Those who teach: Creative writing and failure

Scott BROOK

    Research output: A Conference proceeding or a Chapter in BookConference contributionpeer-review

    Abstract

    This paper addresses the topic of creative writing and failure in terms of the historically embedded vocational rationales of creative writing pedagogy. It proposes that failure is fundamental to creative writing as an educational method and teaching formation, but not for the reasons suggested by its historians or detractors. Creative writing is not a failed form of vocational training for professional literary careers; rather, it is a form of general literary education in which the figure of ‘failure’ has, at times, played a key pedagogic role in forming personalities. It reviews the emergence of a distinctly modern conception of the literary artist in Romantic aesthetics as an ‘ethical exemplar’, and traces the annexation of this idea by the first generation of university creative writing educators.
    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationThe Minding The Gap: Writing across thresholds and fault lines papersthe refereed proceedings of the 19th conference of the Australasian Association of Writing Programs, 2014
    EditorsGail Pittaway, Alex Lodge, Lisa Smithies
    Place of PublicationAustralia
    PublisherThe Australiasian Association of Writing Programs (AAWP)
    Pages1-14
    Number of pages14
    ISBN (Print)9780980757385
    Publication statusPublished - 2014
    EventMinding the Gap -Writing across thresholds and fault lines: 19th Australasian Association of Writing Programs Conference - Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
    Duration: 30 Nov 20142 Dec 2014
    http://www.aawp.org.au/annual-conference/19th-annual-conference/

    Conference

    ConferenceMinding the Gap -Writing across thresholds and fault lines
    Abbreviated titleAAWP2014
    Country/TerritoryNew Zealand
    CityWellington
    Period30/11/142/12/14
    Internet address

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