
In addition, over the past twenty years he has published more than 400 poems in literary journals such as American Scholar, Antioch Review, Beloit Poetry Journal, Cutbank, Faultline, Greensboro Review, The Journal, Massachusetts Review, Mid-American Review, Nebraska Review, Notre Dame Review, Poet Lore, Poetry East, South Dakota Review, Southern Humanities Review, Southern Poetry Review, Sycamore Review, Texas Review, and Wormwood Review. He has also written two textbooks: Creative Writing: Four Genres in Brief (Bedford/St. Martin's, 2008) and Poetry Writing: Theme and Variations (McGraw-Hill, 1999). With Paul Willis, he co-edited In a Fine Frenzy: Poets Respond to Shakespeare (Iowa, 2005), and he is the editor of Living Blue in the Red States (Nebraska, 2007). Keywords in Creative Writing, which he co-authored with the late Wendy Bishop, was published in 2006 by Utah State University Press.

Reviews

[Diana Raab · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a classic. There are not many well-written, sweet, and incisive textbooks that can be packed in a carry-on bag for your next writers' conference or workshop, but Starkey's book is a must, both for the emerging writer and workshop leader. The book offers all the essentials necessary for writing poetry and fiction. Before diving into the book, Starkey offers these wise words: "Read, write, listen, don't give up and have fun." The book is packed with words of wisdom, food for thought while being interspersed with solid writing advice, such as, "Reading is a trigger for writing," and "Write from clarity and revise to strangeness."

This volume is plentiful with stellar poems and short stories to spark ideas from luminary poets such as Kim Addonizio, Elizabeth Alexander, Joy Harjo, Yusef Komunyakaa, Naomi Shihab Nye, Mary Oliver, and Molly Peacock. Short story writers include Margaret Atwood, T.C. Boyle, Ron Carlson, John Cheever, Lorrie Moore and Tobias Wolff. The book also includes checklist reminders, kick-starts for inspiration, suggested writing prompts, and an excellent glossary for a quick glance to answers. What else can students and instructors of creative writing ask for? Very highly recommended.