What is Creative Nonfiction?

     The first impression I recieved from the reading was that the term "creative nonfiction" seemed to stir up some turmoil about what exactly it entails, or does not entail. Many different styles of writing can fit into the category of creative nonfiction (CN), though some linger on the fence of other genre's, such as autobiography or memoir. But these can also be seen as sub genres in terms of CN. The term in itself seems controversial in many ways, with some believing others, such as "literary nonfiction", better suit the genre.
     But what seems to be generally accepted are the aesthetic and stylistic elements that make CN what it is. The presence of "I" seems to be very powerful, and it many times is not what is being written about that is substantial, but how it was written. The main purpose isn't normally for the author to persuade or convince the reader, but to move them. To bring the audience to a vivid moment in their life, and make them feel as if they saw what the author saw, felt what he felt. CN is about the reading experience.
      As CN is based upon the author's recollection of a moment, it is hard to categorize or draw limits to whether something is true, or embellished. It is based more on how the author felt, and trying to express that emotion to her readers. CN is supposed to be based on real life events experienced by the writer, but can be expressed creatively, as the term explains.