Year-Long Writing Project CNF-Memoir Syllabus

Project Syllabus

More details about the project and what you can expect out of the year can be found in the project syllabus below.

 

Online Cohort Calendar | all times listed in CST

The calendar for the online Creative Nonfiction and Memoir Writing Project led by Sun Yung Shin is linked here. The Zoom link is Loft-provided and you receive this information once you are registered for the class. Please contact us at [email protected] if you have questions about registration.

Year-Long Writing Project Orientation

January 24, 2024 |  Wednesday | 6–7:30 p.m. | Online, via Zoom

Final Public Reading

Tue., January 7, 2025 | 7 p.m. | Online, via Zoom

Participants will meet weekly as a cohort during the summer three terms/periods of weekly meetings (winter, summer, and fall in 2024) with one period of independent study (May 2024).

 

The online cohort will meet via live weekly video meetings over Zoom; there will be no in-person meetings. 

 

Each student will also meet one-on-one with the project leader four times over the course of the year-long program. These meetings include one introductory meeting before the program kicks off on January 28, 2024, and one manuscript consultation session after December 9, 2024 when the program concludes (and by which date you need to have submitted your final manuscript, 250-300 double-spaced, paginated, 1” margin, 12 point font pages—no pdfs, please—either Word or Google docs so I can give feedback electronically), to be completed no later than February 28, 2025.


 

CNF & Memoir Writing Project 2024 Cohort Schedule OVERVIEW 

Online cohort meeting dates

(Calendar is subject to adjustment)

 

Year-Long Writing Project Information Session

10/23/24 6-7 pm

Online/Zoom

 

Year-Long Writing Project Orientation Meeting

Required of all participants

1/24/24 6-7:30 pm 

Online/Zoom

 

Winter Term 2024 | 6-9 CST 

Wednesday, January 24, 2024 | 6–7:30 p.m Year-Long Writing Project Orientation: (tentative plan is for all cohorts join and we'll do breakout rooms for each cohort to meet one another)

  1. Monday, January 29th, 2024 (1/29/24)
  2. Monday, February 5th, 2024 (2/5/24)
  3. Monday, February 12th, 2024 (2/12/24)
  4. Monday, February 12th, 2024 (2/12/24)
  5. Monday, February 26th, 2024 (2/26/24)
  6. Monday, March 4th, 2024 (3/4/24)
  7. Monday, March 11th, 2024 (3/11/24)
  8. Monday, March 18th, 2024 (3/18/24)
  9. Monday, March 25th, 2024 (3/25/24)
  10. Monday, April 1st, 2024 (4/1/24)
  11. Monday, April 8th, 2024 (4/8/24)
  12. Monday, April 15th, 2024 (4/15/24)

 

Summer Term 2024 

Mondays at 6-9 PM CST

Saturdays at 10 AM-12 PM CST

Note: No meetings scheduled in May or August 19-September 16, 2024 (students are expected to do independent study during this time with one-on-one meetings at the beginning and end of the summer)

 

  1. Monday, June 10th, 2024 (6/10/24)
  2. Monday, June 24th, 2024 (6/24/24)
  3. Saturday, June 29th, 2024 (6/29/2024)

Skip July 1 (office closed)

  1. Monday, July 15th, 2024 (7/15/24)
  2. Monday, July 29th, 2024 (7/29/24)
  3. Saturday, August 3rd, 2024 (8/3/24)
  4. Monday, August 12th, 2024 (8/12/24)
  5. Saturday, August 17, 2024 (8/7/24)

 

Fall Term 2024 

  1. Monday, September 16th, 2024 (9/16/24)
  2. Monday, September 23rd, 2024 (9/23/24)
  3. Monday, September 30th, 2024 (9/30/24)
  4. Monday, October 7th, 2024 (10/7/24)
  5. Monday, October 14th, 2024 (10/14/24)
  6. Monday, October 21st, 2024 (10/21/24)
  7. Monday, October 28th, 2024 (10/28/24)
  8. Monday, November 4th, 2024 (11/4/24)
  9. Monday, November 11th, 2024 (11/11/24)
  10. Monday, November 18, 2024 (11/18/24)
  11. Skip Nov 18 (no classes that holiday week)

Skip: Monday, November 25th, 2024 (11/25/24) - no classes this week

  1. Monday, December 2nd, 2024 (12/2/24)
  2. Monday, December 9th, 2024 (12/9/24)

 

Winter 2025

Final Reading: Tuesday, January 7, 2025 | 7-8:30 PM

Zoom Link: 

 

 

 

Assigned books (to be read in this order):

  1. Names for Light by Thirii Myo Kyaw Myint, Graywolf Press, 2021, Finalist for the 2022 PEN Open Book Award
  2. Stay True by Hua Hsu, Anchor, 2022, Winner of a Pulitzer Prize 
  3. The Night Parade: A Speculative Memoir by Jami Nakamura Lin, with illustrations by Cori Nakamura Lin, Mariner Books, 2023 
  4. The Face: Cartography of the Void by Chris Abani, Restless Books, New York, 2016  

 

Some recommended reading: 

  • Autobiography and Cities by Kazim Ali
  • Brown: The Last Discovery of America by Richard Rodriguez 
  • Crazy Brave by Joy Harjo 
  • Dead Boys: A Memoir by Adriana E. Ramirez, Little A, New York, 2016
  • Educated by Tara Westover 
  • Fasting for Ramadan by Kazim Ali
  • In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado
  • The Grave on the Wall by Brandon Shimoda, City Lights, San Francisco, 2019
  • The Girl I Was, Am, and Never Will Be by Shannon Gibney
  • Heart Berries by Therese Maillot
  • Heavy by Kiese Laymon
  • A House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros (novella) 
  • The Late Homecomer by Kao Kalia Yang (+ other memoirs) 
  • Memorial Drive by Natasha Tretheway
  • Solito by Javier Zamora
  • Spirit Car by Diane Glancy 
  • To Free the Captives by Tracy K. Smith
  • Turning Japanese: Memoirs of a Sansei by David Mura
  • We the Animals by Justin Torres (novel) 

