English 50, Introduction to Creative Writing 

Instructor: Jim Manis E-mail: jdm12@.psu.edu

Office: Administration Building, Room 205 Hazleton campus Phone: 450-3189 

Office Hours: Wednesday, and Friday from 12:00 p.m. to 12:50 p.m. and Wednesday from 4:00 to 4:50 pm. and by appointment. 

Texts: Poetry, July/August 2009 (double issue), and The Best American Short Stories 2008. (And two books from the reading list, :see below.)

Suggested text: a good college dictionary 

Exercises: http://www2.hn.psu.edu/faculty/jmanis/assign/e50x1.htm

On Library Reserve: Video tapes of contemporary poets and one short story writer reading their work. If you are serious about writing, these present an opportunity for you to listen to and view some of the best contemporary writers reading their work and talking about it. The library also contains many copies of audio tapes of writers reading and discussing their work. 

In this course students will read published material and produce material in two genres: poetry and the short story. We will read and discuss recently published material in each genre in order to familiarize ourselves with the latest work of publishable merit and to practice workshop techniques in approaching this material as well as our own. Then students will individually produce material for each genre to submit to the workshop for discussion. Finally, each student will submit a portfolio of revised material and an essay assigned by the instructor, at the end of the semester, for a final grade. 

The purpose of this course is to introduce student writers to the workshop method of instruction, provide the students with an opportunity to produce written work in two genres for review by their peers, introduce student writers to an audience of serious readers, and provide students with the opportunity to improve their writing. 

Grades:

Participation 50%: Much of this class is conducted as a workshop. You must participate daily in order to do average work to receive credit for participation. The quality of your participation and the seriousness of your comments are very important. To some extent, this is a competitive activity; however, you will be expected to conduct yourself in an adult manner, to behave orderly and with respect for the rights and views of others. In addition to attending classes, the student is expected to share his or her work with the class through a distribution of copies of that work and to speak in the class, both when the instructor calls upon the student and in a voluntary fashion. Also the student will be required to attend a minimum of two conferences with he instructor, at which time the student will discuss assigned texts from the reading list attached to this document. Failure to follow this procedure will result in the student receiving a reduced grade for the course and may result in failure in the course. Generally, one letter grade is deducted for the overall course grade for failure to attend each conference. Each conference should be held relatively early in the semester, and both should be concluded before the end of the tenth week of the semester. If you are not prepared to participate in all of these procedures, drop the course immediately. 

Portfolio 50%: An overall grade will be placed on the portfolio. Completeness is mandatory for the portfolio to receive a passing grade. While this course is introductory in nature and we do not expect students to be accomplished poets and short story writers, we do expect that evidence of some acquired skill be displayed in the work contained within the portfolio. Grammar, punctuation, spelling, paragraphing and other matters of polished work should be plainly within keeping with the ideals of standard edited American English (the "rules" laid out in the average composition handbook), and attempts at experimental writing and writing that attempts to suggest "spoken language" should be consistent and easily recognizable by the reader. The notion that creative writing is without rules is nonsensical and the student should dispel him/herself of it immediately. Any notion that one writes only for him- or herself must be left outside the classroom. For our purposes, all writing is meant for communication to a reader. 

Total 100%

Notice that in addition to the written work, very considerable emphasis is placed upon participation. In order to participate you must attend class and be prepared for class. I will allow three absences without requiring an excuse. After three absences you will be required to provide a written excuse in order to be allowed to make up missed work, including missed participation. You may be required to do extra work before the class in order to improve your participation grade. Simply showing up for class and responding when called upon will not earn you more than a C grade at best in this critical area. DO NOT BE AFRAID OF TALKING. But be honest in your responses. Read all assigned material PRIOR to coming to class. 

Academic Integrity: All students are expected to act with civility, personal integrity; respect other students' dignity, rights and property; and help create and maintain an environment in which all can succeed through the fruits of their own efforts.  An environment of academic integrity is requisite to respect for self and others and a civil community. 

Academic integrity includes a commitment to not engage in or tolerate acts of falsification, misrepresentation or deception.  Such acts of dishonesty include cheating or copying, plagiarizing, submitting another persons' work as one's own, using Internet sources without citation, fabricating field data or citations, "ghosting" (taking or having another student take an exam), stealing examinations, tampering with the academic work of another student, facilitating other students' acts of academic dishonesty, etc. 

