Eng 245
American Short Fiction, Fall 2013
(Blackboard)
Lecturer Murray Callaway
Phone: 207-581-3831
E-mail: On FirstClass® [email protected]
(Hint 1: All blue, underlined units of text at this Blackboard site [excepting Email addresses] represent links to additiona
studying individual stories and/or authors, be sure to read all of this background information links.)
(Hint 2: To see this page by itself or any of our course pages by themselves without sharing your monitor screen with o
click on the page, select "This Frame" and then "Open in New Tab." When following a link that has been inserted into
also to right click on it and choose "Open in New Tab." Then you can just close the tab when you're finished or can sh
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Course Description
Texts
Evaluation Method
Important Reminder About Completing Web Based Courses
Readings and Exam Dates
1. Course Description
This course studies the development in American Literature of a distinct art
form known as "the short story." Longer and more prosaic than poetry, but
shorter and more "poetic" than most novels, the short story has evolved into
one of the more powerful mediums American writers have available to them for
the expression of their particular artistic visions. Though the short story is a
worldwide phenomenon, this course will look at the history of the short story's
evolution in America. In addition, the course will help the student better
understand how to read, interpret, and enjoy the short story as an artistic
medium.
The following syllabus gives everyone an outline of the major elements of the
course. On our Blackboard course home page, you will see several other links
to pages that contain crucial course information, the most important of which
is the "Assignments, Background Reading, and Discussion Prompts"
page. After you have read this syllabus, make sure you look at all of the other
home page links.
2. Texts:
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American Short Stories (8th edition) ed.Bert Hitchcock and Virginia
M. Kouidis If, however, you order the book over the Internet, you must
be sure to order at least one week ahead of the class beginning date, and
be very sure you order the 8th edition and not an older edition, which
will not have all of the stories that are on our syllabus.
Other selected stories are online as designated on the Unit list of
readings or are on audio streaming at this Blackboard site.
3. EVALUATION:
This class is completely "asynchronous," meaning that there will never be a
time when we are all either at the same place or online together at exactly the
same time. Each student completes work by the deadlines stated for each
assignment and takes the exams during a preset window of time allocated for
each exam. Assignment completion dates and test dates are posted on the
course calendar. Students must take the exams during the preset time periods,
without exception, so be sure to look at the test dates so you can plan your
semester activities accordingly.
Our form of evaluation will be by contract, in which each student signs a
contract stating the final grade they would like to achieve in the course. The
contract choices are all listed below, but in general, higher grades take more
work. All grades are based on three exams and regular contributions to the
discussion groups. Students who contract for an "A" will need to complete a
two special project assignments. Students who contract for a "B" must
complete one special project assignment. Each discussion group will be
comprised of approximately ten students, each of whom will be making several
written entries per week in reaction to the readings. The number and quality of
contributions individual students make to this group also affects their final
grades.
Exams will test your reading and/or listening comprehension on all of the
stories on the syllabus and on all of the ancillary and background materials
(See the "Assignments, Background Readings..." link on the home page.) To
pass the exams, every student, no matter what grade he or she contracts for,
will need to read every story on the syllabus. Your thoughtful participation in
the online group discussions --offering opinions, asking questions, and
generally trying to add to the group's understanding of the stories -- can also
affect exam grades, because the more you read and think about each story
before the exam, the more likely you are to do well.
The contract options are listed below. Read them below, and then read this
link: how to notify me of your contract choice.
For an "A" you must contract for and complete the following: l) Read every
story on the syllabus along with the background links for each unit and story, 2)
Earn at least an average score of 82% for the three reading Exams, 3) Write
regular, timely (not all at once at the end), substantive discussion entries for at
least 40 of the stories on our syllabus, 4) Prepare and submit two substantive
projects dealing with one or more authors and stories. (See project details on
the Blackboard pages).
For a "B" you must contract for and complete the following: 1) Read every
story on the syllabus along with the background links for each unit and
story, 2) Earn at least an average score of 78% for the three exams, 3) Write
regular (not all at once at the end), substantive discussion entries for at least 35
of the stories on our syllabus, 4) Prepare and submit one substantive project
dealing with one or more authors and stories. (See project details on the
Blackboard pages). (See project details on the Blackboard pages).
