Investigative Creative Writing; Teaching and Practice; Mark Spitzer

Author

Mark Spitzer [+–]

University of Central Arkansas

Mark Spitzer is Associate Professor of Creative Writing in the Department of Film, Theatre, and Creative Writing at the University of Central Arkansas. He is the author of 18 books, ranging from memoirs to novels to literary translations and collections of poetry. He is the editor of the award-winning Toad Suck Review (toadsuckreview.org), a professor of creative writing, an authority on the notorious gar fish (See River Monsters, alligator gar episode), and the world expert on the poetry of Jean Genet. Other recent titles include the poetry collection, Inflammatosis: Polemic Poetry, Incendiary Prose, and Other Extremes of Love and War (Six Gallery Press, 2018); the young adult and children’s literature title, The Crabby Old Gar (Subversive Muse Press, 2018); the novel, Viva Arletty! Our Lady of the Egrets (Six Gallery Press, 2017); the nonfiction work, Beautifully Grotesque Fish of the American West (University of Nebraska Press, 2017); the literary translation The Genet Translations: Poetry and Posthumous Plays (Polemic Press, 2015), and the memoir, After the Octopus (Black Mountain Press, 2014).

Investigative Creative Writing is Mark Spitzer’s lively and original treatment of creative writing practice and teaching within a college/university environment. The author presents an experiential, discovery-based approach that builds on teaching theories of established writers and scholars as well as current innovators and his own extensive experience as a creative writer, editor, and university academic.

Teachers, students, and writers in the fields of English, literary studies, composition and rhetoric, applied linguistics, and education should find this book, written by a prolific creative writer and enthusiastic writing teacher, not only enlightening and engaging, but also useful. Investigative Creative Writing can be envisioned as a practical tool illustrating ways of overcoming hurdles that impede writers from venturing into unknown territory where discoveries take place. In addition to assisting in developing and honing cutting-edge creative writing programs, this book will be helpful for writers in getting to the meat of the matter, generating narratives and dialogue, identifying arguments, fleshing out character traits, discovering direction for plots, and developing a host of other skills that foster and embolden a literary freedom of the imagination. The text includes examples of teaching techniques and assignments from the author’s classes which are intended for instructors to adjust according to their needs, along with extensive discussion of his own practices of investigative creative writing and experience in teaching and developing writing curricula.

The Introduction is free to read here.

Series: Frameworks for Writing

Preliminaries

List of Images [+–] vii-ix

Mark Spitzer

University of Central Arkansas

Investigative Creative Writing is Mark Spitzer’s lively and original treatment of creative writing practice and teaching within a college/university environment. The author presents an experiential, discovery-based approach that builds on teaching theories of established writers and scholars as well as current innovators and his own extensive experience as a creative writer, editor, and university academic. Teachers, students, and writers in the fields of English, literary studies, composition and rhetoric, applied linguistics, and education should find this book, written by a prolific creative writer and enthusiastic writing teacher, not only enlightening and engaging, but also useful. Investigative Creative Writing can be envisioned as a practical tool illustrating ways of overcoming hurdles that impede writers from venturing into unknown territory where discoveries take place. In addition to assisting in developing and honing cutting-edge creative writing programs, this book will be helpful for writers in getting to the meat of the matter, generating narratives and dialogue, identifying arguments, fleshing out character traits, discovering direction for plots, and developing a host of other skills that foster and embolden a literary freedom of the imagination. The text includes examples of teaching techniques and assignments from the author’s classes which are intended for instructors to adjust according to their needs, along with extensive discussion of his own practices of investigative creative writing and experience in teaching and developing writing curricula.

