Long-Form Journalism
The Assignments in Outline
NOTE: We'll discuss these assignments in detail, especially in conjunction with our readings in literary journalism. But I wanted you to have a rough idea from the beginning of what's on your plate this spring.
Assignment #1
Experimenting
Write a short story on anything that might be the subject of a conventional newspaper feature story. The story should include at least one "scene" and at least some dialog.
Length: Three takes
Assignment #2
Rudimentary Immersion Journalism
Write a newspaper feature story based on "hanging out" (for several hours at the least) with some interesting person or at some interesting place. You should experiment with the techniques of literary journalism that we'll be analyzing in models and otherwise discussing.
Length: Eight to ten takes.
Assignment #3
A Book-length Model
Choose a book-length piece of literary journalism. Make a five-minute report in class on the book, emphasizing for your fellow students the elements of literary journalism it contains. Write a three-page paper based on your presentation.
Assignment #4
Serious Immersion Journalism
Write a piece of literary journalism suitable for magazine publication or for expansion into a book.
Length: 15 to 20 takes