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Great American Short Stories: A Guide for Writers and Readers

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Overview

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Plunge into several centuries of short stories in the American tradition, looking at how to write them, how to read them, and how to appreciate their powerful influence.

Syllabus

  • 01: “Come In Here”: How Stories Draw Us In
  • 02: Discovering the American Short Story
  • 03: The Storytelling Instinct in America
  • 04: Storytelling and American Mythos
  • 05: Sentimental Fiction and Social Reform
  • 06: The Rise of Realism in American Fiction
  • 07: American Modernists
  • 08: Contemporary American Storytelling
  • 09: Setting or Donnée in American Short Fiction
  • 10: The Use of Detail in American Short Fiction
  • 11: Character: Who You Are in the Dark
  • 12: American Dialogue and Interior Monologue
  • 13: Standing Apart: The Third Person
  • 14: Standing Close: The First and Second Person
  • 15: Plot: What Characters Do Next
  • 16: Imagery in American Short Fiction
  • 17: Style in Traditional American Short Stories
  • 18: Experimental American Short Stories
  • 19: Genre Short Fiction in America
  • 20: Graphic Short Fiction in America
  • 21: Postmodern Short Fiction in America
  • 22: American Microfictions
  • 23: Short Story Endings
  • 24: A Hundred False Starts
  • By This Professor

Taught by

Jennifer Cognard-Black

Reviews

4.6 rating at The Great Courses Plus based on 34 ratings

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