Acknowledgements [+–] xi-xiii

Mark Spitzer

University of Central Arkansas

I am glad to thank the brightest light in my life, my wife Dr. Leigh Graham (a.k.a. poet Lea Graham), for her encouragement and acute advice. I am also grateful to the extremely savvy Martha C. Pennington for being so supportive of this project, even in the aftermath of a hurricane that took its torrential toll. I’ve never been challenged by an editor this hard in my life, and she really made a difference in making this book as strong as it could be. Ryan Boudinot was helpful in the evolution of the polemical chapter, and his responses to interview questions are greatly appreciated. Thanks also to Dr. Janine Peterson for coordinating the various departments that led to the wild people/wilderness lecture at Marist College and the chapter that developed from that. Many thanks to the editors and support staff at Equinox Publishing Ltd. Thanks as well to the students who granted permission for their work to be used as examples in this book. But most importantly, a salute to the hundreds of students I’ve known throughout my teaching career who taught me about the teaching of writing. Acknowledgements are due to the editors of the following publications and the organizers of the following events who influenced early incarnations of essays and articles that eventually became chapters in this book: “Teaching Students to Show Not Tell” was first published as “Teaching Students to Show, Not Tell” in The Chronicle of Higher Education, September 27, 2012 (https://www.chronicle. com/article/Teaching-Students-to-Show-Not/134614). Reprinted in revised form with permission from The Chronicle of Higher Education. “The New Weird: What Happens to Creative Writing When the Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction” was first published as “The New Weird: What Happens to Literary Realism When the Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction?” in The Chronicle of Higher Education,June 12, 2012 (https://www.chronicle.com/article/The-New-Weird/132121). Reprinted in revised form with permission from The Chronicle of Higher Education. “Multiple-Personality Pedagogy: A Hybrid Teaching Tool for Varying Voice in the Classroom” was first published in Hybrid Pedagogy, Spring (http://www.digitalpedagogylab.com/ hybridped/on-pedagogical-manipulation). Reprinted in revised form with permission from Hybrid Pedagogy. “Extreme Puppet Theater as a Tool for Writing Pedagogy” was first published as “Extreme Puppet Theater as a Tool for Writing Pedagogy at K–University Levels: A Vehicle towards ‘Something Else’” in Writing and Pedagogy, vol. 6(1), Spring 2014, pp. 121–126. Copyright owned by Equinox Publishing Ltd. “May the Farce Be with You: Reflections on Extreme Puppet Theater as a Vehicle towards Something Else” was first published as “May the Farce Be with You: Reflections on ‘Extreme Puppet Theater’ as a Vehicle towards ‘Something Else’” in Alice Chik, Tracey Costley, and Martha C. Pennington (eds.), Creativity and Discovery in the University Writing Class: A Teacher’s Guide, Equinox, Sheffield, UK, 2015, pp. 233–245. Copyright owned by Equinox Publishing Ltd. “How to Sell a Creative Writing Program Based on the Question ‘Why Study Creative Writing?’” was first published as “Why Study Creative Writing? Speaking in the Language of the Other to Sell Writing Programs to the State” in Writing for the Curious: Why Study Creative Writing?, edited by Kishor Vaidya, The Curious Academic Publishing, Canberra, Australia, 2015, no page numbers (Kindle publication). Reprinted in revised form by permission from The Curious Academic Publishing. “Experience Investigative Eco-Fiction” was originally a PowerPoint presentation at the Creative Writing & Innovative Pedagogies Conference (CWIP) at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Missouri, October 17, 2015. Copyright owned by author. “From Wild People to Wilderness: An Education in Investigating Monsters in Our Midst” was originally a public lecture sponsored by the First-Year Studies Program, the School of Liberal Arts, the Department of History, and Medieval and Renaissance Studies at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York, on October 22, 2015. The original subtitle was “An Education in Researching Monsters in Our Midst.” Copyright owned by author. Mark Spitzer Mayflower, Arkansas August 2019

About the Author [+–] xv-xvi

Mark Spitzer

University of Central Arkansas

Mark Spitzer is Associate Professor of Creative Writing in the Department of Film, Theatre, and Creative Writing at the University of Central Arkansas. He is the author of 18 books, ranging from memoirs to novels to literary translations and collections of poetry. He is the editor of the award-winning Toad Suck Review (toadsuckreview.org), a professor of creative writing, an authority on the notorious gar fish (See River Monsters, alligator gar episode), and the world expert on the poetry of Jean Genet. Other recent titles include the poetry collection, Inflammatosis: Polemic Poetry, Incendiary Prose, and Other Extremes of Love and War (Six Gallery Press, 2018); the young adult and children’s literature title, The Crabby Old Gar (Subversive Muse Press, 2018); the novel, Viva Arletty! Our Lady of the Egrets (Six Gallery Press, 2017); the nonfiction work, Beautifully Grotesque Fish of the American West (University of Nebraska Press, 2017); the literary translation The Genet Translations: Poetry and Posthumous Plays (Polemic Press, 2015), and the memoir, After the Octopus (Black Mountain Press, 2014).

Series Editor’s Preface [+–] xvii-xviii

Martha C. Pennington

Birkbeck University of London

Martha C Pennington is a Research Fellow in Applied Linguistics and Communication at Birkbeck University of London. She holds a PhD in Linguistics from the University of Pennsylvania, where she became a tenured Lecturer teaching English to international students while completing her degree. She has also held Professorial and administrative posts at the University of California at Santa Barbara, the University of Hawaii at Manoa, the City University of Hong Kong, the University of Bedfordshire, Elizabethtown College, and the School for African and Oriental Studies of the University of London. She previously edited a column for Gendai Eigo Kyoiku (Modern English Teaching) and was editor-in-chief of Writing & Pedagogy. She is currently editor of the book series Innovation and Leadership in English Language Teaching (Brill, formerly Elsevier), Frameworks for Writing (Equinox), and Applied Phonology and Pronunciation Teaching (Equinox). Pennington’s books on pronunciation are Phonology in English Language Teaching: An International Approach(Longman), Phonology in Context (Palgrave Macmillan), and (with P Rogerson-Revell) English Pronunciation Teaching and Research: Contemporary Perspectives (Palgrave Macmillan). She has published articles on the teaching of pronunciation in edited collections and in TESOL Quarterly, The Modern Language Journal, and RELC Journal, and has guest-edited a special issue (52.1) of RELC Journal on Pronunciation Teaching.

