Literature

AN AMERICAN SHORT STORY SAMPLER

Susan Glassman | Ph.D., English, University of Rhode Island Join us in reading a sample of short story masterpieces by both well-known and lesser-known American writers. The stories we will discuss include landmark works by Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams, Sherwood Anderson, Ring Lardner, and other interesting writers who demonstrate skill in characterizing the human spirit and the social values of the time in which they were writing. We will analyze themes, characters, settings, symbolism, and style, as well as look at contemporary interpretations. You may find wonderful short stories that you don’t already know.

COURSE CODE: AMSS Sec. 01: 8 Tuesdays, 10:30am-11:45am. Begins Apr. 5 | $260 Sec. 02: 8 Tuesdays, 2-3:15pm. Begins Apr. 5 | $260

BETRAYAL

Gershon Weisenberg | Asst.Professor, Northeastern University (RET) Perhaps the central theme of human history is betrayal and its mirror image, self-betrayal. This perennial theme is to be echoed through many literary forms including the Bible, Shakespeare, and fiction/non-fiction bestseller lists. Through critical reading and vigorous discussion, we will explore Henry James’ The Beast in the Jungle; Albert Camus’ The Fall; Harold Pinter’s Betrayal; John Le Carre’s The Spy Who Came in From the Cold; and the foundation Genesis narrative of Adam and Eve.

COURSE CODE: BETR Sec. 01: 10 Tuesdays, 11am-12:30pm. Begins Apr. 5 | $280

ON STILL MAULED BUT CONSTRUCTIVE LIVES:

PRISON WRITING BY PEOPLE OF COLOR AND THE WRITING OF CORRECTIONAL

Ravi Shankar | Professor, Author, Correctional: A Memoir As we collectively reckon with mass incarceration, this course examines prison memoirs as a lens into carceral spaces that keep certain people in and the public out. Pushcart Prize winner, Dr. Ravi Shankar will delve into writing his memoir, Correctional: A Memoir, then lead a discussion of prison memoirs by Americans of color, including Austin Reed, Assata Shakur, Jimmy Santiago Baca, and more. These texts will be approached as literary artifacts that shed light on the prison industrial complex.

COURSE CODE: JAIL Sec. 01: 8 Tuesdays, 5:30-7:30pm. Begins Apr. 5 | $250

Looking for the perfect gift?

Consider a CCAE Gift Certificate!

Purchase gift certificates online, over the phone, or in person. Visit ccae.org/gift-certificates for more details.

ALICE MUNRO: THE LOVE OF A GOOD WOMAN

Petra Bittner | Literature Instructor The Canadian short story writer, Alice Munro, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature, has been described as revolutionizing the architecture of short stories. Her stories have been said to embed more than announce, reveal more than parade. The stories of this collection deal with Munro’s typical themes: secrets, love, betrayal, and ordinary lives. In this class, we’ll read and discuss one short story a week. For our first meeting please read: “Cortes Island”. Please obtain: The Love of a Good Woman by Alice Munro (ISBN: 978-0375703638)

COURSE CODE: MURO Sec. 02: 6 Wednesdays, 2-3:30pm. Begins May 4 | $170

SELECTED MODERN FICTION FROM SOUTH ASIA

Margery Sabin | Lorraine Chiu Wang Professor of English Emerita Some of the most compelling modern and contemporary literature has come from South Asia, formerly known as British India. We will read three gripping novels that open a window into South Asia and its dramatic interaction with the West: E.M. Forster (an English author), A Passage to India (1924), Amitav Ghosh (born in post-colonial India), The Shadow Lines (1988), and Mohsin Hamid (an American-educated Pakistani author), The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2007). No prior knowledge of South Asia is required or expected.

COURSE CODE: SOAS Sec. 01: 8 Thursdays, 10:30am-12pm. Begins Apr. 7 | $250

SELF-EXPLORATION THROUGH LITERATURE

Jane Katims | M.Ed, Author, Dancing on a Slippery Floor and Until Now The trials and triumphs of certain fictional characters, as well as the compelling voices of certain memoirists and essayists, seem as real as those of our friends and adversaries. The authors write with insight and intuition about human emotions. We’ll use contemporary works as points of departure, as we ask ourselves: What are our feelings and attitudes about the story characters, memoirists, and essayists? What do our emotional responses reveal about ourselves and the wider world? Please buy or locate the following books: These Precious Days by Ann Patchett, Varieties of Exile by Mavis Gallant, and Angle on the Roof by Russell Banks.

COURSE CODE: WTSE Sec. 01: 8 Wednesdays, 12-1:30pm. Begins Apr. 6 | $260