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Craft in the Real World : Rethinking Fiction Writing and Workshopping by Matthew Salesses (2021, Trade Paperback)
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Craft in the Real World: Rethinking Fiction Writing and Workshopping by Salesses, Matthew [Paperback]
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About this product
Product Identifiers
PublisherCATAPULT
ISBN-101948226804
ISBN-139781948226806
eBay Product ID (ePID)12050396201
Product Key Features
Number of Pages256 Pages
LanguageEnglish
Publication NameCraft in the Real World : Rethinking Fiction Writing and Workshopping
Publication Year2021
SubjectAuthorship, General, Semiotics & Theory, Creativity
TypeTextbook
Subject AreaLiterary Criticism, Language Arts & Disciplines, Self-Help
AuthorMatthew Salesses
FormatTrade Paperback
Dimensions
Item Height0.7 in
Item Weight10.2 Oz
Item Length8.2 in
Item Width5.5 in
Additional Product Features
Intended AudienceTrade
LCCN2020-936778
ReviewsAn Esquire Best Nonfiction Book of the Year "Salesses is clearly a generous instructor, willing to share ideas for syllabus design, grading techniques and writing exercises. He brings to this work many years of experience as a writer and professor, along with palpable frustration at what he has witnessed or endured in these roles . . . Craft in the Real World is a significant contribution to discussions of the art of fiction and a necessary challenge to received views about whose stories are told, how they are told and for whom they are intended." --Laila Lalami, The New York Times Book Review "A real eye opener . . . It unpacks the seemingly ''universal'' lessons we learn about what makes fiction good to reveal how whiteness and maleness have shaped those values." --Kumari Devarajan, Code Switch , NPR "This book is for any engaged reader, as it illustrates the impact of dominant cultural narratives on how we create and judge fiction . . . Delivered epiphany after epiphany." --John Warner, Chicago Tribune "Salient and instructive . . . Writers and readers alike stand to benefit from Salesses''s insights into literary production and the insipid ways in which the creative industries perpetuate milquetoast, dominant-culture artistic production." --Jennifer Schaffer, The Nation "In this firmament-shattering examination of how we teach creative writing, Salesses, a novelist and professor, builds a persuasive argument for tearing up the rulebook. Tracing the traditional writing workshop to its roots in white, male cultural values, Salesses challenges received wisdom about the benchmarks of ''good'' fiction, arguing that we must reimagine how we write and how we teach. Only then will our canon and our classrooms be the inclusive, expansive spaces we want them to be." --Adrienne Westenfeld, Esquire, A Best Book of the Year "A call for revolution . . . For those interested in teaching creative writing, particularly through an anti-racist lens, Salesses provides not only the what and the why but the how. His book is a compendium of essays, enumerated thoughts on craft, a glossary of redefined craft terms, a catalogue of alternative workshop models, sample syllabus language, writing and revision exercises, and other forms--the full generosity of an experienced teacher saying, ''Here, you''re welcome to everything I have.''" --Keri Bertino, BOMB "An analytic investigation into the racialized history of craft and the ways BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and other underrepresented voices are erased in creative writing workshops . . . An essential read to any writer or creative writing instructor, regardless of genre . . . Craft in the Real World feels like a literary microcosm for the current global state of affairs. There is the sensation that readers are at once learning and unlearning, doing and undoing . . . It encourages writers, readers, and teachers to get uncomfortable in order to create more inclusive realities." --Candace Eros Diaz, CRAFT "The world has changed, and the writing workshop must catch up. An essential addition to the bookshelf of anyone interested in creative writing, Salesses'' text provides a compassionate approach sure to bring a new generation of authentic voices to the page." -- BookPage (starred review) "This book is a stunning conflagration, and I wish I had it with me for the past twenty plus years of navigating writing workshops, both as student and teacher. It is a blueprint for a way forward to build better writing programs, and thus a new kind of writer and teacher who can imagine beyond a structure that often hurt them and left them in need of repair . . . Salesses has offered both a torch to light the fire, and a safe path to the new world that we can now start to build." --Neelanjana Banerjee, The Millions, An Esquire Best Nonfiction Book of the Year "Salesses is clearly a generous instructor, willing to share ideas for syllabus design, grading techniques and writing exercises. He brings to this work many years of experience as a writer and professor, along with palpable frustration at what he has witnessed or endured in these roles . . . Craft in the Real World is a significant contribution to discussions of the art of fiction and a necessary challenge to received views about whose stories are told, how they are told and for whom they are intended." --Laila Lalami, The New York Times Book Review "A real eye opener . . . It unpacks the seemingly 'universal' lessons we learn about what makes fiction good to reveal how whiteness and maleness have shaped those values." --Kumari Devarajan, Code Switch , NPR "In this firmament-shattering examination