Masterpieces of Short Fiction

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Masterpieces of Short Fiction

Imagine being able, in one sitting to, enter another world. of Imagine your life and the epiphanies, tragedies, errors and triumphs that result. of People who are ordinary and extraordinary. Imagine that you could learn amazing insights about the true nature of the world in just a few minutes by running an errand. of humanity—its dark secrets and its saving graces. It is possible to imagine this happening in space. of You could spend an hour doing this instead.
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    Visit a Harlem jazz club and hear the inspired improvisations of Talented bluesmen
Participate in a Parisian ball with borrowed jewels
A dangerous criminal awaits you on a lonely backwoods road.
A coven awaits you in colonial America. of Witches

You are in for an enlightening experience. Masterpieces of Short FictionA 24-lecture course that demonstrates two centuries of worth of Great short stories by some of The acknowledged masters of This genre includes Anton Chekhov (D. H. Lawrence), Flannery Owen, Franz Kafka, Ernest Hemingway, and Flannery O’Connor.

Dr. Michael Krasny, Professor of English at San Francisco State University, and the host of Forum, KQED’s award-winning news/public affairs radio program, takes you deep into 23 famous works. This shows the extraordinary variety, incredible artistry, and profound themes that can be found within these miniature masterpieces.

The Art of The Present Moment

Even though short stories are a form of storytelling, they have existed throughout history. of Legends, myths, and fables are all part of the short story. This art form was only created during the 19th Century, just in the right time for our busy lives.

This is more than just a shorter version of The novel, short story is a literary form that is unique and very rewarding. The best short fiction is a unique and rewarding form of literature. It offers a world in miniature that the author has faithfully captured. of Character, plot, setting and image. While a short story takes only a few minutes to read, the impact of it lasts much longer.

“Short story writers see by the light of the flash,” Nadine Gordimer, Nobel Laureate and author says so. “Theirs is the art of the only thing that one can be sure of—the present moment.”

The Extraordinary and the Ordinary are both possible

As Masterpieces of Short Fiction However, flash can reveal many types of information, as the example above demonstrates. of truths. For example, in Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado,” An embittered nobleman places his rival in a dank vault while Grace Paley is looking after him. “An Interest in Life,” A housewife who has lost her husband and children maintains her sense of humor and hopes while raising her children.

You will encounter both during the course of these extremes—the extraordinary and the ordinary moments of life—while you examine the craft of Short fiction.

At one end of The spectrum shows how great authors use short stories to capture the experience of The common man and woman. Gogol’s 19th Century underdog, Akaky the Russian Scribe in “The Overcoat,” Raymond Carver’s sympathic portrait of A “plain man” In “Cathedral,” These are the remarkable talents of short story writers of observation to celebrate and record the unsung lives of The ordinary person.

However, you can also enjoy the bizarre and extraordinary in Franz Kafka’s satirical tale of An artist who transforms starvation into work of Performance art”A Hunger Artist”) or in Gabriel García Márquez’s Magical Realist allegory about a winged man who falls to Earth in a Latin American village (“A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”).

Every story is based on the most closely observed details of You can live your everyday life, or you can imagine a beautiful land. of A fantasy portrait is a beautiful and original way to express your imagination of humanity.

How to recognize a masterpiece

How can stories of such short length have such strong emotional effects? What is the difference between each? of Are the works of this course masterpieces? In Masterpieces of Short FictionYou not only love great literature but also appreciate the art of writing. of Transforming storytelling into an art form

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Professor Krasny is the recipient of an Award and gives lectures. of Excellence from the National Association of The Humanities Educators focuses on one story by a master. of The genre. He illustrates the virtuosic development of each author by using examples from his stories. of Character, plot, setting and imagery. Theme, theme and language. These elements will be taught to you as you go through the course.

Learn fascinating facts about the lives of the authors and the historical and artistic contexts that shaped these amazing works.

“Young Goodman Brown” It reflects Nathaniel Hawthorne’s strict Puritan upbringing, and his guilt over his ancestors’ participation in the Salem witch trials.
Like the main character of “My First Goose,” Isaac Babel, a Jew, rode alongside the anti-Semitic Cossacks during violent pogroms in Jewish villages and neighborhoods.
Ernest Hemingway’s terse style of writing is a hallmark “The Killers” (later dubbed “cablese” Because it imitated conciseness of Telegram writing (also known as text messaging) was first developed by the writer while he was a war correspondent.
Shirley Jackson’s depiction of The village was “The Lottery” Her feelings are reflected in the article of Isolation living in New England as a progressive intellectual in close-knit town
Traces of James Baldwin’s evangelical heritage is preserved in the poetical and biblical languages of stories like “Sonny’s Blues.”

Find out more “Literary Form of Our Age”

Professor Krasny has been teaching courses on wealth since 1970. of The topics include the short story, contemporary and modern American literature, American literature of ethnic origin, literary theory, and transatlantic modern drama. His extensive scholarly background provides him with an array of information. “insider’s view” of The craft of A short piece of fiction that is as rare and as valuable as it is.

This survey is open to all. of The hallmark work of short fiction, from its beginnings in the 19th Century to its confrontations with the issues of The late 20th century. Learn why this particular genre is so popular in the words of Nadine Gordimer is the “literary form of our age.”

Here’s what you’ll get in Masterpieces of Short Fiction