America’s Genre: The Art and Genius of the Short Story

Catalog description

American writers are credited with the creation of the short story and have defined the genre for the world. From Nathaniel Hawthorne's first published collection in 1837, America's short stories have explored topics such as witches and demon worship, mysterious murders and insanity, tall tales from the Wild West, love and loss, and the ethics that reflect the cultural identity of Americans. Through a variety of short stories, students will examine the components that embody this original and compressed art form and uncover the ingenuity behind this precise and difficult genre of fiction. (Pre-requisite: ENGL210 for English majors, or ENGL101 or ENGL110 for non-English majors)