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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