Part I: The Foundations of Creative Nonfiction
Chapter 1: The Basics of Good Writing in Any Form
The classic Strunk & White Elements of Style (1918 edition) is available from Bartleby.com.
Many of the terms we now use to describe narrative technique in both fiction and nonfiction (including the distinction between "scene" and "exposition") can be traced to the critical writings of one of the most self-conscious of literary craftsmen, the American novelist Henry James. "The Art of Fiction" (1884) surveys the tools avaailable to the storyteller. For a classic discussion of point of view in fiction, see the Preface to The Ambassadors. (a later work that is immensely rewarding, but whose idiosyncratic prose may be a bit of a challenge to read.)
Chapter 2: The Particular Challenges of Creative Nonfiction
This is the homepage of the journal Creative Nonfiction, devoted "exclusively to the creative nonfiction genre."
Click here to visit "Peeping Truth," a Webring that brings creative nonfiction devotees together.
Part II: Unearthing Your Material Chapter 3: The Body of Memory
Exploratorium has put together this online exhibition about the physiology of memory and its cultural function. There are also links to games, articles, lectures, and more.
Here's a useful checklist about remembering from Virginia Tech.
Chapter 4: Writing the Family
Does the idea of writing about your family intrigue you? Click here to read some excerpts from a book called Writing Family Histories and Memoirs.
The art of biography was a lifelong fascination for Virginia Woolf, and much of her work is difficult to classify because it experiments with this peculiar hybrid of the factual and the aesthetic (cf., for example, Orlando, Flush: A Biography, and her biography of Roger Fry). For some of Woolf's thoughts on the form, see her late essay "The Art of Biography." Chapter 5: "Taking Place": Writing the Physical World
Like to learn more about nature writing? This is an excellent collection of web resources from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Here is an excerpt from Alain de Botton's recent meditation on the form, The Art of Travel (Pantheon, 2002).
Chapter 6: Gathering the Threads of History "Penning the Past" is a comprehensive, hyperlinked e-Handbook about writing history papers from Brown University.
This page has links to various essays about the definition of "history" and the epistemological challenge of apprehending historical "truth."
Chapter 7: Writing the Arts
Here is the homepage of Criticism.com, a site devoted to theory and criticism across the arts.
"Writing in Art History" is a useful handout from the University of North Carolina.
Chapter 8: Writing the Larger World
Georgetown University has provided this list of links about philosophy and theology-an excellent source for "archetypal" metaphors and paradigms that can be employed in writing about a variety of subjects.
The Google.com directory for writing in general will give you a good sense of the bewildering range of topics and genres that fall under this umbrella.
Part III: The Forms of Creative Nonfiction Chapter 9: The Personal Essay
The essays of Montaigne helped to establish the form of the modern personal essay. Several of his best-known pieces, including "Of Experience," are available online. (here is a selection from the translation by Charles Cotton.)
The publisher has posted excerpts from the introduction to Phillip Lopate's seminal collection, The Art of the Personal Essay.
Chapter 10: The Lyric Essay
In its Fall 1997 issue, the Seneca Review announced it would begin to publish specimens of the lyric essay - "a fascinating sub-genre that straddles the essay and the lyric poem." Click here to read their "manifesto" in its entirety, a piece titled "New Terrain: The Lyric Essay."
Here is a review of a recent book of lyric essays by John D'Agata. The review includes a discussion of the lyric essay and its emergence as a distinct genre.
Chapter 11: The Basics of Personal Reportage
George Orwell's The Road to Wigan Pier (1937) is a classic of personal reportage, the result of Orwell's immersion in the coal-mining communities of northern England in the 1930's. The book is divided into two sections - the first descriptive, the second analytical. Both sections are available online from Project Gutenberg of Australia.
The online journal Creative Nonfiction features a profile of its current editor, Lee Gutkind, who is also known for his distinctive brand personal reportage.
Chapter 12: The Writing Process and Revision
Ohio University has put together this good collection of links about the writing process.
