Chimera: An Exploration of Hybrid Writing
with Arianne Zwartjes
Mondays, October 4 to November 8, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
In this class we’ll explore the different forms that hybrid texts can take, examining specific techniques of juxtaposition/blending such as mimicry, sampling, collage, and cutting/splicing. Of particular interest to us will be works that are rooted in literary tradition (poetry, fiction, and nonfiction) but are expanded by another genre (written) or medium (illustration, video, book art, hypertextuality, photography, performance, etc.). We’ll discuss what it means to be “successful” as a hybrid work, rather than simply clever or gimmicky. We’ll begin our readings with several examples of historic “hybridity,” and then move on to pieces by well-known contemporary authors such as Jenny Boully, Ander Monson, Alison Bechdel, Marjane Satrapi, and Kate Greenstreet. We will write, in and out of class, and share our writing with each other. Finally, as possible, we’ll be visited by published authors working in the realm of the hybrid. Register online at https://www.uafoundation.org/netcommunity/sslpage.aspx?pid=649
