Creativity and 'the Paris Review' interviews : a discourse analysis of famous writers' composing practices / Ronda Leathers Dively.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Dively, Ronda Leathers, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Paris review.

Authors, American--20th century--Interviews.

Authors, American.

Authors, English--20th century--Interviews.

Authors, English.

Creation (Literary, artistic, etc.).

Creative writing.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (x, 192 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Place of Publication:

London : Anthem Press, 2022.

Summary:

Creativity and 'The Paris Review' Interviews: A Discourse Analysis of Famous Writers' Composing Practices centers around a thematic discourse analysis of a 2000-page corpus of 'Paris Review' interviews, focusing on the creative processes of some of the world's most famous fiction-writers and poets. The discourse analysis traces elements of the paradigmatic creative-process model - first insight, preparation, incubation, insight, verification - through the focal artists' descriptions of their composing practices as embedded in the interview transcripts. That analysis also reveals multiple and significant emergent themes germane to fiction and poetry writing. The ultimate goal of this analysis is to identify patterns relevant to the aforementioned creative-process elements and themes that are suggestive of specific strategies writers can employ to facilitate their own composing acts - whether fictional, poetic, or expository. Such findings will also benefit teachers seeking to facilitate student success in the composition classroom. In addition to the sheer pleasure and fascination derived from reading about famous authors' reflections on the creation of their masterworks, this book provides a catalog of specific environmental conditions, behavioral routines, and cognitive practices that can productively expand the repertoires of writers and writing teachers alike.

Contents:

Cover

Half Title

Title Page

Copyright Page

Contents

List of Illustrations

Preface

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1 Impetus, Contexts and Methods

Retrospection and Creativity

Appeal of The PR Interviews

Value of The PR Interviews for Aspiring Creative Writers

Objectives and Methods for This Study

Data analysis

Text selection

The Nature of Interviewing and The PR Interviews

A Glimpse Ahead

Chapter 2 Composition Through The Lens of Creativity Theory

A Closer Look at the Paradigmatic Composing Process and Creative Process Models

The composing process model: Invention, drafting, revision, editing

The creative process model: First insight, preparation, incubation, insight, verification

Expository Composition and Creative Production: Two Models Aligned

Chapter 3 First Insight, or The Glimmer of Possibility

Felt Sense

Cognitive Dissonance

Preference for Given Literary Elements

Specific Images

An Additional Trend Worth Noting: Direct Experience and "Spontaneous Generation"

Chapter 4 Preparation, or Research Broadly Conceived

Mentorship

Study of Others' Literary Works

Formal Research

Distinctive Personal Experiences

Prewriting Strategies

Cross-Pollination between Disciplines

Some Closing Observations

Chapter 5 Incubation, or Breaks From Conscious Attention

The Nature of Incubation

Precursors of Incubation

Some Incubated Closing Remarks

Chapter 6 Insight, or The Eureka Experience

Effortless Drafting

Literary Work or Elements as Autonomous

Discovery Writing

Sudden Connections

Summarizing Authors' Insights about Insight

Chapter 7 Verification, or Evaluation

Self-Evaluation

Evaluation by Others

Verifying Values about Verification

Chapter 8 Emergent Patterns

Reasons for Writing

Role of Art, Including Writing.

Difficulty of Writing

Confidence, or Lack Thereof

Conditions for Writing

Attitudes toward Creative Writing Courses

A Couple of Emergent Observations about Emergent Patterns

Chapter 9 Implications for Writing Instruction

Application of Findings

Setting the stage for exploring and managing composing processes at large

First insight

Preparation

Incubation

Insight

Verification

Some Final Remarks

Appendix A: Coding Table

Appendix B: List of Cited Paris Review Interviewees

Appendix C: Diagram of Analytical Categories, Subcategories and Themes

References

Index.

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 07 Apr 2022).

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781785278457

1785278452

9781785278440

1785278444

OCLC:

1504501673