Acclaimed author teaches journalism class at Notre Dame
By ERIN LaRUFFA
Assistant News Editor
Writer Alex Kotlowitz will spend every Monday this fall traveling between his home in Chicago and a classroom in the Main Building at Notre Dame.
As the American Studies department's visiting Welch Chair professor, Kotlowitz is teaching "American Nonfiction Narrative: The Literature of Social Concerns."
Kotlowitz is known among Notre Dame Arts and Letters majors as the author of There Are No Children Here, a book about two brothers living in a Chicago housing project. Sophomore CORE classes read the book during the fall semester.
In addition to writing books, Kotlowitz has been writing for the New Yorker and New York Times Magazine as well as teaching winter courses at Northwestern University. He previously wrote for The Wall Street Journal.
In his class at Notre Dame, Kotlowitz said he will cover the role and nature of narrative nonfiction writing.
"Narrative non-fiction has taken on a much more prominent role than it had 30 or 40 years ago," Kotlowitz said.
The opportunity to study this particular form of journalism with Kotlowitz convinced senior American Studies majors Erica Thesing and Brian Hobbins to take the course.
"I was really familiar with his work. That style of deep investigative reporting really interests me," said Hobbins, adding that Kotlowitz has real-world journalism experience that will help students.
"I read There Are No Children Here in CORE sophomore year and I was impressed by what he did with that book," said Thesing, who is concentrating in journalism. "As journalists, we have an opportunity to impact social issues."
Students in the course will do a significant amount of writing over the semester and will read some of Kotlowitz's work, including The Other Side of the River.
Thesing said she is looking forward to asking questions about the story to the person who actually wrote it.
Although Kotlowitz has a successful career in journalism, he did not always plan on a career in writing.
Kotlowitz, who attended Wesleyan University, was originally a biology
major.
"I decided about half way through that I didn't want to spend the rest
of my life in a laboratory," Kotlowitz said.
Kotlowitz was unsure what to do after graduating with a political science degree, so he worked at a cattle ranch for a year. Then he went to work at a small Michigan newspaper where he realized he could "carve out a career" in journalism.
From the beginning of his journalism career, Kotlowitz enjoyed being pushed him into other communities in which he had to talk to strangers.
"You spend time with people, [and] you inevitably build a relationship with them," he explained. "That's the thing I love about this work."
One community Kotlowitz ventured into during his career was the Chicago housing project that was the setting of There Are No Children Here. What he saw was a world different from the one he was accustomed.
"I was pretty horrified, mostly by the violence," Kotlowitz said.
Bringing such worlds to the attention of people who live on the outside is one important role of narrative nonfiction.
"It offers a window onto a part of America we may not venture into," he said, adding that he hopes his work with "force [readers] to look at themselves."
At the same time, Kotlowitz said he does not believe he can save the world through his writing.
"Sometimes a piece of writing will change matters of public policy or public discourse," he said. "I don't set out in my work to do that. I certainly don't think of myself as an advocacy journalist. I see myself as a storyteller."
Hobbins said that Kotlowitz's "down to earth" attitude surprised him.
"He's really receptive and humble for someone who's had so much success," Hobbins said.
"I think it's going to be a really rewarding experience to be in his class," Thesing added.
All News Stories for Wednesday, September 13, 2000
