The short story has occupied a special place in Nordic literature from the medieval Icelandic period (þáttr) to today.  Along the way it has undergone shifts in form and function; we can examine the genre in terms of its relationship to longer texts (such as the saga or novel), oral storytelling, folklore and the fantastic, drama, journalism, and other related forms.  The readings, spanning the medieval period to the 21st century, will focus on various types of short fiction and theoretical discourse surrounding the genre(s), with some interface with the department’s general theory course.  We will also work to read across national language traditions with the assistance of a special course on reading Scandinavian languages (298).

Texts:will be posted on the course’s bcourse website.

Prerequisites: Graduate standing or consent of instructor.