Creative writing pedagogy is enjoying a rapid expansion. Investigative Creative Writing builds on teaching theories of established writers and scholars as well as current innovators in the field. In laying out the theoretical foundation for an experiential, discovery-based learning approach, the book is primarily aimed at those who teach at college/tertiary level. It will also be useful for teachers and students practicing the craft of writing in related fields like English, writing, linguistics, communications, composition and rhetoric and education. Investigative Creative Writing can be envisioned as a practical tool for overcoming hurdles that impede writers from venturing into unknown territory where discoveries take place. In other words, beyond assisting in developing and honing more cutting-edge creative writing programs, this guidebook will be extremely helpful for curious intellects in getting to the meat of the matter, generating narratives, identifying arguments, fleshing out character traits, discovering direction for plots, and developing a host of other skills that foster and embolden a literal and literary freedom of the imagination. Examples of student assignments are included in the text as well as instructions for assignments from past classes which are intended for instructors to adjust according to their needs.

Introduction

Discover Creative Writing Superpowers through Investigative Teaching Techniques [+–] 1-18

Mark Spitzer

University of Central Arkansas

This introduction to the book employs theory posited by the canonized American writers William S. Burroughs, Ed Sanders and others to make a case for an investigative/discovery-oriented creative writing pedagogy. The intent of the investigative aspect is compared to the idea of the lyric essay as proposed by John D’Agata and Deborah Tall’s reference to the scholarship of Helen Vendler in the Fall 1997 issue of Seneca Review. As an active and experiential approach, the chapters are broken down into five main categories: Discovery-Oriented Basics, Investigative Theatrics, Programmatic Considerations, Eco-Investigations, and Experiential Exercises. Rationales are offered for the three to four chapters included in each section. The chapter is bound by the theme of accessing power for individuals and their communities and culminates with a brief discussion of the discovery-oriented process, which hinges on transformative learning events.

Part 1: Discovery-Oriented Basics

1. Teaching Students to Show Not Tell [+–] 21-25

Mark Spitzer

University of Central Arkansas

First published in The Chronicle of Higher Education, this chapter builds on an observation by the French poet Arthur Rimbaud to introduce a revolutionary teaching technique that I’ve been practicing for fifteen years. To teach students to show not tell, I assign the task of writing “portraits” that rely on detail provided through the five senses, metaphor and simile, and “wordular” inventions. The purpose of these exercises is to wean students from their reliance on vague and often meaningless words like “beautiful” and “cool” and to substitute information which provokes images and associations that automatically translate context. With references to William Blake, Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Ernest Hemingway, Isaac Newton, and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, I explain how creativity can be measured through the process I advocate, which is also extremely useful in writing college papers and other texts.

2. The New Weird: What Happens to Creative Writing When the Truth Is Stranger than Fiction [+–] 26-32

Mark Spitzer

University of Central Arkansas

First published in The Chronicle of Higher Education, this chapter builds on a theory of creative nonfiction first proposed by Tom Wolfe, but with some philosophical input from Edgar Allen Poe and Ezra Pound. The basic premise is that if creative nonfiction does not contain elements of “the unusual,” then it cannot compete against fiction or reality (which has become stranger than fiction). Examples are offered ranging from Michael Jackson to 9/11 to instances published in News of the Weird and best-selling books that incorporate aspects of the fantastic. Teaching experiences are recounted with an eye toward adjusting in-class assignments to meet the curricular criteria of the instructor.

3. The Ten Commandments of Incorporating Dialogue: For Those Seeking to Inform the Unprepared, the Disengaged, and the Thoroughly Confused [+–] 33-48

Mark Spitzer

University of Central Arkansas

When it comes to writing prose, college students, especially at the introductory level, have a lot of trouble incorporating dialogue, dialogue tags, and proper punctuation. This chapter was written in response to these concerns in order to educate educators on ways to present technical information that often comes off as boring so therefore not worth paying attention to. Hence, I suggest some simple ways to view the handling of commas and periods in conjunction with dialogue tags, and how to avoid quotation clutter within paragraphs. The idea of using “piehole verbs” to make dialogue tags effective is discussed alongside the benefits of employing “dumb dialogue” and the use of contractions. The real reason for articulating dialogue, however, is articulated in the chapter’s conclusion.

Part 2: Investigative Theatrics

4. Multiple-Personality Pedagogy: A Hybrid Teaching Tool for Varying Voice in the Classroom [+–] 51-58

Mark Spitzer

University of Central Arkansas

First published in Hybrid Pedagogy, this chapter builds on pedagogy posited by Dr. Pete Rorabaugh and Dr. Jesse Stommel that encourages varying voice in both the classroom and one’s writing. I then review my own experience in applying characters such as “Crabby Old Man” to teach Walt Whitman, and “Big Dummy” to question the literary strategies of T.C. Boyle, Lester Bangs, Diane Wakowski, and Frank O’Hara. Both “Cool Dude” and “Tiger Nooodles” are recounted for their effectiveness in introducing the workshop procedure and for providing occasions for applying methods that stimulate inquiry and debate in order to foster critical thinking. This chapter includes one image.

