- American Short Stories

Catalog description

The art, scope, and evolution of the American short story is the primary focus of this course. All stories read in this course are by authors noted for their craft, and all reflect the social issues, political concerns, domestic anxieties, or personal values of American society at the time they were written. The stories studied correspond more or less to the chronology of publication, and this sequence provides a means to discuss the evolution of the American short story from its beginnings to contemporary times. Where biography (revealing attitudes and apprehensions of the writers themselves) informs the writer’s craft, the discussion will focus on that interrelationship. Titles may vary.