World Film and Creative Writing Classes Available For Spring Semester

By Anthony Czelusniak

Motlow Buzz Staff Writer

         SMYRNA – Motlow’s Smyrna campus will offer world film and creative writing honors seminar classes in the spring semester.

         Professor John Hart’s world film will be held from 12:30-1:50 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It will feature an in-depth view into films from countries such as France, Korea, Germany and many more dating all the way back to the early 20^th century. The class will start with a study on the process of how films are made to teach students how to critically assess films, and learn what makes them remarkable even if they are not suited to someone’s interest.

         Hart is particularly excited about the French comedy film "Blue" by Polish director Krzysztof Kieślowski. 

         “French comedy is almost like a whole new genre, especially when compared to American comedy,” Hart noted.

         While this class is considered an honors class, it is available to everyone. However, Hart would prefer students he previously had in a class, or for students who haven’t had one of his classes to bring a recommendation from another professor.

         Hart sternly said, “Sometimes students see film and think it will be easy. This is an actual class and will have standards like any other class. There will be papers and there will be discussion.”

         Despite the serious nature of the class, Hart is excited to be teaching about and revisiting some of the best works international filmmakers have to offer.

         The brand new creative writing class is also available for the spring semester. Professor Jenna Caviezel will be teaching the class from 930 – 10:30 a.m. Mondays and Wednesdays. The class will consist of three units: poetry, creative fiction, and revising and publishing. Students will participate in a creative writing workshop process, first consisting of small groups and then whole class workshops later in the semester.

         Students will be expected to read stories, but not for in-depth literary analysis. Analysis will be done with the intent to see the text as a writer rather than as a critique. Instead of a traditional textbook, students will receive Journal of the Month, a subscription-based service that sends highly curated and well-regarded publications each month.

          “Using Journal of the Month presents the unique challenge of not knowing what is coming," Caviezel noted. "Instead of planning in advance what the class reads, I am going to know just as much as the students will about a story.”

         Even with the challenges, Caviezel is excited to be teaching creative writing at Motlow for the first time.

         For more information on either of the classes or to sign up, contact Hart at jhart@mscc.edu or Caviezel at jcaviezel@mscc.edu.