Best Short Stories

Is there any better time than the summer to indulge yourself by reading quality works of short fiction? Join our Best Short Stories reading group as it explores 10 marvelous examples from renowned authors like Jack London, D. H. Lawrence, and Doris Lessing. This is a member-driven group in which everyone’s perspective is encouraged and invited. So whether you want to present your views, lead a session, or just “lurk,” you are welcome and, indeed, invited to join this longstanding 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 8th 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.

July 19:
Odour of Chrysanthemums, by D. H. Lawrence
The Rocking-Horse Winner, by D. H. Lawrence

August 2:
The Drover’s Wife, by Henry Lawson
The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas, by Ursula K. Le Guin

August 16:
A Woman on a Roof, by Doris Lessing
To Build a Fire, by Jack London

August 30:
The Fly, by Katherine Mansfield
Miss Brill, by Katherine Mansfield

Facilitator: Ira Meislik is a New York expatriate whose early education was focused on STEM subjects before that acronym existed. Now that he is catching up on great literature by way of a rich Osher experience, he is living proof that no prior experience with short fiction is needed to benefit from participating in this fabulous discussion group.
 

Presenter Biography