Small Masterpieces: Art of the Short Story in Latin America

"Storytelling reveals meaning without committing the error of defining it," states philosopher Hanna Arendt. This course studies the magic of storytelling in Latin America's rich archive of short stories from indigenous tales retold by Nobel prize winner Miguel Angel Asturias and the philosophical fictions of J. L. Borges and Julio Cortázar to contemporary short masterpieces by Mariana Enríquez, Samanta Schweblin, and Junot Díaz. Each class will be devoted to the close reading of one masterful short-story. Students also will practice the art of storytelling by reconstructing stories behind Latin American photography, painting, and sculpture.