Short stories are quick bursts of storytelling, which, much like a short film or a music video, capture an intense burst of feeling, a fleeting mood, a scene of transformation. Or else, you might say they operate like slow motion: they arrest a moment or slice of time, they attend to its nuances and the forces that buffer it, and they ask us to attend to them with extra care. Short stories often show how moments that might appear very ordinary to most of us can in fact be momentous, utterly transformative, for somebody. In this, for modern, humdrum, everyday lives, they can provide a kind of modernist sublime. In this class, we will read a cross-section of short stories, from classic to contemporary, from America and the world.
4
UnitsOptional
Grading1, 2, 3
PasstimeNone
Level LimitLetters and science
CollegeProfessor Duffy is among the best professors at UCSB. He is intelligent, genuine, funny, and extremely knowledgeable. However, most of this will mean nothing to you if you don't share his passion and interest. Getting an A is really just about reading and paying attention. An essential experience for UCSB students who love literature.
Managable if you do the readings, and easy for English majors. Fantastic professor and one of the best in the department. His lectures were very engaging!!! 2 exams and one research paper. Go to his office hours!!! TAs were lovely too; overall, a class that encouraged you to think and do serious research.
Professor Duffy regularly blew my mind with his lectures---incredible professor, amazing person. I wish I could take this class for the first time again! His form of analysis is just wonderful. Lecture attendance is pretty necessary because the slides lack much commentary, readings were manageable.
TAKE A CLASS WITH DUFFY! HE IS FANTASTIC!
I've taken almost all of the classes taught be Prof. Duffy and become an English major because of him. He captures the strangest and wittiest sides of literature. I highly recommend taking 124 and 193 in summer. They are well-structured online courses. 150 and 187 are not as organised, but fascinating because of his way of interacting.
Prof. Duffy is pretty chill. Lecture was more like a loose discussion forum/seminar where any opinion on the texts is welcome if you can back it up. Disorganized though, w/ no slides, so you have to attend class. 1 creative project/final research paper & 2 exams w/ passage IDs that aren't hard if you've read the books and 1 essay in the final.
Brian Donnelly
4.5
Heather Blurton
3.3
Maurizia Boscagli
3.5
Yunte Huang
3.1