Verified Document

Creative Writing Case Study Author T. Coraghessan Case Study

Creative Writing Case Study Author T. Coraghessan Boyle is an educated man, earning a BA and MFA from universities before going on to earn his PhD from the University of Iowa in the late 1970s. Since 1978 he has been working as a professor in the English department of the University of Southern California (About). He has published numerous novels and more than one hundred short stories. For these works, he was received a good number of awards and titles, making him one of the most celebrated of modern American authors.

What makes the world of T.C. Boyle so interesting is the fact that he doesn't just use one genre or mode to tell a story. Instead, he tells historical fiction, morality tales, and whatever style he deems necessary to tell the story he needs or wants to tell. He always endeavors to tell a compelling story with interesting characters and a lot of detail. Characters are never two-dimensional archetypes, but fully developed individuals which is important to the overall quality of Boyle's work. Inherent in each story is a call to historicity, some sort of claim that the story is true or could be true, or at the very least that the story is realistic enough that something very close to it has or will occur.

In the short story "Ike and Nina," Boyle is a piece of historical fiction wherein the author tells about a pretend romance between former President Dwight D. Eisenhower and a Russian woman, Madame Nina Khrushcheva. What makes this story unique is the way it is presented and the use of the narrator in the narrative. The narrator here is portrayed as a member of the government, someone who was in Eisnehower's inner circle and thus would be a potential witness to the supposed events. He has recently been given a promotion to "special aid" whose job description is never clearly defined but it has something to do with an impending visit by the Premier of the U.S.S.R. And his wife.

Boyle uses the Cold War as a background to help perpetuate the idea that this story has any possibility of truth. The trials and difficulties of the Cold War period become paralleled in this love story between American...

Their coming together and then the culmination of their doomed relationship is mirrored in the difficult interactions of the two nations. Trying to hide this extramarital affair, the president puts secret service, CIA, FBI and other government agencies in precarious positions so that their secret can be kept just that. Boyle makes a claim to realism by having the narrator explain his motives for telling the story to be completely magnanimous. "Because of the sensitive -- indeed sensational -- nature of what follows, I have endeavored to tell my story as dispassionately as possible, and must say in my own defense that my sole interest in coming forward at this late date is to provide succeeding generations with a keener insight into the events of those tumultuous times" (Ike). The important thing to take away from "Ike and Nina" is the use of historicity. Historical fiction is most pertinent when the historical moment is believable. To this end, putting a fictional character in the middle of event with nonfictional characters makes the whole thing far more believable, even in a story that is wholly unbelievable.
The story of "Greasy Lake" was supposedly inspired by Bruce Springsteen. This shows how Boyle himself, as well as other artists and writers, are themselves inspired by other writers and artists. The story itself begins with the epigram "It's about a mile down the dark side of Route 88." In this tale, the narrator, like in "Ike and Nina," uses the first person to present the idea that this story could be true, or at least a very similar story could in fact be true.

The title pond is a location for young hoods who wanted to be bad and who wanted everyone to know how bad they were. These young men are rebelling against parents and they learned their rebellion from movies and television. "Digby had just finished a course in martial arts for phys-ed credit and had spent the better part of the past two nights telling us apocryphal tales of Bruce Lee types and of the raw power invested in lightning blows shot from coiled wrists, ankles, and elbows. The greasy character was unimpressed" (Greasy).…

Sources used in this document:
Works Cited

"About the Author." Tcboyle.com. Web. 22 Feb. 2011. http://www.tcboyle.com

Boyle, T.C. "Greasy Lake." Greasy Lake and Other Stories. New York: Penguin. 1986. Print.

Boyle, T.C. "Ike and Nina." Greasy Lake and Other Stories. New York: Penguin. 1986. Print.

Boyle, T.C. "When I Woke Up This Morning, Everything I Had Was Gone." Tooth and Claw.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Creative Writing Various Creative Writing
Words: 647 Length: 2 Document Type: Journal

Other people now react differently to the person because of what she has learned, which is proof that he or she has learned something about the self. It shows how the person's relations changed. A third type of evidence is psychological. Here there is more focus on what the person feels and thinks. The experience of getting an online degree has changed them inside. They view themselves differently because of

Creative Writing in English: Singapore
Words: 34880 Length: 127 Document Type: Dissertation

This was usually the case with the proliferation of British rule at the time; trade was the predecessor to British Colonialism. For administrative purposes, Singapore became a part of Penang and Malacca which were two other settlements in the region. By 1826 these areas were grouped together and became known as the Straits Settlement. Initially the centre of the Straits Settlement was Penang. Penang was governed by Calcutta and

Creative Writing and Number
Words: 602 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

Legal Writing Conventions Dear Jane, I am no longer willing to continue in a relationship with you. I have tried very hard over the past several months to be patient with you. However, I simply cannot tolerate your behavior any longer. In fact, I am convinced there is something very wrong with you. It is simply unacceptable for you to hang up the phone on me, repeatedly, in the middle of

Reply to Davi Creative Writing
Words: 367 Length: 1 Document Type: Creative Writing

CREATIVE WRITING Creative Writing: Reply to DaviWorld Health Organization (WHO) does not only regard health as the absence of disease but also the physical and mental well-being of the body. The ecological perspectives that play in the surroundings of human beings and interrelate with their existence for sustainability also play a critical role in maintaining health equilibrium (McCartney et al., 2019). However, a complete state of well-being is expected to

Reply to Carina Creative Writing
Words: 409 Length: 1 Document Type: Creative Writing

CREATIVE WRITING Creative Writing: Reply to CarinaAlthough public awareness could be one of the crucial elements of promoting health equity, participation is now an emerging concept that could change how the healthcare industry works. With social participation, the population could be encouraged to take part in healthcare decisions and make their involvement guaranteed for improving their current health status. It would include all aspects of healthcare, such as planning, organizing,

Thrasymachus's Definition of Justice Creative Writing Thrasymachus's...
Words: 592 Length: 2 Document Type: Creative Writing

Thrasymachus's Definition Of Justice Creative Writing Thrasymachus's Definition of Justice In Book I of Plato's The Republic Thrasymavhus definition of justice as nothing more than the advantage of the stronger. He offers this concept not as a definition, but as a way of pointing out that justice is irrelevant. It does not pay to be just. Just behavior works to the advantage of other people, not to the person who behaves justly. Thrasymavhus is

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now