From my early beginnings as a young introvert, the public library has always been a bit of a refuge. Years later, not much has changed, albeit with an additional affinity for endless hours spent scouring second-hand bookstores to add to my ever-growing “to-read” pile.
From one bookworm to another, this column will be underscoring and outlining various literary genres, authors, and recent reads and can serve as an introduction for those unfamiliar with these works, as a refresher for long-time aficionados, and maybe as an inspiration for readers to share their own suggested topics. Do you have a topic that you would like covered in this column? Feel free to contact me for an interview and a feature in an upcoming column.
Who
This week, we focus on well-known short story collections from notable US authors.
Some examples of influential short story writers include Jhumpa Lahiri, Ray Bradbury, Raymond Carver, James Badwin, Richard Yates, Ted Chiang, Shirley Jackson, and Ottessa Moshfegh.
What
Some examples of notable works include Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri, The October Country by Ray Bradbury, Will You Please Be Quiet, Please? by Raymond Carver, Eleven Kinds of Loneliness by Richard Yates, and Exhalation by Ted Chiang.
Other well-known short story collections include The Lottery and Other Stories by Shirley Jackson, Homesick for Another World by Ottessa Moshfegh, Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri, and Going to Meet the Man: Stories by James Baldwin.
Where
Many of these works take place throughout the United States, throughout the world, in countries such as India, as well as throughout outer space.
When
These works were published in the 20th and 21st-centuries.
Why
The works may be of interest to AU students who would like to read a series of shorter texts on a variety of topics and themes, including grief, loneliness, love, family conflict, as well as gender, race, and class.
These works also cut across a variety of genres including literary fiction and genre fiction (science fiction and horror).
How
AU’s wide range of diverse courses make it easy to study this topic in depth. Courses related to the short story are available in a variety of disciplines, including those that may fit into your Degree Works. (Always check with an AU counsellor to see if these particular courses fulfill your personal graduation requirements!)
AU students interested in learning more about this topic may enroll in ENGL 344: American Literature I, a senior-level, three-credit course, which “introduces students to American literature, its history and development, and its rich variety of forms and techniques.” (Please note that this course requires ENGL 211: Prose Forms and ENGL 212: Poetry and Plays as prerequisites.)
Students may also be interested in the follow up ENGL 345: American Literature II, a senior-level, three-credit course, which “follows the introduction to American literature begun in ENGL 344. ENGL 345 continues the exploration of the history and development of American literature and its rich variety of forms and techniques.” (As above, this course requires ENGL 211: Prose Forms and ENGL 212: Poetry and Plays as prerequisites.) Happy reading!
