The Rose Metal Press field guide to writing flash nonfiction : advice and essential exercises from respected writers, editors, and teachers

Literary Nonfiction. Writing Reference. Unmatched in its focus on a concise and popular emerging genre, THE ROSE METAL PRESS FIELD GUIDE TO WRITING FLASH NONFICTION features 26 eminent writers, editors, and teachers offering expert analysis, focused exercises, and helpful examples of what make the brief essay form such a perfect medium for experimentation, insight, and illumination. With a comprehensive introduction to the genre and book by editor Dinty W. Moore, this guide is perfect for both the classroom and the individual writer's desk—an essential handbook for anyone interested in the scintillating and succinct flash nonfiction form. How many words does it take to tell a compelling true story? The answer might surprise you. Featuring essays from: Barrie Jean Borich, Jenny Boully, Norma Elia Cantú, Rigoberto González, Carol Guess, Jeff Gundy, Philip Graham, Robin Hemley, Barbara Hurd, Judith Kitchen, Eric LeMay, Dinah Lenney, Bret Lott, Patrick Madden, Lee Martin, Maggie McKnight, Brenda Miller, Kyle Minor, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Anne Panning, Lia Purpura, Sue William Silverman, Jennifer Sinor, Peggy Shumaker, Ira Sukrungruang, and Nicole Walker. "THE ROSE METAL PRESS FIELD GUIDE TO WRITING FLASH NONFICTION, edited by the invaluable Dinty W. Moore, is a lot more than flashy. These thoughtful, thought-provoking essays and exercises have the paradoxical effect of slowing down our attention and encouraging an expansion of the moment, while seeming to be saving writing and reading time. A very useful compilation."—Phillip Lopate, author of Art of the Personal Essay "Flash-in-the-pan? Hardly. The flash nonfiction genre has staying power, and THE ROSE METAL PRESS FIELD GUIDE TO WRITING FLASH NONFICTION will show you why. Opening with a thorough and informative history of the genre, renowned writer, editor, and teacher Dinty W. Moore assembles a cast of writers who share their expertise, suggest writing exercises, and provide exemplary models of the best flash nonfiction being written today. This book is required reading for any writer, editor, or teacher of the brief nonfiction form."—Rebecca McClanahan, author of The Riddle Song and Other Rememberings and Word Painting Literary Nonfiction. Writing Reference. Unmatched in its focus on a concise and popular emerging genre, THE ROSE METAL PRESS FIELD GUIDE TO WRITING FLASH NONFICTION features 26 eminent writers, editors, and teachers offering expert analysis, focused exercises, and helpful examples of what make the brief essay form such a perfect medium for experimentation, insight, and illumination. With a comprehensive introduction to the genre and book by editor Dinty W. Moore, this guide is perfect for both the classroom and the individual writer's desk--an essential handbook for anyone interested in the scintillating and succinct flash nonfiction form. How many words does it take to tell a compelling true story? The answer might surprise you.Featuring essays from: Barrie Jean Borich, Jenny Boully, Norma Elia Cantu, Rigoberto Gonzalez, Carol Guess, Jeff Gundy, Philip Graham, Robin Hemley, Barbara Hurd, Judith Kitchen, Eric LeMay, Dinah Lenney, Bret Lott, Patrick Madden, Lee Martin, Maggie McKnight, Brenda Miller, Kyle Minor, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Anne Panning, Lia Purpura, Sue William Silverman, Jennifer Sinor, Peggy Shumaker, Ira Sukrungruang, and Nicole Walker. THE ROSE METAL PRESS FIELD GUIDE TO WRITING FLASH NONFICTION, edited by the invaluable Dinty W. Moore, is a lot more than flashy. These thoughtful, thought-provoking essays and exercises have the paradoxical effect of slowing down our attention and encouraging an expansion of the moment, while seeming to be saving writing and reading time. A very useful compilation. --Phillip Lopate, author of Art of the Personal Essay Flash-in-the-pan? Hardly. The flash nonfiction genre has staying power, and THE ROSE METAL PRESS FIELD GUIDE TO WRITING FLASH NONFICTION will show you why. Opening with a thorough and informative history of the genre, renowned