Academic dishonesty violates the fundamental ethical principles of the University community and compromises the worth of work completed by others.  A student should avoid academic dishonesty when preparing work for any class.   If charged with academic dishonesty, students will receive written or oral notice of the charge by the instructor.   Students who contest the charge should first seek resolution through discussion with the faculty member or the campus Director of Academic Affairs.  If the matter is not resolved, the student may request a hearing with the Commonwealth College Committee on Academic Integrity at the campus. 

Sanctions for breaches of academic integrity may range (depending on the severity of the offense) from F for the assignment to F for the course.   In severe cases of academic dishonesty, including, but not limited to, stealing exams or "ghosting" an exam, students may receive a grade of XF, a formal University disciplinary sanction that indicates on the student's transcript that failure in the course was due to a serious act of academic dishonesty.  The University's statement on Academic Integrity from which the above statement was drawn is available at:  http://www.psu.edu/dept/oue/aappm/G-9.html 

Agenda: (Only dates for which we will begin work are given; you may assume that we are still working on previous material during intervening dates. Please  be aware that these due dates may be subject to change for a variety of reasons, including inclement weather. Warning: No work will be accepted after the first day of the final exam week (always a Monday; for an assignment to be considered "turned in," it must be placed in the instructor's hands by the student.) 

Please Note: The following dates may be altered due to weather problems or other unforeseeable events. The final day of class, however, should remain the same. 

August 24: Introduction to course 

August 26: Discuss what makes a poem: each student responsible for one poem from Poetry. The student will read the poem aloud and the class will discuss the poem. 

August 28: Exercises  

September 4: Each student responsible for turning in one original poem for class workshop. 

September 9: Begin workshop of student poems. Begin conferences on books of poems from library list. (All students must attend on conference, which must be completed before spring break. The earlier in the semester, the better.)

October 12: Begin discussion of prose. Students responsible for having read ALL short stories in The Best American Short Stories 2007.

October 26: Students responsible for turning in a draft of original short story.

October 28: Begin short story workshop. 

December 7:  Draft of report on one book of short stories chosen from the list below is due, typed.

December 11: Last day of class - Portfolios due first day of Final Exam Week (December 14).

Your portfolio will constitute 50% of your grade; make certain it is complete. 

Your portfolio should contain the following materials: 

2. Original short story (2000-5000 words in length, typed and double-spaced) 

3. A report on a book of short stories  

Note: All prose needs to conform to the rules of standard edited written American English. For the most part, poetry needs to conform to these rules as well. 

As a requirement for this course, and as part of your introduction to creative writing, you will be required to submit, for publication in The Pennsylvania State University's The Palimpsest Review, studentliterary magazine, either an original short story or three to six original poems. I will discuss format at the appropriate time. 

Reader response, whether given orally or in writing, will follow the format below: 

1. What is it/what is it about? 
2. What do you like about it? 
3. What questions does it raise? 
4. What suggestions do you have? 

You will notice that the format is nonpejorative; that is, it does not ask the reader to find "fault" with a piece of writing, rather only to respond to it. This is true even when steps three and four are part of the format. It is not our intention to "put down" or "find fault" or in any other way to cast aspersions on a writer or a particular piece of writing. We consider all writing a form of discussion, and as such we are always giving and taking, constantly revising. 

In order to illustrate how this process works, I offer the following haiku poem by the Japanese poet, Buson: 

• I recognize this to be a haiku poem, although other readers not familiar with haiku may not. It is in three lines, provides a clear picture of the flowers and the scissors the moment before someone cuts them, that slight hesitation as the person waits one moment to enjoy the living flower in its natural state. It provides a distinct emotion of pleasure and that indefinable sense one has of mortality and beauty coupled in the decorative blossom; all of which suggests spiritual insight. It does not follow the precise syllabic requirement of haiku verse (5, 7 & 5); however, one might presume that it does in the original Japanese. 

