What makes this different from “historical fiction”?
There are many ways to learn: you can read a book, listen to a lecture, participate in a symposium or discussion, hear a podcast, watch a film, etc. Most of what I’ve assigned you this semester has been academic writing: dense, challenging, detailed, and somewhat dry, because the intent of the author is to meet the demands of scholarly rigor, to be beyond reproach in one’s claims, arguments, and analysis.
The reading for this week includes, in contrast, a sort of fictionalized history (see p. 4, beginning with “The setting is a room in a brick palace…”). The author fictionalizes the past, creates a narrative, and tells a story. She uses facts about history, but retells it as a story. What makes this different from “historical fiction” is that it does not deviate far from facts.
For this week’s assignment, write a 2-3 page creative essay, similar to the one in the reading. Base it on something you’ve learned in this class. For example, you might imagine someone painting a cave, or writing on a tablet, or painting a vase in the Neolithic period. Include as much of the texture of life as possible: the sights, smells, sounds of the world in which your narrative takes place. You will have to invent details since you won’t know everything, of course.
Include one final paragraph in which you reflect on what, if anything, you gained from this non-traditional form of writing.
