How Not to Be Yourself: Techniques of Othering [Maged Zaher]

Writing as self-expression—an attempt to reach the core truth of ourselves—can be limiting. Eventually we either run out of material or end up using the same clichés over and over. This class introduces some experimental techniques distilled from the practices of different avant-garde poets such as Jen Bervin, Doug Nufer, Niger Christenson, and others. These techniques, such as parataxis and writing with constraints, can help us escape our personal clichés in writing and open up our writing life, allowing the language of other writers into our world.