Kashyap, Aruni
R 12:45 PM
Park Hall 0061
The Art of the Novella:
Longer than a short story, but shorter than a novel, the novella is often underrated and ignored by the contemporary literary culture. Traditionally, they are published as a collection or tucked in a short story collection: the odd long narrative that is too slender to be published as a book, and too long for a magazine. But in the last decade, the novella has returned as a favorite go-to long-read. Publishers want them so much that they have started novella contests. Magazines have opened up spaces for this ignored literary cousin because they provide the satisfaction of finishing a book-length work within a few weeks. Novellas are now even international bestsellers, appearing in multiple languages across the world, and they have become one of the best ways to debut. They are also the best suited for the creative writing workshop: short enough to discuss in class, and long enough to gain the satisfaction of finishing a book.
The goal of this course is to better understand the fundamental elements and study the unique features of novellas by reading examples from different literary traditions. Students will read a novella every week, traditional as well as experimental, to discuss the fundamental craft elements of the text. The student will submit the first draft of a novella (18,000 - 25,000) at the end of the semester and will have the opportunity to obtain extensive feedback from peers. This
Tentative readings :