• The first thing I like about this poem is the word "chrysanthemums." The word itself is so lyrical as almost to be a poem, and I especially like the fact that the final syllable is so soft and at the same time prolonged. I cannot attest to its effect in Japanese, but in English it is especially effective. Because of the sound of the word, there is also a natural ceasura that causes the reader to hesitate at the end, just as there is with the word "hesitate." Each ceasura creates a natural place for a line break so that nature seems to be imitating art, as it were. Finally, and perhaps more importantly I like how the use of the two, and only two, precise, or real, images work to create the effect of a photograph. I see the white blossom and the blades of the scissors the moment before the green stem is cut. I sense the hesitation as if the that hesitation were coming from the scissors themselves. I am reminded of my own mortality and the perpetual change of the natural world and arts attempt to arrest this change. I see this all in a moment which Octavio Paz characterizes as incandescence; that is, as if someone were turning on a light, or perhaps opening the dark drapes to the morning sunlight, and for that moment time stands still and the revelation of my condition, my paradoxical state, comes into the clearest focus. 
• The first questions that occurs to me is whether it is clear to all readers who is wielding the scissors or whether this needs to be made clear. I have no problem with this question; it is the poet, it is I. I also question whether the last line is as strong as it might be. I find it very weak in light of the other two and find the poem quite satisfactory in only its first two lines; however, the poem would not be a haiku without the third. This fact points out a problem with trying to satisfy formulaic poetry. Must the poem do so?
• My only suggestion is to play with the final question above. I like the haiku, but I am not satisfied completely. This is the nature of all art and all discourse. Once one is completely satisfied, will there be a need for anything further?

Ansay, A. Manette. Read This and Tell Me What It Says. PS3551.N645 R43 1995. 

Bacon, Charlotte. A Private State. PS3552.A27 P7 1998. 

Bank, Melissa. The Wonder Spot. PS3552.A487 W66 2005.

Barnes, Julian. The Lemon Table. PR6052.A6657 LA46 2004. 

The Best American Short Stories. and The O. Henry Prize Winners. PZ1.B 
    (Start with latest year and work backward.) 

Beattie, Ann. Follies. PS3552.E177 F65 2005. 

---. What Was Mine. PS3552.E177 W38 1991. 

---. The Burning House. PS3552.E177 B8 1982. 

Bellamy, Joe David. Atomic Love. PS3552.E532 A94 1993. 

Bezmozgis, David. Natasha and other stories. PR9199.4.B495 N38 2004. 

Budnitz, Judy. Nice Big American Baby. PS3552.U3479 N53 2005. 

Burgin, Richard. Private Fame. PS3552.U717P7 1991. 

Carver, Raymond. Cathedral. PS3553.A7894 C3 1983.

DePew, Alfred. The Melancholy of Departure. PS3554.E1148 M45 1992. 

Doctorow, D. L. Sweet Land Stories. PS3554.03 F58 2004. 

Doyle, Roddy. The Deportees. PR6054.O95 D44 2008.

Driscoll, Jack. Wanting Only To Be Heard. PS3554.R496 W36 1992. 

Eggers, Dave. How We Are Hungry. PS3605.G48 H68 2004. 

Ely, Scott. Overgrown with Love. PS3555.L94 093 1993. 

Freed, Lynn. The Curse of the Appropriate Man. PR9369.3.F68 C87 2004. 

Fulton, Alice. The Nightingales of Troy. PS3556.U515 N54 2008.

Gilb, Dagoberto. The Magic of Blood. PS3557.I296 M3 1993. 

Gordimer, Nadine. Beethoven Was One-Sixteenth Black and other stories. PR9369.3 B44 2007.

Hagenston, Becky. A Gram of Mars. PS3558.A32316 G73 1998. 

Harleman, Ann. Happiness. PS3558.A624246 H36 1994. 

Keegan, Claire. Walk the Blue Fields. PR6061.E329 W35 2007.

Lahiri, Jhumpa. Unaccustomed Earth. PS3562.A316 U53 2008.

Lethem, Jonathan. Men and Cartoons. PS3562.E8544 M46 2004. 

Lyons, Daniel. The Last Good Man. PS3562.Y4483 L3 1993. 

Manfredi, Renee. Where Love Leaves Us. PS3563.A469 W48 1994. 

Martin, Valerie. The Unfinished Novel and Other Stories. PS3563.A7295 U54 2006.

