The Program
The Creative Writing Program at Grossmont College is a comprehensive program offering an introductory course in creative writing and repeatable writers’ workshops in fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, drama, and novel writing. The courses are taught by working writers who are as committed to their students’ writing as they are to their own. As Richard Hugo once stated, “A creative writing class may be one of the last places you can go where your life still matters.” With Hugo’s words in mind, we work to foster the development of creative writers at all skill levels in a supportive, professional, and dynamic atmosphere.
In addition to maintaining this atmosphere, we publish The Acorn Review, a literary magazine managed by students and featuring the creative writing and artwork of students.
It is also our mission to actively serve and engage students, faculty, and the community through a rich variety of readings and other literary events that are always free and open to the public. The Fall 2011 Author Series features readings by award-winning poet, James Meetze; novelist and Chick Lit pioneer, Cris Mazza; So Say We All’s Executive Director, Justin Hudnall; and the First Lady of Language, Lidia Yuknavitch, reading from her memoir, The Chronology of Water (COW). Chuck Palahniuk, author of Fight Club, raves about COW: ”I’ve read this book, cover to cover, about a dozen times. I am still reading it. And I will, most likely, return to it for inspiration and ideas,and out of sheer admiration, for the rest of my life.”
The keynote speaker for this spring’s 16th Annual Literary Arts Festival will be the incomparable Sandra Cisneros!
As support for the arts has dwindled, especially in the East County, we rigorously seek to cultivate a diverse literary community and to celebrate and promote literature and its role in our culture. If you are interested in supporting our program, please visit the Grossmont College Foundation.
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Program Student Learning Outcomes
After completing two or more creative writing courses a student will:
1. Create literary works, employing the elements appropriate to one or more chosen genres, in an authorial voice that demonstrates authenticity, aesthetic ability, and literary sensibility.
2. Practice–at a high level of efficiency–the habits of a writer, including frequent writing, revising, and reflecting.
3. Read and infer like a writer, that is, recognize and analyze the dynamic relationship between content and form in the literary works of classic, contemporary, and new literary voices.
4. Use skills as a critic to contribute to and benefit from a writers’ workshop.
5. Value and support the local and greater writing community through attendance and/or participation in various literary arts activities and performances.