of how we teach creative writing, Salesses, a novelist and professor, builds a persuasive argument for tearing up the rulebook. Tracing the traditional writing workshop to its roots in white, male cultural values, Salesses challenges received wisdom about the benchmarks of 'good' fiction, arguing that we must reimagine how we write and how we teach. Only then will our canon and our classrooms be the inclusive, expansive spaces we want them to be." --Adrienne Westenfeld, Esquire, A Best Book of the Year "A call for revolution . . . For those interested in teaching creative writing, particularly through an anti-racist lens, Salesses provides not only the what and the why but the how. His book is a compendium of essays, enumerated thoughts on craft, a glossary of redefined craft terms, a catalogue of alternative workshop models, sample syllabus language, writing and revision exercises, and other forms--the full generosity of an experienced teacher saying, 'Here, you're welcome to everything I have.'" --Keri Bertino, BOMB "An analytic investigation into the racialized history of craft and the ways BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and other underrepresented voices are erased in creative writing workshops . . . An essential read to any writer or creative writing instructor, regardless of genre . . . Craft in the Real World feels like a literary microcosm for the current global state of affairs. There is the sensation that readers are at once learning and unlearning, doing and undoing . . . It encourages writers, readers, and teachers to get uncomfortable in order to create more inclusive realities." --Candace Eros Diaz, CRAFT "The world has changed, and the writing workshop must catch up. An essential addition to the bookshelf of anyone interested in creative writing, Salesses' text provides a compassionate approach sure to bring a new generation of authentic voices to the page." -- BookPage (starred review) "This book is a stunning conflagration, and I wish I had it with me for the past twenty plus years of navigating writing workshops, both as student and teacher. It is a blueprint for a way forward to build better writing programs, and thus a new kind of writer and teacher who can imagine beyond a structure that often hurt them and left them in need of repair . . . Salesses has offered both a torch to light the fire, and a safe path to the new world that we can now start to build." --Neelanjana Banerjee, The Millions, Esquire, A Best Book of the Year "Salesses is clearly a generous instructor, willing to share ideas for syllabus design, grading techniques and writing exercises. He brings to this work many years of experience as a writer and professor, along with palpable frustration at what he has witnessed or endured in these roles . . . Craft in the Real World is a significant contribution to discussions of the art of fiction and a necessary challenge to received views about whose stories are told, how they are told and for whom they are intended." --Laila Lalami, The New York Times Book Review "A real eye opener . . . It unpacks the seemingly 'universal' lessons we learn about what makes fiction good to reveal how whiteness and maleness have shaped those values." --Kumari Devarajan, Code Switch , NPR "In this firmament-shattering examination of how we teach creative writing, Salesses, a novelist and professor, builds a persuasive argument for tearing up the rulebook. Tracing the traditional writing workshop to its roots in white, male cultural values, Salesses challenges received wisdom about the benchmarks of 'good' fiction, arguing that we must reimagine how we write and how we teach. Only then will our canon and our classrooms be the inclusive, expansive spaces we want them to be." --Adrienne Westenfeld, Esquire, A Best Book of the Year "A call for revolution . . . For those interested in teaching creative writing, particularly through an anti-racist lens, Salesses provides not only the what and the why but the how. His book is a compendium of essays, enumerated thoughts on craft, a glossary of redefined craft terms, a catalogue of alternative workshop models, sample syllabus language, writing and revision exercises, and other forms--the full generosity of an experienced teacher saying, 'Here, you're welcome to everything I have.'" --Keri Bertino, BOMB "An analytic investigation into the racialized history of craft and the ways BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and other underrepresented voices are erased in creative writing workshops . . . An essential read to any writer or creative writing instructor, regardless of genre . . . Craft in the Real World feels like a literary microcosm for the current global state of affairs. There is the sensation that readers are at once learning and unlearning, doing and undoing . . . It encourages writers, readers, and teachers to get uncomfortable in order to create more inclusive realities." --Candace Eros Diaz, CRAFT "The world has changed, and the writing workshop must catch up. An essential addition to the bookshelf of anyone interested in creative writing, Salesses' text provides a compassionate approach sure to bring a new generation of authentic voices to the page." -- BookPage (starred review) "This book is a stunning conflagration, and I wish I had it with me for the past twenty plus years of navigating writing workshops, both as student and teacher. It is a blueprint for a way forward to build better writing programs, and thus a new kind of writer and teacher who can imagine beyond a structure that often hurt them and left them in need of repair . . . Salesses has offered both a torch to light the fire, and a safe path to the new world that we can now start to build." --Neelanjana Banerjee, The Millions, " Craft in the Real World is an instant essential book. Every writer, every writing teacher, every critic, every reviewer, anyone interested in how language works needs to read this. Now."