JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: CW/AS358
COURSE NAME: Making Literature: Creative Writing and Studio Arts Workshop
SEMESTER & YEAR: Summer 2024

TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: Prerequisite: EN 103 or 105 with grade of C or above
OFFICE HOURS: By appointment

INSTRUCTOR: TBA

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This is a workshop exploring the overlap of creative writing and art and design where students will engage with the materiality of words and the metaphorical nature of materials. Students will workshop their own writing and will experiment with different methods to construct small collections of writing. Students will acquire methods of DIY publishing and learn to disseminate their work in a novel way.

SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

Students will workshop their own writing, practice peer editing, and work on their style, voice, vocabulary, and other aspects of their writing. At the same time, they will have the opportunity to look at many examples of chapbooks and artists’ books and analyze the methods and strategies employed by these writers and makers and examine why writers and artists continue to make handmade books in our online and digital art culture. Students will consider how the process of making a book affects the content of the book itself, the importance of font, layout, and tactile materials. They will explore simple bookbinding techniques (pamphlet making and stab-stitching) before settling on an approach for their own project. These small books can be shared privately, sent out in portfolios and be used to disseminate information in a novel way.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Students will workshop their creative writing and engage in class-based peer-reviews. Students will become conversant in the fundamentals of print culture and have basic bookmaking and practical publishing skills using simple software. They will have firsthand experience of DIY bookmaking.

TEXTBOOK:

Reader provided by professor.

GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
A Work of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.
B This is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised. There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluate theory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture and reference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
D This level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material. Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included. In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
F This work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.

-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Attendance is mandatory.

ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.

Session

Material Covered

Reading

Week 1 Monday

This week ideas about DIY book making and the artist book will be introduced broadly.

An introduction to print culture, the history of the book. What is the purpose of the chapbook? Why make books when we have the internet? How do form and function complement each other in the book object?

Initial sharing of project ideas and first writing workshops. The second half of the week will be dedicated to writing and workshopping student writing.

Brantly, Jessica. “Medieval Remediations” in Comparative Textual Media: Transforming the Humanities in the Postprint Era

Drucker, Johanna. “Entity to Event: From Literal Mechanistic Materiality to Probabilistic Materiality.”

Visit to Biblioteca Angelica

Week 2

An introduction to different methods of DIY printing. Starting with some basic in class zine making.

Examining various chapbooks and artists’ books as examples.

Poetry workshop will make up half of the week.

Visit to MACRO

Reading Moyra Davey, “The Problem of Reading”

Week 3

Accordion books, the history of the artist’s book looking at 20^th century examples.

Poetry workshop and materials workshops for most of the week.

Introduction to folding methods and use of bone folder, paper cutters, etc. Layout practices for a continuous pamphlet. The stab stitch: this class will be spent practicing folding and stitching methods. Introduction to further materials such as bookbinding needles, waxed twine, paper types.

Visit to Diagonale/librogalleria

Readings from Ulisse Carrión on the book

Week 4

Selection of theme and poem for books, students will share and workshop the material they want to include in print.

Selection of work for pamphlet (students should bring the work they would like to include in this product to be discussed and workshopped)

This week students will play with different ideas for their final product.

Drucker, Johanna. “Intimations of Immateriality: Graphical Form, Textual Sense, and the Electronic Environment”

Visit to Litografia Bulla

Week 5

Making the Pamphlet in class and final reading/book distribution for last class event.

This week is dedicated to purely making the book, with some time also given to reading practice and oral presentation of printed material.

Planning, promoting, and organizing an on campus open reading and sharing of printed matter with peers!