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EWRT 65Red Wheelbarrow Literary Magazine: The Course
Instructor: Randy Splitter
Class: late afternoon or early evening, once a week, approx. two hours; distance learning option may be possible
Red W Office: inside L41 (next to La Voz office)
Instructor’s Office: F61e (in F6 building), 408-864-8600
Email: SplitterRandolph@deanza.edu
Online group/listserv: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/redwheelbarrow; redwheelbarrow@yahoogroups.com
The MagazineWe publish two editions a year: a National Edition (featuring the work of writers and artists from around the country and the world) and a Student Edition (consisting of the best writing and art work submitted by De Anza and Foothill students). The National Edition is put together during fall and winter quarters, sent to the printer, and distributed in the spring. The Student Edition is produced in spring quarter and published at the very end of the quarter. We hold a Publication/Awards ceremony for the Student Edition at that time.
Magazine StaffThe magazine is produced by an Editorial Staff of class members, under the guidance of a Faculty Editor (Instructor). Several class members, usually the most experienced, may serve as Poetry Editors, Fiction Editors, and so on. For the National Edition, their job is to help the Faculty Editor screen manuscripts (i.e., read them in advance to decide which ones the class as a whole will consider). For the Student Edition, they work with student contributors on revisions. In recent years, most staff members have shared these jobs, and no single person has been Poetry or Fiction Editor. Staff members are welcome to submit material to the Student Edition. All student work is judged anonymously, so your work will have no special advantage or disadvantage with respect to other submissions.
The Class: Editing/Production/MarketingAll staff members are required to read the week’s manuscripts BEFORE the weekly class meeting. Manuscripts are available online. During the class meeting, we discuss the manuscripts and collaboratively decide whether to accept or reject them (voting yes, no, or maybe). Towards the end of the winter and spring quarters, we meet in the Publications Lab in L41 to scan material into computers, proofread, edit, lay out the magazine with professional page layout software, update the Red W website, and so on. At various times we may also work on publicity, advertising, and fundraising. After the magazine is printed, we send out copies to contributors, libraries, patrons, subscribers, etc.; we sell copies on campus; and we may place the magazine in selected bookstores.
You are encouraged to take complementary classes in Technical Publications, Page Layout & Design, Website Design & Construction, Graphic Design, Marketing, etc. You may be able to receive credit in those classes for work on Red W projects; please talk to your instructor or ask him/her to talk to me. You are also encouraged to take classes in Literature and Creative Writing. This class will help you to evaluate writing/literature, and so will those. All of them will help you in your own writing. In recent years we have also offered special, short-term courses in which the class reads some work by a contemporary author and interviews the author at the end. The interview is then published in Red Wheelbarrow.
CreditThis is a Pass/No Pass course. Passing is based on preparation for class (reading of mss.), thoughtful participation in class, and dedicated contribution to the "editing," production, and/or marketing of the magazine. The magazine is really a collaborative effort among a small group of dedicated individuals, so please be sure to put in your share of time and effort. We need your help!
You may sign up for the one- or two-unit option (EWRT 65 or EWRT 65X). The one-unit option is standard for most students. It requires approximately two hours of work outside of class each week in addition to the approx. two-hour class. The two-unit option is for editors (poetry editor, fiction editor, managing editor, and so on). They will receive more credit for putting in more time outside of class.
Suggested Criteria for Evaluating Creative Writingunity/focus/coherence
development/depth (of character, plot, idea, etc.); complexity, multiplicity
clarity, conciseness (avoiding unnecessary adverbs & adjectives)
concreteness, as opposed to abstraction ("show, don’t tell")
musicality (fluidity, phrasing, esp. for poetry; but poems don't have to be musical!)
dramatic progression; conflict, crisis, resolution (but "open-ended" stories are fine)
engaging voice, consistent point of view
connection to reality, truth-telling, meaningfulness
surprise, originality (avoiding clichés, formulas, stereotypes, predictable events)
ambiguity, gaps, openness (minimal or indirect explanation/evaluation; space for reader participation)
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