5. Extreme Puppet Theater as a Tool for Writing Pedagogy [+–] 59-66

Mark Spitzer

University of Central Arkansas

I explain how Extreme Puppet Theater, which I developed in American literature and environmental courses, can be applied to all educational levels and diverse disciplines of education. The criteria for grading dramatic productions with puppets that students create in group situations is discussed, especially in regard to eco- and/or political issues that provide sophisticated focuses for mock talk-show dialogues which provide alternatives to standard argumentative approaches. Writers Edward Abbey, Rachel Carson, Gary Snyder and Sam Shepard are discussed and provided as examples of ways to approach this specific approach. Saturday Night Live skits are used as models for group work.

6. May the Farce Be With You: Reflections on Extreme Puppet Theater as a Vehicle toward Something Else [+–] 67-80

Mark Spitzer

University of Central Arkansas

Following years of implementing Extreme Puppet Theater as a visionary learning tool in which intensive dialogue and hands-on experience promote cooperation and creative problem-solving, I recount how articulating this pedagogy led to involvement in the Summer Institute on Creativity and Discovery in Teaching University Writing, hosted by the English Department at the City University of Hong Kong in 2013. I reflect on teaching workshops to a cadre of international educators and the challenges of creating puppets on the fly for crash a course in professional development. Ultimately, course evaluations are evaluated, and the chapter concludes with an argument that favors process over product. This chapter includes one image.

7. Pointers for Performance of Poetry and Prose [+–] 81-86

Mark Spitzer

University of Central Arkansas

This chapter elaborates on five bullet points made in the instructional YouTube video Pointers for Performance of Poetry & Prose, which I produced for graduate students in the Arkansas Writers MFA Workshop. Serious advice is offered through a comedic means in which I play both professor and student characters. This chapter includes two images.

Part 3: Programmatic Discoveries

8. How to Sell a Creative Writing Program Based on the Question “Why Study Creative Writing?” [+–] 89-100

Mark Spitzer

University of Central Arkansas

First published in the Australian anthology Writing for the Curious: Why Study Writing? (Kishor Vaidya, ed.), this chapter flashes back on how I marketed the idea of an MFA program in creative writing first to my college and finally to the state department of Higher Education. Arguments by pedagogy specialist Stephen Healey, first published in The Writer’s Chronicle, are employed, and the importance of predicting job opportunities via the collection of data is stressed. Excerpts from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Institute of Education Sciences, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and the MFA proposal I authored are offered as effective examples of how to package talking points in order to transform programmatic visions into tangible realities.

9. Nine Recommendations for Growing Creative Writing Programs [+–] 101-116

Mark Spitzer

University of Central Arkansas

The title of this chapter is self-explanatory, and this chapter gets right to the heart of the matter. Commonsense givens like funding, the currency of literary journals, and building a culture of reading are offered before getting into more complex considerations like faculty needing to really want to grow creative writing programs and creating a brand that stands out from the rest. Some surprise ideas are offered as well.

10. Dealing with Diverse Issues in Creative Writing Programs: A Polemic [+–] 117-137

Mark Spitzer

University of Central Arkansas

Arguments by contemporary creative writing polemicists Junot Díaz, Ryan Boudinot, and Anis Shivani are examined with an eye toward diversity and inclusivity in the workshop, leading to a survey among MFA graduate students on how programs can better serve communities. Advice is offered for serious writers to make the best of their studies.

Part 4: Eco-Investigations

11. Introducing “Eco” to the Homies: A Liberal Professor’s Activist Approach [+–] 141-150

Mark Spitzer

University of Central Arkansas

As planetary temperatures and sea levels rise, I reflect on why teaching environmental subject matter is so urgent these days. Following that, I review the syllabus, which lists work by Bill McKibbin, Al Gore, Charles Bukowski, Robert Hass, Denise Levertov, Gary Snyder, Mary Oliver, Edward Abbey, Antler, Galway Kinnell, Frank Stanford, Dave Foreman, and the documentaries The 11th Hour, Gasland, and parts 1 and 2 of Cadillac Desert. The idea of “environmental writing” is contrasted to the pastoral tradition of “nature writing,” and then I dissect the Greek and Lower Latin forms of the word “eco” (home) along with the tradition of eco-writing, which goes back to The Gilgamesh Epic. Henry David Thoreau’s vision of the division between “Wildness” and “civilization” is considered, and so are the frightening facts of climate change, increasingly destructive weather patterns, overpopulation, food shortages, fossil-fuel dependency, voluntary “self-regulation,” mass extinction, nuclear proliferation, the Whole Fracking Enchilada! A real cheery, positive piece to drive home the message that if we don’t have an environment, we ain’t got squat.

