Capstone Project Guidelines for Creative Writing Emphasis Students

The project should engage a high level of critical analysis--a peak level in fact, as this is the capstone project.  The project should at least be on par with the kinds of research and analysis performed by students in the other English emphases. 

The project should not involve the creation of a primary text--i.e., writing another story, another essay, more poems--nor should it be a self-reflective exercise on the creation of a primary text.  The project should pursue a subject/topic/area of study that has been engaged by practice as a writer.  The project should not be simply more practice writing.

The project should involve extensive reading--whatever number of books/readings determined by the mentor to be essential for a successful project.  The reading list should include not only primary texts, but secondary sources--interviews, critical studies, histories, influences--as appropriate.  The goal should be for the student to frame the project in a larger context: if a study of Tim O'Brien's work, read a history of the Vietnam War; if a study of Raymond Carver's stories, read Chekhov's stories; if a study of Szymborska's poetry, read a book about translation, and/or a history of post-WWII Poland; et cetera.  Crossing genres should also be encouraged: if a study of Tobias Wolff's fiction, read his memoirs; if a study of David Foster Wallace's essays, read his fiction; if a study of Beat poetry, read On the Road, and/or a biography of Ginsberg; et cetera.