Though its roots are even deeper, the modern short story has been a central part our literary landscape for two and half centuries. In that time, it has proven itself a widely useful form, adaptable to a range of pedagogies that include literary study, history, art, politics, translation, psychoanalysis, and more. More importantly, perhaps, the short story has the capacity to reflect or anticipate important cultural shifts and has often been a site of exploration, speculation, and discover. The purpose of this research group is to explore possible avenues for further study of the short story. We will meet three times per semester for one year to discuss work that has been done on short stories (including many anthologies, databases, and textbooks), asking if there is work still to do in our efforts to better understand and promote the form. Among topics we plan to discuss are how the short story is taught both as a literary form and as a model for developing writers; anthologies that might be of benefit to specific communities, including stories in translation, stories by Utah writers, stories of faith and religion, etc.; potential uses of the short story in a public humanities context, including outreach to schools and public libraries; and opportunities for interdisciplinary work that might lead to collaborations between writers and visual artists.

For more information or to join this group, please contact Stephen Tuttle (English).