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Deferring The 'Main' Point: Teaching 'Narrative Desire' As An Alternative Creative Practice, Joshua M. Lobb

Faculty of Creative Arts - Papers (Archive)

This paper examines the place of twentieth-century literary theory in Creative Writing pedagogy. It suggests that literary theory has become embedded in Creative Writing programs, despite the fact that many theories seem opposed to the concept of the author or to writing practice. It proposes that if we are to use these theories productively, we need to adapt both the theories themselves and our teaching practices. The paper outlines the ways in which I—in my teaching in the School of Journalism and Creative Writing, University of Wollongong—have approached the teaching of two post-structuralist psychoanalytic concepts: Brooks’ notion of ‘narrative desire’ …