I: Course description

Stylistic Signatures will lead students to writing experiences developing their individual style.  They will include poetry, fiction and drama.  Experiences will include writing at a museum and in a botanical setting, visiting a major literary journal, creation of a class anthology, and critiquing by one another and guest artists.

II: Instructor: Lou Jobst

Lou Jobst has an MA in English from St Louis University.  He presently teaches at Parkway Central Senior High School (369 N Woods Mill Road; Chesterfield, Mo 63017) E mail: Jobst @postnetcom

III: Rationale for inclusion in a program for gifted students: Usually

Gifted students do not take a course like this in high school because they are trying to fit many advanced courses into their four year plan. In addition, it challenges them to exercise their creativity in writing and develop an individual style in a fashion difficult to reproduce in a traditional setting (with our freedom to use the University and to create a very intense and personal milieu of learning).  This coursealso challenges students to high levels of thinking and writing.

IV: Major topics covered

• poetry and creativity
• poetic form
• sound and language
• imagery
• ekphrastic writing
• creativity inspired by nature
• writing in  a service learning context
• publishing
• fiction—character, dialogue, tension, plot, setting
• drama—one act

V: Pre-requisite knowledge

Fundamentals of writing and a desire to write creatively

VI: Learning objectives

• that students understand and feel comfortable using poetic forms
• that students understand and use imagery
• that students understand how human writing is
• that students experience individual coaching in writing
• that students understand the connection between writing and music
• that students understand the connections between art and writing
• that students learn to share what they have learned with others (being able to teach it)
• that students understand and exercise the basic principles of fiction and drama writing

VII: Primary source material

Handbook to Literature, various literary texts, How Does a Poem Mean, The Heath Guide to Poetry, The Writer’s Handbook

VIII: Supplementary source material

Numerous poems, short stories and plays

IX: Computing and the Internet

We use computing to create our anthology. The internet is used to research some authors.