English 154 - American Short Story

The short story as a genre has been called many things, including a distinctly American form, a genre-bending form, betwixt and between poetry and the novel. Edgar Allen Poe remarked that "the unity of effect" distinguished the short story from other genres, while Flannery O’Connor viewed it as the ideal vehicle for distilling the "mystery of existence." In this course, we will explore the development of the short story, its histories and its possible futures in mapping the American national and literary imaginary. Through close reading, students will examine the genre and learn its formal conventions, paying attention to the literary, social, and material conditions of the short story. From the rise of the literary magazines in the nineteenth century, to the changing national landscape throughout the twentieth century as a result of immigration, industrialization, and, in more recent times, the emergence of digital technologies in the twenty-first century, the short story as genre and form has changed drastically. The course will cover literary anthologies and short story cycles, and likely include readings by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Edgar Allen Poe, Sui Sin Far, Flannery O’Connor, Sherwood Anderson, Louise Erdrich, Jhumpa Lahiri, and more. Throughout the semester, students will also refine their close reading and literary analysis skills.

Limited to 18 students. Spring semester. Professor Nakaganeku Saito.

How to handle overenrollment: Enrollment determined on first-come, first-serve basis.

Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: close reading, analysis, essay writing