Great Short Stories




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ClassGraphic As Pulitzer Prize-winning author Stacy Schiff wrote in The New York Times, "A short story is by definition an odder, more eccentric creature than a novel; a trailer, a fling, a warm-up act, a bouillon cube, a championship game in one inning. Irresolution and ambiguity become it; it's a first date rather than a marriage. When is it mightier than the novel? When its elisions speak as loudly as its lines." If you enjoy reading fiction and want to explore the succinctness of the short story, join our study group. The very brevity of the form invites lively discussion and differing interpretations of the material. This study group gives a brief but fascinating introduction to various authors. Each study group member acts as discussion leader for one or two stories of their choice, and also shares a brief biography of the story's author. Two anthologies serve as texts. The Best American Short Stories 2025, edited by Celeste Ng and Nicole A Lamy (Mariner Books, 2025), contains 20 prize stories that can help us clarify our values. Fifty Great American Short Stories edited by Milton Crane (Bantam Classics, 1984), contains 50 stories that mirror the development of American literature.

Class Details

14 Session(s)
Weekly - Mon

Location
Wieboldt Hall

Instructor
Multiple

Tuition:  $0.00

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Schedule Information

Date(s) Class Days Times Location Instructor(s)
9/14/2026 - 12/14/2026 Weekly - Mon 09:45 AM - 11:45 AM Chicago, Wieboldt Hall  Map Alan Goldberg  ; Julia Katz