The Southern Arizona Writing Project has posted this site devoted to the art of revision.
Epilogue: Last Words "How to Read Rejection," some good advice from Poets & Writers magazine, is available online for your reading pleasure.
Part IV: The Anthology Atwood, Margaret, "Nine Beginnings"
Atwood's own site has a biography, information about her books, and an FAQ, among other sources of information.
Atwood's page at the Academy of American Poets site has a biography, and links to poems and other web pages.
Baldwin, James, "Notes of a Native Son"
Here are some autobiographical notes from Baldwin. (Free registration required.)
This Teacher Resource offers e-text versions of Baldwin's works, bibliographies, and links to a variety of related sites.
Bausch, Richard, "So Long Ago"
"A Conversation with Richard Bausch" appeared in the Atlantic Monthly.
The journal Ploughshares has posted Bausch's story "Two Altercations" on their website.
Beard, Jo Ann, "The Fourth State of Matter"
Here's a bit of info about Beard's book The Boys of My Youth.
Berry, Wendell, "An Entrance to the Woods"
Berry's page at the University of Louisville has some biographical information and links related to the author's life and work.
"Thoughts in the Presence of Fear," Berry's take on the September 11th attacks, is available at the Orion website.
Cooper, Bernard, "The Fine Art of Sighing"
Click here for a photo and some biographical info about Cooper.
This page offers excerpts from Cooper's book, Truth Serum: Memoirs.
Didion, Joan, "Goodbye to All That"
A profile and photo of Didion from Barnard College.
Here is an interview with Didion from Salon about her novel The Last Thing He Wanted. She also discusses the impact of technology on her writing.
Dillard, Annie, "Total Eclipse"
The New York Times offers a good introduction to Dillard and her work. (Free registration required.)
Clemson University has posted an extensive biography of Dillard along with a photo.
Dubus, Andre, "Love in the Morning" (website)
Salon has this remembrance of Dubus on their website.
Here's a short essay by Dubus about his first book, the novel The Lieutenant. You'll also find some biographical info on this page.
Duncan, David James, "The Mickey Mantle Koan"
An excerpt from Duncan's "When Compassion Becomes Dissent" is available from Orion.com.
Fisher, M.F.K., "The Measure of My Powers" and "A Thing Shared"
This site, sponsored by Les Dames Escoffier International, contains images of Fisher in youth and in her later years, reminiscences by her friends, and a complete list of works.
Goldbarth, Albert, "After Yitzl"
Click here to read Goldbarth's "Hair Pieces" online, courtesy of The Gettysburg Review.
This page from Hartwick College has a photo of the author, a brief biography, and a poem of his called "Across Town."
Gordon, Mary, "Still Life: Notes on Pierre Bonnard and My Mother's Ninetieth Birthday"
Here's a photo, plus a biography and some links from the New York State Writers Institute.
Bookpage has posted this interview with Gordon on the occasion of the publication of her collection Seeing Through Places.
Guess, Carol, "Red" (website)
Indiana University's Creative Writing Program has this blurb about this author's life and work.
Here is a publisher's site with information about Guess's 1998 book, Switch (a work of fiction).
Hampl, Patricia, "The Need to Say It" (website)
Information may be obtained from Hampl's faculty page at the University of Minnesota, where she is Regents Professor of English.
Here is a RealPlayer recording of a 1983 interview with Hampl. (From the Wired for Books site.)
Hemley, Robin, "Reading History To My Mother"
Here is Hemley's own page from Vermont College with photo and a biography.
"Teaching Our Uncertainties," an essay by Hemley, is available online here.
Iyer, Pico, "Where Worlds Collide"
Click here to read the Salon biography of this author.
The New York Review of Books has posted this Iyer bibliography, along with some related links.
Rider, Bhanu Kapil "Three Voices"
This is a brief biography of Kapil Rider from the University of Hawaii. You'll also find a photo and a link to an audio clip of her reading from her work.
