In a world filled with hard science, dry theses, and boring lectures, there is a ray of hope.
Many students have active imaginations and enjoy funneling that creativity into poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction. These students can now use this hobby in order to enhance their resumes, applications to graduate school, and curriculum vitae with the new creative writing focus offered by the English department.
"Students who earn the certificate will no doubt leave the department with a strong community of student writers in place," said English Professor Christina Milletti, head of the creative writing focus. "Whether they apply to MFA programs or keep writing on their own in the future, that network will serve an important function."
Many of the classes involved in the focus, most of which are poetry or fiction workshops, were available in 2009. However, too many students were taking advanced writing courses before the introductory classes, according to Milletti. In order to create a more cohesive course path that would foster the pursuit of quality creativity, the English department created the program.
"We created the new creative writing focus to give our students a more structured sense of creative writing as a discipline," Milletti said. "[The program should facilitate] a way of thinking about the world as and through language."
Unfortunately, many junior and senior students are unable to formally participate in the new program. The limited amount of time before graduation hinders those interested from successfully completing all of the required classes.
The curriculum consists of an introductory course to creative writing, three 300 and 400-level workshops, a 300-level literature course with a writing or author focus such as Experimental Fiction, and a capstone course called Cross Genre Literature and Writing. The certificate is only presented at the English department graduation, but it is still awarded to anyone who completes the six-course curriculum.
"I'm not in the focus because I can't fit it in my schedule," said Kelsey Griffith, a studio art major with a minor in English. "As far as the classes go, they are some of my favorite courses I've taken at UB. I would recommend them to anyone interested in writing."
The focus is open to any major, and non-English majors are encouraged to participate. Adding an English focus could diversify a transcript or resume, and it will also enhance necessary writing skills.
"I've always had a passion for the creative arts and I find that it is a stress-relieving pleasure shoved in my mixture of complicated physics formulas and computer jargon that form the daily college life," said Shelby Milizia, a sophomore majoring in nuclear physics. "I find [the classes] thrilling for the fact that finally I'm surrounded by fellow literature maniacs with whom I can further my clever insanities."
For more information, visit the English department's website: english.buffalo.edu.
