Courses

In this course, we’ll take literary and literal tours of New York City as readers and writers. We will consider New York City as both the subject of a variety of literatures and as a style of writing. How have poets, fiction writers, essayists, playwrights, and journalists documented and imagined the city in the 20th and 21st centuries? What literary movements and communities were born or reimagined here? What larger ideas about urban life or American culture have been established or challenged by New York City literature? We will read and write works across genres and across the city in an effort to engage deeply and creatively with some of the varied histories and practices of writing (in and about) New York City.

In this class we will consider the various forms and functions of humor in written prose, discussing techniques and approaches to humor writing. Students will write their own humorous stories and essays which we will read and discuss in class, focusing not only on what is or isn't funny, but on how humor can be advantageously used to increase the power of an overall piece. The class will also break down stories, novels, and essays from a variety of authors-Bill Hicks' political satire; the darkly comedic fiction of Barry Hannah and Paul Beatty; the absurd humor of Tina Fey and Baratunde Thurston; Anthony Lane's charming British snarkiness; Spy Magazine's sharply parodic voice; Woody Allen's one-liners; Lena Dunham's zeitgeist comedy-in an effort to better understand what makes their humor work. Students will be asked to write stories inspired and influenced by these authors. As we critique each other's work, we will investigate strategies related to the craft of humor writing, including self-deprecation, political satire, humor and the other, going blue, dark comedy, schtick, humor as a means vs. humor as an end, crossing the line, and how to write funny without sacrificing substance.