Students read, discuss and write about short stories and short novels as a means to develop critical thinking and interpretive abilities, as well as to gain an overall appreciation of crafted language. While there is some lecture, students will be encouraged to engage an ongoing dialogue in the class. To that end, considerable emphasis is placed on class discussion and collaborative activities. Students are responsible for all readings, weekly quizzes, a presentation on an author, a 5 page paper, a mid-term, and a final. Beaty, The Norton Introduction to The Short Novel , Third ed.
Attendance is, of course, mandatory.
If you miss more than four class meetings, your grade will be negatively affected. If you miss more than seven class meetings, you will fail this course. Habitual tardiness will negatively effect your grade. Please come to see me in the event that you have a serious, personal emergency. I understand that some students may be more shy than others when it comes to speaking in class.