On the Fine Art of Literary Fist-Fighting
Lee Gutkind
Creative Nonfiction

This essay took awhile to find its stride. Gutkind's voice didn't feel developed until he began to chronicle his life. I began to feel invested in his story once he began writing. His first college English class which hooked him on writing hooked me as a reader. The prologue and first section felt dry and informative without the spark of creative nonfiction he was championing. Some information was essential to set the stage of what people believed of creative nonfiction at the time but other pieces felt overdone. There was too much name dropping and details of authors and specifics I knew wouldn't reappear enough in the following sections to be worth my time.

I enjoyed the way he let us discover the magazine with him. Even though as readers we are aware of the ultimate outcome as we hold the 50th edition, he carries us along as he hunts for sponsors and submissions.

Tension is built well in the final scenes before he speaks at the AWP conference. The essay is mostly informative so the lengthier description within this section set it apart-- "so i walked around town and drank an extra coffee, with my heart literally pounding with anxiety."

If he had to what would Gutkinds simplest definition of creative nonfiction be?
What does he feel the current attitude to creative nonfiction is like?