THE NEWSLETTEROF NORTHWESTERNUNIVERSITY'S CENTER FOIt THE WR]TINC ARTS WRITING MATTERS vol.r No 2 Celebrating wriiing in all its forms at Northwestern University SPRING/SUMMER 2OO]

DIRECTOR'SLETTER the life of Gustafson Swift. ARE YOU PLANNING We are equally proud of the fact that in the WRITING EVENTS Faithful to writing in all its forms current 2003--2004school yea4, we've been able, with other groups in the university, to FOR 2012005? By Daaid Abrahamson help organize and support visits to Evanston LETUS KNOW! Director,NU Centerfor theWriting Arts by a wide range of accompiished practitioners and HelenG. BrozunResesrch Professor of of the fictional arts. These have included: lournalism,Medill Schoolof lournalism r , novelist and author of The The Center for the Writing LoaelyBones and Lucky. Arts is dedicated to pro- 1-1nce. r Glen David Gold, novelist and author of moting and celebrating I f agaln/ Carter Beatsthe Deail. writing in all its forms at \-/ greet- r Robert Olen Butler, novelist and Pulitzer- Northwestern University. If ings from the Prize winning author of The Deep Green Sen you know of an upcoming Northwestern and Fair Warning. event related to writing, Center for the r Valerie Martin, novelist and author of whether it be an author Writing Arts! Property (winner of the Orange Prize). visit, As you no r David Barber, poet and author of Tlrc Spirit departmental pro- doubt know, it Leael. gram, or even an off-cam- is the objective r Carolyn Cooke, fiction writer and author pus event involving NU of the Center of The Bostons:Slories (winner of the 2002 students or faculty, please to cclebrate PEN/Bingham Award). let us know! We will do our is all its forms. And this means fic- writing r Samuel R. Delany, critic/novelist and best to publicize writing- tion, nonfiction, poetry and dramatic writ- author of Noua, The Mad Man and Atlantis related programming on ing. Where this commitment to variety most Whitehead and winner of the William our web site and via our explicitly manifests itself is in the actuai pro- Memorial Award for a lifetime's contribution growing listservs. Recently, gramming of the Centet most specifically in to gay and lesbian literature. we've helped publicize vis- the accomplished writers whom we invite to r Homer Hickam, novelist and author of Evanston to teach for a quarter as Writers-in- RocketBoys (which became the acclaimed fea- its by authors Pico Iyeq, Residence and in the programs and lectures ture film October Sku). Rick Lyman, Carolyn that we support in concert with other r Shawn Wong, Cooke and Charles Altieri departments, centers and schools across the novelist and Don't forget to give us a university. author of calll #467-4099 Given both the vibrant state of the novel Homebaseand in American letters today and the fact that American Knees. fiction is so widely appreciated by students, All in all, we I thought it could do no harm to highlight are delighted that some of the past and future offerings of the we've been able Center in the realm of fiction. to insure that the Two very exciting pieces of news have to fictional forms of do with two prominent writers of fiction writing have who have accepted our invitation to come to enjoyed their campus. The first is a visit in the fall of 2004 righttul place in ARTHURGororN by E. L. Doctorow, best-selling author of the affairs of the truly extraordinary works of fiction, includ- Center. And as the quarter draws to a close ingThe Bookof Daniel, Ragtirne,Loon Lake, and we once again look forward to the next Billy Bathgateand City of God. In addition, as school year, if there is any way that we can a Writer-in-Residence during the 2005-2006 support you in your efforts to advance the school year, we have confirmed the residen- cause-indeed, celebration-of writing here at cy of Arthur Golden, novelist and author of Northwestern, please don't hesitate to let us the best-selling Memoirs of n Geisha,as weil as know.0 a forthcoming biographical novel based on THE NEWSLETTER OF THE CENTER FOR THE WRITING ARTS