 

 

 

Winter Term 2024

Week 1 - Monday, January 29th, 2024 (1/29/24)

  • Work to be completed before coming to class today: 
    • Read and discuss “Ocean Vuong is Still Learning” by Hua Hsu in The New Yorker
      • Come to class with 3 discussion points (including questions) from the interview
    • Read “A Fundamental Human Yearning” by Michael Kleber-Diggs from How Dare We! Write: A Multicultural Creative Writing Discourse edited by Sherry Quan Lee
      • Come to class with 3 discussion points from the essay
  • In class: early memories of language, linguistic registers, voice

 

Week 2 - Monday, February 5th, 2024 (2/5/24)

  • Work to be completed before coming to class today: Read Names for Light 
    • Come to class with 3 discussion points
  • In class: publishing landscape for creative nonfiction and memoir today 

 

Week 3 - Monday, February 12th, 2024 (2/12/24)

  • In class: proposal practice (themes, intended audience, comparables) 

 

Week 4 - Monday, February 12th, 2024 (2/12/24)

  • Work to be completed before coming to class today: 
    • Read first half of The Yellow House through page ____
      • Come to class with 3 discussion points
  • In class: setting, description, and the “shimmering detail”

 

Week 5 - Monday, February 26th, 2024 (2/26/24)

  • Work to be completed before coming to class today: 
    • Read second half of The Yellow House through page ____
      • Come to class with 3 discussion points
  • In class: characterization — direct and indirect, dialogue and interior monologue

 

Week 6 - Monday, March 4th, 2024 (3/4/24) 

  • Round 1 - two workshops   

 

Week 7 - Monday, March 11th, 2024 (3/11/24)

  • Round 1 - two workshops   

 

Week 8 - Monday, March 18th, 2024 (3/18/24)

  • Round 1 - two workshops   

 

Week 9 - Monday, March 25th, 2024 (3/25/24)

  • Work to be completed before coming to class today: 
  • Round 1 - two workshops (if needed)   

 

Week 10 - Monday, April 1st, 2024 (4/1/24)

 

Week 11 - Monday, April 8th, 2024 (4/8/24)

 

Week 12 - Monday, April 15th, 2024 (4/15/24)

  • This week: Schedule one-on-one meetings with Sun Yung (first set to be completed by May 15, second set to be completed before September 16).

 

 

Summer Term 2024 

Mondays at 6-9 PM CST

Saturdays at 10 AM-12 PM CST

 

Note: No meetings scheduled in May or August 19-September 16, 2024 (students are expected to do independent study during this time with one-on-one meetings at the beginning and end of the summer)

 

Week 13 - Monday, June 10th, 2024 (6/10/24)

 

Week 14 - Monday, June 24th, 2024 (6/24/24)

 

Week 15 - Saturday, June 29th, 2024 (6/29/2024)

  • Read first half of Fasting for Ramadan by Kazim Ali, through page ____ 
    • Come to class with 3 discussion points

 

Skip July 1 (no classes that week–Loft office closed)

 

Week 16 - Monday, July 15th, 2024 (7/15/24)

  • Read second half of Fasting for Ramadan by Kazim Ali, through page ____ 
    • Come to class with 3 discussion points

 

Week 17 - Monday, July 29th, 2024 (7/29/24)

  • GUEST: TBD 
  • Read guest’s work and come to class with questions and/or comments on craft/career 

 

Week 18- Saturday, August 3rd, 2024 (8/3/24)

 

Week 19 - Monday, August 12th, 2024 (8/12/24)

 

Week 20 - Saturday, August 17, 2024 (8/7/24)

  • GUEST: TBD
  • Read guest’s work and come to class with questions and/or comments

 

 

 

Fall Term 2024 

Week 21 - Monday, September 16th, 2024 (9/16/24)

  • Round 2  

 

Week 22 - Monday, September 23rd, 2024 (9/23/24)

  • Round 2  

 

Week 23 - Monday, September 30th, 2024 (9/30/24)

  • Round 2 workshops  

 

Week 24 - Monday, October 7th, 2024 (10/7/24)

  • Round 2 workshops  
  • GUEST: TBD
  • Read guest’s work and come to class with questions and/or comments
  • Sign up for Round 3 workshops (final) 

 

Note: Last guest on one of the dates below, TBD

 

Week 25 - Monday, October 14th, 2024 (10/14/24)

 

Week 26 - Monday, October 21st, 2024 (10/21/24)

 

Week 27 - Monday, October 28th, 2024 (10/28/24)

 

Week 28 - Monday, November 4th, 2024 (11/4/24)

 

Week 29 -  Monday, November 11th, 2024 (11/11/24)

 

Week 30 - Monday, November 18 

 

Skip Monday, November 25th, 2024 (11/25/24) (no classes that holiday week)

 

Week 31 - Monday, December 2nd, 2024 (12/2/24)

 

Week 32 - Monday, December 9th, 2024 (12/9/24)

  • Final manuscript due to Sun Yung 250-300 pages (300 maximum), double spaced. 
  • To do: Schedule one-on-one meetings with Sun Yung to be completed by February 28, 2025, to discuss final manuscript and next steps. 

 

Final Public Reading 

Tuesday, January 7, 2025 | 7-8:30 PM

Online