Registration open for fall session of "Memories into Story" (online), at University of Toronto

Here are the details for my upcoming online course being offered by University of Toronto's School of Continuing Studies:


Memories into Story: Introduction to Life Writing

http://learn.utoronto.ca/course/list.htm
(Paste the above address into your browser, and search for course alphabetically by title.)

Students who wish to pursue the Certificate in Continuing Studies in Creative Writing must indicate their intent IN WRITING to the Creative Writing Program Office (scs.writing@utoronto.ca) and also MUST ALERT THEIR INSTRUCTORS IN THE FIRST CLASS that they will need to be evaluated. Students are solely responsible for keeping a dossier of their ORIGINAL evaluated works.

SCS 2282 – 004 Memories into Story: Introduction to Life Writing (Online)

Instructor: Allyson Latta

Instructor Contact: lattamemoirs@gmail.com

Restrictions: Instructor will make every effort to return messages
within two business days.

Date: Starts September 21, 2009; 10 weeks

Required Reading: Writing About Your Life: A Journey into the Past, by William Zinsser
PLUS
two published book-length memoirs of the student’s choice (no “celebrity” memoirs) to be approved in advance by the instructor

Brief Course Description:

Channel your life experiences into creative writing by exploring the nature of and diversity within memoir and related genres. Readings, exercises and instruction stimulate your memory and guide you in developing your unique voice and style. Discover your “emotional truth” and hone your craft. Bring your memories to life on the page, for yourself or for publication, through personal essay, memoir, or fiction.

Learner Outcomes:

• Recognize the range of possibilities in writing about personal experience
• Apply fiction techniques to life writing/memoir writing
• Analyze structure in selected short and book-length published memoirs
• Discuss challenges inherent in writing about real people and events
• Assess own writing using self-editing checklist
• Write one short story or book chapter (2,500 words max.)

Evaluation:

Assignments (3 x 20%) 60%
Participation 10%*
Final Project 30%

*For submitting optional course exercises and participating in discussion board forums.

Grading:

90 to 100% Honours
70 to 89% Pass
60 to 69% Pass
50 to 59% Pass
Less than 50% Fail / Incomplete

Final grade will be Honours, Pass, or Fail.

Instructor Bio:

Allyson Latta, BA, HBJ, is a literary editor who over the past thirteen years has worked with many of Canada’s most respected authors and edited numerous award-winning works of fiction and non-fiction, specializing in memoir. In 2004, for Ryerson University, she developed and taught one of the first interactive online memoir writing courses, on which others have been modelled. She also leads workshops through her own company. After earning degrees in criminology and journalism, Allyson worked as newspaper reporter, associate editor for Quarry literary journal, and associate editor and features writer for Ottawa Magazine and Ottawa Business Magazine. For three years she lived in Japan, where she taught college-level English and published personal essays. Allyson is a consultant for the annual Words Alive Literary Festival, held in Sharon, Ontario, and a judge for U of T Magazine’s short fiction contest.