(Just a note: this class requires an application and acceptance with a PTE number.) The class size is very small to allow everyone to read each other's stories, and you get to know the other students' styles and chosen themes very well through their writing. 20% of our grade came from participation, 25% from written feedback for other students' stories, 25% from weekly 2-page prompts (you must complete at least 5), and 30% from two 10-page short stories that you write throughout the quarter. We read a few short stories by famous authors, but this class was overwhelmingly discussing our own stories (for a 3-hour class, we usually spent an hour per story, so authors get plenty of feedback. Be prepared to participate). I think the most valuable part of this class for me was writing the letters to the other authors - I learned how to critically analyze other students' work and (hopefully) give helpful suggestions, which in turn helped me improve my own work. That being said, reading 3 10-page stories and writing 2-4-page letters for each one every week does take some time, so I recommend starting the letters earlier than the day before to lessen the workload and give yourself time to absorb the stories. I was definitely exposed to a wide variety of writing genres, and overall the class was really interesting and fun. I would wholeheartedly recommend this class if you're interested in writing - you'll receive a lot of encouragement and quality advice.

Professor Torres for Creative Writing is amazing. Each week you have a prompt that you have to write a short story for that he grades privately, and you have two 10 page stories that are due throughout the quarter. You email your 10 page stories to the whole class and they email you feedback. On the day that it's your turn to turn in your story he has you read an excerpt out loud and then you verbal feedback from him and the rest of the class on your whole story. He also gives a short story to read every week and discuss in class. You have to be prepared to participate because that's a large part of your grade. Professor Torres is just all around great to have and his class will really help you improve your writing.

91C with Torres was a fantastic course. From day one, I found his lectures and the required readings to be very engaging. I must say, if you are not a fan of "dark" topics (murder, sex, crime), this class is likely not for you. Two essays + a final exam were the graded materials, and I must say, the essays are graded harshly. The final exam is incredibly easy, as long as you keep up with the readings (there are a lot of them). Torres is brilliant -- hilarious, intelligent, and immensely creative. I'd love to work with him again.

Grade: A

Professor Torres leads engaging lectures and has lots of knowledge about fiction and literature in general. The way the class was structured was we would read 2-3 stories for each lecture (so 2x a week) and then discuss the stories in class. The stories were interesting, but I didn't always have time to read them. And it wasn't essential to read everything due to the way the papers and final paper are structured. The assignments are very flexible because you can pick 5 out of the 10 essays that you would like to write, so if you have a busy week you don't have to write that week. I would definitely recommend this class to anybody interested in literary analysis.