Alan Shain’s essay “Odette’s” was composed for WR 100 “Creative Nonfiction,” a special WR section associated with the “Creative Composition” cluster of courses within the larger WR curriculum. In addition to studying the writing of renowned essayists such as James Baldwin, E. B. White, Jamaica Kincaid, Adrienne Rich, and Ta-Nehisi Coates, students had to compose their own creative nonfiction stories, centered on real memories and experiences, but directed in a way that also underscored a larger point or idea. Alan’s “Odette” is a masterful example of the power of Creative Nonfiction as a genre, but it also highlights some of the unique challenges of writing Creative Nonfiction pieces. As opposed to a more traditional academic essay built upon a central claim supported through analysis of evidence and engagement with argument sources, Alan had to write about his experience in a way that seemed more conversational, though not too informal. This required inventing a logical and controlled structure for his essay without recourse to the typical rhetorical moves of academic writing. Alan also struggled with—and succeeded in resolving—some of the same challenges that all essay writers encounter, such as how to introduce and conclude an essay. Alan ultimately decided to avoid a clichéd, overly sentimental ending, and instead to finish on the sound of the ringing phone. The image is powerful because it is restrained. It takes one step towards the reader, but invites the reader to take a step as well, giving the reader something to think about even after the essay has finished. In this way, “Odette’s” also represents a wonderful irony of creative nonfiction writing: the most intimate and personal essays can also be the most universal and relatable precisely because of—rather than in spite of—the specificity of their details.
— CHRISTOPHER MCVEY
WR 100: Creative Nonfiction: Personal, Collective, and Public Memory