--Beth Nguyen, author of Stealing Buddha's Dinner "Our students put their hearts on pages and they hand those pages to us. It's a profound act of trust and Matthew Salesses shows us how to be worthy of it. Craft in the Real World is required reading for writers, writing teachers, and everyone who loves language and what it can accomplish in our beautiful, complicated world."--Megan Stielstra, author of The Wrong Way to Save Your Life "Astounding in its research and the case it makes for craft, Craft in the Real World asks writers and teachers of writing to claim our place as conscious participants in and makers of culture." --Tiphanie Yanique, author of Land of Love and Drowning "With Craft in the Real World , Matthew Salesses has created a tremendous resource for anyone hoping to write fiction or teach fiction writing. It tackles head-on how craft has often been taught in the United States, and like the best teachers, it provides a practical path for much needed reform and improvement. This book teaches us how to ask better questions of our craft, our work, our workshops, and of each other. To have all of this pedagogical brilliance and thoughtfulness in one book is a gift." --Jennine Capó Crucet, author of My Time Among the Whites "Brilliant. Essential. This book will--and should--change creative writing workshops forever." --Joy Castro, author of Hell or High Water "This book is a gift to those writers who've felt the tilt of imbalanced power in a workshop, who've wondered whose rules they're following when they write and why, who've struggled to tell their stories within a narrow and restrictive tradition. With empathy and keen insight, Matthew Salesses delivers an unflinching critique of the pedagogy of creative writing's old guard--and models a way of studying and communicating craft that is self-aware, socially engaged, and thrillingly alive."--Alexandra Kleeman, author of Intimations "This is exactly the book we need right now--a vital corrective to the myth that craft is a neutral, objective category unaffected by historical or cultural context. Matthew Salesses explores how beliefs about 'good' writing are profoundly marked by race, class, gender, sexuality, ability, and national identity; and he offers concrete strategies for liberating our classrooms and writing practices from the straight-white-male default gaze. I will recommend Craft in the Real World to every writer and teacher I know."--Leni Zumas, author of Red Clocks, " Craft in the Real World is an instant essential book. Every writer, every writing teacher, every critic, every reviewer, anyone interested in how language works needs to read this. Now." --Beth Nguyen, author of Stealing Buddha's Dinner "Our students put their hearts on pages and they hand those pages to us. It's a profound act of trust and Matthew Salesses shows us how to be worthy of it. Craft in the Real World is required reading for writers, writing teachers, and everyone who loves language and what it can accomplish in our beautiful, complicated world." --Megan Stielstra, author of The Wrong Way to Save Your Life "Astounding in its research and the case it makes for craft, Craft in the Real World asks writers and teachers of writing to claim our place as conscious participants in and makers of culture." --Tiphanie Yanique, author of Land of Love and Drowning "With Craft in the Real World , Matthew Salesses has created a tremendous resource for anyone hoping to write fiction or teach fiction writing. It tackles head-on how craft has often been taught in the United States, and like the best teachers, it provides a practical path for much needed reform and improvement. This book teaches us how to ask better questions of our craft, our work, our workshops, and of each other. To have all of this pedagogical brilliance and thoughtfulness in one book is a gift." --Jennine Capó Crucet, author of My Time Among the Whites "Brilliant. Essential. This book will--and should--change creative writing workshops forever." --Joy Castro, author of Hell or High Water "This book is a gift to those writers who've felt the tilt of imbalanced power in a workshop, who've wondered whose rules they're following when they write and why, who've struggled to tell their stories within a narrow and restrictive tradition. With empathy and keen insight, Matthew Salesses delivers an unflinching critique of the pedagogy of creative writing's old guard--and models a way of studying and communicating craft that is self-aware, socially engaged, and thrillingly alive." --Alexandra Kleeman, author of Intimations "This is exactly the book we need right now--a vital corrective to the myth that craft is a neutral, objective category unaffected by historical or cultural context. Matthew Salesses explores how beliefs about 'good' writing are profoundly marked by race, class, gender, sexuality, ability, and national identity; and he offers concrete strategies for liberating our classrooms and writing practices from the straight-white-male default gaze. I will recommend Craft in the Real World to every writer and teacher I know." --Leni Zumas, author of Red Clocks, Esquire, A Best Book of the Year "Salesses is clearly a generous instructor, willing to share ideas for syllabus design, grading techniques and writing exercises. He brings to this work many years of experience as a writer and