LIT 222 Nonfiction: Essays & Memoirs
The word essay was coined by Montaigne and it means to try or attempt. Essays have been written on just about everything: spiders, walking, observing the death of a moth, blindness, ears, noise, and in praise of shadows. In a formal essay the writer demonstrates an expertise about a subject while the personal essay tends to be more whimsical and the writer approaches the topic as a curious amateur. Memoirs suggest a reminiscence. They are not as broad as an autobiography, but usually describe a moment or an event in a person's life. The class will survey the landscape of essays and memoirs and expect students to write both. 3 credits.