This year marks the first time the department will offer the introductory Creative Writing class, English 80, all three terms. This year also marks the first time that the department has needed to expand to offer three sections of English 85, its senior seminar for those interested in creative writing.
Cleopatra Mathis, head of the Creative Writing program, attributed some of the rise in the program's popularity to the recent removal of a writing sample from the application to English 80. The course is now open to all students who have fufilied the Writing 5 requirement.
"We don't want people to be afraid and pass up the chance to take our classes," Mathis said. "We're trying to make it possible for the most students to take Creative Writing, even those with little or no experience."
Cynthia Huntington, a professor of poetry writing, agreed.
"It seemed unfair to require students to prove to us that they already knew how to do something they would learn in our class," Huntington said. "This way, it opens the program up to everyone."
Daisy Freund '08 said that omitting the sample from the application is a positive step for the program..
"I found that part to be pretty intimidating," Freund, who has a Creative Writing concentration in poetry, said. "This way, I'd recommend the class to anyone who wants to broaden their horizons."
Freund also said that the Creative Writing program allowed her to make a second specialization in play writing. Although there is no specific play writing concentration, she said that the faculty helped her tailor the program to her own interests -- something she said she would recommend to anyone interested in theater.
Mathis said that the program's small class sizes -- all sections of English 80 are capped at 12 students -- are key to their success.
"We want to run small classes where students feel their emotional lives are being nourished," Mathis said.
Ernest Hebert, a professor of fiction writing, echoed Mathis' thoughts.
"The thing that's different about Creative Writing from most courses is that usually, you sit there and the professor tells you his wisdom," he said. "With Creative Writing, the students are the wisdom, and that's something we really want to encourage."
Aside from the class size and the workshop atmosphere, Mathis attributed the growth in interest in the program to recent social changes.
"Things really started to grow and expand around 2000," she said. "We live in a world now when people believe in self-expression and being able to have a creative outlet. In the '80s and '90s, that was usually confined to the therapist's office. Now there is much more interest in pursuing our imaginative lives, and the student interest reflects that."
According to Mathis, the recent fiction hire, author Tommy O'Malley, who is teaching English 80 and English 85, this term, may have also contributed to the added interest the program has experienced.
Mathis said that as the program continues to grow, students will come to expect how much it offers.
While there are no distinct plans yet, Mathis said that she sees a bright future for the program, including its next goal which is to expand its non-fiction section.
Hebert added that a course in journalism would also extend the program's breadth and attract students interested in news writing, as opposed to novels or poetry.
"I think it's great stuff," Hebert said. "It's a course we should offer, and I'd love to teach it."
As the program runs more sections of English 80, the faculty has continued to encourage all students with even the slightest interest in Creative Writing to apply.
"We have some unbelievable student writers at Dartmouth, and we want nothing more than to create a welcoming situation in which to foster that talent," Mathis said.
