The Long and the Short of It: John Faggi

Course Overview:

The Long and the Short of It
 

     Welcome to the eighth incarnation of a seminar formerly called The International Short Story. I first taught this course in the spring of 1985
and am delighted to begin again. My aim is that you find pleasure in our work, among other pleasures that of slowing down enough to get inside
the stories we’ll read.

     The American writer Bernard Malamud has said that “a short story packs a self in a few pages predicting a lifetime.” Who are these selves – these characters – so concisely revealed? What makes a good short story? A great one? These and many other questions – your questions – will be the
focus of our discussions in this course. Discussions are the heart of any seminar, and we all share responsibility for the health of each class. Come prepared to think, speak your mind, ask questions, and listen respectfully. I expect everyone to say or ask something every day; I’m looking forward
to our exchange of ideas.

     We will read short fiction (stories and the occasional novella) by these writers from seven countries and four continents: Anton Chekhov (Russia, 1860-1904), James Joyce (Ireland, 1882-1941), Virginia Woolf (England, 1882-1941), Franz Kafka (Czechoslovakia, 1883-1924), Flannery O’Connor
 (The American South, 1925-1964), Yukio Mishima (Japan, 1925-1970), and Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Colombia, b. 1928). These are some of the
greatest short story writers, and I hope you will enjoy reading them all and learning about their different countries and cultures.

     We will write at home or in class on each writer. There will be two at-home essays (4-5 pages), one short, short story (2-3 pages), two in-class
essays, and one passage test. We’ll talk about how to write the short, short as we go. Revising at-home essays is always good practice, but isn’t
the best time to revise before you turn in your final draft, not after you read the teacher’s comments? What do you think? I’m happy to confer with
you during the writing process. The English Department’s policy on late papers will apply. Seniors: You may drop one major assignment – including
 the big vocabulary test.

     Most Thursdays expect a quiz on one chapter (15 words) of Wordbook 8. There will be a comprehensive test late in the semester.

     The final grade for this course will be based mostly on the six pieces of writing, but other factors include vocabulary, the final exam, and effort

in class.

     You may set up a conference in any mutually free period. If you don’t find me in our merrily chaotic English office, check the library.
                                                                                               AVANTI!

Other Class Resources:

There are currently no publically available resources for this course.