Faulkner has taught creative writing at Duke University since 2002. Before that, she taught at the University of Texas-Austin. In 2022, her course evaluations were in the top 5% of all humanities instructors at Duke.
Fall 2024: English 322S
Art of the Personal Essay
In this intermediate creative nonfiction course, we'll study essays that make you laugh out loud, ponder the meaning of existence, or break your heart. And we'll look at a few essays that—arguably—accomplish all three. Meanwhile, students will write and revise their own personal essays
Spring 2024: English 218S · Plays That Change The World
How can students who believe deeply in a particular issue write artful drama about that issue? In what ways is theater similar—and dissimilar—to social protest in the streets? Over the course of the semester, students will read—and watch—excellent political plays as well as write their own. They will be encouraged to experiment, question, and revise, at every turn.
Spring 2024: English 110 · Introduction to Creative Writing
In this course, students practice and explore four genres of creative writing: fiction, poetry, playwriting, and creative nonfiction. Part of the class is devoted to peer critique of student work, and part to discussion of craft as well as close reading of published essays, stories, poems, and plays.
Fall 2023: English 212S · Writing Across Borders
This creative nonfiction course focuses on a fundamental challenge: how can a member of one culture effectively and ethically write about another culture? Over the course of the semester, students will write multiple drafts of two personal essays that address this challenge. We begin with crossing a border within Durham, then writing about what was found there.Click here to learn more about this course.
English 222S · Spiritual Autobiography
William James says mystical experience “defies expression;...no adequate report of its content can be given in words” while creative writers believe good writing is concrete, rich with description. How then is it possible to construct a well-written account of one’s mystical experiences, one’s spiritual journey? Students will read personal spiritual narratives from a wide range of traditions while crafting their own spiritual autobiographies.
Amanda Gorman - The Hill We Climb
Poem of the Day
In March 2020, Faulkner began posting a poem every day to help people deal with the pandemic. The project evolved to highlight poems that shed light on current injustices and encourage people to stay strong.
Selected Comments from Students
“This is my second course with Professor Fox and I can honestly say that she is a remarkable instructor. Every time she speaks, I want to write down what she is saying. She does a really great job of guiding and facilitating fruitful discussions in class, and the way she has shaped the course is very conducive to making her students better writers. And, if I may, better people.”
“Professor Fox is fabulous—available, helpful during class and meetings, great feedback on all assignments. I have advanced so much in my writing skills this semester. I will recommend this class to everyone I know!”
“A really fantastic writing course—I absolutely loved it. I’m honestly stunned by how much incredible material we’ve covered, how much I’ve learned this semester, and how much my writing has improved!”
“Amazing course. Every time Professor Fox speaks, she says something that I absolutely have to write down. The workshopping process is extremely helpful and Professor Fox always does a great job of pointing out things that we need to address in our pieces.”
Average Student Evaluations (2007 - 2023)
Quality of the Course: 4.9/5.0
Quality of Instruction: 4.8/5.0
Faulkner speaking on a Kenan Institute of Ethics panel with Richard Powell, Duncan Murrell, and Michaela Dwyer
Faulkner teaching playwriting on the steps of Duke Chapel (teaching photos on this page by Jared Lazarus)
All of the courses Faulkner teaches at Duke combine the traditional workshop format (class discussion and critique of student work) with rigorous critical thinking and writing about published work by expert writers. Her philosophy is two-fold: students must write a lot and often, and at the same time, they must keenly sharpen their analytical skills as readers of quality literature…