A Rendezvous in Noir
with Neal Pollack

From the moment you walked into the class, you could see that he was trouble. Something about his gaze reminded you of a dog that had bitten you once. You'd shot that dog, and maybe now you'd shoot him, too. But first you had to see what was in his pockets.

Welcome to the world of noir, a genre that's undergoing an exciting revival. In this course, you'll learn how to avoid cliches like the ones above while also crafting gritty, original short stories. We'll cover all the basic elements of fiction-writing: Character, plot, setting, point of view, and so on. But we'll do so with a specific dark twist and an eye toward the unhappy ending. There will be small writing assignments leading up to a long final project, as well as supplemental reading from writers like Jim Thompson, Patricia Highsmith, Cornell Woolrich, Ruth Rendell, and others. Note that this isn't a course about "crime" fiction. Private detective and chief-inspector protagonists need not apply. If you've always wanted to write about nihilistic loners living in hopeless circumstances, then this is the course for you.

Admission requirements:
You should submit a letter of interest, including a brief work history, previous courses, and a writing sample of no more than 15 pages.

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Neal Pollack (depicted here in an unusually colored shirt) is the author of three books of satire, including the near-legendary The Neal Pollack Anthology of American Literature and Never Mind the Pollacks: A Rock-n-Roll Novel. He writes a political satire column for Vanity Fair, the "Bad Sex" column for Nerve.com, and the "Soundtracks/Other" column for emusic.com. His short stories have appeared in various places. He lives in Austin, Texas, with his family.