The short story has a long and prestigious history. Especially in North America, placing a piece in a magazine like The New Yorker or The Atlantic can catapult an author to instant fame. At first glance, the form seems to encompass a wide range of themes and types. But it does have certain parameters. What about the paradigm creates such magic, and causes authors like George Saunders to say, “When you read a short story, you come out a little more aware and a little more in love with the world around you”?

In this class, we’ll examine several exemplary stories like White Angel by Michael Cunningham, The Jockey by Carson McCullers, Omakase by Weike Wang, Outcomes by Nathan Blum, and Orphans by Brad Felver. Looking in-depth at these pieces will unlock tenets and principles we can use in the creation of our own stories.

PLEASE NOTE: this class will require reading BEFORE class so the majority of class time can be spent discussing the stories instead of reading. RSVP so the instructor can send these materials to you ahead of time.

This class is taught by a graduate student in the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s MFA Program in Creative Writing.