MS-Introduction

Introduction The Task The Process The Due Dates Evaluation Resources Student Projects

Life is a book.

There is nothing new in this statement. It is almost cliche at this point to make such a simple connection between life and art. But there //is// a need to re-evaluate such statements again and again, mostly because with each generation the meaning and the form of literature shifts and changes with the needs of that generation.



For some generations writing is an expression of something new, a philosophical, scientific, or religious shift. For some generations writing is an act of rebellion that begins with the words written to express frustrations with rules and boundaries, or even the limitations that nature itself imposes on us as short-lived, finite walking experiments.

A common theme for each generation of writers has always been, however, self-exploration and self realization, a need to define ourselves (collectively and individually) and to create a "self" that matches our dreams and aspirations.