What is it exactly that makes one thing the real thing and another a fake? What is the difference between the authentic and the counterfeit? In this class we will look at literature and art about fakery, fraud and deception -- works that ask difficult questions about the nature of authenticity and attempt to blur the line between reality and fiction. We will then use these questions to think about what makes different kinds of writing feel authentic -- that is, credible, persuasive, and effective. You probably have heard the phrase, "Fake it until you make it." That's what we'll be doing: practicing and performing the conventions of effective writing in a variety of genres, for a variety of audiences and purposes until it no longer feels like a performance.
Some works we will consider include Laurence Weschler's novels Mr. Wilson's Cabinet of Wonder (1995) and Boggs: A Comedy of Values (1999); George Saunders's short stories "CivilWarLand in Bad Decline" (1997) and "Pastoralia" (2000); and Rob Reiner's mockumentary Spinal Tap (1984).