NOW PLAYING AT A LOVE, FAMILY MONEY AND OTHER MATTERS OF CLASSROOMNEAR YOU! THE HEART THE ART OF PERSONAL NARRATIVE

SPRINGQUARTER 2oo4 excerptfrom fl lecturepresented February 10,2004 in Hanis Hall THE ART OF STORWELLING by Alex Kotlowitz, Writer-in-ResidenceWQ04 LYNN KELSO, COMMUNICATION istening, I we're thinking, how it affects us ... THEATRE 31.2 believe, is a matters. Too often, I read pieces about Everyone tclls stories. Storytelling is lost art in our the writer's or narrator's surprise at the way humans connect through nar- professionIof jour- some furn of events, about their anger rative to heal, inform, sell, inspire, nalism] and I know or their despail, or how someone did- reveal, teach, comfort, entertain, as well that I, for one, have to really work at n't meet their expectations. The chal- as build a bridge of understanding it. I'm not just talking about hearing lenge is not to let the reader or listen- between the teller and the listener. In what people are saying: It's digesting er in on your emotional gyrations, but the Art of Storytelling students are it, ruminating on it, responding to it, to tell a story with empathy so that introduced to the fundamentais of journal- others experience those emotions as delivery and performance and learn understanding it. I watch the well. I tell this to my students all the how to listen to and analyze and cri- ists on television. They pontificate. tique other stories. They will learn how They don't listen. They don't even time-you, the reader, the listener- to create and adapt stories from vari- hear. They shout. They talk over and don't care about us, the storyteller. ous sources such as personal memory, around each other. They mingle You don't care whether we we're sur- written and oral history, literature, folk- amongst themselves, closing them- prised by what we see or hear, or tales and mythology. Students develop selves off to 90 percent of the people whether we're agitated, or whether a repertoire of stories for performance out there. We have forgotten how to we're saddened. You care about the in class,will observe and discuss each listen. It doesn't come easy.It certain- person-or people-whose story it is. other's stories and will observe and Which is why, at the end of the day, rvrite reflections on storyteiling outside ly hasn't come easy for me. the best storytelling is that in which of class.and in effect,build a commu- Here's the other problem my profes- nitv bv connecting with one another sion has with listening: We too often we get out of the way of those whose and discoverine the universal themes think that what we have to sav. what stories we're telling. I of thcir stories.The students work to find the power of the story to move the audience. The students as well as the NU CENTERFOR THE WRITING ARTS audience learn more about who they are and who they have the potential to ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS become. They discover that we are all connected with similar dreams, fears, James Ettema Communication pains and joys. t Reginald Gibbons WCAS English Bob Gundlach Wrtg. Prog & Linguistics George Harmon Medill WRITING MAITERS Mary Kinzie WCAS English Dan Lewis Education & Sociai Policy Editor: JessicaBelle Smith Ken Alder WCAS History Sarah Maza WCAS History Contributing Writers and Researchers: NicolaBeisel WCAS Sociology Saul Morson WCAS Slavic Lang. & Lit Loka Ashwood jack Doppelt Medill Barbara O'Keefe Communication Dani Carlson David Downs Comm./Theater Franccs Paden WCAS Writing Program Nathan Eddy & Gender Studies Dorothy Kronick Abe Peck Medill Nicole Price WRITING MATTERS Mark Ratner WCAS Chemistry Lauren Murrow SPRING 2004 Vol. 4 No. 2 Editor: JESSICA BELLE SMiTH BarbaraShwom WCAS Writing Program O 2004 The Newsletter of the Northwestern Ken Seeskin WCAS Philosophy University Center for the Writing Arts. A11 Edith Skom WCAS Writing Program Special thanks to Professors Sarah Maza rights reserved. Published three times during Carol SimpsonStern Performance Studies Lynn Kelso and Alex Kotlowitz for their the school year at Northwestern University, Patti Wolter Medill contributions. 1880 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208. t