For a "C" you must contract for and complete the following: 1) Read every
story on the syllabus along with the background links for each unit and
story, 2) Earn at least an average score of 70% for the three exams, 3) Write
regular (not all at once at the end), substantive discussion entries for at least 35
of the stories on our syllabus.
I'm assuming that no one will want to contract for a grade lower than a "C," but
failing to meet the minimum requirements of a "C," no matter what the original
contract, will result in a grade lower than "C." Students may not change their
contracts after the first two weeks of the course. Failing to meet the
requirements for the contracted grade, will automatically drop the grade into an
appropriately lower category.
Keep up with the syllabus and calendar. Turn in your discussion entry work as
we go along by the due dates stated on the calendar. Falling behind can lower
your final grade. Normally, no grades of "I" for "Incomplete" will be given for
this course, but of course their might be exceptions under very unusual
circumstances.
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4. IMPORTANT REMINDERS ABOUT
COMPLETING WEB BASED COURSES
The extreme convenience of taking web-based courses can also be a handicap
to some who enroll. Sometimes people misunderstand the nature of a Web
based course and think that it will mean students will need to only work a little,
whenever they conveniently have the time, or that time for vacations or other
family or personal activities will be suitable excuses for not submitting work on
time. There may also be the false belief that online courses do not necessarily
have a set beginning and ending date. None of these is the case, however, and
students who have operated on these false assumptions often find that they earn
a very low grade for the course.
Obviously short excursions for a couple of days at a time when no specific
assignment is due or no exam is scheduled can easily be worked into the period
of an online course. However, all assignments are due just as they are stated on
our class syllabus, and all students must take the exams within the exact time
frames posted on our course calendar. There will be very few exceptions to
this rule, and then only in the case of independently verifiable hardships due to
personal or family emergencies. These must be reported in advance rather than
after the fact. In no case will taking a make-up exam be permitted after I have
already released the exam question results to the class.
In courses whose enrollment numbers sometimes reach the hundreds,
scheduling individual make up exams could get to be extremely difficult;
therefore, my insistence on these firm procedures is crucial. I'm sure all
students will understand this and will do everything they can to turn in
assignments and exams on time. I also assume that those who do not will be
willing to accept the consequences.
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5. READINGS AND EXAM DATES:
NOTE: Stories are in the textbook, on Blackboard audio streaming, or
online at the designated locations. The reading list below is only an
overview of the story list. The exams we take assume you will also read all
the online Blackboard materials available through the "Assignments,
Background Reading, and Discussion Prompts" pages. Exam questions
will refer to both the Blackboard background reading links and to the
stories themselves. Due dates for submitting assignments and taking
exams are all posted on our Blackboard course calendar.
Unit 1: Early Short Sketches, Romanticism, and Regionalism
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"The Story of the Captain's Wife," an anonymous story, read at the
Blackboard site. Go to "Unit One" in the Assignments, Background
Reading, and Discussion Prompts area and click on the story title. Click
on the author's name to read a synopsis and discussion of the story.
“Rip Van Winkle,” Washington Irving, read online at
http://www.bartleby.com/195/4.html and read Blackboard background materials (for
this, and for all other stories on the syllabus).
3.
"Young Goodman Brown," Nathaniel Hawthorne, New England
Magazine Apr, 1835, Read online at
http://www.amlit.com/twentyss/chap1.html (or any of several other
locations). and/or Listen to it at
http://ia300212.us.archive.org/3/items/stories_002_librivox/young_goodman_brown_hawthorne_b
tr_64kb.mp3.
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"The Birthmark," Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Pioneer Mar, 1843, in
Textbook
"The Black Cat," Edgar Allan Poe, Philadelphia U. S. Saturday Post
Aug 19, 1843, in Textbook and listen to it online at
http://ia300215.us.archive.org/1/items/stories_001_librivox/black_cat_poe_ty_64kb.mp3
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The Tell Tale Heart,” Edgar Allan Poe, read and listen at the same time
at http://content.loudlit.org/audio/heart/pages/01_01_heart.htm
“The Big Bear of Arkansas,” Thomas Bangs Thorpe, read at
http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/railton/projects/price/bear2000.htm
Unit 2: The Well-Made Tale, Local Color, Realism
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"The Outcasts of Poker Flat," Bret Harte, The Overland Monthly Jan,
1869, Read and listen at http://www.listentogenius.com/author.php/301
"A White Heron," Sarah Orne Jewett, 1886, Textbook
"The Passing of Grandison," Charles W. Chesnutt, Textbook
"The Caballero’s Way," William Sydney Porter, Everybody’s Magazine
Jul ’07, Read online at http://www.readbookonline.net/readOnLine/1839/ or at
http://thenostalgialeague.com/olmag/cisco.html
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6.
