NEW BOOK -- This session we will begin reading O. Henry Prize-winning short stories, selected by Amor Towles, from the 2024 edition of The Best Short Stories. This is an opportunity to read outstanding stories from both new and well-known authors, published in English or translated into English in the previous year. For comparison, a few stories published earlier may also be considered.

Each week we will read a short story and discuss our responses to what makes the story unique: themes, techniques, characters, atmosphere, etc. All class members participate, contributing multiple views of the same story. The results are stimulating, entertaining and sometimes surprising. The new anthology is: The Best Short Stories 2024: The O. Henry Prize Winners, Amor Towles, Guest Ed., with Jenny Minton Quigley, Series Ed. (New York: Vintage Books, 2024).

Please, arrange access to this anthology to use for the class discussions. It is available in several formats: Kindle, paperback, Audible.

Class limit: 24