PACE 2 WRITINC MATTERS/SPRING& SUMMER2OO4 THE NEWSLETTER OF THE CENTER FOR THE WRITING ARTS

DOCTOROW AND ARTHUR GOLDEN CWA LAUNCHES NEW E. L. PROGRAM PAIRING AMONG FUTURE GUESTSOF CWA STUDENTS& WRITERS

Azunrd-winningauthors nccept NU's inaitation to read, TheCenter for theWriting Arts hns estab- lishedn pilol program lhal pairs prornis- lecturenrd tenchnt Northwesternin upcomingquarters. ing undergraduates withprominent Iocalnuthors to . ,,,,,,.....,..iiiiiii.i.i.i;i,i,,, 1-f1hiS E.L. DocroRow serLteas ,, , ,,,,,::: ,r,, ir,i,:ii futt internsfresearclt ....,,. ..:...: I won a Tony .. .::::::.:.:::i:i.i.:..:.,.:.i...... I thg assistants.Lokn :::::,:l:i:ili::::::::::::::::::t:t:,:,:,::::::::::::::::::::::,:,::::::::::::i:::::::::;:::,:l:lil:l:i:i:i::i:i:i:i:i:iii:i:i:i:ii:Award Ashwood,BSI 07, under the Northwestern University community reflectson her quar- direction of ter workingtnitlt and the Center for the Writing Arts Frank Loxl AsHwooo authorAlex will welcome one of the most Galati, one Kotlowitz. celebrated writers of American litera- of NU's lex Kotlowitz is one of those ture: E.L. Doctorow. Author of A own faculty. l-\ people talented cnough to numerous novels, including Ragtime, Doctorow L \make vou believe he has time LoortLttkc, Tlrc Bookof Daiel, BiIIv what you have to currently to actually lisien to Brrf/rtrtfcand Cify o.fGotl, Doctorow say. But don't be fooled. After wolking holds the Glucksman Chair in h.rs received the National Book with Alex this past quarter; I now real- American Letters at New York .{rvard and tu'ice, the National Book ize his days are filled with meetings, University. His most recent book, a Cntics Circle arvard. Readerscele- interviews, travel and brainstorming. collection of short fiction entitled My research with Alex began by brate his rich evocationsof nine- SweetLqnd Stories,was recently pub- testing the waters for a few unusual teenth- and twentieth-century lished by Random House. Doctorow story ideas. Although he feared my American life and several of his nov- will be in residence from October 12 work would become monotonous, els have been made into films. His to October 14, visiting classesand every idea Alex wanted me to research novel, Ragtinte,r,vas adapted into a relevant, yet over- offering a public reading. We look is a commonly successfulBroadway musical that looked, trend or problem. Topics forward to his visit! I ranged from global issues to ones clos- er to home, but all had the potential to 'T be a fantastic story. Some of the story cializing in ]apanese art, as well as an ltltititititiiiiltlitlttltltltlttl:ltltltitlltititititt.;.:l:l.i.i:i.i::.;:::::.:.:..il.:iliii:i:.iii:i:i:iii:tn 1997 ideas will have to wait, but in the M.A. in History from :i:i,l,l,:,i:ltolii..ii,,,i:,,,,r,,,,,,:,trttil..,;,:,;l:,:1,,,.l;.::,jll:l.ii:,::;:;iiiI nrthur Japanese mcan time, readers iook forward to his i:ir'. i:;:l:.'ii.,';.i;;:;i;.1; :iii.i.:.,,,;',.r,:,:,:r:r ,:,:'i: ,i.;:;:;i:ir,,": ICold"n Columbia University and an M.A. in next book due out this il:t:ii|,|:|i|it:::t::;:::::::::':':l:l::::::::i::::i :l:::i:::::;:::;:::;:':::'i:i:i:i:i:i:;:i:i:::::i:i::::i July. :':':t:':t:t:t:t:t:t:t:titit:tititit:t:t:t:t:t:t:t:t:::::::::',:,i1,,:,:,:,:,:,:,:::::::::::::i:::l:l:::i:l:i::,iiiWOWed a English from Boston University. He In anticipation of Neuer a City So nation of readers and critics with the currently lives in Massachusetts Real:AWalk in Chicago,I helped Alex publication of Memoirs of a Geisha,a where he is working on his next gather articles for a website dedicated first fictional account of the life of a novel, rumored to be a biographical to his past works. Articles that appeared inThe ChicagoTribune rvoman in the 1930s.Told rendering of a Chicago meat-packing Japanese Magazine to wrllbe from the point of view of the female baron. We will available to read on Alex's website. eagerly await protagonist, the novel quickly estab- Working with Alex has opened my his arrival as lished Golden as one to watch in the eyes to the sort of investigative jour- literary world. When Golden arrives well as that of nalism I've always envisioned. In an in the spring of 2006 to serve as his new book, age where some claim in-depth report- Northwestern University's Writer-in- certain to trans- ing is dwindling, Alex is an inspira- Residence,we'll have a chance to see port readers tion for those who stili have faith in journalism. even more closely the mind of a bud- yet again to investigative Overall working with Alex has been a pleasure ding master of the fictional form. another time and a brief glimpse at the man behind Golden earned a degree in Art and era. t) the genius. I History from Harvard College, spe- Mruornsor l Gusn,l

