TITLE:  Southern Short Stories

AREA:  Literature

COURSE LEADER:  Jean Austin

DAY AND TIME:  Tuesdays, March 18 – April 22

4:00 – 5:15 PM Six Weeks

FORMAT:  Lecture/Discussion

What makes a work of fiction ‘southern?’

Using as our text the 2007 edition of New Stories from the South, this class will discuss the southern-ness of 8 – 10 contemporary short stories.  The discussion will consider setting, author’s birthplace, themes and values.  Comparison to earlier authors of southern short fiction such as William Faulkner, Eudora Welty and Flannery O’Connor will be used to explore the question of how southern short stories differ from other short works of fiction.

Jean Austin has taught two previous short story courses at WC-ALL.  Reading and discussing short fiction is a special interest for her.  She has a B.A. in English Literature.