Department of Creative Writing

http://www.uncw.edu/writers

Mr. P. Gerard, chair. Ms. L. Adams (graduate program coordinator), Mr. Bass (undergraduate program coordinator), Ms. Brenner, Mr. M. Cox, Dr. Edgerton, Dr. Furia, Mr. George, Mr. Gessner, Ms. Lee, Ms. Messer, Ms. Mörling, Mr. Siegel, Ms. E. Smith, Dr. M. J. White.

The Department of Creative Writing offers a major, the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, and a minor in creative writing. Both programs provide an intensive apprenticeship in writing, informed by the close study of literature, to serious, aspiring writers, among a community of accomplished professional writers. The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree provides training in the art of writing within the context of studies in aesthetics, the literary tradition, the craft and profession of publishing, and broad liberal arts subject matter relevant to the student‘s needs and goals.

Faculty and students interact in a variety of ways with the community and region. Our Publishing Laboratory replicates the functions of a typical book publisher, allowing students hands-on experience with new technologies in the process of publishing and the techniques of getting published. Our Younger Writers’ Summer Workshop is an annual four-day conference that brings together high school students from all over the state and region to study with the faculty and students of the Department of Creative Writing. Our primary educational goals include: 1) providing dedicated and talented students with a rigorous apprenticeship in the art and craft of creating literature; 2) developing students‘ critical faculties, their understanding of literary forms, and their aesthetic judgment; 3) providing students with a strong intellectual foundation in the historical literary tradition, grounding their practice of the art of writing in an understanding of how that art has been practiced by the greatest classic and contemporary authors; and 4) developing a thoughtful interdisciplinary foundation for understanding creative writing‘s relationship to other arts and scholarly areas. Additionally, the course of study engenders improved problem-solving skills, analytical reasoning, communication abilities, and both independent and group work ethics.

Students may declare a major in creative writing and enter the B.F.A. degree program only after submitting a successful portfolio for review by the faculty. Students must also have demonstrated their talent and dedication in one of the basic prerequisite courses in creative writing (CRW 207 , CRW 208 , or CRW 209 ) by receiving a grade of “B” or better.