We will study the changing literary styles and subjects of such twentieth century writers as James Joyce, D.H. Lawrence, Bernard Malamud, and James Baldwin. Students will be expected to write at least four short papers on various stories and authors and to complete an original short story that we will publish in our Fall Short Story Anthology. The course is taught through class discussion of materials assigned, including readings of published authors and of writings by peers. Group projects and presentations will focus on specific authors or types of short stories. Participation in group discussions, giving presentations and completing projects are required.
Students publish their own anthology of short stories.
Students may also decide to purchase contemporary short stories not yet available in school texts, e.g., The Best American Short Stories or The O. Henry Prize. This course is open to all juniors who are willing to read a wide variety of both traditional and more experimental short fiction, who like to share their own ideas and who want to improve their writing skills through both literary essays and creative writing. This course is offered in both the fall and spring semesters , but may only be taken for one term.