Across Borders: Short Stories

Catalog description

This course will begin by briefly examining the different literary movements that have shaped the literatures of Spain and Latin American countries. The primary focus of the course will be on reading and analyzing short stories and essays from Spain and Latin America. Our exploration will lead us to discover various facets of the human condition—such as kindness, jealousy, love, loss, and hope—that may challenge the way we think about the world and, hopefully, help us gain a deeper understanding of how societies and cultures influence our thinking. Through the works of Marco Denevi (Argentina), we will explore hope after loss, while Eduardo Galeano (Uruguay) will provoke us to reflect on bad luck, and Rosa Montero (Spain) kindness out of urban chaos. Finally, with a new appreciation for how short stories are constructed, students will have the opportunity to craft their own.