Mattison, Alice. In Case We're Separated. PS3563.A8598 I5 2005. 

Mayo, C. M. Sky Over El Nido. PS3563.A96389 S59 1995. 

McGuane, Thomas. Gallatin Canyon. PS3563.A3113 G35 2006.

McNally, T.M. Low Flying Aircraft. PS3563.C38816 L6 1991. 

Pollock, Donald Ray. Knockemstiff. PS3616.O5694 K56 2008.

Porter, Andrew. The Theory of Light & Matter. PS3616.O75 T47 2008.

Proulx, Annie. Fine Just the Way It Is. PS3566.R697 F56  2008.

Schutt, Christine. A Day, A Night, Another Day, Summer. PS3569.C55555 D39 2005. 

Spencer, Elizabeth. The Light in the Piazza and Other Italian Tales. PS3537.P4454 L54 1996. 

Tawfiq, Sahar. Points of the Compass. PJ7864.A478 A6 1995. 

Taylor-Hall, Mary Ann. How She Knows What She Knows about Yo-Yos. PS3570.A983 H69 2000. 

Thompson, Jean. Throw Like a Girl. PS3570.H625 T47 2007.

Trevor, William. A Bit on the Side. PR6070.R4 B57 2004. 

Welch, Nancy. The Road from Prosperity. PS3623.E4625 R63 2005.

Wolff, Tobias. Our Story Begins: New and Selected Stories. PS3573.O558 O97 2008.

Ai. Greed. PS3551.I2 G74 1993. 

Ammons, A. R. Uplands. PS3501.M6 U6 (1970).

---. Briefings: Poems Small and Easy. PS3501.M6 B7 (1971).

---. Diversifications. PS3501.M6 D5 (1975).

Angelou, Maya. Phenomenal Woman. PS3551.N464 P48 1994. 

---. Oh Pray My Wings Are Gonna Fit Me Well. PS3551.N464 05. 

---. And Still I Rise. PS3551.N64 A8. 

---. Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water `fore I Diiie. PS3551.N464 J8. 

---. I Shall Not Be Moved. PS3551.N464 I17 1990. 

Baderoon, Gabeba. The Dream in the Next Body. PR9369.4 B33 D74 2005.

---. A Hundred Silences. PR9369.4 H86 2006.

Bang, Mary Jo. Elegy. PS3552.A47546 E55 2007.

Barber, David. Wonder Cabinet. PS3552.A59194 W66 2006.

Barks, Coleman. Winter Sky: New and Selected Poems, 1968-2008. PS3552.A6717 W56 2008. (For the purposes of this course, students need read only pages 3-112 of this text.)

Barnes, Dick. A Word Like Fire. PS3552.A695 A6 2005. 

Barr, John. Grace. PS3552.A731837 G7 1999. 

Bell, Marvin. The Escape into You. PS3552.E52 E8 (1971).

---. A Probable Volume of Dreams. PS3552.E52 P7 (1969).

Bendall, Molly. Dark Summer. PS3552.E5384 D3 1999. 

Bernard, April. PSALMS. PS3552.E7258 P78 1993. 

Bidart, Frank. Star Dust. PS3552.I33 S73 2005. 

Boland, Eavan. In a Time of Violence. PR6052.035 I49 1994. 

Bowen, Kevin. Playing Basketball with the Viet Cong. PS3552.0862 P57 1994. 

Bosselaar, Laure-Anne. Small Gods of Grief. PS3552.O772 S6 2001.

Brehm, John. Sea of Faith. PS3602.R444 S43 2004. 

Burden, Jean. Taking Light from Each Other. PS3552.U7 T35 1992. 

Butts, Anthony. Fifth Season. PS3552.U88 F54 1997. 

Campion, Peter. Other People. PS3603.A486 O86 2005. 

Carson, Ciaran. First Language. PR6053.A714 F4 1994. 

Carter, Jared. After the Rain. PS3553.A7812 A69 1993. 

Castillo, Ana. My Father Was a Tolyec. PS3553.A8135 M9 1995. 

Chang, Victoria. Salvinia Molesta. PS3603.H3575 S25 2008.

Chiasson, Dan. Natural History. PS3603.H54 N38 2005. 

Chin, David. Chalked in Orange. PS3553.H488 C5 1993.