WRITII.*CMATTERS/ SPRINC & SUMMER2004 THE NEWSLETTER OF THE CENTER FOR THE WRITING ARTS

,PERMANENT INK: WHEN DAVID DIED" when he shaved his head. Sanchez knew that his parents would disap- prove of these fashion choices even A studentin WIR Alex Kotlowitz'scourse in nonfiction if hls brother were alive, but since looksto Chicago'sPilsen neighborhood to teII this story. David's death, their anger has been intensified by fear. By Dorothy Kronick, WCAS 2006 David and No6 were the middle "TellingStories: The Art of Nanatiae Nonfiction" Wintet Quartet 2004 children, sandwiched between three older siblings and a baby "why brother. The two spent time togeth- ne night Spanish, don't you go to the er every day, and the rest of the in cemetery?" "My family, he says, saw them as a February, parents think I'm following dqs-//a pair of rotten apples." 18-year-oldNo6 in David's footsteps," Sanchez told "They Though Sanchez has never been Sanchez* decid- me a week later. don't under- involved with a gang or with any ed it was time to tell his parents stand me. They just see what they criminal activity, his adoption of about his tattoo. The week prior he'd want to see." He is handsome and his brother's mannerisms and driven to Indiana, where the legal tat- fit, with sparse facial hair on his chin speech cadence were enough to tooing age is 18, and inked a 3-inch and cheeks. His fingernails are usu- associatehim with David. No6 immortality symbol-a modified ally dark with car grease.We spoke thinks this is why his mother sees cross with a loop on top-into his at a table in the public library, taking David in his own insubordinate right upper arm. shelter from punishing winds out- behavior. When, at 1L:30p.m., Sanchez The wind died dowru and we arrived home from Lincoln Tech, walked the streets of Pilsen, a pre- where he is studying evenings to be a dominantly Hispanic neighbor- mechanic,he walked up the stairs HIS PARENTS WOULD hood on the southwest side of past his grandmother's first-floor DISAPPROVE Chicago. Periodically Sanchez apartment. He walked past his sis- OF THESE FASHION CHOICES pointed out gang boundaries: ter's apartment on the second floor. south of 18th Street, Razas; around In his parents' dimly lit kitchen, he EVEN IF HIS Loomis Street, Counts; along found them conversing at the table. BROTHER WERE ALIVE. Cullerton Street, Ambros. When his "I have something to tell you g.uys;' baseball cap blew off, he turned it Sanchez said in his even, understated "I backwards, being careful not to tone. got me a tattoo." incite gang hostility by placing the Sanchez's father was quiet. side. Sanchez is not allowed to have "Why'd bill to one side or the other. you do that?" his mother female visitors, so we couldn't meet On a Saturday, two days after asked,her voice shaking. in his home. "It Sanchez clashed with his parents in represents David to me," Sanchez When Sanchez got his ears and the kitchen, his sister sat with him explained. Four years ago, Sanchez's nipples pierced, his mother cried "craziness" on her green velour couch. She told older brother David was shot and about the she has to put him that their mother had cried to killed by a rival gang member. up with. She had a similar reaction her about the tattoo, and that she His mother paced the kitchen, won- didn't want him living at home dering aloud what people would when she returned from a spring think, why her son would do such a trip to Mexico. thing, how he could cause her so A few days late1,Sanchez was much trouble. Her hysteria mounted. in his bedroom Finally she left the room in tears, and lffiliinil*Illl dressing small when he realized he'd left his Sanchez's father spoke. ii "lf '.'ffi'.ls'l sweater in the living room. His you're thinking about your father and little brother Manuel brothe1," he said in quick, sharp ..}ifid.irill.iiF.'Il...l,.. were watching TV; his mother was folding laundry. They still hadn't *Toensure priuacy, all nameslnae beenchanged. Continuedon page 6. . .

