Course Description

Instructor: Jack Balser


Considered by some to be the father of the short story, Anton Chekhov created a unique form for writing fiction. By mimicking reality, he produced a form of art through his stories. Chekhov portrays such an honest reality through his characters and dialogue that he leaves his readers with revelations about their own live . James Joyce wrote just one collection of short stories, but it ranks among the finest in world literature. His influence on the form is as great as that of his near contemporary Chekhov. Between them their innovations have influenced almost every short story writer of the last 100 years. We shall study a number of stories by both of these incredibly influential writers as we examine their innovations in style, character development, and form. Then we will read a few modem stories to illustrate the vast influence that they have had on modem short story authors.