Screen Shot 2023-03-12 at 12.30_edited.png

Screen Shot 2023-06-06 at 9.48.43 PM.png

FEATURED POST

Shai-Anne Neufville performing her spoken word,"You Worry Too Much About the Wrong Thing" in BAAM Slam 2023. (BAAM Slam is the Humanities Department's annual poetry slam combating racism.)

Mission

Our Literary Arts Minor* cultivates artist-scholars who are passionate about writing, reading and using their imaginations to craft worlds out of words. Students hone these passions into robust creative writing skills and practices, and personally meaningful visions, voices and stories. Ultimately, our emergent writers harness the power of their art for both individual self-exploration and growth and for building and bridging diverse communities.

*Literary arts is currently a pilot program and is not yet an official minor.

Main Events

Overview

With a generous nod to the oral roots of literary arts and embracing a philosophy of plentiful play and experimentation balanced with disciplined, daring exploration, literary arts minors and members (LAMBs) focus on crafting authentic, distinctive voices and gaining strong technical skills in the creative writing field. Through small group seminars, creative writing electives, self-paced online courses, and individual mentorship by graduate and professional writers, LAMBs engage in abundant reading, writing, examination and discourse of literary texts and theory from writers around the globe and throughout time. LAMBs also gain editorial experience through curating and publishing work for the school's art magazine and production experience by supporting the running of the school's annual poetry slam and story fest.

A student may apply to literary arts anytime from the beginning of freshman year through the beginning of junior year. Courses offered provide students with a variety of poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, drama, and multimedia texts of various genres and lengths to explore as a foundation for future personal pursuits, college level writing programs, or writing-based professions.

Finally, we offer multiple opportunities for students to engage in the broader literary arts community in Boston and beyond, through community events, workshops, internships and summer programs at writing organizations including GrubStreet, MassLeap, 826 Boston, WriteBoston, and Interlochen Academy.

Literary Arts Minor or Member: What's the Difference?

Students can apply to be a literary arts minor or a literary arts member.

Literary Arts Minors must successfully complete the six core courses and program requirements listed below by second-semester of senior year to earn a transcript attachment documenting their completion of the program. Minors have priority for electives and our annual Into the Woods Camping Trip.

Literary Arts Members must participate in two key program activities and help produce our arts magazine, Forage, each year they are part of the program. They are welcome to participate in other program activities if space is available. They do not have to take the core courses, but they do not earn a literary arts transcript attachment.

Core Courses

(Core courses are required for literary arts minors* but optional for literary arts members.)

Reading Riot: Reading Seminar

In this course, students independently read complete literary works (e.g. poems, dramas, novels) and then come together to discuss the works for enjoyment, analysis of writer's craft, and application to their own original writing. In addition, students focus on building large, personally curated vocabularies from the words they encounter in the texts.

This course may be taken 9th, 10th, 11th or 12th grade during odd-year Intersessions.

Flock: Writing Seminar

In this course, students collaborate in an enriching process, workshopping self-selected works-in-progress from their own and their peers original writing. While students may address craft, language, style, content and impact of the works, the ultimate goal is to support the writer in bringing the work to realization according to their own vision.

This course may be taken 9th, 10th, 11th or 12th grade during even-year Intersessions.

Unpenned: Creative Writing Elective

This year long course, taught in conjunction with Boston University graduate writers, serves as an introduction to the craft, aimed to give all students a foundational understanding of what it means to participate in the creative process, both individually and collaboratively. Students are introduced to a series of terms that will help them describe and discuss the methodology behind their prose, as well as analyze the prose of others. Students work to analyze a series of non-fiction and fiction works from a variety of established authors. They will pick apart how these writers built their stories and practice emulating these styles, genres, and techniques to better develop their own skills.

This course must be taken 11th AND 12th grade.

Online Reading Course

In this self-paced online course, students independently read literary works (e.g. poems, short stories, novels) and complete corresponding assessments to deepen their comprehension and analysis of text, subtext, and context of literary works.

This course must be completed and passed any term or summer before the last semester of senior year.

Word!: Online Writing Course

In this self-paced online course, students develop a deep knowledge, appreciation, and understanding of words---from their denotations and connotations, to their aural and visual qualities, to their conventional and unconventional uses and functions. In addition, students learn a broad array of literary techniques and devices for enjoyment, analysis and application to their own original writing.

This course must be completed and passed any term or summer before the last semester of senior year.

Electives

Internship: Students intern for the summer or semester in a community-based writing organization or profession.

Mentorship: Students are mentored for a semester by a graduate or professional writer who will provide individualized feedback and guidance on the student's writing based on a schedule and manner they collaboratively create.

* Currently, Literary Arts is neither a major nor minor at BAA.

Program Requirements*

* These requirements are for literary arts minors not literary arts members.

Writing Journal: LAMBs maintain a journal of original writing of their choice, totaling at least 2,500 words per term.

Writing Courses: LAMBs must successfully complete six literary arts minor courses. (See above.)

Writing Portfolio: With support and guidance from writing teachers and mentors, LAMBS curate the work they create during the program into a multi-genre (and potentially multi-media) portfolio with publication-ready work, which they can use for personal application, submission to college-level writing programs, or professional opportunities.

Publication: During the program, students must engage in the process of creating publication-ready work and publish their work at least twice. Publication opportunities include our in-house art magazine, poetry slam and story fest and approved outside platforms.

Production: During the program, students must help produce a literary arts related community event at least once. Production opportunities include our in-house art magazine, poetry slam and story fest and approved outside events.