| Title | : | Great American Short Stories: A Guide for Writers and Readers |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Audible Audio |
| Number of Pages | : | 13 |
| Publication | : | First published August 16, 2019 |
Whether you want to write short stories, simply want better insight as a reader, or even if you are looking for a new lens through which to view American history, the 24 rich and informative lectures of 'Great American Short Stories: A Guide for Writers and Readers' will show you the ins and outs of this infinitely adaptable - and intrinsically American - literary form. Professor Jennifer Cognard-Black of St. Mary's college of Maryland guides you through the technical aspects of the short story, while also digging deep into the history of the form in the United States. Along the way, you will discover why the short story became so deeply connected to American identity and how it continues to evolve alongside the nation itself.
The "great American novel" is often the lofty goal of writers who want to achieve literary immortality. But from the opening sentence to the lingering denouement, American short stories can both capture the world as it is and help envision what could be. Each is unique, and yet each is a part of a larger chronicle: the story of America.
Listening Length: 12 hours and 45 minutes
Great American Short Stories: A Guide for Writers and Readers Reviews
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Oh, it was allright. Cognard-Black is proficient, rather than sparkling, inspiring or convincing. I mean, it ticks all the boxes if you're new to the area and so it's useful if you're looking for an overview or an introduction. But there was a kind of - humanity - missing. It was all so measured, poised and balanced. Something ineffable that it's probably entirely unfair for me to criticise the course for it.
I think it must be me. I am currently rallying against the academy when it comes to teaching writers; we have enough MFAs knocking about, writing impeccable, dull short stories in the first person - and I speak as someone from academia (whose stories are far from impeccable in any reckoning).
Yours, grumpily, New York -
Great American Short Stories: A Guide for Writers and Readers by Jennifer Cognard-Black is a decent intro into how someone might want to go about approaching American short stories. There is a focus on setting, character, style, opening, etc. There's plenty you'll learn, though the Professor appears to be a little too fixated on challenging the authenticity of some stories based on her pedagogy. She also tends to claim others are authentic in a way that doesn't always ring true. Ah well. Anyways, don't take the course if you're expecting a tour of American short stories. The genre is a platform that is referenced, but there is very little that dwells on a specific story. Only in so far as it helps capture what the broader lecture is about, will there be some approach to established fiction. Plenty to like, though this is perhaps more a course about how to write American short stories and how to approach the genre, rather than an exploration of short stories as literature themselves. Not bad, but perhaps not what one would expect from titles alone.
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I am glad that I listened to this course even thought I am a reader rather than a writer and only occasionally read short stories. Certainly the teacher's articulate, concise, thoughtful lectures met and often exceeded the high level that I expect from Great Courses. Based on that, it deserved five starts, but I disagreed deeply with some of her prejudices.
She insisted so strenuously that great short stories be character driven and subordinate plot that she even criticized the Iliad as lacking in character. Where does that leave the mysteries with their "twisty endings" that I enjoy reading? She just seemed to denigrate millennia of human story telling.
In the last lecture, when she explained the commercial position of short story publishing, which is largely limited to small literary magazines, it became clear that she was focused on how to write a publishable short story. In the end, it did explain why I so seldom enjoy experimental fiction and the winners of the Man Booker award. I will continue to enjoy reading and leave her and her students to their niche magazines. -
The book is better than the course and since the book is so highly flawed that is saying alot. It is in colour but that is meaningless, it's just to say it is a colour book — titles are in teal, some pages are in sepia, few illustrations but the real flaw is the lack of a bibliography with the books/stories listed for further reading. Instead, one combs through the book and one makes the list oneself ; I did not care for that as I then had to search where I could read the stories, sometimes I could not.
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I probably should have read the blurb a bit closer, but I guess it was not a total loss. I thought I was going to be listening to some great short stories, but it turned out I was listening to someone talking about how to write great short stories. If you were inclined to take up writing you could probably find a few nuggets here.
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I read the first chapter.
Way more nonsense than i was ready to cope with this year, sorry.
The thing of analysing first lines, and then finishing with her own examples... As a literature teacher i cannot believe this kind of bs is still going around. -
A well-written guide to the history and art of the American short story. Comes with many practical tips to help you in your own stories.
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I have loved short stories for so long I don't remember how it started, but this was a cool dip into the craft of the form vs. the art of it.
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A good primer on short story history and short story writing. Really enjoyed it.