Clover, Joshua. The Totality for Kids. PS3553.L667 T68 2006.

Coalseam: Poems from the Anthracite Region. PS548.P4 C63 1993.

Cole, Henri. Blackbird and Wolf. PS3553.O4725 B57 2007.

Coles, Katharine. The Golden Years of the Fourth Dimension. PS3553.O47455 G6 2001.

Collins, Billy. The Trouble with Poetry. PS3553.O47478 T76 2005.

Conkling, Helen. Red Peony Night. PS3553.04897 R43 1997. 

Conoley, Gillian. Tall Stranger. PS3553.051446 T3 1991. 

Cooley, Nicole. The Afflicted Girls. PS3553.O5647 A37 2004.

Corn, Alfred. Contradictions. PS3553.O655 C67 2002.

Costanzo, Gerald. In the Aviary. PS3553.O762 I5 (1974).

Creely, Robert. Selected Poems, 1945-2005. PS3505.R43 A6 2008.

Cushman, Stephen. Blue Pajamas. PS3553.U745 B58 1998.

Dacey, Philip. Night Shift at the Crucifix Factory. 1991. PS3554.A23N54 1991. 

Daniels, Jim. M-80. PS3554.A5635 M15 1993. 

---. On the Line. PS3554.A5635 05. 

Deming, Alison Hawthorne. Science and other poems. PS3554.E474 S35 1994.

Dickey, James. The Whole Motion: Collected Poems 1945-92. PS3554.132 A17 1992 

---. Buckdancer's Choice. PS3554.I32 B8 (1965).

Dobyns, Stephen. Pallbearers Envying the One Who Rides. PS3554.02 P35 1999. 

Dove, Rita. Mother Love. PS3554.0884 M68 1995. 

Drury, John. Burning the Aspern Papers. PS3554.R83 B87 2003. 

Dufault, Peter Kane. Looking in All Directions: Selected Poems 1954-2000. PS3507.U368 L66 2000. 

Espada, Martin. City of Coughing and Dead Radiators. PS3555.S53 C57 1993. 

Flynn, Nick. Blind Huber. PS3556.L894 B55 2002.

Freisinger, Randall R. Plato's Breath. PS3556.R3939 P58 1997. 

Fulton, Alice. Sensual Math. PS3556.U515S46 1995. 

Gander, Forrest. Lynchburg. PS3557.A47 L96 1993 

Garcia, Richard. The Flying Garcias. PS3557.A71122 F57 1993. 

Garfinkel, Patricia. Making the Skeleton Dance. PS3557.A7153 M3 2000.

Gaspar, Frank X. A Field Guide to the Heavens. PS3557.A8448 F54 1999. 

George, Faye. A Wound on Stone. PS3557.E482 W68 2001.

Gewanter, David. In the Belly. PS3557.E897 I5 1997.

---. The Sleep of Reason. PS3557.E897 S57 2003.

Gibson, Becky Gould. Aphrodite's Daughter. PS3557.l1644 A86 2007.

Gilbert, Sandra M. Ghost Volcano.PS3557.I34227 G48 1995. 

Gildner, Gary. Clackamas. PS3557.I343 C5 1991. 

Glazer, Michele. It Is Hard to Look at What We Came to Think We'd Come to See. PS3557.L388 I85 1997. 

Glück, Louise. Averno. PS3557.L8 A96 2006. 

---. Vita Nova. PS3557.L8 V58 1999.

---. The House on Marshland. PS3557.L8 H6 (1975).

Graham, Jorie. Overlord. PS3557.R214 O94 2005.

---. Sea Change. PS3557.R214 S43 2008.

Gregg, Linda. In the Middle Distance. PS3557.R433 I5 2006.

Guest, Paul. Notes for My Body Double. PS3607.U47 N68 2007.

Hacker, Marilyn. Winter Numbers. PS3558.A28 W56 1994. 

---. Selected Poems 1965-1990. PS3558.A28 A6 1994. 

Halme, Kathleen. Equipoise. PS3558.A3955 E69 1998. 

Harms, James. Modern Ocean. 1992. 

Hartman, Charles O. Island. PS3558.A7116 I84 2004. 

Hathaway, William. Churlsgrace. PS3558.A75 C48 1992. 

