Of all the short stories you have read, how long has it been since you’ve revisited a “chestnut” by an author such as Poe, Chekov, O.Henry, or Twain? Perhaps more recently you have discovered something by Jhumpa Lahiri or Edwidge Danticat. This class provides a chance to share and discuss the short stories that you know and love and to explore something new with other short story fans.

Format: Prior to the first class, participants select a story/author from a master list and sign up for a date and time to lead a discussion. Discussion leaders start off by sharing what they have learned about: the author’s life (about five minutes); the era or cultural context of the story (about 5 minutes.) For the remainder of the hour, the group will discuss the story, using prepared questions and sharing personal discoveries or observations. During the second hour, we’ll discuss a more recently written short story that has been recommended by a member of the class, following the same format that was used during the first hour.

Resources/Expenses: There will be no required text. The coordinators will provide a provisional list of short stories with their Internet links. All stories for this class can be found free of charge on the Internet.