The MFA Student Community at Whidbey Writers’ Workshop

Book Lists for Spring 2009

• Workshops

Nonfiction–No textbook required

Fiction–No textbook required

CYA–Elements of Writing Fiction - Scene & Structure (Elements of Fiction Writing) Jack M. Bickham

Poetry–No textbook required

 

• Craft courses

Nonfiction–

residency and semester

How to Write: Advice and Reflections, Richard Rhodes

High Tide in Tucson: Essays from Now or Never, Barbara Kingsolver

Secrets of the Universe: Scenes from the Journey Home, Scott Russell Sanders

semester only:

Passage to Juneau: A Sea and Its Meanings, Jonathan Raban

 

Fiction–

residency and semester:

Deepening Fiction: A Practical Guide for Intermediate and Advanced Writers Sarah Stone and Ron Nyren.

BECOMING A WRITER Dorothea Brande

The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction Cassill & Bausch, The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction, 7th edition

semester only:

Theory of the Novel Philip Stevick,

Pride and Prejudice (Penguin Classics)  Jane Austen (any edition; Penguin recommended)

Aspects of the Novel E.M. Forster

 

Children’s/Young Adult–

residency and semester:

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, Second Edition: How to Edit Yourself Into Print Renni Browne and Dave King

 

Poetry–

residency and semester: 

Thirteen Ways of Looking for a Poem: A Guide to Writing Poetry Wendy Bishop

An Exaltation of Forms: Contemporary Poets Celebrate the Diversity of Their Art Annie Finch & Katherine Varnes, eds.

 

• Directed Reading

Fiction–

How Fiction Works James Wood

Song for Night Chris Abani

The Hummingbird’s Daughter Luis Urrea

The Echo Maker: A Novel Richard Powers

Gilead: A Novel Marilyn Robinson

The Known WorldEdward P. Jones

Middlesex: A Novel  Jeffrey Eugenides

Empire Falls Richard Russo

Austerlitz, WG Sebald

Motherless Brooklyn, Jonathan Lethem

All the Pretty Horses Cormac McCarthy

The Shipping News Annie Proulx

Love Medicine: A Novel (P.S.) Louise Erdrich

A Confederacy of Dunces  John Kennedy Toole

The Handmaid’s Tale: A Novel Margaret Atwood

Beloved Toni Morrison

Children’s/Young Adult–

(note: no need to purchase the books, as they may be taken from the library.Required reading before the residency. This year we will have a Mock Printz. Although some of the books can fall in the middle-grade category (meaning they should be considered for Newberys) the Printz is given to books for young adults. There have been times when a book had received both awards. These are some of the books I have heard (so far) may win Printz awards. This list will change when the rest of the fall books come out. Start reading now! You won’t have time to read them at the residency.)

The Hunger Games Suzanne Collins

Little Brother Cory Doctorow

Paper Towns John Green

The Last Exit to Normal  Michael Harmon, Michael

My Most Excellent Year: A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins, and Fenway Park Steve Kluger

Tender Morsels Margo Lanagan

Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, The  E. Lochart

The Missing Girl  Norma Mazer

Madapple Christina Meldrum

Nation Terry Pratchett

The Adoration of Jenna Fox  Mary Pearson

Impossible Nancy Werlin

semester only: 

Printz winners from the 2000s

2009 Winner (We will hear who the winner is the last Monday of the residency)

2008 The White Darkness Geraldine McCaughrean

2007 American Born Chinese Gene Luen Yang. 

2006 Looking for Alaska John Green

2005 How I Live Now Meg Rosoff

2004 The First Part Last Angela Johnson,

2003 Postcards From No Man’s Land Aidan Chambers, 

2002 A Step From Heaven  AnNa

2001 Kit’s Wilderness David Almond

2000 Monster Walter Dean Myers