Course Overview

The short story has emerged as a dominant genre of literature in the 20th and 21st centuries because of its adaptability to magazine and journal formats and its facility for introducing works to audiences unfamiliar with a particular author. This class will focus on short stories from the past 100 years and provide students with a sense of various different approaches to how authors write and how we can read and interpret these works.

Objectives

Over the semester, I expect students to achieve the following goals:

• To read and understand short stories from various historical and cultural contexts.

• To discuss these short stories in an analytical and engaging manner in class discussion.

• To write convincing arguments about literature.

• To recall key facts about the works in question.

• To produce papers analyzing short stories in a manner that is interesting, well organized and consistent with the standard conventions governing analytical writing.

• To revise drafts of such papers before turning them in as finished products.

• To proofread papers effectively.

• To complete papers according to the MLA format and to the conventions of college academic work.

• To discuss strengths and weaknesses of classmates' drafts as a means of helping them produce better final papers.

To reach these goals, students will need to do the following:

• Write an analysis of a brief passage from the assigned works. 3-5 typed pages. DUE ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14TH, 2012.

• Write an essay interpreting a longer text. DUE ON THURSDAY, APRIL 26TH, 2012.

• Complete a mid-term examination including passage analysis, and longer essay questions. ON THURSDAY, MARCH 1ST, 2012.

• Complete a final examination covering the material from the entire semester and including passage analysis and essay questions. For additional information about policies governing final exams, see "http://www.d.umn.edu/vcaa/FinalExams.html". THE EXAM TAKES PLACE ON FRIDAY, MAY 11TH, 2012, FROM 10:00AM TO 11:55AM.

• Bring a typed, completed draft to class on peer-editing days, and provide classmates with carefully considered comments on their own drafts on those days (working drafts are due in class one week before the final draft is due).

• Attend class regularly and contribute to class discussion and group activities.

Grade Breakdown:

NOTES ABOUT THE CLASS:

• Written Work. Your grade will depend primarily on your written work and the understanding of the material that you convey through that work. A command of standard written English and the ability to present an argument will also contribute to the determination of your grade.

• Late Assignments will receive a deduction of 1/3 of a letter grade for each business day that they are late. Students who miss exams may not make them up without a valid excuse for the absence.

• Academic Dishonesty tarnishes the reputation of the University of Minnesota Duluth and discredits the accomplishments of its students. Because the university is committed to providing students every possible opportunity to grow in mind and spirit, it must insist on an environment of trust, honesty, and fairness. Consequently, all members of the academic community must regard any act of academic dishonesty as a serious offense. In keeping with this ideal, this course will adhere to UMD's Student Academic Integrity Policy, which is available online at "http://www.d.umn.edu/conduct/integrity/". This policy sanctions students engaging in academic dishonesty with penalties up to and including expulsion from the university for repeat offenders.

• Disability Accommodations. Individuals who have any disability, either permanent or temporary, which might influence their capacity to perform in this class, should inform me at the start of the semester. The Office of Disability Resources writes that "[i]t is the policy and practice of the University of Minnesota Duluth to create inclusive learning environments for all students, including students with disabilities. If there are aspects of this course that result in barriers to your inclusion or your ability to meet course requirements—such as time limited exams, inaccessible web content, or the use of non-captioned videos—please notify the instructor as soon as possible." You can contact the Office of Disability Resources to discuss and arrange reasonable accommodations by calling 218-726-6130 or by visiting the Disability Resources website at "http://www.d.umn.edu/access/".

• Notetaking. Remember that there are rules against disseminating these notes beyond the classroom community, which you can find at "http://www.duluth.umn.edu/vcaa/ClassNotesAppropriateUseof.html".

• Attendance. I expect students to show up on time and prepared to discuss the readings assigned for that day. Students have a responsibility to plan their schedules to avoid conflicts with course requirements. Excessive absences will have a negative impact on the grade that you receive in this course. Excusable absences include "subpoenas, jury duty, military duty, religious observances, illness, bereavement for immediate family and NCAA varsity college athletics." Please contact the instructor about anticipated absences in order to minimize their influence on your coursework. For more information on excused absences, see "http://www.d.umn.edu/vcaa/ExcusedAbsence.html"

• Student Conduct. Respect fellow students and refrain from behavior that might impair their learning opportunities. Any behavior that substantially and repeatedly interrupts the instructor's ability to teach or the students' ability to learn will result in appropriate penalties. Disruptive behavior includes inappropriate use of communications technology in the classroom, such as ringing cell phones, text-messaging, watching videos, playing computer games, doing email, or surfing the Internet on one's computer instead of note-taking or other instructor-sanctioned activities. For further clarification of UMD policies in this regard, consult the Board of Regents Policy at "http://www1.umn.edu/regents/policies/academic/Student_Conduct_Code.pdf".

• Civility. UMD instructors and students have a responsibility to maintain a learning environment that is, as stated in the Teaching and Learning Policy, "respectful of the rights and freedoms of all members, and promotes a civil and open exchange of ideas." The full policy is available at "http://www.d.umn.edu/vcaa/TeachingLearning.html".

Required Texts

Titles with an asterisk (*) will not be available in the bookstore.

Apple, Max. "Bridging." The Norton Anthology of American Literatured. Vol. E. Seventh Edition. Ed. Nina Baym. New York: Norton, 2007. 2928-2934. Print.*

Barthelme, Donald. "The Emerald." Sixty Stories. New York: Penguin, 1981. 389-418. Print.*

------. "The King of Jazz." Sixty Stories. New York: Penguin, 1981. 354-358. Print.*

------. "Me and Miss Mandible." Sixty Stories. New York: Penguin, 1981. 24-35. Print or Online (available at "http://www.coldbacon.com/writing/barthelme-mandible.html").*

Borges, Jorge Luis. Labyrinths. 1962. Trans. Donald A. Yates and James E. Irby. New York: New Directions, 2007. Print.

Carver, Raymond. What We Talk about When We Talk about Love. New York: Vintage, 1989. Print.

Hemingway, Ernest. In Our Time. 1925. New York: Simon and Schuster,1958. Print.

O'Connor, Flannery. A Good Man Is Hard to Find. New York: Harcourt Brace, 1955. Print.

Olsen, Tillie. "Tell Me a Riddle." American Short Stories. New York: Houghton, Mifflin, 2002. 402-430. Print.*

Saunders, George. CivilWarLand in Bad Decline. New York: Penguin, 1996. Print.

Wright, Richard. Uncle Tom's Children. New York: HarperCollins, 1991. Print.