Creative Nonfiction (Course Guide / Lisa Heise)

by Lee Gutkind
I am often asked: “What is creative nonfiction?” Or, in some cases, “what the hell is creative nonfiction?” The answer—or answers—can be complicated because creative nonfiction may mean different things to different people, a characteristic that makes this form so elusive and alluring. On its very baseline creative nonfiction is a literary genre. Some people call it the fourth genre, along with poetry, fiction and drama. And it’s an umbrella term for the many different ways one can write what is called creative nonfiction. | Creative Nonfiction Magazine (Website)

by Lee Gutkind
MY CAREER BEGAN WITH A PASSION for writing and motorcycles. I traveled around the country on my two-wheel machine and wrote a book about it (Bike Fever: An Examination of the Motorcycle Subculture). That was my first taste of writing creative nonfiction (although back in the '70s, we didn't have a consistent name for it yet). | The Writer, vol. 117, no. 5, May 2004, pp. 14+ | Gale General OneFile (Library Database)

by Louis Menand
The article explores the meaning of "creative nonfiction" and its relationship with traditional nonfiction and fiction writing. It mentions the question of whether nonfiction writing allows for embellishment through creativity and if there is a limit to how much inference can turn into fantasy. It also mentions that writing that is categorized as nonfiction but can be as imaginative as poetry and fiction is referred to as "creative nonfiction," an established writing style. | New Yorker, vol. 99, no. 10, Apr. 2023, pp. 67–70 | MasterFILE Complete (Library Database)

by Kelly Clasen
PDF Link. The article examines the history of the creative nonfiction genre in American literature from the colonial era through the 21st-century. It discusses the cultural and social value of such works that record experiences of the author and others. Noted popular subgenres within creative nonfiction covered in the article include food writing, comedic memoirs, and dog memoirs. | Critical Insights: American Creative Nonfiction, May 2015, pp. 3–14 | Literary Reference Plus (Library Database)

by Susannah B. Mintz
PDF link. The author highlights the genres of nonfiction writing, including travel writing, lyrical essays, environmental journalism, and narratives. The author connotes that nonfiction stories are based on real stories. Furthermore, the author also cites the ambiguity issue of nonfiction. | Center: A Journal of the Literary Arts, vol. 9, Apr. 2010, pp. 41–43 | Literary Reference Plus (Library Database)

by Jay Ellis
PDF Link. The article looks at the the creative nonfiction genre of American literature, focusing on its history, categorization, and common characteristics. It examines the role of consciousness in describing what can be considered nonfiction. Noted authors mentioned in the article include Anne Bradstreet, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Lee Gutkind | Critical Insights: American Creative Nonfiction, May 2015, pp. xv–xxxii | Literary Reference Plus (Library Database)

"The best early examples of this kind of literary nonfiction are the nonfiction prose texts that are still read not just for the information they provide but also for their greater insights into the writers and their culture, as well as for their literary style." | The Handy Literature Answer Book, by Daniel S. Burt and Deborah G. Felder, 1st ed., Visible Ink Press, 2018. | Credo Reference (Library Database)

Database: Literary Reference Center Plus -- Publications. (EBSCO)
Writer (Madavor Media) (2013 - present)
Writer (Kalmbach Publishing Co.) (1990 - 2012)
Combined with Writer (Madavor Media)
NOTE: Search separately - Writer (Madavor Media) OR Writer (Kalmbach Publishing Co.)

Database: Literary Reference Plus -- Publications (EBSCO)
Michigan State University Press
MSU Press Journals Division
1405 South Harrison Road
Suite 25
East Lansing MI 48823-5245
United States of America
Full Text: 09/01/2004 to present