MFA in Writing Colloquium: The Craft of Nonfiction: Elias Rodriques

In nonfiction, a number of factors limit what is recordable. Legal repercussions, for instance, limit characterizations of people that are untrue (lest they result in libel suits) and disclosures of unprosecuted "criminal" acts (lest they result in prosecution). Facing such a problem, responsible non-fiction writers often describe their inability to disclose more information and why they cannot do so, yet fictional narrators rarely do the same. This talk focuses on moments in literature (especially fiction and music) when authors call attention to that which they do not (and sometimes cannot) say. It aims to discuss how authors can take up this practice in their fiction and what there is to gain from doing so.

Elias Rodriques is an Assistant Professor of African American Literature at Sarah Lawrence College and an assistant editor at n+1 magazine. His writing has been published or is forthcoming in such venues as The Guardian, The Nation, Best American Essays, and more.

This event is colloquium credit eligible.