I'm really excited about our new (and nearly last) assignment this semester. It has two parts, with two different due dates. This post is about the first part.
I truly think this will be both fun and enlightening.
PART ONE
What is flash fiction, and why is it taking off now? Definitions vary, but most people think of it as extremely brief stories of no more than 1500 words. Ernest Hemingway is said to have written a short story of only six words. "For sale. Baby shoes. Never worn." Evidence that Hemingway actually wrote it has not been found. But that's another story.
You will be writing an essay that uses primary sources (at least 3) and also secondary sources (at least 3).
In this context, a primary source is an example of flash fiction, the stories themselves. A secondary source is writing about the subject of flash fiction or ideas related to your thesis. For instance, you might find a secondary source that never mentions flash fiction but touches on ideas at the center of it. A cultural critic writing about short attention spans today might have real insight into why flash fiction is so popular in the 21st century.
We'll be discussing this at length on Wednesday, November 10.
This assignment will be due on or before Monday, December 1.
I've decided to knock it down from 6-8 double-spaced MLA pages (plus WC page) to 5-7 MLA pages (plus WC page).
Please read the two following essays in preparation for class. I didn't give you the links, because I want you to practice using JSTOR:
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