12. Experience Investigative Eco-Fiction [+–] 151-162

Mark Spitzer

University of Central Arkansas

Based on a PowerPoint presentation given at the 2015 Creative Writing & Innovative Pedagogies Conference at the University of Central Missouri, this chapter investigates the concept of “investigative eco-fiction.” Advocating field work and collaboration with experts as a way to derive first-hand information over traditional research, the point is made that a nonfiction-type experiential approach can be applied to fiction, and that environmental fiction is especially suited for investigatory process. The genre of fiction, however, is stigmatized in other fields and not always viewed as a legitimate means of communicating real-world problems, so innovative advice is offered on how to transcend expected barriers. Meanwhile, infiltration and immersion is encouraged along with providing actual practical solutions to problems. Edward Abbey’s “field work” is held as the prime example of this genre’s revolutionary potential to influence an audience as the real-time status of our planet’s disposition drives a metaphorical nail into our coffin. Images of fish and amphibian research support arguments.

13. From Wild People to Wilderness: An Education in Investigating Monsters in Our Midst [+–] 163-184

Mark Spitzer

University of Central Arkansas

Originally presented as a PowerPoint talk for the students and faculty of Marist College in New York State, this chapter traces my personal investigative odyssey in the areas of art history and world lit to its final destination in environmental fish research. As a sort of abbreviated Bildungsroman, the evolution of a research aesthetic is outlined through recurring thematic images and icons in medieval and Renaissance history. The research of Dr. Timothy Husband and Dr. Edward Savage is referenced along with the Marburger Index, and The Gilgamesh Epic is revisited with a side of Thoreau. Bruegel, Amiri Baraka, and King Nebuchadnezzar, which ultimately explains my connection and commitment to the environment. An excerpt from the conclusion of my last fish book notes cutting-edge research by Diane Ackerman, Al Gore, Len Ornstein, and Jeffrey Sachs, which support a resonating activist message. Multiple images are included in this chapter.

Part 5: Experiential Exercises

14. Seven Investigative Group Exercises [+–] 187-212

Mark Spitzer

University of Central Arkansas

The rationale for and experience with seven investigatory group exercises in creative writing are examined in order to offer ideas for creating camaraderie through game-playing approaches that are applicable to diverse areas of study. Through tales of assignments gone both wrong and right, I investigate the practices of investigative opposites, investigative hypotheticals, investigative inquisition, investigative spy teams, the investigative manic cadaver, investigative manic flash fiction, and investigative postcard fiction. Student examples provide perspective and assignments are provided.

15. Four Investigative Exercises for Individual Discovery [+–] 213-231

Mark Spitzer

University of Central Arkansas

This chapter discusses four homework exercises for creative writing students that can also be used in other disciplines. A reimagined version of William S. Burrough’s cut-up method is presented, and Camoin and Vanderslice’s vision of “something else” is revisited. Innovations on a dictionary-centered assignment developed by poets Kim Addonizio and Dr. Leigh Graham are provided as well. Investigative character development is explored, and so is investigative spontaneous prose in connection to theories of Jack Kerouac, Charles Olson, and the South Park episode that mirrors the Oprah Winfrey/James Frey scandal from 2006 which is based on a nonfiction ethics question. Glimpses of Plato, the biographer Enid Starkie, and the classic rock band REO Speedwagon help comprehend immersive self-discovery processes. Three images are included in this chapter as examples of student work.

16. Six Investigative Homework Exercises for Encouraging Literary Citizenship [+–] 232-252

Mark Spitzer

University of Central Arkansas

This chapter examines six investigative homework assignments that encourage the idea of literary citizenship and education through investigatory research that draws students out of their bubbles of isolation. Writing about something new in the news is one of these, offered in conjunction with my portrait-writing exercises for intro-level creative writing students. Composite novels by Harriet Beacher Stowe and Ken Kesey et alia provide historical perspectives on collaborative work. I also consider the Gen Ed curriculum at my university which provided occasion for justifying poetry exercises inspired by oppressed Afghan women. To address cultural concerns and critical thinking, POVs on literary citizenship are mentioned in relationship to work by Donna Steiner and Lori A. May. The objectivity of writers in general vs. journalists is discussed via Sanders’ theory of investigative poetry as is switching from the informed rant to the “be-good-for-something” assignment based on a proverb by Thoreau in cahoots with Hunter S. Thompson and bloggers gone viral. My experience with water quality issues is held as an example of how to fight City Hall as is Jean Genet speaking in the voice of the other. Gun safety is utilized to make the book’s final point regarding the use of discovery-oriented investigative writing as an act of literary citizenship. Ultimately, reflections on creative writing power through investigative and discovery-oriented teaching techniques come full circle in relationship to the direction of the future of creative writing pedagogy.