Hawthorne, Alison Deming. Science and Other Poems. PS3554.E474 S35 1994. 

Hayden, Robert. Collected Poems. PS3515.A17 1985. 

Hayen, William. Diana, Charles, & the Queen. PS3558.E85 D5 1996. 

Hazo, Samuel. The Past Won't Stay Behind You. PS3515.A9877 P36 1993. 

Hess, David. Etched on Air. PS3558.E88 E8 (1965).

Hilberry, Conrad. Sorting the Smoke. 1990. PS3558.I384S67 1990. 

Hill, Geoffrey. A Teatise of Civil Power. PR6015.I4735 T68 2007.

Hinsey, Ellen. The White Fire of Time. PS3558.I5469 W47 2002. 

Hirshfield, Jane. After. PS3558.I694 A69 2006.

Ignatow, David. Against the Evidence. PS3517.G53 A6 1993. 

Johnston, Devin. Aversions. PS3610.0385 A94 2004. 

Jones, Rodney. Salvation Blues: Selected and New Poems. PS3560.O5263 S25 2006. (For the purposes of this course, students need to read only pages 175 - 244.)

Karr, Mary. Sinners Welcome. PS3561.A6929 S57 2006.

Kenvin, Natalie. Bruise Theory. PS3561.E548 B78 1995. 

Keenan, Deborah. Good Heart. PS3561.E36 G66 2003. 

Kinsella, John. The New Arcadia. PR9619.3 .K55 N49 2005.

Kinzie, Mary. Drift. PS3561.I59 D74 2005.

Knox, Caroline. A Breaker: New and Selected Poems. PS3561.N686 B43 2002. 

Kroll, Judith. In the Temperate Zone. PS3561.R58 I5 (1973).

Larsen, Lance. Erasable Walls. PS3562.A738 E73 1998. 

Levis, Larry. Elegy. PS3562.E922 E44 1997. 

Lockward, Diane. Eve's Red Dress. PS3612.O2594 E94 2003. 

Logan, William. Night Battle. PS3562.0449 N54 1999. 

---. The Whispering Gallery. PS3562.O449 W48 2005. 

Maio, Samuel, The Burning of Los Angeles. PS3563.A384 B87 1996 

Martinez, Dionisio D. Bad Alchemy. PS3563.A733334 B33 1995. 

Matthews, William. Search Party. PS3563.A855 A17 2004.  (Note: For the purposes of this course, students should read pages 189-255).

McHugh, Heather. Hinge & Sign. PS3563.A311614 H56 1994. 

McCallum, Shara. Song of Thieves. PS3563.C33446 S56 2003. 

Merwin, W. S. The Lice. PS3563. E75 L5 (1967). (Note:  This book is a misprint, with 18 pages missing.)

Miller, Leslie Adrienne. Staying Up for Love. PS3563.I4137 S7 1990. 

Minty, Judith. Dancing the Fault. PS3563.I48 D3 1991.

Moffett, Judith. Keeping Time. PS3563.O29 K4 (1976).

Molesworth, Charles. Common Elegies. PS3563.O47 C6 (1977).

Morgan, Frederick. The One Abiding. PS3563.O83 O54 2003. 

Neruda, Pablo. Seaquake. Bi-lingual translation. PQ8097.N4 M3613 1993. 

---. Neruda's Garden: An Anthology of Odes. Bi-lingual translation. PQ8097.N4 A6 1995. 

Newman, Amy. Camera Lyrica. PS3564.E9148 C36 1999.

Nezhukumatathil, Aimee. Miracle Fruit. PS3564.E995 M57 2003. 

Northrop, Kate. Things Are Disappearing Here. PS3614.O78 T47 2007.

Nurkse, D. The Fall. PS3564.U76 F35 2002.

O, Marsha de la. Black Hope. PS3554.E1142 B53 1997. 

Ochester, Ed. Dancing on the Edges of Knives. PS3565.C48 D3 (1973).

Olds, Sharon. The Unswept Room. PS3565.L34 U57 2002.

Paley,  Grace. Fidelity. PS3566.A46 F53 2008.

Parini, Jay. Anthracite Country. PS3566.A65 A85 (1982).

