THE ART OF THE SHORT STORY: Human Stories, Human Truths, Human Connections

Registration not required
Meets in the 1st floor Meeting room

Perfect for busy schedules, each story will be a complete, thought-provoking experience. We’ll read aloud and discuss short stories (15- 20 minutes each). Listen, read, or discuss – make it your own! Bond with neighbors, from high-schoolers and USC Aiken students to retirees, in an inclusive setting while discussing short stories. The May stories are:

The Cat by Mary Wilkins Freeman was published in the anthology Thirteen Cat Tales by Carl Van Vechten et al. Freeman’s stories mostly deal with New England life. One critic says that THE CAT is about “…the need for companionship, even by those who can survive alone in the harshest conditions.” The story may be read by clicking: THE CAT by Mary Wilkins Freeman.

The Grave by Katherine Anne Porter, an example of psychological realism, was published in the Virginia Quarterly Review (Spring 1935,Vol. 11 #2). Goodreads describes The Grave as “…part of a group of stories called ‘The Old Order.’ Taken as a whole, the stories present the family history of a young girl named Miranda: each very short tale depicts a scene from their past in a nostalgic, poetic tone that is nonetheless tinged with a vague sense of darkness. The last story of the group, “The Grave” begins with Miranda, nine years old, playing with her brother Paul in the empty graves that formerly contained many of the relatives from the earlier stories.”