The Place of Biographical Interpretation in Fiction Workshops

Abstract

Recognising students' manifold vulnerabilities in fiction workshops, I argue that instructors have an obligation to read students' work with attention to possible warning signs of unwellness. At the same time, I contend that the fiction workshop is not an appropriate venue for the pursuit of therapeutic goals. In fact, students' vulnerabilities in the workshop constitute a strong justification for the workshop's conventional prohibition on biographical discussion of students' fiction. Nevertheless, there are good reasons for courses to prepare students in other ways for participation in a literary culture that often demands authorial self-disclosure. Observing that a ban on biographical discussion need not apply to fiction courses as a whole, I suggest that instructors should provide students with other opportunities to practise commenting publicly on personal aspects of their work.