4-Week: Filling the Gaps—Speculation, Truth, and the Art of Nonfiction

There is a point on the retina with no photoreceptors. Scientists call it a blind spot, yet when we open our eyes, we believe we are seeing the physical world clearly. That is because on a biological level our brains are hardwired to fill in those gaps subconsciously. We do this at a psychological level too: we fill in the gaps of our memories with the information that surrounds the invisible. And we do it with the future, using information from our presents and pasts to speculate on the uncertainty of our futures. In fact, speculation is so much a part of the truth of our lives that it seems natural we would use it in nonfiction—an art form that claims to be cemented in the truth. But, what, exactly, does it mean to tell the truth? And is speculation at odds with the truth? In this class, we’ll read and discuss works of speculative nonfiction, cultural criticism, and ethics. Writers will come away with the skills to critically engage texts that blend speculation and truth, focusing on the ethical and artistic implications. Writers can also expect to produce several short speculative nonfiction works that can be developed from each week's writing exercises.