Record Details
An informed and ignorant readership : the contradictions of creative nonfiction
ScholarsArchive at Oregon State University
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Title | An informed and ignorant readership : the contradictions of creative nonfiction |
| Names |
Rush, Lani
(creator) Passarello, Elena (advisor) |
| Date Issued | 2014-12-08 (iso8601) |
| Note | Graduation date: 2015 |
| Abstract | Creative nonfiction is a genre replete with contradictions--the name itself shows that: nonfiction writing is true and factual, but creative writing is imaginative and inventive. Because of fundamental contradictions like this, there is no standardized or even most common definition of the genre. This creates confusion for both critics and ordinary readers and has led many writers to develop their own understandings of what creative nonfiction is and isn't. This thesis examines three primary case studies in an effort to assess how these writers understand creative nonfiction: first, the 2003 backlash against Vivian Gornick following an address at Goucher College; second, Lauren Slater's 2000 metaphorical memoir Lying; and third, John D’Agata's efforts to push back against growing dogmatism in creative nonfiction through his 2010 About a Mountain and 2012 Lifespan of a Fact. This thesis also analyzes the reader response to those works to gauge their success and explores the trust relationship between writer and reader in order to better understand the current atmosphere in creative nonfiction and the process through which this uncompromising mentality developed. |
| Genre | Thesis/Dissertation |
| Topic | Creative nonfiction |
| Identifier | http://hdl.handle.net/1957/54902 |