professor, along with palpable frustration at what he has witnessed or endured in these roles . . . Craft in the Real World is a significant contribution to discussions of the art of fiction and a necessary challenge to received views about whose stories are told, how they are told and for whom they are intended." --Laila Lalami, The New York Times Book Review "A real eye opener . . . It unpacks the seemingly 'universal' lessons we learn about what makes fiction good to reveal how whiteness and maleness have shaped those values." --Kumari Devarajan, Code Switch , NPR "In this firmament-shattering examination of how we teach creative writing, Salesses, a novelist and professor, builds a persuasive argument for tearing up the rulebook. Tracing the traditional writing workshop to its roots in white, male cultural values, Salesses challenges received wisdom about the benchmarks of 'good' fiction, arguing that we must reimagine how we write and how we teach. Only then will our canon and our classrooms be the inclusive, expansive spaces we want them to be." --Adrienne Westenfeld, Esquire, A Best Book of the Year "An analytic investigation into the racialized history of craft and the ways BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and other underrepresented voices are erased in creative writing workshops . . . An essential read to any writer or creative writing instructor, regardless of genre . . . Craft in the Real World feels like a literary microcosm for the current global state of affairs. There is the sensation that readers are at once learning and unlearning, doing and undoing . . . It encourages writers, readers, and teachers to get uncomfortable in order to create more inclusive realities." --Candace Eros Diaz, CRAFT "Required reading for creative writing teachers, Matthew Salesses's Craft in the Real World is an argument and a guide for upending the traditional workshop model and our conceptions of craft." -- Literary Hub , One of the Most Anticipated Books of the Year "The world has changed, and the writing workshop must catch up. An essential addition to the bookshelf of anyone interested in creative writing, Salesses' text provides a compassionate approach sure to bring a new generation of authentic voices to the page." -- BookPage (starred review) "A critical addition to the pedagogical canon, laying out how the traditional workshop form and many ideas about 'craft' have been envisioned largely by and for white male writers. The book includes exercises and advice for revision and editing and guiding teachers through reimagining what it is to teach and encourage writers." -- The Millions , One of the Most Anticipated Books of the Year "The MFA and its traditional workshop model have long been criticized and challenged, but rarely does it ever change--until now . . . This book forces people to ask, What have we been centering in the MFA world? What do we value--and who is 'we,' by the way?--in workshops and how does this affect diverse writers? How can we change the landscape of creative writing? This book is a start, and I hope it winds up in every writing teacher and MFA instructor's hands as required reading." --Jaime Herndon, Book Riot "A fresh view of teaching craft to writers of diverse backgrounds . . . An insightful guide for readers, writers, and instructors from all walks of life." -- Kirkus Reviews
Dewey Edition23
Dewey Decimal808.3
SynopsisThe traditional writing workshop was established with white male writers in mind; what we call craft is informed by their cultural values. In this bold and original examination of elements of writing - including plot, character, conflict, structure, and believability - Matthew Salesses asks questions to invigorate these familiar concepts. He upends Western notions of how a story must progress. How can we rethink craft, and the teaching of it, to better reach writers with diverse backgrounds? How can we invite diverse storytelling traditions into literary spaces?, An NPR Best Book of the Year This national bestseller is "a significant contribution to discussions of the art of fiction and a necessary challenge to received views about whose stories are told, how they are told and for whom they are intended" (Laila Lalami, The New York Times Book Review ) The traditional writing workshop was established with white male writers in mind; what we call craft is informed by their cultural values. In this bold and original examination of elements of writing--including plot, character, conflict, structure, and believability--and aspects of workshop--including the silenced writer and the imagined reader--Matthew Salesses asks questions to invigorate these familiar concepts. He upends Western notions of how a story must progress. How can we rethink craft, and the teaching of it, to better reach writers with diverse backgrounds? How can we invite diverse storytelling traditions into literary spaces? Drawing from examples including One Thousand and One Nights , Curious George, Ursula K. Le Guin's A Wizard of Earthsea , and the Asian American classic No-No Boy , Salesses asks us to reimagine craft and the workshop. In the pages of exercises included here, teachers will find suggestions for building syllabi, grading, and introducing new methods to the classroom; students will find revision and editing guidance, as well as a new lens for reading their work. Salesses shows that we need to interrogate the lack of diversity at the core of published fiction: how we teach and write it. After all, as he reminds us, "When we write fiction, we write the world."
LC Classification NumberPN181.S25 2021
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