Join us in exploring stories from The Complete Stories of Flannery O’Connor. She is identified as a Southern Gothic writer whose stories focus on “the South’s history of slavery, racism, fear of the outside world, violence, a fixation with the grotesque, and a tension between realistic and supernatural elements” (Bridget Marshall, “Defining Southern Gothic”, 2013). More than a great writer, she’s a cultural figure: a funny lady in a straw hat, puttering among peacocks, on crutches she likened to ‘flying buttresses’ and apparently, with a habit of bigotry...” (“Reckoning with Flannery O’Connor’s Racism”; The New Yorker, by Paul Elie).

Format: We will read and discuss two stories each week. Participants are expected to lead the discussion of their chosen story. Active class participation is expected.

Resources/Expenses: The Complete Stories of Flannery O’Connor is available online in paperback, used from $5.89 and up.