Major in Creative Writing

The curriculum in creative writing is designed to develop expertise in writing and reading a genre of the student’s choice (e.g., fiction, poetry, or nonfiction prose forms), familiarity with related genres, and a three-subject focused exposure to an allied discipline, usually in the humanities, arts, or social sciences.  This curriculum offers students flexibility in designing their courses of study for both breadth and depth.

Major advisor:
Nick Montfort
14N-233, 324-1429
nickm@nickm.com

How to Major in Creative Writing   

• To see the full degree Program requirements go to the MIT Office of the Registrar website at web.mit.edu/catalogue/degre.human.writi.shtml.
• The Writing degree chart can be viewed at web.mit.edu/catalogue/degre.human.ch21w.shtml.
• For joint major in Humanities and Engineering/21E or Humanities and Science/21S, go to web.mit.edu/catalogue/degre.human.human.shtml.

Featured Subjects and Instructors for the Major in Creative Writing

Introductory

21W.730       Writing on Contemporary Issues

• Social and Ethical Issues - Andrea Walsh
• Race, Politics, and Representation – Suzanne Lane
• Food for Thought: Writing and Reading about the Cultures
  of Food – Karen Boiko
• Culture Shock! Writing, Editing, and Publishing in
  Cyberspace – Rebecca Faery
• Introduction to Rhetoric – Suzanne Lane
   

21W.731        Writing and Experience

• Reading and Writing Autobiography – Bill Corbett
• The Politics And Poetics of Food: Self, Community, Memory Food – Kym Ragusa
• Writing in an Age of Spin – Lucy Marx
• Exploring Self in Society – Andrea Walsh
   

21W.734J    Writing about Literature

• Writing about Literature – Wyn Kelley
• Crossing Borders – Kate Delaney
• Writing about Literature – Ina Lipkowitz

21W.754J      Playwriting I – Laura Harrington

21W.755         Writing and Reading Short Stories – Shariann Lewitt

21W.756         Writing and Reading Poems – Bill Corbett

Advanced

21W.735        Writing and Reading the Essay – Rebecca Faery

21W.740        Writing Autobiography and Biography – Ken Manning

21W.741J      Black Matters: Intro to Black Studies – Helen Elaine Lee, Erica Caple James, Michel DeGraff

21W.742J      Writing about Race – Kym Ragusa

21W.745        Advanced Essay Workshop  – Rebecca Faery

21W.747        Rhetoric – Steve Strang, Les Perelman, Mya Poe 
 

21W.757        Fiction Workshop –Helen Elaine Lee

21W.758        Genre Fiction Workshop  – Junot Díaz, Joe Haldeman

21W.759      Writing Science Fiction  – Joe Haldeman

21W.762        Poetry Workshop – Ed Barrett

21W.766J      Contemporary US Women of Color: Writing and Reading Short Stories – Helen Elaine Lee

21W.769J      Playwrights’ Workshop –Alan Brody

21W.770        Advanced Fiction Workshop – Helen Elaine Lee

21W.771        Advanced Poetry Workshop – Erica Funkhouser

21W.773        Writing Longer Fiction – Joe Haldeman