End Matter

Author Index [+–] 253-255

Mark Spitzer

University of Central Arkansas

Abbey, Edward 64, 66, 142, 149, 152, 161–162 Addonizio, Kim 218, 230 Agence France Presse 146, 149 Anonymous 243–244, 251 Antler 142, 149 Astley, Neil 142, 149 Bangs, Lester 53, 57 Baraka, Amiri 146–147, 149 Barham, Victoria 192, 196, 198 Bazerman, Charles 7–8, 11, 17 Beattie, Ann 121, 136 Beiles, Sinclair 4, 17 Bell, Teona 209 Birdsong, Joseph 74, 80 Blair, Cybil 209 Blake, Harrison 252 Blake, William 25, 173 Bouthoul, Betty 17 Boyle, T. C. 53, 57, 152, 162 Brantley, Max 95–96, 99 Brewer, Robert Lee 208, 212 Brown, Eddie Jr. (Turtle Man) 153, 162 Boudinot, Ryan 118–120, 136 Bukowski, Charles 92, 142 Burroughs, William S. 4, 16, 17, 214–216, 230 Byers, Craig 192, 196, 198 Camoin, François 59, 66, 69, 80 Carson, Rachel 64, 66 Carver, Raymond 121, 136 Cervantes, Lorna Dee 121, 177 Chik, Alice 7, 17, 18 Chu His 32 Churchill, Ward 133 Churchill, Winston 17 Cillia, Bella 201 Codrescu, Andrei 113, 121, 212 Colbert, Stephen 146 Corso, Gregory 4, 17 Costley, Tracey 7, 17, 18 D’Agata, John 5, 17 Davis, Holly 192, 196, 198 Davis, Mikayla 204 Department of Writing, University of Central Arkansas 90–94, 96–97, 99 Díaz, Junot 122–124, 126, 135, 136 DiCaprio, Leonardo 142 Dorn, Ed 121, 177, 187–189 Douglas, Rory 132, 136 Ellis, Bret Easton 121 Else, John 142, 149Faulkner, William 60, 62 Ference, Lisa 74, 80 Foreman, Dave 142, 150 Fox, Josh 142, 150 Fox, Skip 121 Freeman, Noah 192, 196, 198 Garrett, Benjamin C. Roy Cory 244–245 Genet, Jean 92, 99, 133 Gessner, David 229, 230 Ginsberg, Allen 24, 25, 133, 214 Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von 24 Gomez, David 201 Gore, Al 142, 150 Graham, Lea (Leigh) 204–205, 218–220, 231 Gysin, Brion 4, 17, 214 Hale, Edward E. 252 Hale, Lucretia P. 252 Hass, Robert 142 Haywood, Bill 142, 150 Healey, Stephan Peter 91–93, 99 Hemingway, Ernest 24, 117 Hempel, Amy 121, 136 Hogan, Linda 121, 177 Hollo, Anselm 133 Institute of Education Sciences 96, 100 Isaacson, Walter 31, 32 Jagger, Mick 3, 17 Jobe 228, 229 Johnson, Erika 207 Johnson, Robert R. 96, 99 June, Audrey Williams 96, 99 Katz, Steve 121 Kennedy, Robert F. Jr. 147, 150 Kerouac, Jack 13, 17, 25, 226, 227, 229, 231 Kesey, Ken 108, 142, 150, 234–235 Kidder, Jason 201 Kimball, Logan 206, 209 King David 235 King, Martin Luther Jr. 240 Kinnell, Galway 142, 150 Lager, Mark 204, 221 Larsson, Stieg 31, 32 Laskowski, Briget 204, 221 Lee, Stan 11, 17 Levertov, Denise 142 Levon, O. U. 235, 251 Lewis, Scotty 241–242 Lim, Shirley Goek-lin 8, 17 Lindersmith, Hayden 206 Lish, Gordon 136 Loring, Frederic W. 252 Mali, Taylor 84, 86 Martin, Phillip 91, 100 May, Lori A. 237, 251 Mayers, Tim 233, 251 McDiarmid, Margo 144, 150 McInerney, Jay 121 McKibbin, Bill 142, 150 McMurtry, Larry 108 McNiece, J. J. 204, 221–222, 231 Merchant, Brian 145, 150 Miller, Shua 216–217 Moo, Jessica Murphy 136 Moody, Rick 136 Mooney, Carolyn 91, 100 News Hour (PBS) 236, 251 Newton, Isaac 24 North, Michael 32O’Hara, Frank 53, 57 Oliver, Mary 142 Olson, Charles 4, 226, 231 Orlowski, Jeff 144, 150 Pancake, Ann 152, 162 Pennington, Martha C. 7, 17, 18, 232, 251 Perkins, Frederic B. 252 Plato 228–229 Poe, Edgar Allen 26, 32 Pound, Ezra 4, 26, 32 Purcell, Jim 95–96 Reed, Hayden 192, 196, 198 Richards, Keith 3, 17 Rimbaud, Arthur 21, 24, 25, 92, 228, 231 Robison, Mary 121, 136 Roosevelt, Franklin D. 17 Roosevelt, Theodore 17 Rorabaugh, Pete 51, 57, 58 Roth, Philip 28–29 Sanders, Ed 4–6, 18, 203, 240, 251 Sandars, N. K. 143, 150, 169, 177, 184 Saner, Reg 123, 177 Savage, Edward 166, 177 Schongauer, Martin 168 Sexton, Alissa 74, 80 Shepard, Sam 64, 66 Shepherd, Chuck 30, 32 Shivani, Anis 120–122, 137 Simon, Cecilia Capuzzi 117, 137 Smith, Callie 204 Snyder, Gary 64, 66, 142 Sorority Girl 243–244, 251 Spiegelman, Art 114, 116 Spitzer, Mark 25, 27, 52, 69–70, 79, 80–86, 92, 151, 152, 154, 159, 162, 174, 177, 179, 182–183, 184, 188–189, 194, 211, 212, 216, 229, 230, 231, 246, 252 Sprengnether, Madelon 121 Stanford, Frank 142, 150 Stanisch, Erika 201, 207 Starkie, Enid 228–229, 230, 231 Steadham, Heather 247–248, 252 Stein, Gertrude 114 Steiner, Donna 237, 252 Stommel, Jesse 51, 57, 58 Stowe, Harriett Beecher 235, 252 Sukenick, Ron 121 Tall, Deborah 5, 17 Tarantino, Quentin 42, 48 Taylor, Jeff 16–17, 18 Thompson, Hunter S. 243, 252 Thoreau, Henry David 144, 150, 171, 245, 250, 252 Tzara, Tristan 122, 137 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 94–97, 100 Van Jordan, A. 218 Voltaire, François-Marie Arouet 11, 17, 18 Wallace, David Foster 114, 116 Warrick, Annika 192, 196, 198 Waxler, Robert P. 232, 251 White, Edmund 133 Whitman, Walt 6, 18, 52, 58, 86 Whitney, Adeline D. T. 252 Williams, Florence 148, 150 Williams, William Carlos 4 Willoughby, Jordan 192, 196, 198 Wolfe, Tom 28–29, 32 Wright, C. D. 114, 116

