Best Short Stories

Short stories wrap everything up. Short stories leave you wanting more. Short stories quickly move from one topic to the next. Short stories are neat and tidy. Short stories are messy and provocative. Short stories get to the point. Yes, short stories are all of these things. Our Best Short Stories class holds member-driven discussions of two different well-regarded pieces of short fiction every two weeks. Everyone’s perspective is encouraged and invited. All are welcome. No experience is needed. So, whether you want to share your views, lead a session, or only “lurk,” you are invited to join this long-standing discussion group. A different member moderates each bi-weekly session.

We continue using The Story and Its Writer: An Introduction to Short Fiction (8th edition) by Ann Charters (ISBN 13:978 0 312 59623 1). (Be sure to purchase the unabridged 8^th edition, not the compact 8th edition.) The book has a mix of classic and contemporary stories, including graphic stories. We will continue to use this book over the next few years.

January 17:

The Ice Man, by Haruki Murakami

The Lady with the Pet Dog, by Joyce Carol Oates

January 31:

Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?, by Joyce Carol Oates

The Things They Carried, by Tim O’Brien

February 14:

Everything That Rises Must Converge, by Flannery O’Connor

Good Country People, by Flannery O'Connor

February 28:

A Good Man Is Hard to Find, by Flannery O'Connor

Guests of the Nation, by Frank O’Connor

March 14:

I Stand Here Ironing, by Tillie Olsen

The Shawl, by Cynthia Ozick

Facilitator: Ira Meislik never read short stories unless his schooling required him to do so. Now he is hooked on the genre. That makes him a prime example that no prior experience with short fiction is needed to participate in this fabulous discussion group’s bi-weekly get-togethers.

Presenter Biography