Issue #22, 2004
Creative Nonfiction in the Crosshairs
This issue responds to the recent barrage of criticism from journalists and critics of the genre.
In her essay "Zane Grey on a Carousel in Indian Territory," Diana Hume George exposes long-standing stereotypes of Native American men as sexual predators, inspired by a hackneyed Hallmark made-for-TV Easter special. In "Hoop Sex," novelist Theodore Weesner, author of Car Thief and other highly praised fiction, explores the inherent sexuality in recreational sports, specifically basketball.
Over the years Creative Nonfiction has introduced readers to many exciting new writers, including Lauren Slater and Mark Bowden. In this issue, we're proud to feature an essay by Erin O'Neill White, a creative-writing instructor and M.F.A. candidate at the University of Massachusetts. Her "East Wind" deftly fuses memoir and travelogue in a lyrical reflection on foreign landscapes, both physical and familial. And finally, in the spirit of creative nonfiction, two of our contributors give behind-the-scenes, first-person accounts of two very different worlds: police work and literature-textbook publishing. Laurie Lynn Drummond tells funny, often frightening stories about her days as a police officer in Baton Rouge, La. "Girl, Fighting" is an excerpt from her unpublished collection, "Losing My Gun." Her new book, "Anything You Say Can and Will Be Used Against You," was just published by HarperCollins. Sallie Tisdale, author of the best-selling "Talk Dirty to Me," discusses the complications of having work reprinted, reproduced, edited and degraded by inane "review questions" in introductory literature textbooks. These and four other authors lend their voices to the timely Creative Nonfiction controversy.
This issue is out of print.
Table of Contents
FROM THE EDITOR Lee Gutkind ... read more
Creative Nonfiction in the Crosshairs Lee Gutkind
A Different Person Brenda Miller
Girl, Fighting Laurie Lynn Drummond
East Wind Erin O'Neill White
Zane Grey on a Carousel in Indian Territory Diana Hume George
On Being Text Sallie Tisdale
Hoop Sex Theodore Weesner
Roadkill Kate Krautkramer
Drowning by Numbers Erica Crowell
Innocents Abroad, 2002 Michael Pearson
COVER TO COVER: Reviews of New Books
Contributors
Erica Crowell
Erica Crowell lives in Richmond, Calif., with her daughter and poodle. She is writing a brief biography of psychoanalyst Otto Will and a... read more
Laurie Lynn Drummond
Laurie Lynn Drummond is a former uniformed officer in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and the author of the linked-story collection Anything You... read more
Diana Hume George
Diana Hume George is the author of The Lonely Other: A Woman Watching America, and author or editor of a number of other books of poetry,... read more
Kate Krautkramer
Kate Krautkramer's essays have appeared in The Seattle Review, The High Plains Literary Review, The North American Review and Fiction. Her... read more
Brenda Miller
Brenda Miller is the author of five essay collections, most recently An Earlier Life. She also co-authored Tell It Slant:... read more
Michael Pearson
Michael Pearson is the director of creative writing at Old Dominion University. He is the author of "Imagined Places: Journeys Into... read more
Sallie Tisdale
Sallie Tisdale is the author of six books, most recently "The Best Thing I Ever Tasted: The Secret of Food" (Riverhead Books, 2000). read more
Theodore Weesner
Theodore Weesner is the author of six novels and a collection of stories. His shorter pieces have appeared in The New Yorker, Esquire,... read more
Erin O'Neill White
Erin O'Neill White lives in Western Massachusetts. She is working on a novel. read more