New start date: April 20
NO CLASS on May 25!

While even a fine novel may ramble a bit at times, a great short story wastes not a word, focusing like a laser to illuminate some significant aspect of the human condition. Perhaps for this reason, short stories are often considered to be the most perfect – and demanding – form of fiction writing. In this course we will sample a number of outstanding contemporary American short stories. Each week we will read and discuss three, both “classics” by widely recognized fine writers and the very latest “best of the best,” as compiled in The Best American Short Stories of 2019. We will typically be reading (and ideally then re-reading) 50-75 pages per week.

NOTE: Some of the stories we will be reading will take us into unfamiliar worlds, with situations and circumstances that some readers may find somewhat challenging.