writer, editor, and teacher Dinty W. Moore assembles a cast of writers who share their expertise, suggest writing exercises, and provide exemplary models of the best flash nonfiction being written today. This book is required reading for any writer, editor, or teacher of the brief nonfiction form. --Rebecca McClanahan, author of The Riddle Song and Other Rememberings and Word Painting Title Contents Mapping the Terrain: A Preface Introduction: Of Fire and Ice: The Pleasing Sting of Flash Nonfiction - Dinty W. Moore Mysterious, Ambitious, and Intimate: The Flash Nonfiction Form On Miniatures - Lia Purpura Writing into the Flash: On Finding Short Nonfiction's Decisive Moment - Barrie Jean Borich On Carnival Lights, Compression, and Mice - Carol Guess Writing in Place - Bret Lott "No Ideas but in Things": The Power of Image and Detail Friendship, Intuition, and Trust: On the Importance of Detail - Brenda Miller Memory Triggers and Tropes - Rigoberto González Paper Clips, Sausage, Candy Cigarettes, Silk: “Thingy-ness” in Flash Nonfiction - Anne Panning The Ant in the Water Droplet - Philip Graham The Wound of the Photograph: A Meditation on the Well-Chosen Detail - Robin Hemley Speaking to the Reader: On Finding Your Voice Crafting Voice - Jennifer Sinor Communal and Personal Voices - Lee Martin Writing Though Innocence and Experience: Voices in Flash Nonfiction - Sue William Silverman Words, Wonderful Words: Using Sound and Language The Sounds and Sense of Sentences - Barbara Hurd Location, Location, Location - Peggy Shumaker Word Hoards: On Diction and the Riches of the English Language - Eric LeMay Of You and I: Thoughts on Point-Of-View Bye-Bye, I, and Hello, You - Ira Sukrungruang All About You - Dinah Lenney Weaving Past, Present, and Future in Flash Nonfiction - Norma Elia Cantú Settling on Structure: Shaping Flash Nonfiction Over the River and Through the Woods, to Almanac We Go: On the Use of Research and Lists in Flash Nonfiction - Aimee Nezhukumatathil The Art of Digression - Judith Kitchen Building a Frame, Giving an Essay a Form - Maggie McKnight The Singular Moment: Where to Begin, Where to End The Question of Where We Begin - Kyle Minor Of Artifacts and MRIs, or Stuck on the Web with You - Nicole Walker On Beginnings and Endings - Jenny Boully Against the Grain: Alternative Approaches to Flash Nonfiction Writing the Brief Contrary Essay - Patrick Madden Walking, Gathering, Listening: Writing from the Green World - Jeff Gundy Further Reading Credits Acknowledgments About the Editor A Note About the Type Unmatched in its focus on a concise and popular emerging genre, The Rose Metal Press Field Guide to Writing Flash Nonfiction features 26 eminent writers, editors, and teachers offering expert analysis, focused exercises, and helpful examples of what make the brief essay form such a perfect medium for experimentation, insight, and illumination. With a comprehensive introduction to the genre and book by editor Dinty W. Moore, The Field Guide is perfect for both the classroom and the individual writers deskan essential handbook for anyone interested in the scintillating and succinct flash nonfiction form. How many words does it take to tell a compelling true story? The answer might surprise you. The Rose Metal Press Field Guide to Writing Flash Nonfiction, edited by the invaluable Dinty W. Moore, is a lot more than flashy. These thoughtful, thought-provoking essays and exercises have the paradoxical effect of slowing down our attention and encouraging an expansion of the moment, while seeming to be saving writing and reading time. A very useful compilation. ~Phillip Lopate , The Art of the Personal Essay: An Anthology from the Classical Era to the Present Twenty six essays from eminent writers in the flash nonfiction field including Barrie Jean Borich, Jenny Boully, Norma Elia Cantú, Rigoberto González, Carol Guess, Jeff Gundy, Philip Graham, Robin Hemley, Barbara Hurd, Judith Kitchen, Eric LeMay, Dinah Lenney, Bret Lott, Patrick Madden, Lee Martin, Maggie McKnight, Brenda Miller, Kyle Minor, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Anne Panning, Lia Purpura, Sue William Silverman, Jennifer Sinor, Peggy Shumaker, Ira Sukrungruang, and Nicole Walker.