Paston, Linda. An Early Afterlife. PS3566.A775 E27 1995.

---. The Last Uncle. PS3566.A775 L37 2002.

Pavlich, Walter. Running Near the End of the World. 1992. PS3566.A88R81992. 

Peacock, Molly. Original Love. PS3566.E15 O75 1995. 

Perillo, Lucia. The Oldest Map with the Name America. PS3566.E69146 O43 1999. 

Pescroff, Joyce. A Dog in the Lifeboat. PS3566.E737 H6 1991. 

---. Eastern Mountain Time. PS3566.E737 E27 2006. 

Peseroff, Joyce. The Hardness Scale. PS3566.E737 H3 (1977).

Petersen, Donald. Early and Late. PS3566.E76 E2 2001.

Petrosky, Anthony. Red and Yellow Boat. PS3566.E858 R43 1994. 

---.  Jurgis Petraskas. PS3566.E858 J8 1983.

Powell, Dannye Romine. At Every Wedding Someone Stays Home. S3566.08267 A93 1994. 

Pugh, Christina. Rotary. PS3616.U35 R68 2004. 

Raab, Lawrence. What We Don't Know about Each Other. PS3568.A2 W47 1993. 

Ramsey, Jarold. Love in an Earthquake. PS3568.A46 L6 (1973).

Rankin, Paula. Divorce: A Romance. PS3568.A499 D5 1991. 

Rash, Ron. Raising the Dead. PS3568.A698 R35 2002. 

Rectenwald, Michael. The Eros of the Baby Boom Eras. PS3568.E285 E76 1991.

Revell, Donald. My Mojave. PS3568.E793 M9 2003. 

---. A Theif of Strings. PS3568.E793 T46 2007.

Reynolds, Rebecca. Daughter of the Hangnail. PS3568.E897 D38 1997.

Roberts, Len. Counting the Black Angels. PS3568. 1994. 

---. The Trouble-Making Finch. PS3568.02389 T76 1998. 

---. Dangerous Angels: Poems. PS3568.O2389 D36 1993.

---. Learning about the Heart: Poems. PS3568.O2389 L43 1992.

---. Black Wings: Poems. PS3568.O2389 B5 1989.

---. Sweet Ones: Poems. PS3568.O2389 S94 1988.

---. From the Dark: Poems. PS3568.O2389 F7 1984.

Roripaugh, Lee Ann. Beyond Heart Mountain. PS3568.0717B4 1999. 

Rosenberg, Liz. Children of Paradise. PS3568.07874 C45 1993. 

Rohrer, Matthew. A Hummock in the Malookas. PS3568.052 H86 1995. 

Rukeyser, Muriel. Out of Silence. PS3535.U4 075 1992. 

Reynolds, Rebecca. Daughter of the Hangnail. PS3568.E897 D38 1997. 

Schneeman, Elio. Along the Rails. PS3569.C524 A46 1991.

Scott, Herbert. Sleeping Woman. PS3569.C624 S59 2005. 

Sexton, Anne. All My Pretty Ones. PS3537.E915 A76 1962. 

Sexton, Elaine. Sleuth. PS3619.E98 S58 2003. 

Shange, Ntozake. A Daughter's Geography. PS3569.H3324 D3 1983. 

Shapiro, David. The Page-Turner. PS3569.H34 P3. 

Simic, Charles. My Noiseless Entourage. PS3569.I4725 M9 2005. 

Skoyles, John. Permanent Change. PS3569.K69 P4 1991. 

Slavitt, David R. Crossroads. PS3569.L3 C7 1994. 

Smith, Patti. Early Work 1970-79. PS3569.M53787 A6 1994. 

Snodgrass, W. D. Not for Specialists: New and Selected Poems. PS3537.N32 N68 2006. (For the purposes of this course, students need to read only pages 163 - 243.)

Snyder, Gary. Regarding Wave. PS3569.N88 R4 (1970).

Song, Cathy. Cloud Moving Hands. PS3569.O6539 C58 2007.

Sorby, Angela. Distance Learning. PS3569.O667 D57 1998.

Southwick, Marcia. Why the River Disappears. PS3569.083 W49 1990. 

Stephenson, Shelby. Family Matters: Homage to July, The Slave Girl. PS3569.T38684 F36 2008.