PACE 4 WR]TING MATTERS/SPRII..C& SUMMER2OO4 THE NEWSLETTER OF THE CENTER FOR THE WRITING ARTS

NU PROFESSORSARAHMAZA ON TWO Mountsin- they are a different and often GREAT LOVES: READING AND WRITING more enjoyable way of giving students accessto important information. I some- times also aisign historical novels that Scholnrship,self-discipline, experience: Essential qualities of a seriously distort the history they represent successftrlscholnrly ruriter. Mszq remindsus of another: -like Dickens's Tale of Ttuo Cities-and loy! discuss how they depart from what we know and why the writer had the biases , ,, ,,,,,,,.,.,...... ,:,.,:,',.:.::fl afah C. We often discussthe style as he did. More generally fiction, and aiso : :.".'t,,,.,:...;;,,,,,.: .,::,,,:'::: \Vaza (PhD well as the contentof the history books movies which serve the same purpose, . ,:..,..,.,.,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 'i'i:':'i'i'i:l:l:i:i:i:;::::::::::::::::::l \"'f Princcton, we read,and I point out to them the ',,:,ii:,:1,:,ii,iti;i;:,i.;;,;;,;::::::,;,;, balance out the analytical readings by ..,',,,,:::,,,::::,,,,,,,,,,,,,i::,: 1978) iS the strengthsof really good stylistsin the reminding students that history is an ..,...i.:.:.::li:i::i.::i::i:;::i:i:i.i:i.i.i.i.i.i.i.i.i.;.1,;,;1;1;1;1;ii;1;ii;i;1;i.;:':;1;i;Northwestern fieid suchas RobertDarnton. But just as :.:.:,i:iii:::i::::::::i:i::i:i:i:ii:i:i:iiiii:i::::::::::::::::i:i:i:ii:ii:i:::::::i::::::: imaginative pleasure as well. Jane Long ofteryI sendthem to eachother by hav- Professor in the Humanities, specializ- ing them read an exampleof really good IMat part of your ozon writing process do ing in the social and cultural history of writing by a currentor previousstudent you most gratifying? Most madden- eighteenth and nineteenth century at their level. It makesthem understand find ing? France. She has published three books, that the standardsare not unattainable. most recently The Myth of tlrc French I love writing. Very ferv activi- Bourgeoisie:An Essnyon the Social Youuse a oariety of written works in ties in life are so compietely absorbing Imaginary, 1.750-1550(2003). She shared your courses-historical analy sis,philos- and so gratifying. Sure there are frustra- her thoughts on writing via cmail with ophy, How do thesedifferent fiction. tions, but since I am not currently writing CWA assistant directot JcssicaBelle modesof writing help you teachhistory anything I seem to have repressed them in Smith. and history writing? favor of the rosy memories. In what zuays does scholarly zuriting I useworks of history for obvi IMat do you enjoy reading? That is, tlo abouthistory differ from scholarly ous reasons,but works of fiction are very you read for pleasure (if you haztetime! ) zariting in other fields, such as litera- important to my classesand many of my and if so, what ilo you like to read? ture? colleagues'as well. Fictionwritten in the When you write history you period you areteaching provides a differ- Fiction, lots of it and constantly. have to juggle lots of sources, and the ent, unmediatedaccess-it's a direct win- (I never read history for pleasure, it's m1' trick is to document your rvork - dow onto the past. And it alsovaries the day job). My tastes run the gamut from oughly without boring your reader to assignmentsand helps keep the students long nineteenth-century classicsto chick- death or weighing down your work interested.Other useful tools arehistori- lit and the occasional murder mystery. with multiple examples and citations. cal novels. If they arevery well docu- Among contemporary writers I most When you research a work of history mented-like Umberto Eco'sTfte Name of enjoy British" Irish, South African, you uncover a huge amount of materi- theRose. or CharlesFrazier's CoId Canadian and Indian novelists-the living al and it takes both self-discipline and writer I most admire is j.M. Coetzee. I quite a bit of experience to accept that iike good historical novels as long as they a large part of what you found should have nothing to do with my specialty, never make it into your book, or only French history. Right now I am reading in the footnotes. The other challenge Edward P. novel about American is that history as a discipline is both Jones's slavery, The Knoun World, which is excel- descriptive and analytical: the best his- lent. tory simultaneously brings the past back to life and explains why things \\rhat one piece of zoriting adaice do you happened, and those are two very dif- yourself rcpeating to your students? ferent kinds of writing. Combining find both is what takes skill. The ideal of Read your paper aloud! If it the profession is that we should be in sounds awkward aloud, it will not read the best sensejournalists dealing with the past. well. Try not to use in writing any word you would not use in speech. I meary "He would you ever say: averred he To zahom ilo you send students for an "good SeRes Meza example(s) of znriting"? would pick me up at seven"? 0