"The Storm," Kate Chopin, 1898, Textbook
"At the 'Cadian Ball," read online at http://classiclit.about.com/library/bletexts/kchopin/bl-kchop-atthecad.htm
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"The Story of an Hour," Kate Chopin, read and listen at the same time
online at http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Story_of_an_Hour
"The Revolt of “Mother”, Mary Wilkins Freeman, 1890, Textbook
"The Yellow Wallpaper," Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Textbook
"The Other Two," Edith Wharton, Colliers Feb 13 1904, Textbook
EXAM NO. 1
Unit 3: Naturalism and other Modernist Voices
1.
"To Build a Fire," Jack London, The Youth’s Companion May 29 1902,
read nline at http://www.jacklondons.net/buildafire.html or read and listen at the same time at
http://content.loudlit.org/audio/fire/pages/01_01_fire.htm
2.
"A Jury of Her Peers," Susan Glaspell, Every Week Mar 5 ’17, online at
http://www.learner.org/interactives/literature/story/fulltext.html
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" The Use of Force," William Carlos Williams • Blast: A Magazine of
Proletarian Short Stories Nov/Dec ’33, Textbook
"The Grave," Katherine Anne Porter, Textbook
"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," James Thurber • New Yorker Mar 18
’39, read online at http://www.allstory.com/issues.cgi?action=show_story&story_id=100
"Babylon Revisited," F. Scott Fitzgerald • The Saturday Evening Post
Feb 21 ’31, Textbook
"Barn Burning," William Faulkner • Harper’s Jun ’39, Textbook
"A Clean Well-lighted Place ," Ernest Hemingway, Textbook
"Hills Like White Elephants," Ernest Hemingway, read online at
http://www.moonstar.com/~acpjr/Blackboard/Common/Stories/WhiteElephants.html
Unit 4: A Broader Culture and Postmodern Reactions to Uncertain Times
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"Thank You, Ma’m," Langston Hughes, Textbook
"Big Boy Leaves Home," Richard Wright, Textbook
"The Swimmer," John Cheever • New Yorker Jul 18 ’64, Textbook
"Samuel," Grace Paley, Textbook
"Revelation," Flannery O’Connor • The Sewanee Review, Spr ’64,
Textbook
"A Girl’s Story," Toni Cade Bambara, Textbook
"Gorilla My Love" Toni Cade Bambara -- On audio streaming. See the
link on the home page.
"A Good Man is Hard to Find" -- online (see the weekly listings
connected to our home page.)
Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?," Joyce Carol Oates
• Epoch Fll ’66, Textbook
10.
11.
"A Conversation with my Father" Grace Paley, On audio streaming. See
the link on the home page.
EXAM NO. 2
Unit 5: Reflections on Contemporary Life and the End of the Story
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"The Kuglemass Episode," Woody Allen, On Blackboard audio
steaming.
"The School," Donald Barthelme, Textbook
"At the End of the Mechanical Age," Donald Barthelme, Blackboard
audio streaming
"Boxes," Raymond Carver" • New Yorker Feb 24 ’86, Textbook
"Shiloh," Bobbie Ann Mason • New Yorker Oct 20 ’80, Textbook
"Nineteen Fifty-Five," Alice Walker, On Blackboard audio streaming
(and in the textbook)
"The Things They Carried," Tim O’Brien • Esquire Aug ’86, Textbook
"Speaking of Courage," Tim O'Brien, Blackboard audio streaming
Unit 6: A Serious Business?
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"The Communist," Richard Ford, Blackboard audio steaming
"Hunters in the Snow," Tobias Wolff, textbook
“A Jealous Husband Returns in the Form of a Parrot,” Robert Olen
Butler, Online at http://webdelsol.com/butler/rob-5.htm
"Woman Uses Glass Eye to Spy on Philandering Husband," Robert Olen
Butler, Online at http://www.escene.org/knight/glasseye.html
"Hidden Meanings," Michael Parker
"Gryphon," by Charles Baxter, Textbook
EXAM NO. 3