Kingston, Maxine Hong, "No Name Woman"
Here is an introduction to Kingston from Voices From the Gaps with photo, biography, two bibliographies, and some links to get your research going.
Kitchen, Judith, "Things of This Life" (website)
You'll find the author's own page at SUNY Brockport along with a photo of Kitchen if you follow this link.
The Georgia Review posted this excerpt from Kitchen's Q&A.
LaMott, Anne, "Why I Don't Meditate"
Click here for a photo and some biographical info about LaMott from a speaking agency.
PBS produced a program called bird by bird with annie. You can read all about it here.
Mukherjee, Bharati, "A Four-Hundred-Year-Old Woman"
An introduction to Mukherjee is available at Voices From the Gaps, with biography, two bibliographies, and some links to get your research going.
"American Dreamer" is the name of an essay this author wrote for Mother Jones magazine.
Price, Jennifer, "A Brief Natural History of the Plastic Pink Flamingo"
This article from a Chico State publication discusses the author's life and work and features a photo of the author.
Salon has posted this review of Flight Maps, a collection of essays by Price.
Rekdal, Paisley, "The Night My Mother Met Bruce Lee"
Paisley Rekdal teaches poetry at the University of Wyoming; here is her faculty page.
The NPR program Along for the Ride once profiled Rekdal. Read and hear all about it here.
Rodriguez, Richard, "Mr. Secrets"
For a bit of background information about Rodriguez, click over to his "Off Camera" biography at the Online NewsHour site. You'll also find a photo there, as well as links to some of his essays.
Click here for a transcript of Scott London's 1997 interview with Rodriguez for the radio program Insight & Outlook.
Sanders, Scott Russell, "Buckeye"
Sanders teaches at the Indiana University Graduate Creative Writing Program; this is his university homepage.
In his essay "Sorrow and Solidarity," Sanders reflects upon America's early response to the attacks of September 11th.
Sedaris, David, "The Drama Bug"
Click here for a photo, some biographical info, and some links about Sedaris from a speaking agency.
You can hear Sedaris read "A Million Bubbles" (from Me Talk Pretty One Day) at this Salon Audio site.
Selzer, Richard, "The Knife"
Here is a Selzer photo, plus a biography and some links from the New York State Writers Institute.
Simic, Charles, "Three Fragments"
Simic's page at the Academy of American Poets site has a biography and links to poems and other web pages.
Here is an interview with Simic from The Courtland Review's website, along with some biographical info, a photo, and some links.
Staples, Brent, "The Coroner's Photographs"
Here is some biographical information from PBS. This page includes some notes about Staples's life, a photo, and a link to a video about the author in both RealVideo and Quicktime.
Here is a review by Staples of the book All Souls: A Family Story From Southie. (Free registration required.)
Sutin, Lawrence, from A Postcard Memoir
This page has a bit of biographical info about the author, and a link to a review of A Postcard Memoir.
Here is Sutin interviewing himself about his biography of Philip K. Dick.
White, E.B. "Afternoon of An American Boy"
This New York Times page has a list of quotes, a photo from his later years, and numerous links to articles and reviews. As a bonus, there's a link to a rare recording of White reading from Charlotte's Web and The Trumpet of the Swan. (Free registration required.)
Williams, Terry Tempest, "The Clan of One-Breasted Women"
Coyote Clan, a site devoted to Williams's life and work, has some background information about the author, photos, a biography, and lots of related links. It's a great place to begin your online research.
The NPR radio program Insight & Outlook conducted this 1995 interview with Williams on "The Politics of Place."
Woolf, Virginia, "The Death of the Moth"
The Common Reader (First Series, 1925) is available from Project Gutenberg of Australia. This first published collection of Woolf's criticism contains a number of essays on the essay form itself - see especially "Montaigne," "The Modern Essay," and the experimental tour-de-force of creative nonfiction which opens the volume, "The Pastons and Chaucer."
The website of the International Virginia Woolf Society offers links to a wide spectrum of Woolf sites.
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2004 McGraw-Hill Higher Education