WRITINCMAITERS/SIRING & SUMMER2OO4 THE NEWSLETTER OF THE CENTER FOR THE WRITING ARTS

When I asked next week, Mrs. Sanchez STUDENT HIGHLIGHTS Early the whether he'll live canceled her trip to Mexico, and the Contirrued page4 with a roommate, fronr kicked out of the threat of being he shook his head. more has "I seen his tattoo. house dissipated. Nothing have friends, Not wanting to but they all have walk through money problems," the apartment he explained. in his white NoE THOUGHT ABOUT Since David's tank top, he called to his brother to HOW HE deattu Sanchez's oldest brother didn't bring his sweater. Manuel WOULD NEVER HAVE rarely seesthe family. A second has answer. Sanchez called again. The farther into his natural IGNOREDA shrunken ten-year-old ignored him. No6 shyness; Sanchez's sister has taken DRVIO. thought about how he would never REQUEST FROM refuge with her boyfriend and baby. "I'm have ignored a request from David. real independent," he assures "I He remembered how David, a me, tipping his chin. know horv tc-r junior-high dropout, made him do be alone." tl homework before they hung out. been said about asking him to leave. Nevertheless, he plans to rent his Sanchez wondered whether he was DorotltyKronick is a WCASsoStltornore fronr as good a brother to Manuel. When own apartment by the end of the SanDiego, CA, pursuingan nd lnc rnajorin Sanchez emerged from his bedroom year. He'lI graduate from Lincoln LatinAmerican Studies and n rninorin to retrieve his stveater, tattoo visible, Tech in Marctu and will immediately Spanish.She is an internat Crain's hnsbeen his mother left the room. Manuel begin working full-time as a ChicagoBusiness and her work published,most recently, in theChrcago and his father didn't look up. mechanic. Reader.

PACE 6 WRIT]NC MArruns/gPzuNGc suMMEnzoo+-

WRITING MATTERS NEWSLETTEROF THE CENTER FOR THE WRITING ARTS fessicaBelle Smith, Editor Northwestern UniversitY 1880 Campus Drive Evanston, IL 60208-2275