Subject Index [+–] 256-258

Mark Spitzer

University of Central Arkansas

After the Orange Glow 229, 231 Age of the Demon Tools 178 Beatles (the) 30 Beautifully Grotesque Fish of the American West 179, 183, 184 Black Panthers 240 Black Sabbath 214 Boston (the band) 202 Bottom Feeder 177, 184 Bruegel the Elder, Pietre 171 Burgkmair, Hans 173 Bush, George H. 188 Bush, George W. 147 Butler, Rob (RJB Photo) 157, 168, 174–176 Chum 46, 159, 162, 177, 184 Citizenship 15, 69, 115, 148–149, 232–252 Civilization 143–144, 169–170, 177, 184 Cronin, Kevin 229 Crypto-Arkansas 178 Department of Film, Theatre, and Creative Writing, University of Central Arkansas 99 Department of Writing, University of Central Arkansas 89–90, 99 Descriptive writing 21 Dialogue (use of) 2, 13, 28, 33–48, 51–53, 68, 72, 78, 81, 125, 133, 162, 207 Diversity (cultural, racial) 121–127, 130–131, 236, 238–239 Docupoetry 114 Double effect 26–31 Elephant Man 30 Elvis 30 Enkidu 143, 169–171 Environmental (eco-) writing / research / pedagogy 4–6, 9, 12, 14, 15, 61, 64, 67–69, 72, 73, 74, 129, 141–150, 152–184, 244–247, 249–250 Experiential education 4 Exquisite Corpse (literary journal) 91, 105, 113, 116, 212, 230 Extreme puppet theater 13, 59–80 Fatboy Slim 203 Fish (Fisheries, Fishing) 4, 9, 24, 43, 129, 142, 152, 153, 154, 156, 157–160, 162, 164–165, 177–184, 208–209, 249–250, 252From Absinthe to Abyssinia 25 Garapaima 151–154, 156–160, 162, 177, 184 Gilgamesh 143, 150, 169–170, 177, 184 Global warming (climate change) 2, 141, 143, 145, 147, 161, 162, 177, 183 GLURK! 154, 162, 182, 184 Hendrix, Jimi 202 In Search of Monster Fish 183, 184 Investigative creative writing 1–18, 163, 187, 206, 227, 240, 249, 250–251 character development 222–225 eco-fiction 5, 6, 14, 151–162, 163, 250 hypotheticals 189, 193–197, 199, 206 journalism 4 manic cadaver 202–204 manic flash fiction 204–207 nonfiction 5, 7, 14, 163–184, 248, 250 OED poetry 218–222 opposites 189, 190–197, 199 poetics 5, 14, 163, 178, 241, 250 poetry (verse) 4–6, 18, 152, 203, 240–242 postcard fiction 207–210 Q & A 189, 197–199, 206 spy teams 199–202, 203 Investigative writing 4 Jackson, Blanket 30 Jackson, Michael 30 Jackson, Samuel 42 Jobs, Steve 31, 32 John the Baptist 174 Joplin, Janis 203 Koch brothers 143 Laden, Osama bin 29 Lyric essay 5–6 Magic manic investigative cut-up 214–218 Make it new 26, 32 Making a difference 3, 11, 12, 15, 31, 44, 111, 142, 149, 158, 162, 178–184, 213, 222, 247–251 Master E. S. 168 Me Too movement 136 Mormon Tabernacle Choir 202 Moses 44, 235 Multiple-personality pedagogy 13, 51–58 Narration 36, 37, 39–40, 47, 53, 125, 235 Nebuchadnezzar 173 Osbourne, Ozzy 214 Potter, Harry 203 Postmodernism 4, 24, 27, 28, 114, 189, 191, 197 Power (via writing) 1–18, 21, 31, 33, 40, 51, 57, 59, 70, 81, 89, 91–93, 98–99, 101, 115, 130, 141, 149, 155, 162, 187, 189, 208, 210, 213, 229, 230, 232, 249–251 Primal Scream 227 Proze Attack 246, 252Pulp Fiction 42 Realism 24, 27, 31, 41, 224 REO Speedwagon 229 Rolling Stones 3 Saint Onuphrius 173 Show not tell (SNT) 12, 21–32, 56–57, 65, 200 Single effect 26, 32 Shakespeare and Company 133, 193 Something else 13, 15–16, 59, 65–80, 187, 189, 199, 209–210, 216, 249, 250 Sonic Youth 202 Spiderman 11, 250 Sponge Bob Square Pants 219 Spontaneous investigative prose 226–230 Stravinsky, Igor 202 Surrealism 202, 203, 214, 222, 230, 236 The Pigs Drink from Infinity 194, 212, 216, 231 Toad Suck Review 3, 91, 99, 105, 116, 211, 230 Travolta, John 42 University of Central Arkansas Mission Statement 90, 148, 237–239, 252 Van Halen 202 Voice (use of) 4, 8–9, 13, 14, 34, 37, 51–58, 64, 75, 81, 84, 89–92, 98, 101, 104, 121–122, 125, 142, 195, 210, 215, 223, 227, 235, 243–249 Weinstein, Harvey 136 Wildness (the Wild) 143–144, 163, 167, 170, 171, 182 Wilderness 7, 14, 143–144, 154, 162, 163–184 Wild people (wild man, wild woman) 7, 14, 163–184 Workshopping 14, 53–66, 69–80, 117–137, 191, 195, 207–208, 210, 213, 216, 218, 223, 226, 231, 234–236