Stern, Gerald. Paradise Poems. PS3569.T3888 P37 1984. 

---. Two Long Poems. PS3569.T3888 A6 1990. 

---. Odd Mercy. PS3569.T3888 O83 1995. 

Svoboda, Terese. Laughing Africa. 1990. PS3569.V6L3 1990. 

Szybist, Mary. Granted. PS3619.Z93 G73 2003. 

Van Winckel, Nance. After a Spell. PS3572.A546 A69 1998. 

---. Beside Ourselves. PS3572.A546 B47 2003. 

Voigt, Ellen Bryant. Kyrie. PS3572.O34 K97 1995. 

Wagoner, David. Good Morning and Good Night. PS3545.A34 G66 2005. 

Walker, Alice. Her blue body everything we know; earthling poems, 1965-1990. 1991. PS3573.A425H47 1991. 

Wanek, Connie. Hartley Field. PS3573.A47686 H37 2002. 

Waters, Michael. Partheonopi. PS3573.A818 P37 2001. 

Webb, Charles Harper. Liver. PS3573.E194 L58 1999.

Wilbur, Richard. Collected Poems 1943 - 2004. PS3545.I32165 A6 2004. (For the purposes of this course, you need to read only the first 73 pages of this book.)

Williams, C. K. The Singing. PS3573.I4483 S56 2003. 

Winters, Anne. The Displaced of Capital. PS3573.I539 D57 2004. 

Wood, Renate. Raised Underground. PS3573.0597 R3 1991. 

Wormser, Baron. Mulroney & Others. PS3573.0693 M84 2000. 

Wright, Franz. Walking to Martha's Vineyard. PS3573.R5327 W3 2003. 

Wrigley, Robert. Reign of Snakes. PS3573.R58 R45 1999. 

Yakich, Mark. Unrelated Individuals Forming a Group Waiting to Cross. PS3625.A38 U57 2004. 

Young, Dean. Elegy on Toy Piano. PS3575.O782 E44 2005. 

Young, Kevin. For the Confederate Dead. PS3575.O798 F67 2007.

Zimmer, Paul. Big Blue Train. PS3576.I47 B54 1993.

Doctorow, E. L. Creationists. PS3554.O3 C74 2006. (Short essays on various creative persons throughout history.)

Dunn, Stephen. Walking Light. PS3554.U49 W34 1993. (Essays by the poet on poetry & memoirs) 

Friedman, Bonnie. Writing Past Dark. PN171.F75 1993 (Essays on writing) 

Harvey, Steven. A Geometry of Lilies. PS3558.A7195 Z467 1993 (Essays) 

Huddle, David. The Writing Habit. PN151.H78 1994 (Essays on writing: excellent selection!) 

Kundera, Milan. The Art of the Novel. 1988. PN3453.K8613 1988(Important essay on novel writing) 

McKain, David. Spellbound: Growing Up in God's Country. PS3563.A3133 Z475 1994 (Memoir about growing up in PA,    reads like short stories) 

Mairs, Nancy. Mortal Acts. (Autobiographical essays) 

Merwin, W. S. Unframed Originals. PS3563.E75 Z476 1982. (Autobiographical essays) 

Oliver, Mary. A Poetry Handbook. PE1505.035 1994 (Exceptional book on prosody and writing in general) 

Schwartz, Delmore. The Ego Is Always at the Wheel. PS3537.C79 E4 1986 (Essays) 

Welty, Eudora. One Writer's Beginnings. PS3545.E6 Z475 1984 (Essays) 

The dusk of evening comes on. Earlier a little rain 
had fallen. You open a drawer and find inside 
the man's photograph, knowing he has only two years 
to live. He doesn't know this, of course, 
that's why he can mug for the camera. 
How could he know what's taking root in his head 
at that moment? If one looks to the right 
through boughs and tree trunks, there can be seen 
crimson patches of the after-glow. No shadows, no 
half-shadows. It is still and damp…. 
The man goes on mugging. I put the picture back 
in its place along with the others and give 
my attention instead to the after-glow along the far ridge, 
light golden on the roses in the garden. 
Then, I can't help myself, I glance once more 
at the picture. The wink, the broad smile, 
the jaunty slant of the cigarette.