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Reviews

I am pleased that Mark Spitzer, in Investigative Creative Writing, has expanded the call of my manifesto on Investigative Poetry, that poets should investigate and write history, to urge that all creative writers should utilize Investigative techniques and practices.
Hooray for Mark Spitzer!!
Ed Sanders, author of Investigative Poetry

Mark Spitzer's Investigative Creative Writing is one of the funniest, most charming and most useful books on the teaching and process of writing that you are likely to find. Spitzer shows us that any creative writing can be an investigation, and thus be transformed into something that alters the world of both writer and reader. He believes in getting students to participate in the workshop-as-event and getting them into the field to connect their writing with the natural world. Whether he's offering ideas for innovative assignments (and how to grade them!), selling an MFA program, or chasing wild men through Europe or monster fish in Amazonia, Mark Spitzer will engage, inspire, and empower you.
Joseph Harrington, Chair of English Department, University of Kansas, and author of Poetry and the Public: The Social Form of Modern U.S. Poetics

This lively and often hilarious book about writing pedagogy manages to also convey practical and acutely observed points about writing with detail, wild curiosity, and verve, backed up with scholarly support. Bring in the guerrilla puppetry and the grotesque fish, rethink your classroom, and dare your students to not be enthralled.
Sonya Huber, Professor, Department of English, Fairfield University, and author of Cover Me A Health Insurance Memoir and The Backwards Research Guide for Writers

Like many great finds, this book is a tool to a job for which I didn't even realize I needed a tool. I suspect that, like me, many instructors will use this book in Documentary Poetry courses but also in general poetry workshops and even basic composition courses, because it's a great tool for demonstrating to students the pleasure to be had in the hard work of investigation as well as the great rewards to be mined in pursuit of the pleasures of discovery.
To put it another way, this book is a roadmap for following the strange pathways of students' imaginations to the even stranger external world of discoverable facts. It covers useful writing-level tools and exercises, but also offers a thought exercise in which students are challenged to answer the questions of why they're writing at all and what they can learn and say to change the world around them.
Brian Clements, Professor of Writing and Coordinator MFA program, University of Western Connecticut, and editor of Bullets into Belles: Poets and Citizens Respond to Gun Violence

Spitzer's rich career background as an ecologist, journalist, and editor leads to a teaching philosophy and methods that are versatile and can easily be adapted for subjects beyond creative writing. ... Spitzer's agility and adaptability are traits well worth studying ... . Laura Valeri, CCC 72.1

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Books and Journals in Humanities, Social Science and Performing Arts

Investigative Creative Writing

Teaching and Practice

Mark Spitzer [+–]

University of Central Arkansas

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